PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Tommy Tortuga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie has chosen I am ironman as his entrance music. Tommy Tortuga has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Tortuga
vs
Gracie

159 cm
19
133 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

181 cm
23
153 lbs
6 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Tommy Tortuga!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Matt Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, Dillan Fox and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice sprawl there from Tortuga as Gracie shoots in.
Gracie tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Tortuga tries to clinch up.
Tortuga misses with a series of wild punches.
Gracie misses with a head kick.
Gracie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but Tortuga shows good takedown defense.
Tommy Tortuga has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matt Gracie.
Gracie closes the distance but Tortuga moves to the side

and Tortuga counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tortuga is controlling the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie gets full guard.
Tortuga pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gracie is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Tortuga engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Tommy Tortuga.
Tortuga shoots in but Gracie avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Gracie shoots in and drives through. Tortuga sprawls well.
Gracie tries to clinch there but Tortuga circles away.
Tortuga shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Gracie pinned against the cage. Gracie gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tortuga fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Gracie avoids it really well and circles away.

Tortuga closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Gracie softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Tortuga lands a hook to the side of the head.
Tortuga is stalling here.
Gracie gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Tortuga.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gracie pulls guard successfully.
Tortuga is stalling in the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

We're going to have a standup here because Tommy Tortuga wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Gracie tries to clinch up but Tortuga circles away and keeps his distance.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but Tortuga shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Sloppy strikes from Gracie. Those never looked like landing.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tortuga stuffs the takedown attempt from Gracie. Gracie gets slowly back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tommy Tortuga dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Gracie moves in looking to clinch but Tortuga pushes him off.
Gracie throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Gracie dives in and grabs Tortuga's left leg, looking for a takedown. Tortuga pushes down on Gracie's head and hops out.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gracie.
Gracie is looking to clinch.
Tortuga keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Tommy Tortuga has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matt Gracie.
Gracie shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Tortuga defends it nicely.

Gracie shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Tortuga is trying to defend but Gracie finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tortuga tries to kick Gracie off but Gracie keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Tortuga is holding on to half guard well.
Gracie wants to control but Tortuga is keeping him busy.
Tortuga might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Tortuga trying to control from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Tortuga's head.
Gracie thows a huge punch but Tortuga dodges it nicely.
Tortuga is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Tortuga keeping control of the position.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gracie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Tortuga is fending him off so far but Gracie persists. Nope, Tortuga circles away and we're back to standing.
Tortuga shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gracie wants to control but Tortuga is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tortuga is controlling Gracie's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Matt Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gracie wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Tortuga uses the opportunity to regain full guard.
Tortuga has his hands on Gracie's head, controlling the position.
Gracie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gracie wants to stand but Tortuga is controlling his posture from full guard.
Tortuga avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Tortuga has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Tortuga is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Tortuga fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Tortuga dives in and grabs Gracie's left leg, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes down on Tortuga's head and hops out.
Gracie throws a right and a left that Tortuga avoids nicely.

Tortuga gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Tortuga breaks the clinch.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but Tortuga shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Tortuga tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Gracie swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tommy Tortuga. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Tortuga but Tortuga pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Gracie.
Tortuga tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Gracie manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Gracie fails to land with a series of punches.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Tortuga misses with a body shot.
Tortuga leaves Gracie with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Tortuga throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Gracie.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tortuga slaps away a takedown attempt from Gracie, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Gracie ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Tortuga has a takedown stuffed.
Gracie wants to clinch.
Gracie fails to land the takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but Tortuga shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Tortuga shoots in and drives through. Gracie sprawls well.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Tortuga tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Tortuga manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Tortuga blocks a leg kick.
Nice takedown defense from Gracie. No joy for Tortuga on that attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tortuga defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Gracie.

Tortuga rushes Gracie and presses him up against the cage.

Tortuga breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Tortuga tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gracie paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Tortuga as he avoids it easily.
Gracie tries to clinch up.
Tortuga shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Gracie sprawls well. Gracie wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Tortuga gets slowly back to his feet.
Gracie is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Tommy Tortuga.
I think Tortuga has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tommy Tortuga!