PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Doug Graves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tantric Yogi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Graves might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Alvarez. Tantric Yogi acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Graves
vs
Yogi

190 cm
22
214 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

180 cm
27
185 lbs
14 - 7 - 1

Decent wrestler
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Excellent MT
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Doug Graves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Tantric Yogi!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Jeff Smith and Paul Gruel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yogi steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Graves.
Graves uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Yogi.
Graves feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Yogis jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Yogi avoids the body shot from Graves.
Graves stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Yogi.
Graves lands a right hook to the body.
Graves throws a head kick that misses.
Graves is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Graves checks a low kick from Yogi.
Graves misses with a low kick.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Yogi.
Nice uppercut lands for Graves. That snapped Yogi's head back.
Yogi throws a head kick that Graves semi-blocks.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yogi takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

Yogi drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Graves on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Graves tries to get out of the position.
Yogi throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graves struggling a bit here.
Yogi lands a few punches from side control.
The ground and pound from Yogi seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Graves is looking to reverse the position.
The strikes coming from Yogi are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Yogi working the ground and pound from side control.
Graves tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Yogi wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Graves seems a little lost for a moment, as Yogi dominates the positioning.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yogi misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Yogi throws a strike aimed at the side of Graves's head but Graves avoids it well.
Yogi working away.
Yogi in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Yogi remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Yogi wants to lay and pray for a moment but Graves keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yogi advances to full mount.
Graves tries to hold on but Yogi postures up.
Graves is looking to get to half guard.
Yogi throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Graves is working to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yogi lands a big elbow.
Graves holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Yogi tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Yogi is landing with some decent strikes but Graves is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Yogi wants to control the pace but Graves is squirming around nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Graves keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Yogi cracks Graves with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tantric Yogi dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Yogi shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Graves defends it nicely.
Yogi throws a front kick aimed at Graves's knee but Graves avoids it well.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Graves, right into the meat.
Graves throws a hook but Yogi blocks it.
Yogi fails to land the takedown.
Graves throws a hook but Yogi avoids it easily.
Graves avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Graves tries a head kick but it misses.
Yogi walks into a jab.
Yogi scoring well with a low kick there.
Graves misses with a looping right.
Yogi checks a leg kick nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Decent striking displayed by Yogi there.
A clash of legs there as Yogi blocks the low kick.
Yogi throws a half hearted mid kick.
Graves has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Graves there as he acknowledges the shot.
Yogi throws a nice outside leg kick.
Yogi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Yogi slips under a jab from Graves.
A big right from Graves misses.
Tantric Yogi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice sprawl there from Graves as Yogi shoots in.
Doug Graves has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tantric Yogi.
Yogi throws a sloppy head kick and Graves moves out of range easily.
Graves checks a leg kick.
Graves ducks under a wild hook from Yogi.
Yogi misses with a kick to the body
and Graves counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Yogi thinking.
Graves connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yogi steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Graves.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yogi throws a looping overhand right but Graves ducks down to avoid it.
Yogi tries a head kick but it misses.
Doug Graves is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Yogi checks the leg kick nicely there.
That kick from Yogi tenderised Graves's leg. Graves is trying to keep his angry face on.
Graves looks to land a left hand but Yogi moved out of range nicely.
Graves avoids the head kick by Yogi.
Yogi swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Yogi slips under a jab from Graves.
Graves avoids a kick to the body.
Yogi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Yogi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Yogi shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Graves drops his hands momentarily and Yogi takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Graves lands a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Graves, right into the meat.
Yogi throws a half hearted mid kick.
Yogi wants to slow Graves down by chopping away at his legs.
Yogi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Graves.
Graves connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Yogi throws a sloppy head kick
letting Graves counter with a right hand.
Graves is looking to clinch.
Graves throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Graves throws out a loose jab but Yogi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Yogi throws a body kick that misses.
Yogi thumps Graves with a low kick.
Yogi misses with a body kick.
Yogi wants to slow Graves down by chopping away at his legs.
Yogi keeps Graves at a distance using the push kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Good standup being displayed there by Graves as he connects with a hook.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Graves feints and then cracks Yogi's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Yogi down.
Graves misses with a head kick.
Graves avoids a kick to the body.
Graves steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Yogi. That one must have hurt.
An inside leg kick from Yogi misses.
Yogi misses with a kick to the body.
Graves cracks a nice hook into Yogi's ribs.
Graves connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Yogi's hands.
Graves is looking to clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Yogi looks for the body kick but Graves saw that one coming.
Yogi fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Graves.
Graves lands a jab to the nose.
Graves tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Doug Graves dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Graves moves out of range of the body kick from Yogi.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Yogi, right into the meat.
Graves defending well as Yogi loads up on a big left hand.
Yogi misses with a hook. Graves ducked under it nicely.
Yogi checks the leg kick.
Yogi wants to land a leg kick but Graves is out of range.
Yogi throws a leg kick
and Graves counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Yogi swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Graves throws a big shot that misses.
Graves lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Graves feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Yogi's calf.
Graves loads up on a big right hand but Yogi slips the punch.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
A head kick misses from Yogi.
Graves attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Graves is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Yogi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graves swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Graves misses with a two punch combination.
Yogi fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Graves checks it well.
Yogi bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Graves throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Yogi wants to slow Graves down by chopping away at his legs.
Doug Graves is winning the standup battle so far.
Yogi takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Yogi tries for a takedown but Graves circles away easily
and Graves counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Yogi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A punch lands to the side of Yogi 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Yogi looks to land a right hand but Graves moved out of range.
A big left from Graves misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yogi scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Graves preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Yogi is trying to control the action in half guard but Graves is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yogi lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Yogi tries to pass the half guard into mount. Graves knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yogi thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Graves is trying to get back to full guard.
Yogi lands with a punch from half guard.
Yogi missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Graves keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Yogi missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Yogi thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Graves is refusing to be controlled, as Yogi sits in half guard.
Graves is trying to stand back up but Yogi is controlling him
Yogi has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Yogi throwing shots but Graves is blocking nicely.
Yogi lands strikes from half guard.
Yogi not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Yogi missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Tantric Yogi has got the better of the ground game so far.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yogi throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Graves blocking the ground and pound attempt from Yogi.
Yogi throwing shots but Graves is blocking nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Tantric Yogi.
I think Yogi has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Josh West scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tantric Yogi!
An out of breath Tantric Yogi thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.