PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Steve Kenny (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Knyto Gruffo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Kenny
vs
Gruffo

191 cm
29
267 lbs
17 - 4 - 0

189 cm
27
264 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Steve Kenny!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Knyto Gruffo!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Wesley Smith and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gruffo scores with a nice right hand.
A slow jab from Gruffo misses its intended target.
Gruffo doesn't manage to clinch there - Kenny circles away.
No luck for Kenny with that takedown attempt.
Gruffo misses with a left hand

and Kenny counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Kenny throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Kenny not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Kenny wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gruffo keeps working.
Kenny lands strikes from half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kenny looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Gruffo with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Kenny slips a nice elbow through Gruffo's hands, connecting with Gruffo's forehead.
Kenny stalling away here and it's allowed Gruffo to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Gruffo avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Kenny stopping the sweep attempt from Gruffo.
Gruffo is looking to stand up but Kenny isn't so interested in that idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kenny drops back looking for a leg! Gruffo is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Gruffo manages to kick Kenny off! Kenny jumps back into Gruffo's guard.
Kenny is looking to work some ground and pound but Gruffo has wrist control.
Kenny trying to control but Gruffo is working from the bottom.
Gruffo is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Gruffo avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gruffo has control of Kenny's left arm, preventing Kenny from doing any damage.
Kenny scoring with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kenny is working Gruffo over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Gruffo controls Kenny momentarily but Kenny frees himself.
Kenny scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Kenny won't allow Gruffo to get back to his feet.
Kenny wants to control from the top but Gruffo keeps moving.
Gruffo lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Kenny!
Kenny tries to reverse the position but Gruffo maintains control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gruffo looking to control but Kenny is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Kenny has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Gruffo looking to control and managing it successfully.
Gruffo looking to control but Kenny is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Kenny keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Gruffo wants to control the pace but Kenny is squirming around nicely.
Kenny is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Gruffo can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Kenny is looking to escape.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Knyto Gruffo hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Kenny circles away from the clinch attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Kenny dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Gruffo darts in trying to clinch

so Kenny counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kenny trying to control the position from guard on top but Gruffo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kenny cracks Gruffo with a solid left hand.

Gruffo kicks Kenny off and gets to his feet.
Gruffo lands with a hook. Kenny tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Knyto Gruffo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gruffo connects with a solid leg kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Gruffo dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Kenny. That did some damage!
Gruffo scores with a shot to the body.
Gruffo scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gruffo moves in looking to clinch but Kenny pushes him off.
Gruffo misses with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gruffo darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Gruffo lands with a right hand.

Kenny shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Gruffo moves into full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gruffo is on top in guard.
Kenny keeping moving, preventing Gruffo from controlling successfully.
Gruffo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kenny swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gruffo must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kenny can't keep his opponent in guard - Gruffo advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Kenny is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Steve Kenny overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gruffo wants to stand up but Kenny has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Gruffo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Kenny does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gruffo wants to free his trapped foot but Kenny is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Kenny gets full guard.
Gruffo trying to control but Kenny is working from the bottom.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Kenny throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Kenny is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gruffo is controlling him.
Kenny keeping moving, preventing Gruffo from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Knyto Gruffo.
Gruffo moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gruffo thuds his right hand into Kenny's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Gruffo swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Kenny counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Gruffo's guard now.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kenny scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Kenny thows a big elbow that misses.
Kenny stands up over Gruffo, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Kenny preventing the sweep.
Kenny distracts Gruffo with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Gruffo wants to stand up but Kenny is controlling him.
Kenny throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kenny loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gruffo bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kenny's guard.
Gruffo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kenny is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Knyto Gruffo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Gruffo throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Kenny decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Gruffo's guard.
Kenny trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Kenny won't allow Gruffo to sweep him here.
Gruffo utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Kenny working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Kenny stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gruffo swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Kenny working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Gruffo's head.
Kenny throwing strikes but missing.
Kenny with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Kenny throws a strike but Gruffo rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Kenny looking for a sweep. Not yet Kenny, not yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kenny keeping moving, preventing Gruffo from controlling successfully.
Gruffo passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Kenny trying to remain calm as Gruffo controls from the top position.
Kenny can't do much from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Gruffo working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Kenny is not content to let Gruffo control the position.

Gruffo has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Kenny looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Gruffo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Gruffo throws a body kick that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A clash of legs there as Kenny blocks the low kick.
Kenny has a takedown stuffed.
Gruffo throws a combination that misses

and Kenny counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Gruffo's guard now.
Gruffo not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Kenny scoring with punches to the head and body.
Gruffo trying to strike off his back.
Kenny missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Kenny postures up in Gruffo's guard and throws a big left but Gruffo blocks it.
Kenny working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Kenny slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Gruffo tries to bench press Kenny off him but Kenny keeps the position.
Kenny trying to control the action but Gruffo is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kenny looks up at the clock and then as Gruffo takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Kenny smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gruffo tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Kenny lands an elbow.
Kenny advances to full mount.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gruffo is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gruffo is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Kenny landing shots from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Steve Kenny showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Kenny has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steve Kenny!