PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Soloman van der Vaart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rickson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

van der Vaart
vs
Gracie

183 cm
20
178 lbs
8 - 0 - 0

187 cm
26
185 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Good takedowns
Decent boxing
Enjoys gardening

Average Joes FC Smashwear clothing (CBK)

WIN Nutritional

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Soloman van der Vaart!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rickson Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Edson Gomes and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
van der Vaart cracks Gracie with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
van der Vaart misses with a straight right.
No luck for Gracie with that takedown attempt.
Gracie is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gracie misses with a series of wild punches.
Gracie tries to score with a low kick but van der Vaart moves his leg out of the way.
van der Vaart misses with a double jab
and Gracie counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
van der Vaart moves away from the strike by Gracie.
Gracie thows a body shot but no joy.
van der Vaart scores with a hook to the body. Gracie takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Gracie tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Gracie punching from mount but van der Vaart doing a good job of avoiding damage.
van der Vaart is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie looking to finish with strikes here!
van der Vaart's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gracie fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
van der Vaart squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Gracie lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
van der Vaart wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
van der Vaart on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if van der Vaart tries to get out of the position.
Gracie lands a big shot there that rocks van der Vaart but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
van der Vaart is in a horrible position here. Gracie smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
van der Vaart tries to buck Gracie off but he can't manage it.
Gracie dominating with strikes here.
Gracie landing strikes from the mount and van der Vaart is in trouble!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
van der Vaart trying desperately to get to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie working van der Vaart over with strikes here.
van der Vaart tries to buck Gracie off but he can't manage it.
Gracie is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. van der Vaart can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

A looping hook to the body misses from Gracie. van der Vaart does a little dance to reset his feet.
van der Vaart scores with a hook.
van der Vaart misses with an uppercut.
Gracie shoots in but no luck this time.
van der Vaart throws a jab but it's blocked by Gracie.
Gracie lands a slapping body shot.
van der Vaart throws a hook but Gracie blocks it.
Gracie scores with a three punch combo!
van der Vaart's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and van der Vaart duly obliges.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for van der Vaart, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Gracie throws a combination that misses
and van der Vaart counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Gracie misses with a straight left.
A swing and a miss from Gracie.
A combination from van der Vaart does no damage.
van der Vaart staying out of range there.
Gracie with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling van der Vaart to score with a decent uppercut.
Gracie blocks a jab.
Soloman van der Vaart is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
van der Vaart avoids a kick to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
van der Vaart jabbing away but nothing is landing.
van der Vaart slips a jab and a cross from Gracie.
van der Vaart looks to land a right hand but Gracie moved out of range.
van der Vaart looks to land a right hand but Gracie moved out of range.
van der Vaart throws the left hand but Gracie avoids the punch easily.
Gracie moves out of range as van der Vaart strikes.
Gracie tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and van der Vaart counters with a lovely shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie misses with a body shot.
van der Vaart connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Gracie momentarily.
Gracie getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Gracie will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
van der Vaart fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
van der Vaart misses with a combination

and Gracie counters with a takedown into side control.
van der Vaart bucks up and tries to throw Gracie off but instead Gracie has got his back!

van der Vaart showing good submission defense here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
van der Vaart wants to get back to his feet.

Gracie has both hooks in and is working for a choke. van der Vaart is in real trouble here. Gracie gets an arm under the chin and tightens the submission attempt... is this the end? Yes, van der Vaart is tapping out! Gracie wins by rear naked choke!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:49 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Rickson Gracie!
Rickson Gracie is the new welterweight champion!