PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Grayson Velazquez (ranked 5028 p4p, 5104 weight class) and Warrick Cager (ranked 447 p4p, 453 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Velazquez
vs
Cager

182 cm
25
183
0 - 1 - 0

175 cm
25
180
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Grayson Velazquez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Warrick Cager!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, Michael Johnstone and Winston Alpacca.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cager slips under a jab from Velazquez.
Cager takes a shot right to the bread basket.

Cager scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cager drops an elbow to the side of Velazquez's head.
Velazquez on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Velazquez tries to get out of the position.
Cager is nestled in close to Velazquez, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Cager is trying to control the action in half guard but Velazquez is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Velazquez wants to get back to full guard.
Cager seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Velazquez does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Velazquez taking some punishment here, with Cager in his half guard.
Cager is trying to control the action in half guard but Velazquez is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Cager lands a nice short elbow.
Cager looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Cager lands strikes from half guard.
Cager is trying to control. Velazquez wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cager performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Cager trying to control the action but Velazquez is working from the bottom.
Velazquez avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Cager.
Cager sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Velazquez defending well though.
Nice strikes from Cager there.
Velazquez has hold of Cager's hands but Cager slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Velazquez on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Velazquez on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Cager has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Velazquez on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cager looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Velazquez with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Velazquez knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Cager on the ground.
Cager lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Cager lands a nice short elbow.
Cager seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Cager keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cager trying to control from half guard but Velazquez is working away.
Cager prevents Velazquez from standing back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cager doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Velazquez counters with a straight right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cager missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Cager postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Cager is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Cager advances position into side control!
Velazquez definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Cager connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Velazquez some visible discomfort.
Cager lands an elbow.
Cager scores with a couple of short elbows.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cager is chipping away with strikes.
Velazquez taking punishment in the form of punches.
Cager working the ground and pound.
Cager lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Velazquez down.
Cager scoring with punches from side control.
Cager is staying tight to Velazquez's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Cager scores with a couple of short elbows.
Cager lands a decent elbow from side control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Velazquez takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Cager lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Warrick Cager dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Cager feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Cager cracks Velazquez with a solid left hand.
Cager has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cager works over Velazquez with some ground and pound from guard.
Cager works over Velazquez with some ground and pound from guard.

Velazquez kicks Cager off and gets to his feet.
Velazquez looks to throw the jab but Cager is out of range.

Cager bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cager working the ground and pound.
Cager is looking to take a break and control but Velazquez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Cager creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Cager lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Warrick Cager has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cager wants to control but Velazquez is keeping him busy.
Cager is working Velazquez over with some ground and pound from side control.
Cager working the head with strikes.
Cager working the ground and pound.
Velazquez is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Cager asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Cager landing strikes.
Cager cracks Velazquez with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Velazquez takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cager is working Velazquez over with some ground and pound from side control.
Velazquez taking punishment in the form of punches.
Cager scoring with punches from side control.
Cager trying to control the action but Velazquez is working from the bottom.
Cager cracks Velazquez with a big elbow.
Cager working the ground and pound from side control.
Cager working the body and head with strikes.
Cager scores with punches from side control.
Cager controlling the position.
Cager working the head and body with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cager lands an elbow.
Cager working the body and head with strikes.
Cager controlling from side mount.
Cager lands a nice forearm strike.
Velazquez takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Velazquez takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Cager lands a decent elbow from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cager landing strikes.
Cager is looking to take a break and control but Velazquez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Velazquez taking punishment in the form of punches.
Velazquez is not content to let Cager control the position.
Velazquez tries to buck Cager off but Cager is having none of it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cager controls the position from side control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Warrick Cager showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Cager shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Cager was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Velazquez takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Cager lands a nice forearm strike.
Cager scoring with punches from side control.
Velazquez taking a bit of punishment here - Cager scoring with strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cager lands a nice forearm strike.
Cager scoring with punches and elbows.
Cager in side control lands a decent elbow.
Cager is putting a hurting on Velazquez here, landing some big shots from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cager landing strikes.
Cager landing a few strikes.
Velazquez taking a bit of punishment here - Cager scoring with strikes.
Cager trying to control the position but Velazquez is working away.
Cager scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Velazquez to see if he's OK.
Cager in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Velazquez is looking for a sweep.
Cager working the head with strikes.
Cager connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Velazquez some visible discomfort.
Velazquez on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cager scores with punches from side control.
Cager working the head and body with strikes.
Cager is chipping away with strikes.
Cager scoring with punches and elbows.
Check out the look on Cager's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!

Velazquez is rocked!
Cager lands some shots froms side control.
Oh Velazquez is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Cager working the body and head with strikes.
Cager scoring with punches and elbows.
Cager scores with a couple of short elbows.
Velazquez is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Cager working the head with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cager in side control lands a decent elbow.
Cager is chipping away with strikes.
Cager is working Velazquez over with some ground and pound from side control.
Cager happy to just control the position for now.
Cager scoring with punches and elbows.
Grayson Velazquez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Velazquez tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Cager wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Velazquez seems to have got his legs back now.
Cager in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Cager scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Velazquez to see if he's OK.
Cager lands an elbow.
Cager wants to lay and pray for a moment but Velazquez keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cager working the ground and pound.
Velazquez tries to bench press Cager off him but Cager keeps the position.
Velazquez taking a bit of punishment here - Cager scoring with strikes.
Velazquez throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.
Check out the look on Cager's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Velazquez trying to remain calm as Cager controls from the top position.
Cager is looking to take a break and control but Velazquez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cager scores with punches from side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Warrick Cager comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cager 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 Santiago Holmes scores the fight 27:30
Judge Michael Johnstone scores the fight 27:30
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Warrick Cager!
After winning the bout, Warrick Cager thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.