PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Skoal Citrus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Renato Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Gracie's choice of entrance music: Bring Da Ruckus. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Citrus
vs
Gracie

168 cm
26
140 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

170 cm
26
142 lbs
10 - 4 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

ADCC Champion
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Tri Light Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Skoal Citrus!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Renato Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Stewart Dunkirk and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Citrus takes a swing at Gracie's ribcage but misses.
Citrus swinging wildly here.
Gracie keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Gracie scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Gracie displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Citrus.
Citrus misses the jab.
Citrus doesn't manage to clinch there - Gracie circles away.
Gracie fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Skoal Citrus seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Citrus avoids a punch combination nicely.

Gracie fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Citrus sprawls well initially but Gracie persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Gracie not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Gracie not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Citrus is having none of it.

Citrus looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Gracie scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Gracie is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Citrus tries to get to full guard but Gracie has control of the leg.
Citrus taking some punishment here, with Gracie in his half guard.
Citrus is looking to improve his position.
Gracie looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

Citrus looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Gracie is nestled in close to Citrus, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Citrus flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

Citrus looking for submissions off his back.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Citrus is staying active underneath Gracie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Gracie has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Gracie fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie working Citrus over with strikes here.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Citrus bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Gracie trying to keep a closed guard but Citrus is proving a slippery customer.
Citrus won't allow Gracie to sweep him here.
Citrus postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Gracie avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gracie is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Gracie has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Gracie lands a big elbow.
Gracie landing shots from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie working away from the top, dropping strikes.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Gracie cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Citrus is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Gracie has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Citrus's face.
Gracie lands a big shot there that rocks Citrus but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Gracie landing strikes from the mount and Citrus is in trouble!
Citrus slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Citrus has hold of Gracie's hands but Gracie slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Gracie is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Citrus throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Gracie trying to control from half guard but Citrus is working away.
Gracie drops an elbow to the side of Citrus's head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Citrus works his way to full guard. Good work.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Citrus keeps moving.
Citrus tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gracie avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Gracie got a little sloppy there for a moment and Citrus has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Gracie has managed to get both his arms back between Citrus's legs - danger averted.
Citrus is breathing heavily.

Citrus throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Gracie pushes down on Citrus's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Gracie is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Citrus on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Citrus gets back to full guard.
Gracie lands a couple of elbows.
Gracie makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Citrus is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Gracie defends well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Renato Gracie dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Citrus takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Gracie lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Citrus circles away quickly and effectively.
Citrus misses with a straight right.
Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with Citrus, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes Citrus against the cage but Citrus circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Citrus throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gracie throws a jab but it's blocked by Citrus.
Citrus defending well as Gracie loads up on a big left hand.
A head kick misses from Citrus.
Gracie steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Citrus.
Citrus lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like Renato Gracie has been cut.
Gracie avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gracie throws a nice looking combination but Citrus bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Citrus tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gracie bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Citrus paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie sizes up Citrus with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Citrus takes a body punch but keeps moving.
A jab from Citrus misses.
Citrus missing with a left hand there. Gracie was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Citrus jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Gracie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A swing and a miss from Citrus.
Citrus tries a head kick but it misses.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Citrus as he avoids it easily.
Citrus is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gracie.
Gracie lands a jab.
Gracie lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Gracie bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Citrus misses with a looping left.
Citrus misses with a looping left.
Gracie swinging wildly here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice uppercut there from Gracie.

Nice combo by Gracie! Oh, that's hurt him - Citrus falls to the canvas and Gracie follows him into side control.

Citrus is rocked!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Gracie is chipping away with strikes.
Oh Citrus is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Gracie wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Citrus, who protects the arm well.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Citrus keeps working.
Citrus seems to have got his legs back now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Citrus takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Gracie lands a nice forearm strike.
Gracie in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Gracie working the ground and pound from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie working the body and head with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Citrus is looking to reverse the position.
Citrus takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Citrus is trying to get back to half guard.
Renato Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
You can see the frustration on Citrus's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Gracie lands a few punches from side control.
Citrus is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Gracie lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Gracie landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Citrus is trying to get back to full guard.
Citrus landing a few short strikes.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but Citrus defending well.

Citrus looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Gracie scoring with strikes to the body and head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Citrus looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Citrus looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Gracie working Citrus over with strikes.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Gracie looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Citrus throws an overhand right that lands on Gracie's shoulder, as Gracie tries to avoid the shot.
Gracie lands a lovely overhand right.

Citrus takes the fight into the clinch.
Gracie prevents a body shot from Citrus.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Gracie manages to break the clinch.
Gracie throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Gracie connects with a nice looking jab.
Citrus swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Renato Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Renato Gracie's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Citrus fails in his attempt to clinch.
A big left from Citrus misses.
Gracie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Citrus fails with an attempt to clinch.
Citrus is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Citrus looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

Citrus drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Citrus stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.

Citrus drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Gracie dives on top into guard.

Citrus working for a triangle but Gracie defends it easily.
Citrus is trying to keep Gracie in close.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Gracie trying to control the action but Citrus is working from the bottom.
Gracie lands a few punches from side control.
Gracie is working Citrus over with some ground and pound from side control.
Citrus sneaks back into half guard.
Gracie is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

Gracie is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Citrus has managed to free his arm - good work.
Gracie is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Citrus misses with some strikes from the bottom.

Citrus looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Citrus is trying to get back to full guard.
Gracie drops an elbow to the side of Citrus's head.
Citrus wants to get back to full guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Gracie lands a nice short elbow.
Citrus is looking to improve his position.
Gracie is nestled in close to Citrus, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Gracie prevents Citrus from improving his position.
Gracie working the head and body with strikes.
Citrus is staying active underneath Gracie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Citrus moves into full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie postures up and lands a big shot to Citrus's brow.
Gracie makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Gracie postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Gracie trying to control but Citrus is working from the bottom.
Gracie postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Citrus is looking for a triangle here but Gracie uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Gracie trying to control the position but Citrus is working away.
Gracie is chipping away with strikes.
Citrus takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Gracie scoring with punches and elbows.
Skoal Citrus has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Citrus manages to work his way to half guard, despite Gracie's best efforts.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Citrus is staying active underneath Gracie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Citrus manages to get to full guard.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Citrus is keeping the position for now.
Gracie passes into half guard.
Gracie lands strikes from half guard.
Gracie not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Gracie lands strikes from half guard.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Citrus is having none of it.
Citrus is looking to improve his position.

Citrus actively working from the bottom here.
Gracie takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

And that's the end of the fight!
Renato 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30

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