PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jamie Rooney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hoger Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rooney comes to the cage accompanied by Prodigy - Spitfire. This should be a great matchup!

Rooney
vs
Gracie

180 cm
18
179 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

178 cm
23
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jamie Rooney!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hoger Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Tarja Halkonen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rooney shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Gracie but Gracie pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rooney is looking to clinch but Gracie is avoiding it.
Gracie shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Rooney pinned against the cage. Rooney gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Rooney tries to clinch there but Gracie circles away.
Rooney with a lazy takedown attempt

and Gracie decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Rooney's guard.
Gracie trying to control but Rooney is working from the bottom.
Gracie lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Rooney keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rooney swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Rooney has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Gracie can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Gracie passes Rooney's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Gracie trying to advance position but Rooney counters by regaining guard.
Gracie advances to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Rooney is having none of it.
Rooney holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Gracie works his foot free and advances to mount.
Rooney is breathing heavily.
Gracie wants to control the pace but Rooney is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throwing strikes here but Rooney is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Gracie scoring with strikes but Rooney is staying in there.
Rooney wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
A nice elbow there by Gracie.
Gracie is in the full mount, landing strikes.

Gracie goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Rooney turns into him and now he's in Gracie's guard.
Rooney wanted to stand there but Gracie had control of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rooney wants to stand and escape but instead Gracie has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Rooney keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hoger Gracie dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Rooney closes the distance looking to clinch

so Gracie counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Rooney keeps moving.
Gracie passes Rooney's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Gracie thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gracie is trying to control. Rooney wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie moves nicely into side control.
Rooney knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.
Rooney tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Gracie wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Gracie passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Rooney!

Gracie is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Rooney has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Rooney!
Rooney is looking to stand up but Gracie won't let him.

Rooney drops back, looking for a kneebar! Gracie looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Gracie looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Gracie!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Gracie is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rooney knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Gracie scores with a couple of short elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rooney knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Gracie thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Rooney struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rooney is not content to let Gracie control the position.

Gracie wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rooney, who protects the arm well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hoger Gracie 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!

Rooney shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Rooney is thwarting Gracie's attempts to control the position.
Rooney is looking to pass Gracie's guard but actually Gracie recovers to full guard.
Rooney wanted to stand there but Gracie had control of the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rooney drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Gracie dives on top into guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gracie passes Rooney's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Rooney wants to get back to his feet.
Gracie sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rooney defending well though.
Gracie wants to control but Rooney is keeping him busy.
Gracie working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Jamie Rooney has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gracie uses his free foot to push down on Rooney's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Rooney.
Gracie wants to control the pace but Rooney is squirming around nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rooney is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Gracie unloading with bombs!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

Gracie has hold of Rooney's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Rooney manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Gracie sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control the pace but Rooney is squirming around nicely.
Rooney really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Gracie content just to control the position here.
Gracie lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Rooney hang on?

And that's the end of the fight!
Hoger Gracie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Gracie 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30

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