PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Wanderli Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Borba Antunes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Borba Antunes is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Gracie
vs
Antunes

186 cm
22
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wanderli Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Borba Antunes!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Matheus Silva and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie tries to keep at a distance but Antunes has taken the fight into the clinch.
Gracie wants to break the clinch but can't.
Antunes displaying some good clinch control by pressing Gracie up against the cage.

Gracie jumps guard and drags Antunes to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Antunes trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Gracie has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Antunes can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Antunes content to stall in guard here.
Antunes throwing strikes but missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Antunes thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Antunes controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Gracie trying to keep a closed guard but Antunes is proving a slippery customer.
Antunes trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Antunes stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Gracie tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Antunes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Gracie throws a quick inside leg kick.
Antunes moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie avoids the head kick by Antunes.
Antunes fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Gracie avoids it really well and circles away.

Gracie drives through with a takedown into Antunes's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie trying to control but Antunes is working from the bottom.
Gracie forces his way into half guard.
Antunes desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Gracie is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie prevents Antunes from standing back up.
Antunes wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy.
Antunes manages to get to full guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Gracie trying to control but Antunes is working from the bottom.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Gracie has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Antunes is proving hard to escape from.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Antunes pulls Gracie in to control the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Antunes throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Gracie moves in looking to clinch but Antunes pushes him off.

Antunes pushes Gracie up against the cage in a clinch.
Antunes wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Gracie has him pressed against the cage.

Antunes jumps guard and drags Gracie to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Borba Antunes will probably get the nod.
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 shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Antunes moves into the clinch.
Antunes tries to circle away but Gracie has him pinned against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Antunes manages to pull guard.
Antunes keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Antunes has Gracie pulled in close to control his posture.
Antunes wants to stand but Gracie is controlling the position.
Gracie knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Antunes on the ground.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Antunes is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Antunes is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Antunes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Wanderli Gracie just wasn't active enough.
Antunes fails with a takedown attempt.
Antunes fails with a takedown attempt.

Gracie tries to keep at a distance but Antunes has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Antunes has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Gracie is fighting off a takedown attempt but Antunes is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Gracie to the mat. Gracie regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Gracie is trying to control the position but Antunes postures up.
Gracie is striking but Antunes is not phased and passes to half guard.
Antunes is looking to advance position but Gracie won't allow it.
Gracie trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Antunes manages to pass to mount!
Gracie tries to improve his position but instead Antunes has taken his back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Antunes doesn't have the hooks in and Gracie manages to turn into his guard.
Antunes is looking to stand up but Gracie isn't so interested in that idea.
Gracie has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Antunes is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Gracie defends well.
Antunes is breathing heavily.
Antunes keeping full guard, as Gracie tries to pass.
Antunes working a defensive guard here.

Gracie gets to his feet. Antunes looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Antunes is fending him off so far but Gracie persists. Nope, Antunes circles away and we're back to standing.
Gracie misses with a two punch combination.
Antunes shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Gracie as he jumps to the side.
Wanderli Gracie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Borba Antunes.
Gracie fails in his attempt to clinch.
Antunes fails with the takedown.
Gracie fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Gracie.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gracie is defended easily by Antunes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Borba Antunes will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Gracie wants to clinch up but Antunes keeps it at a distance.
Gracie shoots for a double leg takedown but Antunes sprawls well. He's pushed Gracie's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Gracie wants to clinch

and Antunes decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Gracie's guard.
Gracie working a defensive guard here.
Gracie wants to stand and escape but Antunes is having none of it.
Antunes wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Borba Antunes has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Antunes gets to his feet. Gracie looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Wanderli Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Antunes stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Antunes wants it to stay on the feet.
Nice takedown defense from Antunes. No joy for Gracie on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wanderli Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Antunes feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Antunes stays in close to Gracie's body and controls the position.
Antunes's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Antunes stands up and waves to Gracie to follow him.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt

and Antunes moves into the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Antunes tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Gracie smiles and moves away.
Antunes tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Gracie swivels and escapes.

Antunes rushes Gracie and presses him up against the cage.

Antunes has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Gracie clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Gracie trying to control the hands but Antunes won't let him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to break free.
Antunes really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Gracie.

Antunes tightening his grip on Gracie, looking for the choke.
Antunes somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Antunes is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Gracie. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Gracie turns into Antunes and is now in his guard.
Gracie wanted to stand there but Antunes had control of the position.
Antunes looking to control.
Antunes keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Wanderli Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Borba Antunes is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Antunes working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Gracie doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Gracie manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

And that's the end of the fight!
Borba Antunes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Antunes 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 27:30
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Borba Antunes!