PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Boyka Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cloud Strife (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Gracie
vs
Strife

187 cm
25
157 lbs
0 - 0 - 1

175 cm
24
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Boyka Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Cloud Strife!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Ian Loll and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Strife avoids the head kick by Gracie.
Gracie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Strife is fending him off so far but Gracie persists. Nope, Strife circles away and we're back to standing.

Strife closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Strife is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Gracie is defending well.
Strife is trying to stall.
Strife keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Gracie's efforts to push away.
Strife gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Gracie.
Gracie tries to break the clinch but Strife is controlling the position.
Strife wants a takedown.

Gracie pulls guard effortlessly.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Strife controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Strife from controlling successfully.
Gracie working a defensive guard here.
Strife throws a big right hand that misses.
Strife stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
Strife is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Cloud Strife has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Strife shoots in for a takedown but Gracie shows good takedown defense.
Boyka Gracie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cloud Strife.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Strife moves into the clinch.
Strife wants to take the fight to the mat but Gracie manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Gracie escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Gracie fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Strife shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Gracie sprawls well. Gracie wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Strife gets slowly back to his feet.
Strife is trying hard to land a takedown here. Gracie sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Strife looks for a takedown but Gracie sprawls well.

Strife moves into the clinch.

Gracie breaks from the clinch.
Strife shoots in but Gracie avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie looks for a takedown but Strife sprawls well.
Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with Strife, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes Strife against the cage but Strife circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Gracie misses the shot to the body.
A head kick misses from Gracie.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Strife paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Gracie throws a leg kick but Strife moved away.
Gracie blocks a head kick by Strife.
Strife shoots in and drives through. Gracie sprawls well.
Gracie stuffs the takedown.
Strife looks for a takedown but Gracie sprawls well.
Gracie looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strife looks for a takedown but Gracie sprawls well.
Strife throws a head kick but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
A head kick misses from Strife.
Strife shoots for a double leg takedown but Gracie sprawls well. He's pushed Strife's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Gracie is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Strife doesn't manage to clinch there - Gracie circles away.
Gracie displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Strife.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Cloud Strife will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Strife feints and as Gracie raises his hands in defense, Strife changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Gracie keeping full guard, as Strife tries to pass.
Strife won't allow Gracie to sweep him here.

Gracie is looking for a triangle but Strife pushes his legs off easily.
Gracie will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Strife engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Gracie 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.

Strife avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strife throwing strikes but missing.
Gracie bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Strife's guard.

Strife has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.
Gracie trying to control but Strife is working from the bottom.
Gracie prevents Strife from getting back to his feet.
Strife wants to sweep but no luck.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Strife fails in his attempt to clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gracie is defended easily by Strife.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Strife as he jumps to the side.
Strife shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Gracie sprawls well. Gracie wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Strife gets slowly back to his feet.
Strife stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Strife wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Boyka Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Strife defends it nicely.
Gracie really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Strife fails in his attempt to clinch.
Strife shoots in for a double leg but Gracie sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Strife 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 tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Strife swivels and escapes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie swats away the attempt to clinch by Strife.
Strife motions for Gracie to come forward. Strife throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Strife gets a clinch.
Strife tries to pull guard but Gracie forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strife tries to pull guard but Gracie won't allow it.
Strife wants to get back to striking at distance but Gracie won't allow it.
Strife is trying to pull guard but Gracie has him pressed against the cage.
Gracie is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Strife's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Gracie clinches up against the cage.

Gracie pulls guard effortlessly.
Strife throwing strikes but missing.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Strife is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie looking to hit a scissor sweep but Strife is one step ahead there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Cloud Strife will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Gracie defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Strife.
Strife throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Strife shoots in looking for a takedown. Gracie tries to sprawl out of it but Strife keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Gracie manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Gracie looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Strife thuds his shin into the meat of Gracie's side.
Strife tries to score a power double leg takedown but Gracie sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Strife somewhat.
Boyka Gracie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cloud Strife.
Strife fails to land the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strife's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Strife duly obliges.
Strife shoots in but Gracie avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Horrible takedown by Gracie or perhaps it was just good defense by Strife which made him look bad.
Gracie stuffs the takedown.
Cloud Strife seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Strife throws a leg kick that misses.
Gracie tries to clinch up but Strife circles away and keeps his distance.
Gracie throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Strife on the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Strife shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Gracie dives in and grabs Strife's left leg, looking for a takedown. Strife pushes down on Gracie's head and hops out.
Strife throws a sloppy head kick and Gracie moves out of range easily.

Strife bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Strife takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Strife is trying to get an arm triangle but Gracie is defending well.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Gracie sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Gracie missing with punches from the bottom.
Gracie trying to control from the bottom.
Strife really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Gracie. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strife perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Gracie is looking to improve his position.
Gracie trying to hold on to Strife's head to control him but Strife postures up.
Strife slows the pace down in half guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Cloud Strife was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Strife throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gracie.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie swats away the attempt to clinch by Strife.
Strife shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Gracie pinned against the cage. Gracie gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Strife tries to clinch but Gracie moves out of range.
Strife fails to land the takedown.
Strife misses with a double jab.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Strife's waist but Strife gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Gracie off to one side.
Boyka Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cloud Strife is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Gracie lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

And that's the end of the fight!
Cloud Strife comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Strife 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 Robert Douchet scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Cloud Strife!