PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Forest Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Iku Roe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Griffin kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is The Ultimate Fighter. Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Griffin
vs
Roe

191 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

188 cm
22
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Forest Griffin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Iku Roe!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Daniel Franklin and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Roe ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Griffin moves away.

Roe looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Roe lands a couple of digs.
Roe throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Roe with a nice head shot there.
Griffin wants to stand but Roe is controlling the position.
Roe in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Griffin utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Griffin trying to control the position here.
Roe keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Griffin's head.
Roe working some strikes from top position.
Roe keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Griffin's head.
Roe throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Griffin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Roe working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roe is looking to work some ground and pound but Griffin has wrist control.
Roe thows a big elbow that misses.

Roe drops back, looking for a kneebar! Griffin looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Griffin looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Griffin!
Roe is trying to control Griffin's posture but Griffin avoids it.
Griffin blocks the strikes from Roe.
Roe is trying to get back to half guard.
An elbow from Griffin crashes against the mat.
Griffin in side control lands a decent elbow.
Roe can't do much from the bottom here.
Roe is looking to regain half guard here but Griffin keeps moving and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Griffin wants to stand but Roe has his arm trapped.
Roe is looking for a sweep.
Roe is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Roe shoots in but no luck this time.

Griffin closes the distance and clinches.

Griffin manages to break the clinch.
Roe throws a body punch but Griffin moves out of range.

Griffin clinches with his opponent.

Griffin manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Roe scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Griffin pulls Roe in close to prevent any damage.
Griffin looking for a sweep. Not yet Griffin, not yet.
Griffin has momentary wrist control but Roe slips an elbow through the middle.
Roe is looking to work some ground and pound but Griffin has wrist control.
Roe trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Roe wants to control from the top but Griffin keeps moving.
Griffin looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Griffin is breathing heavily.
Griffin avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Griffin closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Roe to the mat! Roe manages to get full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roe not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Roe is on top in guard.
Roe wants to control from the top but Griffin keeps moving.
Roe advances position into side control!
Roe working the body and head with strikes.
Roe creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Griffin takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.

Roe looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Iku Roe dominated that 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.

Roe has his takedown stuffed

and Griffin counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Roe's guard now.
Roe has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Griffin trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Griffin knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Roe on the ground.
Roe bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Griffin's guard.
Roe thows a big elbow that misses.
Roe postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Roe is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Roe postures up.
Roe trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Roe stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Griffin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Griffin preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Roe stands up over Griffin, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Griffin has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Roe is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Griffin.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Griffin sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Roe scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Roe working the head and body with strikes.
Roe looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Griffin with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Griffin has hold of Roe's hands but Roe slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Roe takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Griffin on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Roe seems to be working for a kimura but Griffin defends the submission attempt.
Roe is taking a breather. Griffin 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Roe takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Roe is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Nice strikes from Roe there.
Roe scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Roe lands strikes from half guard.
Griffin is staying active underneath Roe, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Roe lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Roe is pressing down on Griffin's thigh, looking to free his foot. Griffin is holding on for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Well, if Roe is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Griffin taking some punishment here, with Roe in his half guard.
Roe is keen to just control but Griffin is a slippery customer.
Roe is thwarting Griffin's attempts to control the position.
Iku Roe has got the better of the ground game so far.
Roe landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Roe is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Griffin misses with some strikes from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Roe slips a nice elbow through Griffin's hands, connecting with Griffin's forehead.
Roe works his foot free and advances to mount.
Roe connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Roe raining down shots from the mount!
A nice elbow there by Roe.
Roe trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Roe sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The referee warns Griffin that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Iku Roe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Roe drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Griffin throws a couple of strikes even though he's not really in a good position to do so.
Roe lands an elbow.
Check out the look on Roe's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Check out the look on Roe's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Griffin taking punishment in the form of punches.
Griffin on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Roe lands a decent elbow from side control.
Roe scores with a couple of short elbows.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Griffin is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Griffin is not content to let Roe control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roe lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Griffin down.
Roe tries to advance to mount but Griffin denies him.
Roe lands some shots froms side control.
Roe lands some shots froms side control.
Roe works to advance to full mount. Griffin defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Roe with shots to the head and body - Griffin looks very uncomfortable down there.
Roe unloading with bombs!
Roe lands a nice shot to the head.
Griffin takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Roe unloading with bombs!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Roe cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Roe with a couple of short strikes.
Roe landing punches.
Roe putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Roe landing shots from mount.
Roe landing strikes from the mount.
Roe cracks Griffin with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Roe breaks from Griffin's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Roe looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Roe punishing his opponent with strikes.
Roe fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Roe scoring with strikes but Griffin is staying in there.
Griffin is bucking up trying to escape but Roe cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roe landing strikes, looking to finish!
BOOM! Roe connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Roe scoring with strikes but Griffin is staying in there.
Griffin is trying desperately to improve position.
Griffin is in a horrible position here. Roe smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Griffin is working to get back to half guard.
Roe lands a big elbow.
Roe is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Roe landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roe trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Roe punishing his opponent with strikes.
Roe punishing his opponent with strikes.
Roe looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Roe is landing with some decent strikes but Griffin is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.

Roe is working for a guillotine from mount but Griffin frees his head quite easily.
Griffin can't escape the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Roe connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Roe with a couple of short strikes.
Forest Griffin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Roe dominating with strikes here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Iku Roe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Roe winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 26:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 26:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Iku Roe!