PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Carlos Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tito Henry (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Chute Box Theme. On his way into the cage it seems that Carlos Gracie has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Carlos Gracie seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Gracie
vs
Henry

180 cm
20
197 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

188 cm
19
190 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

WIN Nutritional
STEEL PENN NUTRITION - STEEL RESERVE 158+ ONLY$89

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 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tito Henry!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Thiago Cunha and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie scores a takedown into full mount!
Henry holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Gracie tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Gracie working the ground and pound effectively.
Henry sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Gracie looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Henry is trying to stand up here but Gracie is controlling him well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry blocking the ground and pound attempt from Gracie.

Gracie is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Henry is trying to stand.
Gracie has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Henry has one foot on Gracie's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with Henry, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes Henry against the cage but Henry circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Henry scores with a jab. Gracie acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Henry bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Gracie's head.
Henry will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Henry has closed the distance and engaged Gracie in a clinch.

Gracie decides to pull guard.
Henry 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.
Henry looking to sit in guard and control but Gracie gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Gracie won't allow Henry to get back to his feet.
Henry is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Gracie passes Henry's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Henry is defending against the submission attempts here by Gracie.
Gracie looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry manages to get to full guard.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Henry swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Gracie is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Henry is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Henry has escaped and now he's on top!
Henry throws a big right hand that misses.
Henry trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Henry from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Henry must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Henry stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gracie swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Gracie working for a triangle but Henry defends it easily.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Henry with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gracie has momentary wrist control but Henry slips an elbow through the middle.
Henry slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Henry's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tito Henry will probably get the nod.
That's time! Gracie's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Henry throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Henry bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Henry taking a break here but Gracie is having none of it and regains half guard.

Henry wants to work for an arm triangle but Gracie is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Henry is just content to waste time from the top position. Gracie takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Henry advances position into side control!

Henry is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Gracie is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Henry thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Henry is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Gracie to see if he's OK.

Henry working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Henry tries for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.
Gracie is trying to control Henry's posture but Henry avoids it.

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.

Henry decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Henry just misses with a punch to the body.
Gracie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Henry is fending him off so far but Gracie persists. Nope, Henry circles away and we're back to standing.
Gracie slips a straight right by Henry.
Henry looks to land a left hand but Gracie moved out of range nicely.
Henry is looking to score with low kicks.
Henry misses with a straight left.
Gracie circles away from the clinch attempt.
Gracie fails with the takedown
and Henry counters with a nice body shot.
Henry throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry tries to clinch up.
Gracie takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Henry looks to land a left hand but Gracie moved out of range nicely.
Gracie tries a head kick but it misses.
Henry moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.
Henry is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gracie.
Gracie fails with the takedown
and Henry counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Carlos Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Henry rushes Gracie and presses him up against the cage.

Gracie has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Henry uses from the top position.
Henry throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gracie works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Henry working some strikes from top position.
Henry works over Gracie with some ground and pound from guard.
Henry passes Gracie's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Henry takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gracie looking for subs from the bottom but Henry mounts him!
Henry scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gracie?

Henry goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Gracie is on top in guard.
Gracie postures up in Henry's guard and throws a big left but Henry blocks it.
Henry wants to stand but Gracie is controlling the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Henry wants to sweep but no luck.
Gracie looking to pass the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tito Henry showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Henry misses with the combination.
Henry looks to score with a jab to the body but Gracie is just out of range.
Gracie swats away the attempt to clinch by Henry.
Henry swats away the attempt to clinch by Gracie.
Gracie tries to clinch up but Henry circles away and keeps his distance.
Henry swings for the body but Gracie moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Henry misses with a looping left.
Henry throws a push kick but Gracie slaps the foot to one side.
Gracie misses with a takedown
and Henry counters with a right hand to the body.
Gracie tries to clinch but Henry moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry works Gracie's body with a nice hook.
Carlos Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Henry swinging wildly here.
Gracie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gracie tries to clinch but Henry moves out of range.
Tito Henry seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gracie needs to keep his hands up - Henry had a free shot at his head there.
Henry tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gracie swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Henry fails to land with a series of punches.

Henry fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gracie, pushing him back against the cage.

Gracie decides to pull guard.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Henry defends it easily.
Henry content to stall in guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Henry content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Henry controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Gracie has his foot on Henry's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Henry works his way back into a safe position though.
Henry trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Tito Henry is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Henry seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Tito Henry just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Nice uppercut lands for Henry. That snapped Gracie's head back.
A head kick misses from Gracie.
Danga de danga de dang - Henry scores with a four punch combination!
Henry lands a jab to Gracie's midsection.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Henry works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Gracie moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

Henry takes the fight into the clinch.

Gracie manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Henry trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tito Henry has got the better of the ground game so far.

Henry thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Henry passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Gracie is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tito Henry comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Henry has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tito Henry!