PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Vrando Vraganza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Robbin Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie has chosen Nervecell - Psychogenocide as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Vraganza
vs
Gracie

180 cm
33
163 lbs
12 - 10 - 0

180 cm
31
168 lbs
16 - 23 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Very strong

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Vrando Vraganza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 23 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Robbin Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Edson Gomes and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vraganza throws a right hand that Gracie ducks under and follows up with a left that Gracie also avoids with ease.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gracie looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Vraganza takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Gracie connects with a good right hand that stumbles Vraganza. Vraganza circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Gracie darts in and clinches Vraganza up against the cage.

Gracie breaks the clinch.
Vraganza throws a sloppy head kick
and Gracie counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Gracie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Vraganza napping and manages to drive through into side control!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Vraganza is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Gracie in side control, throwing shots but Vraganza defends.
Vraganza is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Vraganza avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Gracie.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vraganza regains half guard, as Gracie was trying to land strikes.
Gracie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Vraganza is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Gracie pulls his head out easily.
Gracie seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Nice strikes from Gracie there.
Vraganza gets back to full guard.
Gracie connects with a couple of short punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Gracie stops Vraganza from standing up.
Vraganza wants to sweep but no luck.
Gracie cracks Vraganza with a solid left hand.
Gracie distracts Vraganza with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Gracie lands a couple of digs.
Gracie postures up in Vraganza's guard and throws a big left but Vraganza blocks it.
Vraganza avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gracie slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Gracie trying to control but Vraganza is working from the bottom.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Gracie with a nice head shot there.

Vraganza looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Gracie throws a big right hand that misses.

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

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie gets back to half guard.
Gracie gets full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Vraganza stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gracie swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gracie avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Vraganza slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Gracie gets back to half guard.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.

Vraganza is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Robbin Gracie dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Vraganza looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Vrando Vraganza is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Vraganza defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Gracie.
Vraganza keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Gracie.
Vraganza avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Vraganza closes the distance and clinches.
Vraganza is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Gracie to keep the fight standing.
Vraganza fails to pull guard.
Gracie blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Gracie is trying to trip Vraganza. He has hold of a leg but Vraganza is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Gracie persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie trying to control but Vraganza is working from the bottom.
Vraganza preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Vraganza is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gracie is controlling him.

Vraganza has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.
Vraganza avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Vraganza keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Gracie lands a couple of elbows.
Gracie scoring with some ground and pound.
Robbin Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gracie scoring with some ground and pound.
Gracie landing with the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is in close to Vraganza's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Vraganza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Gracie working his ground and pound in the gym.
Gracie working some strikes from top position.

Gracie drops back looking for a leg! Vraganza is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Vraganza manages to kick Gracie off! Gracie jumps back into Vraganza's guard.
Gracie stands up over Vraganza, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Gracie stands up over Vraganza, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Vraganza keeping full guard, as Gracie tries to pass.
Gracie is working Vraganza over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Gracie postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Gracie pushing down on Vraganza's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Vraganza wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie thows a huge punch but Vraganza dodges it nicely.
Gracie sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Vraganza defending well though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Vraganza is looking to escape.
Gracie working over Vraganza with some ground and pound. Vraganza looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Gracie working over Vraganza with some ground and pound. Vraganza looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Gracie lands with a punch from half guard.

Vraganza looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Gracie thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Robbin Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Gracie scores with a jab to the jaw.
Vraganza misses with a double jab.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Vraganza sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Vraganza misses with a series of wild punches.
Gracie has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Vraganza connects with a crisp jab.
Vraganza fails to land with a series of punches.
Vraganza leaves Gracie with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Vraganza throws a right hand that Gracie ducks under and follows up with a left that Gracie also avoids with ease.
Sloppy strikes from Vraganza. Those never looked like landing.
Gracie fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Vraganza avoids it really well and circles away.
Vrando Vraganza has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Robbin Gracie.
Gracie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Vraganza circles away from the clinch attempt.

Gracie fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Vraganza, pushing him back against the cage.

Vraganza gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Gracie regains guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vraganza wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

Gracie throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Vraganza escapes and throws Gracie's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Vraganza keeps moving and retains side control.
Vraganza wants to stand but Gracie has his arm trapped.
Vraganza working away.

Vraganza wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Gracie, who protects the arm well.
Gracie is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Vraganza off and has taken his back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Can Vraganza hold on?! Gracie is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.

Gracie is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Vraganza has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Gracie connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Vraganza to escape the position.
Well, with Gracie on his back, surely it's only a matter of time before Vraganza is tapping out... Can he escape the position?
Vraganza grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.
Gracie lands strikes to the head.

Vraganza is rocked!
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!

Vraganza defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Oh Vraganza is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Gracie lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie missing with strikes.
Vraganza seems to have got his legs back now.
Gracie trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Vrando Vraganza has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Vraganza tries to escape the position.
Gracie cracks Vraganza with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Vraganza from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Gracie trying to control.
Vraganza is trying to break free.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie lands shots from the back.

Gracie working for the rear naked choke here. He's got one arm under but Vraganza is defending well. A couple of punches soften him up though and Gracie has tightened the hold! This one could be all over! It is! Vraganza taps out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:36 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Robbin Gracie!
After winning the bout, Robbin Gracie thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.