PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Forrest Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carlos Ray Norris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Forrest Griffin has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Griffin
vs
Ray Norris

191 cm
25
205 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

178 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Forrest Griffin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Carlos Ray Norris!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Norris wants to clinch but Griffin slips to the side
and Griffin counters with a stiff right hand.
Norris tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Griffin manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Carlos Ray Norris seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Norris tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Griffin counters with a nice uppercut.
Norris wants to clinch
letting Griffin counter with a right hand.
Norris is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Norris doesn't manage to clinch there - Griffin circles away.
Norris moves in looking to clinch but Griffin pushes him off.
Norris closes the distance looking to clinch
and Griffin counters with a stiff right hand.
Griffin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Griffin's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Griffin duly obliges.
Griffin throws a series of punches but Norris avoids them all with ease.
Griffin misses with a few strikes there.
Norris tries to clinch up
letting Griffin counter with a right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Norris darts in trying to clinch

and Griffin counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Griffin throwing strikes but missing.
Griffin with a nice head shot there.
Griffin throws a big right hand that misses.
Griffin trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Griffin working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Norris's head.
Griffin postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Griffin lands a couple of digs.
Griffin throwing strikes but missing.
Griffin won't allow Norris to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Griffin lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Griffin decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Norris, up you get!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Norris tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Griffin manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Griffin throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Norris tries to close the distance and clinch but Griffin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Norris tries to clinch but Griffin moves out of range.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Norris enables Griffin to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Norris manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Griffin missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Griffin loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Griffin landing some decent shots from guard.
Griffin connects with a couple of short punches.
Norris wants to stand but Griffin is controlling the position.
Norris looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin trying to control the position from guard on top but Norris is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Norris working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Griffin.
Norris keeping moving, preventing Griffin from controlling successfully.
Griffin loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Griffin works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Griffin will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Griffin connects with a nice short shot to Norris's temple.
Griffin throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Griffin not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Norris keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Griffin is working for a kimura but Norris is defending it quite comfortably.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin throwing shots but Norris is blocking nicely.
Griffin thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Griffin throwing shots but Norris is blocking nicely.
Griffin stops Norris from getting back to his feet.
Griffin scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Griffin working the head and body with strikes.
Griffin is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Griffin decides to return to a standing position.
Carlos Ray Norris is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Griffin throws a push kick but Norris slaps the foot to one side.
Griffin lands a two punch combo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Forrest Griffin dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Griffin looks to land a combination. Norris sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Norris tries to clinch up

and Griffin counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Norris's guard now.
Griffin prevents Norris from getting back to his feet.
Norris really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Griffin. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Griffin distracts Norris with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Griffin trying to control but Norris is working from the bottom.
Griffin is in close to Norris's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Griffin's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Griffin is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Griffin 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.
Griffin throwing strikes from guard but Norris blocks nicely.
Norris is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Norris keeping moving, preventing Griffin from controlling successfully.
Griffin content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Griffin is in close to Norris's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Griffin with a flurry of punches that miss.
Griffin makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Forrest Griffin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Griffin chips away with some ground and pound.
Griffin lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Griffin passes into half guard.
Norris is refusing to be controlled, as Griffin sits in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Griffin seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Griffin frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Griffin raining down shots from the mount!
Griffin cracks Norris with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Griffin fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Griffin has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Norris's face.
Griffin fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
A nice elbow there by Griffin.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Griffin raining down hammerfists from mount.
Norris taking shots to the head.
Griffin breaks from Norris's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Griffin breaks from Norris's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Griffin landing punches.
Griffin cracks Norris with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Griffin raining down shots from the mount!
Griffin is in the full mount, landing strikes.
BOOM! Griffin connects with a massive shot to the dome!

Griffin is working for a guillotine from mount but Norris frees his head quite easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Griffin cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Griffin lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Griffin landing strikes from the mount and Norris is in trouble!
Griffin tries to control but Norris wriggling away.
Griffin punishing his opponent with strikes.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Griffin scoring with strikes but Norris is staying in there.
Griffin trying to control but he's not successful this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Forrest Griffin dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Griffin tries to land a front kick but Norris steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Griffin swats away the attempt to clinch by Norris.
Griffin circles away from the clinch attempt
and Griffin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Norris tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Norris tries to clinch but Griffin is having none of it.
Griffin fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Griffin rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Norris moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Griffin tries a head kick but it misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Norris tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Griffin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Norris looks to clinch
and Griffin counters with a straight right hand.
Forrest Griffin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Norris takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Griffin fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Norris sprawls well initially but Griffin persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Griffin working the head and body with strikes.
Griffin landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Norris keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Griffin trying to control the pace.
Griffin wants to free his trapped foot but Norris is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Norris is trying to stand up here but Griffin is controlling him well.
Griffin throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Griffin working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Griffin drops an elbow to the side of Norris's head.
Griffin is taking a breather. Norris says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Griffin scoring with strikes to the body and head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Norris is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Griffin scores with a couple of nice shots.
Griffin sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Norris defending well though.
Griffin is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Norris!
Norris is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Griffin is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Forrest Griffin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Norris wants to get back to his feet.
Griffin scores with a couple of good head shots there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Griffin cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
A nice elbow there by Griffin.
Griffin content just to control the position here.
Griffin has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Norris that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Griffin looking to control and managing it successfully.
Griffin's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

And that's the end of the fight!
Forrest Griffin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Griffin has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:24
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 30:24
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Forrest Griffin!