PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mel Gray (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paulie Walnutz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Gray
vs
Walnutz

170 cm
22
150 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

173 cm
19
155 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Improved boxing
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mel Gray!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Paulie Walnutz!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Paulo Santos and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gray uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Walnutz.
Walnutz connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Gray momentarily.
Good shot there by Walnutz.
Walnutz lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Gray has a takedown stuffed.
Walnutz stuffs the takedown.
Gray cracks Walnutz with an open hand slap.
Walnutz misses with a body shot.
Walnutz misses the shot to the body.
Gray takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Walnutz tries to clinch but Gray is having none of it.
Walnutz pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Gray throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gray drops Walnutz with a nice combination! Gray dives into Walnutz's guard, looking to finish!

Walnutz is rocked!
Gray advances position into side control!
Walnutz is still in real trouble! Can Gray finish him?

Gray tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Gray tries for a kimura but Walnutz is defending well.
Walnutz seems to have recovered his senses.
Gray is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gray is looking to take a break and control but Walnutz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Gray tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Walnutz is trying to control Gray's posture but Gray avoids it.

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.
Walnutz manages to work his way to half guard, despite Gray's best efforts.
Walnutz is trying to stand up here but Gray is controlling him well.
Walnutz has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Gray is working away from the top position though.
Walnutz tries to kick Gray off but Gray keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Walnutz trying to control from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walnutz is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gray throws a right and a left that Walnutz avoids nicely.
Gray comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Walnutz fakes the leg kick and cracks Gray in the body.
Walnutz lands a head shot.
Gray blocks a head kick by Walnutz.
Walnutz tries a head kick but it misses.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Walnutz.
Walnutz wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Gray checks a low kick from Walnutz.
Walnutz walks into a jab.
Paulie Walnutz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gray closes the distance and clinches up with Walnutz, looking for a takedown. Gray pushes Walnutz against the cage but Walnutz circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mel Gray. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gray doesn't manage to clinch there - Walnutz circles away.
Walnutz misses with a hook to the body
and Gray counters with a nice body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Gray scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Walnutz gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Walnutz trying to control but Gray postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Walnutz is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Gray pulls his head out easily.
Walnutz really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Gray. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Gray is keen to just control but Walnutz is a slippery customer.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gray thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gray trying to pass the guard but Walnutz defending well.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Jab from Walnutz.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mel Gray dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Gray avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gray moves out of range of the strikes.
Gray fails with an attempt to clinch.
Horrible takedown by Gray or perhaps it was just good defense by Walnutz which made him look bad.
Gray throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Gray closes the distance and clinches up with Walnutz, looking for a takedown. Gray pushes Walnutz against the cage but Walnutz circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Gray fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mel Gray. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gray closes this distance looking for a takedown but Walnutz circles away.
Walnutz lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Walnutz throws a sloppy head kick and Gray moves out of range easily.
Gray blocks a head kick by Walnutz.
Walnutz moves in looking to clinch but Gray pushes him off.
Walnutz takes a jab right on the kisser.
Gray avoids the head kick by Walnutz.
Gray misses with a series of wild punches.
Gray fails to land the takedown.
Walnutz is breathing heavily.
Walnutz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gray paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Walnutz slips a jab and a cross from Gray.
Horrible takedown by Gray or perhaps it was just good defense by Walnutz which made him look bad.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gray throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Gray staying out of range there.
A jab lands there for Gray.
Nice body punch from Gray.
Gray throws a right and a left that Walnutz avoids nicely.
Walnutz misses with a kick to the body.
Mel Gray is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gray throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Walnutz's waist but Walnutz gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Gray off to one side.
Gray tries for a takedown but Walnutz sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Gray lands with a straight right. Walnutz didn't see that one coming.
Walnutz swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Walnutz misses with a head kick.
Gray throws a shot to the body.
Gray throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Walnutz.

Walnutz forces Gray back against the cage and clinches.
Gray tries to pull guard but Walnutz won't allow it.
Walnutz trying to land knees to the body.
Walnutz with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Gray is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Gray tries to score a body lock takedown but Walnutz shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gray blocks the elbow strike.
Walnutz wants to stall.
Gray has Walnutz pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Walnutz manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Walnutz is trying to stall.
Gray wants a takedown but no success here.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Gray tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Walnutz smiles and moves away.
Paulie Walnutz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gray scores with a jab to the body.
Gray swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Walnutz.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Walnutz misses with a body punch
and Gray counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Walnutz takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Walnutz dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Gray. That did some damage!
Walnutz lands a body shot.
Walnutz connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Walnutz scores with a spinning back kick!
A decent looking body kick lands there for Walnutz.
Mel Gray is winning the standup battle so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walnutz thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Gray if he has to take too many more of those.
Gray will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gray will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Walnutz throws the left hand but Gray avoids the punch easily.
Gray shoots in but no luck this time.
Gray shoots for a takedown but Walnutz saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Walnutz cracks the inside of Gray's front leg.
Walnutz lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Gray swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Walnutz lands a head kick. Gray smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Gray takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Walnutz throws a big shot that misses.
Gray fails with an attempt to clinch.
Walnutz misses with a head kick.
Gray displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Walnutz throws out the jab.
Gray shoots in for a takedown but Walnutz shows good takedown defense.
Walnutz lands with a nice body kick.
Gray will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Gray misses with a jab, cross combination.
Walnutz just misses with a punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gray cracks Walnutz with an uppercut from hell and Walnutz crumples to the canvas, he's out! Oh no, he's recovered and he's grabbed one of Gray's legs and pulled him into guard. The ref thought about stopping it there but he's let it go - good reffing!

It looks like Paulie Walnutz has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gray tries to stand but Walnutz is controlling from the bottom.
Gray stops Walnutz from standing up.
Gray pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Walnutz is keeping the position for now.
Gray wants to control from the top but Walnutz keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Walnutz looking to control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gray throwing strikes but missing.
Walnutz looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulie Walnutz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Paulie Walnutz's cut.
That's time! Gray's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Walnutz gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Gray wants to stand but Walnutz is controlling his posture from full guard.
Gray won't allow Walnutz to get back to his feet.
Walnutz has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

Gray is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Walnutz is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Walnutz has escaped and now he's on top!

Gray throws his legs up looking for a submission but Walnutz uses it to pass to side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walnutz looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Gray is avoiding damage well.
Gray is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Walnutz is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Walnutz trying to control but Gray is having none of it.
Walnutz looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gray is squirming around, avoiding Walnutz's attempts to control the action.
Gray is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gray tries to lock up and control but Walnutz gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Walnutz scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Walnutz punishing his opponent with strikes.

Walnutz has control of Gray's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Gray regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Walnutz controlling his opponent.

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.
Gray throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Gray gets back to half guard.
Walnutz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gray keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gray wants to get back to full guard but Walnutz has passed into side control.
Gray is desperately trying to improve his position but Walnutz has a good base and remains in mount.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Walnutz thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Paulie Walnutz.
I think Walnutz 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paulie Walnutz!