PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jose Gordo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Valerio Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Emiinem - The Way i am. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Gordo
vs
Gracie

175 cm
22
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

186 cm
19
182 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
KO power

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Knockout power

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jose Gordo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Valerio Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Leandro Rodrigues and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Gordo moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Gordo wants to stand and escape but Gracie is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie with a flurry of punches that miss.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Gordo.
Gracie throws and elbow that misses. Gordo uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Gracie's guard. Nice move by Gordo!

Gracie looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Gordo stands and throws Gracie's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Gracie tries to improve position but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gordo is putting a hurting on Gracie here, landing some big shots from side control.

Gordo tries for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.
Gordo controlling from side mount.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Gordo keeps moving and retains side control.
Gordo in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

Gordo tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Gordo has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Gordo keeps moving and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Gracie strikes from the bottom but Gordo takes advantage and advances to full mount!
Gordo controlling the pace for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie blocking the ground and pound.
Gordo takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Gordo's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control but Gordo is having none of it.
Gracie trying desperately to get to his feet.
Gordo controlling from the full mount.
Gracie is trying to escape the mount.
Gracie is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Gordo can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Gracie is looking to escape.
Gracie tries to hold on but Gordo postures up.
Gracie throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Gordo controlling from mount.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Gordo looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Gracie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Gordo is fending him off so far but Gracie persists. Nope, Gordo circles away and we're back to standing.
Gordo walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Gordo gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into side control. Gordo won't be happy with that.
Gordo is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Gracie off and has taken his back!
Gracie is in bad spot here.
Gracie is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Gordo is hanging on to Gracie's back as he tries to escape.
Gordo controls the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie manages to reverse the position and now he's in Gordo's guard. Nice work there by Gracie.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Gordo keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Gordo seems keen to control Gracie's posture.
Gracie trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Gracie trying to control but Gordo is working from the bottom.

Gordo kicks Gracie off and gets to his feet.
Gracie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Gordo is fending him off so far but Gracie persists. Nope, Gordo circles away and we're back to standing.
Gordo has his takedown stuffed

and Gracie counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Gracie missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Gracie is working for a submission of some sort.

Gracie seems to be working for a kimura but Gordo defends the submission attempt.
Gracie sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gordo defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gordo is concentrating on defense, preventing Gracie from advancing position.
Gordo works his way to full guard. Good work.

Gordo is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Gracie is aware though and is defending well.
Gracie works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Gordo is trying to maintain the position but Gracie is very close to passing his half guard.
Gordo wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie trying to control from half guard but Gordo is working away.
Gordo is trying to control but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gracie is thwarting Gordo's attempts to control the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Gracie wants to clinch.
Gordo stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Gordo wants it to stay on the feet.
Jose Gordo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Valerio Gracie.
Gordo with a poor takedown

and Gracie counters with a single leg into guard. Gordo didn't expect that.
Gordo trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gordo is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Valerio Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Gracie throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Gordo was covering up waiting for the punch and Gracie finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Gordo escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gracie forces his way into half guard.
Gracie seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gordo does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Gracie is pressing down on Gordo's thigh, looking to free his foot. Gordo is holding on for now.
Gracie wants to control but Gordo is keeping him busy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gordo defending well though.
Gordo moves into full guard.
Gordo is looking to stand up but Gracie isn't so interested in that idea.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Gordo shoots and misses

and Gracie counters with a single leg into guard. Gordo didn't expect that.
Gordo might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Gracie drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gracie jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Valerio Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.

Gordo escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gordo looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control but Gordo is working from the bottom.
Gracie wants to stand but Gordo has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gordo is keeping the position for now.
Gracie trying to control but Gordo is working from the bottom.
Gordo will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Gordo but Gordo pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gordo with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Gordo looks to score with a jab to the body but Gracie is just out of range.
Gracie throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Gordo's waist but Gordo gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Gracie off to one side.

Gordo moves into the clinch.
Gordo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Gordo changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Gracie fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Gracie 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Gordo keeps moving.
Gordo is looking to stand up but Gracie isn't so interested in that idea.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Gordo.
Gracie trying to control but Gordo is working from the bottom.

Gordo escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Valerio Gracie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Gracie has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29

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