PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Daniel Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rogerio Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Santos
vs
Gracie

188 cm
23
200 lbs
4 - 3 - 1

183 cm
18
213 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

{CDEN} $45 Q156 Recovery (Cheapest in Rio)

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 4 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Daniel Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rogerio Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Leandro Rodrigues and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some wild striking there from Gracie.
Santos dives in and grabs Gracie's left leg, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes down on Santos's head and hops out.
Gracie throws a low kick, looking for Santos's leg but Santos calmly moves out of range.
Gracie fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Santos is out of range.

Gracie bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Santos is not content to let Gracie control the position.
Gracie throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Gracie cracks Santos with a big right hand but Santos just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Santos has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Gracie but great work by Santos.
Santos working away.
Gracie is not content to let Santos control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie tries to bench press Santos off him but Santos keeps the position.
Gracie is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Santos is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Gracie wants to control but Santos postures up.
Santos tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Santos clobbers Gracie with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
A combination from Gracie does no damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Gracie counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Santos's guard now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santos avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Santos working a defensive guard here.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Santos is retaining full guard.
Gracie is pushing down on Santos's leg trying to pass to half guard. Santos is fighting to maintain full guard but Gracie has managed to sneak the leg through.

Santos actively working from the bottom here.
Santos is staying active underneath Gracie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Gracie missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gracie lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Santos circles away quickly and effectively.
Gracie swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gracie fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Santos is out of range.
A combination from Gracie does no damage.
Santos takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Santos tries for a takedown but Gracie circles away easily

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into side control. Santos won't be happy with that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daniel Santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos is breathing heavily.
Gracie is trying to ground and pound but Santos uses the momentary lack of control by Gracie to regain half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rogerio Gracie dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Santos moves into range and clinches up with Gracie.
Gracie tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Santos smiles and moves away.

Santos shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Santos showed some decent athleticism there.
Gracie trying to hold on to Santos's head to control him but Santos postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos prevents Gracie from improving his position.
Santos wants to advance to full mount but Gracie doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Gracie tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Gracie trying to control the position here.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gracie bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Santos's guard.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Santos is keeping the position for now.

Gracie drops back looking for a leg! Santos is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Santos manages to kick Gracie off! Gracie jumps back into Santos's guard.
Gracie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.

Gracie thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Gracie looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Santos keeping full guard, as Gracie tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Santos has his takedown stuffed

and Gracie counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Santos!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Santos tries to lock up and control but Gracie gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Gracie looking to control and managing it successfully.
Gracie trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie with the ground and pound from mount.

Gracie looking for a guillotine from mount but Santos is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rogerio Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Santos's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Santos shoots and misses

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into side control. Santos won't be happy with that.
Gracie fails to land a wild elbow strike.

Gracie is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Santos has escaped the position, nice work there.
Santos managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Gracie.
Gracie trying to control the position but Santos is working away.
Santos is trying to control Gracie's posture but Gracie avoids it.

Gracie is trying to get an arm triangle but Santos is defending well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Santos manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie is defending against the submission attempts here by Santos.
Santos wants to free his trapped foot but Gracie is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Gracie tries to get to full guard but Santos has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Santos is trying to control the action in half guard but Gracie is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Santos wants to stand but Gracie has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Gracie is trying to get back to full guard.

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gracie works over Santos's head and body with a nice combination.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt

and Gracie decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Santos's guard.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Daniel Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Santos is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Gracie is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Gracie is pushing down on Santos's leg trying to pass to half guard. Santos is fighting to maintain full guard but Gracie has managed to sneak the leg through.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rogerio Gracie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Gracie 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 27:30
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rogerio Gracie!