PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jt Spirit (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Renato Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Spirit kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Nujabes - Feather. The crowd seem to be enjoying Gracie's choice of entrance music: Bring Da Ruckus. Renato Gracie has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Spirit
vs
Gracie

164 cm
25
132 lbs
16 - 3 - 0

170 cm
29
142 lbs
16 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

ADCC Champion
Lethal high kicks
Heavy handed

Prestige Clothing
Prestige 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 16 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jt Spirit!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Renato Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Yuuki Gou and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some bone on bone action there as Spirit checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Spirit moves to clinch but Gracie breaks away
and Gracie makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Gracie lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Spirit looks to clinch
and Gracie counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Spirit moves out of range as Gracie throws a body kick.
Spirit wants to clinch
and Gracie connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Spirit tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Gracie counters with a leg kick.
Spirit tries to clinch up
and Gracie cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Jt Spirit is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Spirit misses with a kick to the body

and Gracie counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Gracie misses with a head shot. Spirit uses the momentum to regain guard.
Spirit can't keep his opponent in guard - Gracie advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Gracie looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Spirit with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Gracie misses with a head shot. Spirit uses the momentum to regain guard.
Spirit trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Gracie throws and elbow that misses. Spirit uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Gracie's guard. Nice move by Spirit!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Spirit would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Spirit has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
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.
Spirit wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.
Gracie thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Spirit's head.
Gracie not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Gracie seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Gracie not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Gracie not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but Spirit defending well.
Spirit taking some punishment here, with Gracie in his half guard.
Spirit avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Gracie.
Gracie thows a huge punch but Spirit dodges it nicely.
Gracie thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gracie misses with a head shot. Spirit uses the momentum to regain guard.
Gracie is looking to work some ground and pound but Spirit has wrist control.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

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.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gracie accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Spirit is trying to keep Gracie in close.
Gracie postures up in Spirit's guard and throws a big left but Spirit blocks it.
Gracie is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Gracie postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Gracie is looking to work some ground and pound but Spirit has wrist control.
Gracie throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Spirit preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gracie trying to control but Spirit is working from the bottom.
Spirit utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Renato Gracie dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Spirit slips under a jab from Gracie.
Gracie lands a leg kick that knocks Spirit off balance momentarily.
Renato Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A solid leg kick lands there for Gracie.
Spirit darts in trying to clinch
and Spirit takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Gracie listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Gracie buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Spirit shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Gracie manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Gracie wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Spirit working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Gracie's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Spirit wants to stand and escape but instead Gracie has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Gracie being controlled here momentarily.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gracie postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Spirit preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gracie throws a strike but Spirit rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Spirit from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Spirit looking to sit in guard and control but Gracie gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Spirit working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gracie.
Spirit is pulling down on Gracie's head. It's preventing any offense from Gracie, at least for the moment.
Gracie throwing strikes but missing.
Gracie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Spirit preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie scoring with some ground and pound.
Spirit trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Spirit is adopting a defensive guard.
Spirit looking for a sweep. Not yet Spirit, not yet.
Gracie throws a strike but Spirit rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Spirit controlling him for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Gracie is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Gracie has control of Spirit's left arm, preventing Spirit from doing any damage.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.
Spirit trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Jt Spirit has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Spirit closes the distance but Gracie moves to the side
and Gracie counters with a nice body shot.
Gracie bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Spirit darts in trying to clinch
and Gracie finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Renato Gracie will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Spirit's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Spirit darts in trying to clinch
and Gracie cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Gracie connects with a nice looking jab.
A nice inside leg kick there by Gracie. That's going to slow Spirit down.
Spirit tries to clinch up
enabling Gracie to counter with a crisp jab.
Gracie thows a leg kick but Spirit checks it

and Spirit counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Spirit throws a head punch that misses.

Spirit jumps into guard, dragging Gracie to the mat.
Gracie keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Spirit's head.
Gracie throws a strike but Spirit rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Gracie's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Spirit throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gracie works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gracie manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Gracie throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
A nice elbow there by Gracie.
Spirit wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Gracie.
Gracie throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Gracie lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Renato Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gracie working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Spirit keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Gracie thowing shots but they're missing.
Spirit is bucking up trying to escape but Gracie cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Spirit turns into him and now he's in Gracie's guard.
Spirit being controlled here momentarily.
Spirit trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Spirit wanted to stand there but Gracie had control of the position.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Spirit controlling him for the moment.
Gracie lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Spirit!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie punishing his opponent with strikes.
Gracie unloads with some shots from mount but Spirit bucks and avoids them well.
Spirit is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
The referee warns Spirit that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Spirit holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Gracie tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Gracie sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Jt Spirit has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gracie thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 27:30

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