PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Freddy Alves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jeffson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alves comes to the cage accompanied by Trik Turner - Friends and Family. Gracie comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Cliff Richard - Summer Holiday kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Alves
vs
Gracie

168 cm
32
159 lbs
27 - 23 - 1

160 cm
36
155 lbs
26 - 18 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 27 - 23 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Freddy Alves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 18 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jeffson Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Emerson Jorge and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alves cracks Gracie with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Jeffson Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Alves shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Gracie pinned against the cage. Gracie gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Gracie fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Gracie swinging wildly here.
Gracie takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Alves lands an overhand right.
Gracie bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Alves gets caught flat footed, as Gracie shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
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 gets to his feet. Alves looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Alves lands with a shot to the body.
Gracie fails with the takedown
and Alves counters with a series of strikes. Gracie will be more careful next time no doubt.
Gracie displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Alves throws out the jab.
Alves is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Alves misses with a few strikes there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie misses with a kick to the body.
Alves takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Gracie fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gracie ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Alves throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
We've been informed that Gracie has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Gracie misses with a body kick.
Alves misses with a double jab
and Gracie cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch but Alves swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Alves connects with a good right hand that stumbles Gracie. Gracie circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Gracie controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Alves keeping full guard, as Gracie tries to pass.

Gracie drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Alves manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Gracie has Alves in his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Alves from controlling successfully.
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 is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Gracie escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Alves gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Alves controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alves missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Alves wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Alves showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
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.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Freddy Alves just wasn't active enough.
Gracie scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Gracie moves out of range as Alves strikes.
Gracie displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Alves throws out the jab.
Alves lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Gracie backs up against the cage.
Sloppy strikes from Alves. Those never looked like landing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie has a takedown stuffed.
Alves throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A slow jab from Alves misses its intended target.
Alves gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gracie fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Alves avoids it really well and circles away.
Freddy Alves has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jeffson Gracie.
Alves throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Gracie counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Gracie shoots in but Alves avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Alves moves out of range of the body kick.
Horrible takedown by Gracie or perhaps it was just good defense by Alves which made him look bad.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Gracie tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Alves manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Alves swings away with a body shot that misses

and Gracie counters by clinching up.
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 Freddy Alves will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Alves looks to land a right hand but Gracie moved out of range.
Gracie ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Some wild striking there from Alves.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Gracie.
Gracie throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Gracie moves into full mount!

Gracie working for a guillotine from mount but Alves is in no mood to give up.
Alves wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Gracie.
Alves is looking to get to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alves blocking the ground and pound.
Alves is looking to get to half guard.

Gracie working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Alves gets back to half guard.
Alves has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Gracie is working away from the top position though.
Gracie is trying to control. Alves wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Alves preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.

Gracie is looking for a kimura here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alves trying to hold on to Gracie's head to control him but Gracie postures up.
Alves keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Gracie prevents Alves from improving his position.
Gracie is stalling here. Alves is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Gracie seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Alves has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Alves is controlling him well.
Alves creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Alves scoring with punches and elbows.
Gracie manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Gracie controlling the position for now.
Gracie won't allow Alves to pass to mount.
Gracie is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Alves scores with a couple of nice shots.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.
Gracie blocking the ground and pound attempt from Alves.
Alves wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
We've been hearing that Alves has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
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!

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Gracie moves into the clinch successfully.

Gracie breaks from the clinch.

Alves drives through with a takedown into Gracie's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

Alves got a little sloppy there for a moment and Gracie has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Alves has managed to get both his arms back between Gracie's legs - danger averted.
Gracie has momentary wrist control but Alves slips an elbow through the middle.

Gracie escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Alves gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Alves controlling him for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Freddy Alves will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Gracie scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Alves keeping control of the position.
Gracie trying to control the pace.

Gracie is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Gracie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Alves trying to control from the bottom.
Alves avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Gracie.
Alves tries to roll over but Gracie keeps him under control.
Alves has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Gracie is working away from the top position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alves moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Gracie trying to move into half guard but instead Alves has managed to sweep!
Alves preventing the sweep.
Jeffson Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Alves's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Alves with a flurry of punches that miss.
Alves slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Alves postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
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.
Alves is looking to work some ground and pound but Gracie has wrist control.
Jeffson Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.
Alves slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Alves with a nice head shot there.
Alves landing some decent shots from guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Alves looking to sit in guard and control but Gracie gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Alves is pulling down on Gracie's head to control his posture.
Gracie is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Alves is retaining full guard.
Alves pulls Gracie in close to prevent any damage.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Freddy Alves just wasn't active enough.
Alves takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gracie is defended easily by Alves.
Alves throws a right and a left that both miss.
Alves keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Alves is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gracie.
Alves misses with a two punch combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Alves misses with the combination.
Gracie tests Alves's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Alves fails to land with a series of punches.

Gracie closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Alves quickly recovers to half guard.
Alves wants to get back to full guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gracie sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Alves defending well though.
Freddy Alves is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Alves is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Alves trying to control from the bottom.

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 Freddy Alves.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Alves, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Freddy Alves!
After winning the bout, Freddy Alves thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.