PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Nelson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexandro Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Gracie
vs
Souza

186 cm
22
132 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

171 cm
18
144 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Powerful

Knock Out Artistry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Nelson Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Alexandro Souza!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Emerson Jorge and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Souza misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gracie.
Gracie throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Souza's waist but Souza gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Gracie off to one side.

Souza darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Gracie wants to improve his position but Souza is controlling well.
Gracie gets full guard.

Gracie has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Souza is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Gracie.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Souza keeps moving and retains side control.

Souza has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Gracie with a lazy takedown attempt

and Souza counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Souza.

Souza pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Souza fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gracie, pushing him back against the cage.
Gracie tries to pull guard but Souza holds him up against the cage and eventually Gracie drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nelson Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Souza manages to break the clinch.
Gracie shoots and misses

and Souza counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Gracie tries to get to full guard but Souza has control of the leg.

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Souza performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Souza trying to control from half guard but Gracie is working away.
Souza prevents Gracie from improving his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Souza wants to stand up but Gracie is controlling the position.
Gracie is looking for a sweep. Souza is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Souza feints and as Gracie raises his hands in defense, Souza changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Souza wants to pass the guard but Gracie is keeping the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Souza wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Gracie has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Souza has passed into side control.
Souza trying to control the position but Gracie is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Souza keeps moving and retains side control.
Gracie trying to remain calm as Souza controls from the top position.
Gracie is working to avoid the ground and pound but Souza connects with a decent elbow.
Gracie wants to control but Souza postures up.
Gracie tries to bench press Souza off him but Souza keeps the position.

Souza stands up and beckons Gracie to his feet.

Souza gets a takedown into half guard.
Souza sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to improve his position.
Gracie wants to control the action here but instead Souza manages to pass to full mount!
Gracie is desperately trying to improve his position but Souza has a good base and remains in mount.
Souza dominating with strikes here.
Gracie is squirming around, avoiding Souza's attempts to control the action.
Gracie looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie is taking damage to the body and head.
Souza just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexandro Souza dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Gracie gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Souza counters with a nice double leg into side control. Gracie won't be happy with that.
Gracie tries to buck Souza off but Souza is having none of it.

Souza tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Gracie is trying to improve his position.
Souza happy to just control the position for now.

Souza decides to stand back up.
Nelson Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie with a poor takedown

and Souza counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza won't allow Gracie to sweep him here.
Gracie has a closed guard, preventing Souza from standing up.
Souza working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Gracie will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Souza trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Souza is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Gracie escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Souza gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Souza controlling from the top position.

Gracie working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Souza doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Souza manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Souza must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Souza connects with a couple of short punches.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Souza from controlling successfully.

Gracie has an active guard here but Souza has managed to pass into half guard.
Souza is taking a breather. Gracie says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Souza's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

Souza decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Souza has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Gracie regains guard immediately.
Souza wants to pass the guard but Gracie is keeping the position.
Gracie wants to sweep but no luck.

Gracie is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Souza 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.

Souza stands and steps away. Gracie gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Souza has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Souza gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nelson Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Souza jumps guard and drags Gracie to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Souza manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Gracie wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Gracie is really stuck here.
Souza throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Gracie!

Souza tightening his grip on Gracie, looking for the choke.
Souza is throwing punches to the body, looking to soften Gracie up.
Alexandro Souza has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Souza just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexandro Souza showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Souza forces Gracie back against the cage and clinches.

Souza ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Souza no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Souza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Gracie postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Souza is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Gracie, into his guard.

Gracie looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Souza has picked Gracie up and slammed him! Gracie can't keep hold of the triangle and Souza manages to pass to side control!
Souza wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
Gracie manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Souza keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.
Souza is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Souza wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Souza is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Gracie thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gracie is thwarting Souza's attempts to control the position.
Gracie tries to pass to full mount but Souza defends it.
Gracie really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gracie shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Souza counters with a big head kick but Gracie shrugs it off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Gracie with a lazy takedown attempt
and Souza counters with a nice leg kick.

Souza darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Gracie with the active half guard here but Souza passes nicely into side control.
Souza trying to control the action but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Souza controlling from side mount.
Gracie is not content to let Souza control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Souza has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Souza fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Souza has managed to clinch.
Souza prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nelson Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Souza looking for a takedown.
Gracie tries for a takedown. No joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Souza displaying some good clinch control by pressing Gracie up against the cage.
Souza lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Nelson Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Souza gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Gracie tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Souza wants to stand but Gracie is controlling his posture from full guard.
Souza trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Souza throwing strikes from guard but Gracie blocks nicely.

Gracie throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alexandro Souza comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Souza has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 26:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 26:30
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alexandro Souza!