PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Stephen Reyes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rans Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie has chosen Danger! High Voltage as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Rans Gracie enters the cage!

Reyes
vs
Gracie

184 cm
24
170 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

175 cm
25
170 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Powerful

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 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Stephen Reyes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rans Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Johanna Lukiainen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Reyes doesn't manage to clinch there - Gracie circles away.
Gracie is trying hard to land a takedown here. Reyes sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Horrible takedown by Gracie or perhaps it was just good defense by Reyes which made him look bad.
Reyes fails in his attempt to clinch.

Reyes closes the distance and clinches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Reyes connects with a knee to the head.

Gracie turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Reyes is looking to regain half guard here but Gracie keeps moving and retains side control.
Gracie tries to advance to mount but can't.

Gracie goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Reyes has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Gracie but great work by Reyes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie can't do much from the bottom here.
Gracie tries to bench press Reyes off him but Reyes keeps the position.
Gracie is not content to let Reyes control the position.
Gracie manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

Gracie is working for a kimura but Reyes is defending it quite comfortably.
Reyes wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Gracie is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Reyes moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.
Reyes tries to clinch there but Gracie circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reyes wants to clinch.
Gracie swats away the attempt to clinch by Reyes.
Reyes wants to clinch.
Gracie is trying hard to land a takedown here. Reyes sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Stephen Reyes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rans Gracie.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
The fight stays on the outside here - Reyes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Reyes has closed the distance and engaged Gracie in a clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Gracie wants a takedown.
Gracie drops down looking for an ankle pick but Reyes pulls his leg out and moves away.
Reyes wants to clinch up but Gracie keeps it at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Stephen Reyes will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.

Gracie is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Reyes can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Reyes is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.

Gracie moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Reyes has worked his arm free - good work by Reyes!
Reyes is trying to control Gracie's posture but Gracie avoids it.
Reyes is looking for a sweep.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Reyes is trying to control Gracie's posture but Gracie avoids it.

Gracie thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Reyes tries to bench press Gracie off him but Gracie keeps the position.

That's two 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 goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Reyes has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Gracie but great work by Reyes.
Reyes wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.
Reyes working away.
Gracie tries to bench press Reyes off him but Reyes keeps the position.
Reyes controlling from side mount.
Reyes tries to stand but Gracie is controlling his head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie can't do much from the bottom here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Reyes is looking to clinch but Gracie is avoiding it.
Reyes tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie fails to land the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Reyes tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Reyes manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Stephen Reyes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Reyes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Reyes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gracie paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rans Gracie will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Reyes doesn't manage to clinch there - Gracie circles away.
Reyes moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.
Reyes tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.

Reyes has managed to clinch.
Nice elbow from Reyes.
Reyes tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Gracie avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie fails to pull guard.

Gracie manages to pull guard.

Gracie working for a triangle but Reyes defends it easily.
Gracie working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Reyes wanted to stand there but Gracie had control of the position.

Reyes avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Gracie is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Reyes is aware though and is defending well.

Gracie looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Reyes trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Reyes stands and steps away. Gracie gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Reyes tries to close the distance and clinch but Gracie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Stephen Reyes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Reyes tries to clinch up.
Reyes is looking to clinch.
Gracie wants to clinch up but Reyes keeps it at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to score a power double leg takedown but Reyes sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Gracie somewhat.
Reyes tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Gracie counters with a single leg into guard. Reyes didn't expect that.
Gracie forces his way into half guard.

Gracie is working for a kimura but Reyes is defending it quite comfortably.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Gracie trying to control from half guard but Reyes is working away.
Reyes tries to get to full guard but Gracie has control of the leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reyes keeping hold of Gracie's head, controlling as best he can.

Gracie wants to work for an arm triangle but Reyes is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Gracie is stalling here. Reyes is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Gracie seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Reyes has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie tries to buck Reyes off but Reyes is having none of it.
Reyes works to advance to full mount. Gracie defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Gracie is working to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rans 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 27:30

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