PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Bryce Helix (ranked 841 p4p, 750 weight class) and Renoa Gracie (ranked 63 p4p, 54 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Gracie's choice of entrance music: Apaga Mas Não Bate. 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.

Helix
vs
Gracie

167 cm
27
140
14 - 9 - 0

166 cm
31
145
16 - 6 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Conviction
Conquer

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bryce Helix!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 6 - 1, fighting out of London, Renoa Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Hugh Johnson, Ben Watson and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Helix swings for the body but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Helix defends it well.
Helix fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Gracie manages to avoid it.
Gracie drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Helix defends it well.
Helix throws a body punch but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Helix defends it well.

Helix takes the fight into the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Helix.
Helix takes a shot to the head.
A nice right hand lands inside from Gracie.
Helix tries to throw a body punch but Gracie avoids it by throwing Helix back against the cage.
Gracie blocks an uppercut.
Helix misses with a punch to the body.
Helix lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Helix lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gracie backwards.
Gracie scores with a shot to the side of Helix's head.

Gracie's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Helix throws a shot from downtown. Gracie moves away and avoids it.
Gracie tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Helix tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Helix wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Helix throws a shot from downtown. Gracie moves away and avoids it.
Nice defenses there by Gracie.
Helix throws a body punch but Gracie moves out of range.
Helix throws a jab but it's blocked by Gracie.
Gracie is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Helix has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Primal Concrete Gym in the buildup to the fight.
Good leg kick by Helix.
Helix lands a front kick.
Helix cracks Gracie with a good jab.
Helix throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into side control. Helix won't be happy with that.
Helix manages to work his way to half guard, despite Gracie's best efforts.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Gracie working the head and body with strikes.
Helix knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Helix wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Gracie not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Gracie seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Helix does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Helix is trying to control but Gracie passes into side control!
Gracie working away.
Helix taking punishment in the form of punches.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gracie cracks Helix with a big right hand but Helix just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

Gracie tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Gracie has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here.
Helix tries to control the position but he's not in luck - Gracie easily slips into full mount!
Helix holds on, trying desperately to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Helix is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Helix tries to lock up and control but Gracie gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Gracie is in the full mount, landing strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie landing shots from mount.
Gracie wants to control the pace but Helix is squirming around nicely.
Gracie lands a couple of good shots and Helix has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Helix trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Helix is trying to remain composed but Gracie is hammering down strikes to the side of his head.
Gracie has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Helix's body.
Helix trying to control the hands but Gracie won't let him.
I really don't envy Helix right now.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Renoa Gracie dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

The fight stays on the outside here - Helix looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gracie changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Helix tries to clinch up.
Gracie changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Helix throws a lazy right hand but Gracie sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Helix lands a nice looking kick to the body. Gracie takes a step back to recover.
Helix moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.
And Gracie tries to counter it with a takedown but Helix pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Helix tries to clinch up but Gracie circles away and keeps his distance.
Gracie tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Helix throws a half hearted mid kick.
Helix throws a looping overhand right but Gracie ducks down to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Helix throws a hook but Gracie avoids it easily.
Gracie is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Helix feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Gracies jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Helix misses with a straight left.
Gracie tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
A good leg kick by Helix.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Gracie checks the leg kick.
Gracie with the counter takedown but Helix avoids it easily.
Helix bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Gracie's head backwards.

Gracie gets tackled into the cage by Helix. Helix maintains the clinch.
Gracie blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Helix misses with a hook from the clinch.
Gracie has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Helix misses with a hook to the ribs.

Gracie breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Helix throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Gracie stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Nice straight punches there by Helix. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Helix.
Helix tries to land a body kick

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gracie not landing any meaningful shots this time.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Gracie working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.
Gracie throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Gracie missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie thows a huge punch but Helix dodges it nicely.
Gracie scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Helix is not content to let Gracie control the position.
Gracie sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Helix wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie is trying to control the action in half guard but Helix is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Helix is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Gracie scores with a couple of nice shots.
Gracie working the head and body with strikes.
Gracie drops an elbow to the side of Helix's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Helix defending well though.
Gracie is trying to control the action in half guard but Helix is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Helix keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Nice strikes from Gracie there.
Gracie landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Gracie seems to be working for a kimura but Helix defends the submission attempt.
Helix is trying to get back to full guard.
Helix trying to control here.
Gracie is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Helix moves into full guard.
Gracie slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Gracie scoring with punches and elbows.
Gracie 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.
Gracie happy to just control the position for now.
Helix tries to bench press Gracie off him but Gracie keeps the position.

Gracie thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Gracie misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Renoa Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Helix tries to close the distance and clinch but Gracie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Gracie takes a jab right on the kisser.
Helix cracks Gracie with a good jab.
Helix lunges at Gracie with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Gracie's hand.
Helix throws an overhand right that lands on Gracie's shoulder, as Gracie tries to avoid the shot.
Gracie feints the counter takedown.
Gracie is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Gracie uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Helix.
Gracie drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Helix defends it well.
Bryce Helix is winning the standup battle so far.
Gracie bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Gracie with the counter takedown but Helix avoids it easily.
Helix waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Gracie.
And Gracie tries to counter it with a takedown but Helix pushes his down on his head and steps out.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Helix throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
And Gracie tries to counter it with a takedown but Helix pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Helix missing with a left hand there. Gracie was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
And Gracie tries to counter it with a takedown but Helix pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Gracie takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Helix misses the shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Helix.

Helix closes the distance and clinches.
Gracie misses with the head strike.
Gracie fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Helix tries to work over Gracie's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Helix lands with a right to the head.
Bryce Helix has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Gracie jumps guard but Helix stands there with Gracie around his waist. Gracie gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Gracie misses with some punches.
Helix blocks an uppercut.

Gracie pulls guard effortlessly.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Helix defends it easily.
Helix trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Helix controlling him for the moment.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Helix defends it easily.
Gracie trying to control the position here.
Renoa Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Helix postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Helix controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Helix with a nice head shot there.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Helix from controlling successfully.

Gracie working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Helix doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Helix manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Helix engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Helix trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Gracie manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Bryce Helix has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is working Helix over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Gracie scoring with some ground and pound.
Gracie's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Gracie working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Helix keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gracie trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bryce Helix showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Gracie 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 Hugh Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Watson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Renoa Gracie!
A relieved looking Renoa Gracie thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.