PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Santiago Colon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mateus Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Colon
vs
Gracie

184 cm
27
180 lbs
14 - 5 - 0

180 cm
34
177 lbs
26 - 16 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Reaper Combatwear
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Santiago Colon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mateus Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Daniel Bishop and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Gracie throws a sloppy head kick and Colon moves out of range easily.
Gracie moves out of range as Colon strikes.
Colon throws a sloppy head kick and Gracie moves out of range easily.
Colon missing with a left hand there. Gracie was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Gracie ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Gracie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Gracie was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Colon tries to bench press Gracie off him but Gracie keeps the position.
Gracie wants to control for a moment but Colon uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Colon moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Gracie is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Colon wants to sweep but no luck.
Colon is looking to sweep but instead, Gracie has passed into half guard.
Gracie prevents Colon from improving his position.

Colon is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Gracie pulls his head out easily.
Gracie wants to free his trapped foot but Colon is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Gracie seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Colon does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Colon won't allow Gracie to pass to mount.
Colon is looking to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is keen to just control but Colon is a slippery customer.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

Mateus Gracie has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Gracie moves in looking to clinch but Colon pushes him off.
Gracie swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Colon ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gracie moves away.
Gracie moves forwards but Colon connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Colon lands a lovely overhand right.

Gracie closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie gets to mount! Colon was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Colon is looking to improve his position but Gracie isn't that keen on the idea.
Gracie with shots to the head and body - Colon looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Colon working to try and regain half guard.
Gracie looking to finish Colon with some ground and pound. This is bad for Colon!
Gracie putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Gracie trying to control but Colon is having none of it.
Colon sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Colon is positioning himself well to prevent Gracie advancing to mount.

Gracie is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Colon has managed to free his arm - good work.
Colon is not content to let Gracie control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Colon is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Gracie is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Gracie is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Colon has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Gracie is working away from the top position though.
Gracie is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Colon is in all sorts of trouble here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nice defenses there by Gracie.

Gracie shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Gracie showed some decent athleticism there.
Colon wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.
Colon is staying active underneath Gracie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Gracie is thwarting Colon's attempts to control the position.
Colon wants to sweep but Gracie has passed to side control!
Colon is working to avoid the ground and pound but Gracie connects with a decent elbow.
Colon is trying to get back to half guard.
Gracie is chipping away with strikes.
Mateus Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Colon is trying to improve his position.
Gracie trying to control the position but Colon is working away.
Gracie working away.
Colon prevents Gracie from moving into mount.
Colon is looking to regain half guard here but Gracie keeps moving and retains side control.

Gracie is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Colon knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Gracie trying to control the action but Colon is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Colon sneaks back into half guard.
Gracie prevents Colon from improving his position.
Gracie controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Colon wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.
Gracie is trying to control. Colon wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Mateus Gracie has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Gracie sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Gracie throws a hook but Colon blocks it.
Gracie drops his hands momentarily and Colon takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Colon takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Gracie has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Colon.
Colon tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gracie was well out of range. Poor timing from Colon.
Gracie moves out of range of the leg kick from Colon.
Colon scores with a nice right hand.
Colon tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Colon bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Colon misses with a straight left.
Colon looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Colon throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A nice leg kick lands there from Colon.
Gracie's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Colon connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Gracie scrambles back to his feet.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gracie takes one to the side of the head.
Colon lands with a right hand.
Colon keeps the fight on the outside.
Colon misses with an attempted mid kick.
Gracie has a takedown stuffed.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Gracie tries to clinch but Colon moves out of range.
Gracie swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
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 Santiago Colon will probably get the nod.
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 uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Colon.
Colon swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Gracie misses with a straight right.
Colon takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Gracie moves out of range as Colon strikes.
Colon throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Gracie sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Gracie ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Santiago Colon is winning the standup battle so far.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Colon lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Gracie has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Gracie and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Colon tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gracie takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Gracie fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Colon looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Gracie works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Colon throws a head kick but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie with a hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Colon gets tackled into the cage by Gracie. Gracie maintains the clinch.
Colon wants to get back to striking at distance but Gracie won't allow it.
Gracie lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Colon backwards.
Gracie softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Colon lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Gracie swings wildly with an uppercut but Colon uses good head movement to avoid it.

Colon manages to break the clinch.
Colon lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Gracie lands a head shot.
Good leg kick by Colon there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Colon walks into a jab.
Colon misses with a looping right.
Colon throws a leg kick but Gracie sees it coming and moves out of range.
Gracie shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Colon eats them both and turns towards Gracie to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie shoots for a takedown but Colon saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Colon has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Colon there as he acknowledges the shot.
Colon displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Gracie throws out the jab.
Gracie looks for the body kick but Colon saw that one coming.
Gracie looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Gracie looks to throw the jab but Colon is out of range.
Colon misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Colon misses with a looping left.
Gracie misses with a series of wild punches.
Colon connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Gracie lands a nice leg kick that just misses Colon's sensitive parts.
Nice cross by Colon.
Colon throws out a loose jab but Gracie uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Colon misses the shot to the body.
Jab from Colon.
Gracie ducks under a wild hook from Colon.
Gracie moves out of range of the leg kick from Colon.
Colon avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Gracie shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Colon punishes Gracie's body with a nice straight punch.
Colon scores with a punch to the head.

Gracie drives through and clinches with Colon against the cage.
Gracie lands with a light punch inside.
Gracie throws a punch but it's blocked by Colon.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Colon creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Colon tries to work over Gracie's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Colon misses with a punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Colon blocks an uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Colon up against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Colon.
Colon working hard to break the clinch.
Colon lands with a short shot to the head.
Colon misses with the head strike.
Colon softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Colon prevents a body shot from Gracie.
Gracie misses with a punch on the inside.

Colon manages to break the clinch.
Colon is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gracie.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A telegraphed right hand from Colon misses the target.
Gracie takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Colon takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

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 Santiago Colon.
I think Colon 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 29:28
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Santiago Colon!
In his post fight interview, Santiago Colon gave a big smile as he said 'Finally!'.