PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ducci Dante (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Dante
vs
Gracie

180 cm
19
150 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

181 cm
18
153 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good in bed

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ducci Dante!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Matt Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Felipe Paraventi and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie tries to clinch up but Dante circles away and keeps his distance.

Dante gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Dante lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Dante lands a nice knee to the body.
Gracie looks gassed!

Dante breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Dante moves into range and clinches up with Gracie.

Dante's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Dante gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Dante breaks from the clinch.

Dante closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Gracie did well to prevent Dante getting side control.
Dante thows a huge punch but Gracie dodges it nicely.

Dante is looking for a kimura but Gracie is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Dante to get the leverage.
Ground and pound from Dante.
Dante tries to pass to full mount but Gracie defends it.
Dante tries to stand but can't do so whilst Gracie controls his leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Gracie tries to roll over but Dante keeps him under control.
Dante tries to pass the half guard into mount. Gracie knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

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

Dante darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Gracie tries to kick Dante off but Dante keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Dante is looking for a kimura here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to escape.

Dante stands up out of the half guard.
Dante swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Dante is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gracie stuffs the takedown.

Gracie tries to keep at a distance but Dante has taken the fight into the clinch.
Dante lands an elbow inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie misses with the head strike.
Gracie has had enough of the clinch but Dante keeps him there for the moment.
Gracie is working for takedown but Dante is calmly controlling the position for now.

Dante escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dante clinches but Gracie breaks the clinch

and Gracie counters by moving into the clinch.
Dante fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Gracie is trying to break free.
Gracie is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Dante pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Dante breaks the clinch.

Dante shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Dante scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gracie?
Gracie tries to lock up and control but Dante gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dante scoring with strikes but Gracie is staying in there.

Dante is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Gracie to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Gracie shrugs it off.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Dante landing strikes from the mount.
Gracie is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Dante goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Gracie is on top in guard.
Gracie would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Dante lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Gracie!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ducci Dante dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Dante moves into the clinch.
Dante lands a knee to the head.
Dante lands a damaging elbow.

Dante's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Dante fakes the leg kick and cracks Gracie in the body.
Ducci Dante is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gracie avoids the head kick by Dante.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie dives in and grabs Dante's left leg, looking for a takedown. Dante pushes down on Gracie's head and hops out.

Dante clinches.
Dante with a knee to the head.
Dante trying to control the position but instead, Gracie has worked for underhooks and has pushed Dante into the ropes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Dante lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

Dante breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Dante plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Gracie tries to keep at a distance but Dante has taken the fight into the clinch.
Gracie fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Ducci Dante has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matt Gracie.
Dante connects with a knee to the head.
Dante landing knees to the body.

Dante breaks the clinch.
Gracie shoots and misses

and Dante counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Dante lands an elbow just above Gracie 's eye.
Dante landing some nice looking knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dante breaks the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Dante lands an elbow inside.

Gracie breaks the clinch.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Dante with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

Dante closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.

Dante gets control of Gracie's arms and successfully pulls guard. Dante will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Dante wants to stand but Gracie is controlling the position.

Gracie drops back looking for a leg! Dante is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Dante manages to kick Gracie off! Gracie jumps back into Dante's guard.

Gracie is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Dante working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Gracie doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Gracie manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Dante is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dante is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Dante is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Gracie doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Dante.

That's four 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.
Gracie preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Ground and pound from Dante.
Gracie has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Dante is working away from the top position though.
Dante wants to control but Gracie is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ducci Dante dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Dante throws a nice looking combination but Gracie bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Dante shoots in and drives through. Gracie sprawls well.
Gracie swinging wildly here.
Ducci Dante seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dante misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Dante looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Dante clinches with his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Dante's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Dante moves into the clinch successfully.
A bit of stalling here from Dante.
Dante with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dante manages to break the clinch.
Dante lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Dante fails in his attempt to clinch.
Dante stalks Gracie and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Gracie's face. Gracie staggers backwards, shaken.
Dante is looking to clinch but Gracie is avoiding it.
Dante tries to clinch but Gracie moves away

and Gracie counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Dante wants to get back to his feet but Gracie is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Dante trying to control the position.

Gracie gets to his feet. Dante looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie closes the distance and clinches.
Dante lands an elbow just above Gracie 's eye.
Dante using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Gracie comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Gracie has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Dante avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Gracie takes an elbow to the temple.

Dante escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
The fight stays on the outside here - Dante looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gracie gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Dante counters by moving into the clinch.
Dante stalling the fight.
Gracie takes an elbow to the temple.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to maintain a safe position but Dante gets an underhook and turns Gracie into the ropes.

Dante's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gracie keeps the fight on the outside.
Gracie chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Dante can pounce on him.
Dante wants to clinch.

Dante moves into the clinch.
Matt Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gracie looking to slow down the pace here.

Dante breaks from the clinch.
Dante lands with a kick to the ribs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Dante.

Dante clinches.

Dante pulls guard effortlessly.
Gracie trying to stand up but can't free himself from Dante's guard.
Dante will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Gracie avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Gracie working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Dante's head.
Gracie cracks Dante with a solid left hand.
Ducci Dante is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Ducci Dante overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gracie being controlled here momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ducci Dante.
Well Dante has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ducci Dante!