PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jamal Witt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Epic Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Epic Gracie is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Witt
vs
Gracie

197 cm
18
214 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

182 cm
18
205 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jamal Witt!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Epic Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Matheus Silva and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.
Gracie shoots and misses

and Witt moves into the clinch.
Witt tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Gracie works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Witt looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Witt is keeping the position for now.
Witt has Gracie pulled in close to control his posture.
Witt keeping full guard, as Gracie tries to pass.
Witt is controlling Gracie's posture.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Witt will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Jamal Witt has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Witt manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Gracie on his heels. He'll look to pass Gracie's guard now, I'm sure.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Gracie looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Gracie looks winded!
Witt in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Witt wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

Witt avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Witt throws a big elbow that misses.

Witt thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Witt stands up over Gracie, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Witt is in close to Gracie's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie has Witt pulled in close to control his posture.
Witt distracts Gracie with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Witt trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Witt throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Witt's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Our spies down at at Cozad MMA Rio inform us that Gracie has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?
Witt slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Gracie wants to hit a switch here but Witt passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Gracie there!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gracie sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Witt wants to work for an arm triangle but Gracie is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Witt is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Witt is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Gracie defends it well.
Gracie works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Witt chips away with some ground and pound.
Witt won't allow Gracie to sweep him here.
Gracie working a defensive guard here.
Gracie tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Witt with a nice head shot there.
Witt distracts Gracie with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
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 Witt controlling him for the moment.
Witt 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.

Jamal Witt dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Witt shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Gracie as he jumps to the side.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown
letting Witt counter with a right hand.

Gracie shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Gracie showed some decent athleticism there.
Witt manages to get to full guard.
Witt keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Gracie is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Witt pulls Gracie in close to prevent any damage.
Gracie is in close to Witt's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Gracie is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Witt throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Witt manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gracie manages to get himself to full guard.

Witt drops back, looking for a kneebar! Gracie looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Gracie looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Gracie!

Gracie is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Witt knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie working away.
The ground and pound from Gracie seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Gracie has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Jamal Witt overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Witt is trying to control Gracie's posture but Gracie avoids it.
Gracie working the ground and pound but Witt is defending the strikes.
Witt is holding Gracie down, trying to stall.
Witt can't do much from the bottom here.
Witt is looking for a sweep.
Witt is trying to control Gracie's posture but Gracie avoids it.

Gracie is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Witt knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie tries for a kimura but Witt is defending well.
Gracie misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Witt tries to improve position but can't.

Gracie tries for a kimura but Witt is defending well.

Gracie wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Witt, who protects the arm well.
Witt manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Witt is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.
Witt working Gracie over with strikes.
Gracie is trying to maintain the position but Witt is very close to passing his half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Witt seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Gracie is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Witt jumps into side control!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Epic Gracie will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Gracie enables Witt to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Gracie manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Witt postures up.
Gracie tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Witt in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Witt loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Witt with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gracie utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Witt with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.
Witt with a nice head shot there.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Gracie looking to control.
Witt makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Witt working some strikes from top position.
Witt scoring with some ground and pound.
Witt knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.
Gracie looking to control.
Witt distracts Gracie with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Witt scoring with punches to the head and body.
Witt with a flurry of punches that miss.
Witt has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Witt chips away with some ground and pound.
Witt throws a big elbow that misses.
Witt scoring with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie working a defensive guard but Witt manages to pass into side control anyway.

Witt is trying to get an arm triangle but Gracie is defending well.
Gracie tries to improve position but can't.

Witt tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Witt has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Gracie is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

Witt thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Witt is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Gracie is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Gracie regains half guard.
Gracie regains full guard. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Witt is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Gracie is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Gracie has escaped and now he's on top!
Witt is trying to keep Gracie in close.
Witt wants to sweep but no luck.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Witt is retaining full guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Gracie drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Witt dives on top into guard.
Witt postures up in Gracie's guard and throws a big left but Gracie blocks it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jamal Witt showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Witt has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 29:28
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jamal Witt!