PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alexander Rewell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Billy Gruff (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gruff comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Shut Up - Stormzy kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Rewell
vs
Gruff

198 cm
24
245 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

185 cm
26
255 lbs
11 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

ON TAP 160Q Nutrition

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 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Alexander Rewell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Billy Gruff!
The judges for this bout are Valeri Chadov, Viktor Lagutenko and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gruff takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

Rewell tries to keep at a distance but Gruff has taken the fight into the clinch.
Rewell blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Gruff ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Gruff no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Rewell looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Gruff wants to sweep but no luck.
Gruff manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rewell manages to get himself to full guard.

Rewell 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.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gruff makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Gruff trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gruff postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Gruff working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Rewell preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gruff in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Rewell utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rewell looking for a sweep. Not yet Rewell, not yet.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Gruff working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Rewell manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gruff manages to get himself to full guard.

Gruff wants to sweep here but Rewell controlling him for the moment.
Rewell has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rewell trying to control the position from guard on top but Gruff is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gruff throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

Gruff working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Rewell doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Rewell manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Rewell slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Gruff wants to sweep but no luck.
Rewell trying to control the position from guard on top but Gruff is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rewell will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Gruff looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rewell is one step ahead there.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gruff takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Rewell throws a series of punches but Gruff avoids them all with ease.
Gruff looks to land a left hand but Rewell moved out of range nicely.
Gruff slips a straight right by Rewell.
Gruff looks to throw the jab but Rewell is out of range.
As Gruff backs away, Rewell returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Gruff misses with a body punch
and Rewell counters with a slapping leg kick.
Gruff misses with a straight right.
Gruff misses with a straight left.
Rewell throws a chopping leg kick but Gruff manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Billy Gruff seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gruff throws a hook to the side of Rewell's head but Rewell sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Gruff uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rewell.
Gruff throws a looping overhand right but Rewell ducks down to avoid it.
Gruff moves away from the strike by Rewell.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gruff misses with an uppercut
and Rewell counters with a stiff right hand.
Rewell uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Gruff.
Rewell tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Rewell displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Gruff throws out the jab.
Rewell uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Gruff.
Gruff takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gruff uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rewell.
Gruff misses with a looping left.
Rewell ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Rewell misses the shot to the body.
Gruff tries to counter with a clinch but Rewell shakes him off and moves away.
Rewell scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Rewell throws the left hand but Gruff avoids the punch easily.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gruff. Rewell does a little dance to reset his feet.
Gruff misses with a wild body shot.
A telegraphed right hand from Gruff misses the target.
Rewell uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Alexander Rewell will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Gruff swings for the body but Rewell moves out of range.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Gruff.
Gruff scores with a spinning back kick!
Nice defenses there by Rewell.
Rewell throws a hook but Gruff blocks it.
Gruff looks to throw the jab but Rewell is out of range.
Rewell is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Gruff fails in his attempt to clinch.
Good shot there by Rewell.

Gruff has managed to clinch.
Rewell blocks a body shot from Gruff.
Rewell blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Gruff lands a right hand that snaps the head of Rewell backwards.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gruff tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rewell's elbow.
Rewell scores with a shoulder strike.
Rewell controlling the action here for a moment.
Rewell struggles to land a body shot inside as Gruff controls his hands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gruff wants a takedown.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gruff.
Rewell softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Rewell tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Gruff blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rewell throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rewell lands a shot to the body.
Rewell throws a punch but it's blocked by Gruff.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gruff.
Rewell looking to stall.
Gruff lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
A short uppercut from Gruff.
Rewell is pressed up against the cage. Gruff has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rewell down to the mat. Rewell avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Rewell uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Gruff.
Alexander Rewell is winning the standup battle so far.
Gruff misses with a body shot.
A slow jab from Gruff misses its intended target.
The fighters circling - Gruff throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gruff throws an overhand right that lands on Rewell's shoulder, as Rewell tries to avoid the shot.
Rewell paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Gruff swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Rewell.
Gruff misses with a jab, cross combination.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rewell misses with the body kick
and Gruff counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Gruff is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Gruff takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Gruff misses with a leg kick.
Jab from Rewell.
Rewell walks into a jab.
Gruff moves out of range of the strikes.
Rewell throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Gruff.
Rewell misses with a body kick.
Rewell throws a lazy head kick
and Gruff counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Gruff misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rewell.
Rewell misses with a body kick.
Rewell misses with a head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rewell ducks under a wild hook from Gruff.
Rewell feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Gruff's calf.
A slow jab from Rewell misses its intended target.
Gruff misses with an uppercut. Rewell saw that one coming.
Gruff throws a jab when Rewell was well out of range.
Rewell steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Gruff.
Rewell with a nice cross.
Rewell lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Gruff is rocked!
Rewell throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Gruff is still on wobbly legs! Can Rewell finish him?
Gruff is breathing heavily.
Gruff is wiping some vaseline out of his eye. Rewell doesn't give a rats ass about fair play and cracks him with a massive hook to the side of the head! Gruff crumples to the floor out cold! The cornerman is going to be in Gruff's bad books for that mishap!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:42 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Alexander Rewell!