PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Royce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Derek James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, orion. James comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Fade To Black kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Gracie
vs
James

185 cm
24
194 lbs
9 - 2 - 0

188 cm
24
191 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Royce Gracie!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Derek James!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, George Francis and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.
James ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gracie moves away.
James pulls out of a head kick attempt.
James throws a right and a left that both miss.
A head kick misses from James.
Gracie takes a kick to the side of the head.

It looks like Royce Gracie has been cut.
Gracie takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
James lands a nice leg kick that just misses Gracie's sensitive parts.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gracie circles away from the clinch attempt.
A solid leg kick lands there for James.

James lands a big head kick that sends Gracie tumbling to the mat! James takes a step backwards and waves Gracie back to his feet - he wants the finish!
James is looking to clinch.
Gracie darts in trying to clinch
and James makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Gracie really felt that one!
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Gracie blocks a head kick by James.
James tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.
James closes the distance and lands a one-two.

James gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
James lands a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James scores with a knee to the head.

Gracie is rocked!
James lands a good knee to the midsection. Gracie won't want to take too many of those.
James lands an elbow just above Gracie 's eye.
Oh Gracie is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
James landing knees to the head.
Gracie seems to have got his legs back now.
James lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gracie backwards.
James scores with a shot to the side of Gracie's head.
James is working Gracie over against the cage.
James with a knee to the head.
Knees to the body from James.
James landing knees to the head.

Royce Gracie's cut is getting worse.
A knee to the head by James.
Gracie takes a knee right on the jaw!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
James with a knee to the head.
James lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
James softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
James putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Gracie in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
James connects with a knee to the head.
James scores a nice knee to the body.
James lands a nice knee to the body.
James putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Gracie in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
James misses with a knee strike.
James with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
James connects with a knee to the head.
James connects with a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James misses with a knee strike.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. James obliges.
James misses with a knee strike.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from James.
James throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Gracie jumps guard but James stands there with Gracie around his waist. Gracie gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
James with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
A short left from James.
Gracie takes an elbow to the temple.
James tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Gracie fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Royce Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
James pushes Gracie back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
James using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gracie has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Gracie jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as James walks away with a smile on his face. Gracie gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
James showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Gracie.
James misses with a two punch combination.

Gracie closes the distance and pushes James back into the cage.
Gracie takes a knee right on the jaw!
Gracie misses with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short right hand to the side of the head by James.
Gracie tries to pull guard but James won't allow it.
James lands a knee to the head.
James with a knee to the head.
James misses with a knee to the head.
Gracie is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
James with a knee to the head.
James throws a knee to the head but misses.
James lands a knee to the head.
James lands with a right to the head.
Gracie tries to pull guard but James won't allow it.
James throws a knee to the head but misses.
James landing knees to the head.
Gracie fails to pull the fight into his guard.
James lands a knee to the head.
Gracie tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. James just stands there and leans against the cage.
James keeps control of Gracie as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
James unloads a knee to the mid-section. Gracie lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
James lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
James tries to land a knee to the head but Gracie blocks with his arms.
James makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
James lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Gracie takes a knee to the side of the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Gracie manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
James working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
James wanted to stand there but Gracie had control of the position.
James wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

Gracie looking to try and escape his hips here, looking for a submission. It looks like he's going for a triangle but James is defending well. Gracie quickly switches to an armbar and extends the arm! James has no choice but to tap, to a very quick submission! Wow, that was lightning fast! Gracie celebrates on the cage, with the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:43 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Royce Gracie!
Royce Gracie retains his middleweight title!