PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jeffrey Calhoun (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kron Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jeffrey Calhoun has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Calhoun
vs
Gracie

166 cm
24
194 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

175 cm
25
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jeffrey Calhoun!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kron Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Alexandre Firmino and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Calhoun throws a low kick but Gracie avoids it.
A head kick misses from Calhoun.

Gracie closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Calhoun did well to prevent Gracie getting side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Calhoun is controlling Gracie's trapped leg to prevent Gracie from advancing to side control.
Gracie wants to stand up but Calhoun has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Calhoun holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

Gracie is working for a kimura but Calhoun is defending it quite comfortably.
Gracie frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

Gracie is working for a guillotine from mount but Calhoun frees his head quite easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control the pace but Calhoun is squirming around nicely.
Gracie throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Calhoun is looking to escape.
Gracie tries to stand up but he's trapped just for the moment.
Gracie thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie controlling from the full mount.
Gracie can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Calhoun is looking to escape.
Gracie postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Calhoun looks a forlorn figure.
Calhoun tries to lock up and control but Gracie gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Gracie punching from mount but Calhoun doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Calhoun could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Calhoun tries to hold on but Gracie postures up.
Gracie lands with some strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie looking to secure an arm triangle but Calhoun defends it well.
Calhoun tries to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gracie throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Calhoun wants to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
Calhoun is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Gracie connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Calhoun to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Gracie throws some wild stikes that Calhoun manages to avoid easily.
Gracie tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Gracie unloads with some shots from mount but Calhoun bucks and avoids them well.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Calhoun tries to hold on but Gracie postures up.
Gracie sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie scoring with strikes but Calhoun is staying in there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kron Gracie dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Nice takedown defense from Calhoun. No joy for Gracie on that attempt.
Gracie with a lazy takedown attempt

and Calhoun counters with a single leg into guard. Gracie didn't expect that.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Calhoun defends it easily.

Calhoun thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Gracie is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Calhoun is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Calhoun seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Gracie for as long as he can get away with.
Gracie wants to stand and escape but Calhoun is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie working a defensive guard here.
Calhoun lands a couple of digs.
Calhoun postures up.

Gracie escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Calhoun gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Gracie working a defensive guard here.
Gracie working a defensive guard but Calhoun manages to pass into side control anyway.
Calhoun trying to control the position but Gracie is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Calhoun is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Gracie is trying to control Calhoun's posture but Calhoun avoids it.

Calhoun is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Gracie is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Calhoun knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.
Calhoun working away.
Calhoun trying to control the action but Gracie is working from the bottom.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Calhoun taking a breather here.
Gracie tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Check out the look on Calhoun's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Calhoun working away.
Gracie is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Calhoun is staying active.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Calhoun tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Calhoun has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
A lull in the action here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
You can see the frustration on Gracie's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Gracie wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jeffrey Calhoun dominated that second round.
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 shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Gracie showed some decent athleticism there.
Calhoun is trying to maintain the position but Gracie is very close to passing his half guard.
Gracie content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but Calhoun defending well.
Well, if Gracie is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Let's hope that Gracie has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Kron Gracie hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Calhoun dodges the punch combination from Gracie.

Calhoun moves into the clinch.
Gracie missing with knees to the body.
Calhoun misses with a body punch.
Calhoun fails to pull guard.

Gracie is fighting off a takedown attempt but Calhoun is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Gracie to the mat. Gracie regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
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 pressing down on Calhoun's thigh, looking to free his foot. Calhoun is holding on for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Calhoun tries to kick Gracie off but Gracie keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Calhoun trying to control but Gracie postures up.
Calhoun won't allow Gracie to pass to mount.
Calhoun is concentrating on defense, preventing Gracie from advancing position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Calhoun is looking to improve his position.
Gracie wants to stand but Calhoun has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Calhoun is staying active underneath Gracie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Calhoun as he avoids it easily.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Calhoun slaps away a takedown attempt from Gracie, before circling back to the center of the mat.
A big right from Calhoun misses.
Calhoun chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Calhoun fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gracie with a lazy takedown attempt

and Calhoun counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Calhoun.
Jeffrey Calhoun has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kron Gracie.
Calhoun sitting in guard here, content to control.
Calhoun is working Gracie over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Calhoun trying to stand up but can't free himself from Gracie's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Calhoun sitting in guard here, content to control.
Calhoun stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
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 looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Calhoun tries to get back to half guard but can't.

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 Jeffrey Calhoun.
I think Calhoun has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jeffrey Calhoun!