PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Don Syd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Royce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Syd's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Poisen. Gracie has chosen orion as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Syd
vs
Gracie

190 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 17 - 0

185 cm
23
194 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Don Syd!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Royce Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, George Francis and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Syd gets a takedown into half guard.
Gracie is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Gracie moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Syd with a flurry of punches that miss.
Syd pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gracie is keeping the position for now.

Syd got a little sloppy there for a moment and Gracie has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Syd has managed to get both his arms back between Gracie's legs - danger averted.
Syd has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Gracie is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Syd thows a big elbow that misses.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Syd with a flurry of punches that miss.

Gracie working for a triangle but Syd defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Syd keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Gracie's head.
Gracie tries to strike from the bottom.
Syd throws a big right hand that misses.
Syd looking to pass the guard.
Syd cracks Gracie with a solid left hand.
Syd throwing strikes from guard but Gracie blocks nicely.

Syd avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Syd throws a big right hand that misses.
Syd trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Syd throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gracie works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Syd trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Syd postures up.
Syd working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Gracie avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Syd is breathing heavily.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Syd swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Syd fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Gracie shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Syd is trying to defend but Gracie finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Syd knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.
Gracie thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Syd's head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Syd is in trouble now - Gracie has advanced to mount!

Gracie is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Syd to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Syd shrugs it off.
Gracie tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Syd wants to control but Gracie is having none of it.
Syd taking shots to the head.
Syd is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Syd can't escape the position.
Syd is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Syd is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The referee warns Syd that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Gracie scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Gracie lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A nice elbow there by Gracie.
Gracie unloading with bombs!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Royce Gracie dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Gracie throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Don Syd is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Syd with a lazy takedown attempt

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Gracie scoring with punches to the head and body.
Gracie is looking to work some ground and pound but Syd has wrist control.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Syd is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Syd wants to sweep but no luck.
Syd preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie postures up in Syd's guard and throws a big left but Syd blocks it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Syd slips a jab and a cross from Gracie.

Gracie changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Syd looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Syd takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie scoring with punches from side control.
Gracie is putting a hurting on Syd here, landing some big shots from side control.
Syd tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Syd keeps working.
Gracie misses with the ground and pound.
Gracie has control of an arm but Syd manages to advance to Gracie's back!
Syd doesn't have the hooks in and Gracie manages to turn into his guard.
Syd looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gracie is one step ahead there.
Gracie throwing strikes from guard but Syd blocks nicely.

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.
Syd looking for a sweep. Not yet Syd, not yet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Gracie shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Gracie showed some decent athleticism there.
Gracie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Ground and pound from Gracie.
Gracie throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Gracie uses his free foot to push down on Syd's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Syd.
Syd wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Syd tries to reverse the position but Gracie maintains control.

Gracie is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Syd can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Syd to control.
Gracie breaks from Syd's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Syd working to try and regain half guard.
Gracie looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

Syd has left one of his arms exposed and Gracie doesn't need a second invitation. He's isolated it and locked on a tight armbar. Syd screams and taps out, obviously in a lot of pain. Hopefully there isn't permanent damage to that arm.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:05 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Royce Gracie!