PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Destin Craven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pope Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Craven
vs
Gracie

173 cm
24
184 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

179 cm
23
179 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Big heart

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

The Stash House Nutrition *Q159* for $50
Ace of Spades Clothing

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Destin Craven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Pope Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Vladimir Khabensky and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Craven throws a sloppy head kick and Gracie moves out of range easily.
Sloppy strikes from Craven. Those never looked like landing.
Craven stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Craven wants it to stay on the feet.
Craven pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Gracie takes a kick to the side of the head.
Gracie looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Craven showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Gracie.
Gracie is looking to clinch but Craven is avoiding it.
Gracie moves in looking to clinch but Craven pushes him off.
Craven lands with a thumping leg kick.
Craven tries to clinch up.
Craven connects with a leg kick. Gracie looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
That kick from Craven tenderised Gracie's leg. Gracie is trying to keep his angry face on.
Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Craven throws a sloppy head kick and Gracie moves out of range easily.
Craven fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie tries to pull guard but Craven holds him up against the cage and eventually Gracie drops back down to his feet.
Destin Craven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pope Gracie.

Craven manages to break the clinch.
A head kick misses from Craven.
Gracie shoots in and drives through. Craven sprawls well.
Gracie avoids the head kick by Craven.
Craven throws a sloppy head kick and Gracie moves out of range easily.
Craven misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Gracie shoots in and bounces Craven off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Gracie decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Gracie on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Craven sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Gracie looks winded!
Gracie fails to land the takedown.
Craven throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Gracie.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie avoids the head kick by Craven.
Craven throws a sloppy head kick and Gracie moves out of range easily.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Craven enables Gracie to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Craven manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Gracie drops back looking for a leg! Craven is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Craven manages to kick Gracie off! Gracie jumps back into Craven's guard.

Gracie drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gracie jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to stand up but Craven won't let him.

Gracie drops back, looking for a kneebar! Craven looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Craven looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Craven!
Gracie is looking to reverse the position.
Craven is staying tight to Gracie's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Gracie tries to improve position but can't.
Gracie manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

Gracie is working for a submission of some sort.
Gracie is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Craven!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gracie stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Craven ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gracie moves away.
Craven tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie blocks a head kick by Craven.
Craven is looking to slow Gracie down with leg kicks.
Craven ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Craven could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Craven thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Gracie if he has to take too many more of those.

Craven moves into the clinch successfully.
Craven lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Destin Craven will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Craven connects with a jab.
Destin Craven seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Craven pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Craven misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Craven tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Craven misses with a looping left.
Gracie throws a series of punches but Craven avoids them all with ease.
Craven lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Gracie circles away quickly and effectively.
Craven is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Craven connects with an inside leg kick.
A combination from Craven does no damage.
Gracie gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Craven counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

Gracie dives in and scores a takedown into Craven's guard.
Craven not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gracie jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Gracie drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Craven manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Gracie has Craven in his guard.
Craven with a flurry of punches that miss.
Gracie looking to hit a scissor sweep but Craven is one step ahead there.
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.

Gracie is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Craven has managed to free his arm - good work.

Gracie decides to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Craven stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Craven wants it to stay on the feet.
Craven fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Gracie has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Craven throws a head kick that misses.
Craven misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Craven moves into the clinch.

Craven pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Gracie tries to clinch but Craven is having none of it.
Gracie blocks a head kick by Craven.
Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Destin Craven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pope Gracie.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie tries to keep at a distance but Craven has taken the fight into the clinch.
Gracie tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Craven just stands there and leans against the cage.

Craven pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Craven throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
No luck for Gracie with that takedown attempt.
Craven looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Craven tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Craven manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Craven gets a clinch.

Craven pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Craven tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Craven lands a body shot.
Craven tries to clinch up but Gracie circles away and keeps his distance.
Craven throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Craven is looking to wear down Gracie with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Craven tests Gracie's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Craven misses with a head kick.
Destin Craven is winning the standup battle so far.
Craven misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Gracie shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Craven pinned against the cage. Craven gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Craven throws a sloppy head kick and Gracie moves out of range easily.
Gracie's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
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!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Craven attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Craven lands with a slapping head kick.
Craven throws a head kick that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Destin Craven dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Craven swings for the body but Gracie moves out of range.
Craven misses with a head kick.
Craven throws a head kick that misses.
A jab from Craven misses.
Craven misses with a head kick.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Craven as he jumps to the side.
Craven throws a head kick that misses.
Craven misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Craven throws a leg kick which misses Gracie's front leg but catches the back leg as Gracie tries to avoid it.
Craven does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Craven swings away with a leg kick that misses.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gracie is defended easily by Craven.

Gracie drives through and clinches with Craven against the cage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Craven with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Craven is trying to break the clinch but Gracie is controlling him.
Gracie is trying to pull guard but Craven turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Destin Craven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pope Gracie.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Craven.
Craven lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Gracie is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Craven gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Craven using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gracie has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Gracie tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Craven smiles and moves away.

Gracie is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Craven's half guard.
Gracie works his way into full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Craven has given up his back.

Gracie has managed to slip his arm under Craven's chin. This could be all over... yep, Craven is tapping out! Submission win for Gracie.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:42 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Pope Gracie!