PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mario Puzo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anderson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Puzo kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Speak Softly Love. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Puzo
vs
Gracie

185 cm
19
187 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
19
199 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Powerful

GREEN!160

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mario Puzo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Anderson Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Don Winkell and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
letting Puzo counter with a right hand.
Gracie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gracie is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Gracie has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Puzo checks a low kick from Gracie.
Nice jab there from Puzo.
Gracie tries to clinch there but Puzo circles away.
Puzo throws a hook but Gracie blocks it.
Gracie is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Puzo clobbers Gracie with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Puzo lands a jab to Gracie's midsection.
Puzo swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Puzo thuds his right hand into Gracie's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A shot to the body from Gracie misses
and Puzo counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Puzo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gracie moves away.
Donk. Gracie catches Puzo right on the button with a cross.
Gracie tries to clinch up.
Puzo has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Facebreaker Academy - Striking in the buildup to the fight.
A big right from Puzo misses.
Puzo slips under a jab.
Puzo swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Gracie drops his hands momentarily and Puzo takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Gracie throws a body shot but no joy.
Puzo listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Gracie blocks a jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Gracie is looking to clinch but Puzo is avoiding it.
Gracie throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Puzo swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Gracie.
Nice shot by Puzo.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gracie throws a jab but it's blocked by Puzo.
Puzo throws a leg kick but Gracie sees it coming and moves out of range.
Gracie tries to counter by closing the distance.
Puzo misses with a wild body shot.
Puzo throws a poor cross that misses

and Gracie decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Puzo's guard.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Puzo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie won't allow Puzo to get back to his feet.
Gracie is fighting to break Puzo's control of his arms but Puzo is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Puzo keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Puzo is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Gracie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Puzo has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Puzo misses with a combination

and Gracie counters by moving into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Puzo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Puzo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A telegraphed right hand from Puzo misses the target.
Puzo with a jab.
Puzo swings for the body but Gracie moves out of range.
Puzo takes a swing at Gracie's ribcage but misses.
Puzo keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Puzo moves out of range as Gracie strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mario Puzo dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Gracie tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Puzo slips a jab from Gracie.
An attempted straight right counter from Puzo misses the target.
Puzo connects with a body shot that sends Gracie's belly button to the back.
Puzo jabs at Gracie's body.
Puzo changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Gracie misses with a looping right.
Gracie tries to clinch up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie throws a right hand that misses
and Puzo counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Gracie wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Nice defenses there by Puzo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Puzo waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Gracie.
Puzo scores with a jab.
Gracie tries to clinch up
and Puzo counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Gracie swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Puzo connects with the punch.
Gracie misses the shot to the body.
A counter left hand to the body from Puzo misses its target.
Gracie tries to clinch
and Puzo counters with a straight right hand.
Gracie wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Puzo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Puzo is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gracie can do to turn this around?
Gracie fails with the takedown
and Puzo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Puzo swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Gracie wants to counter with a clinch but Puzo pushes him away.
A cross from Puzo lands.
Mario Puzo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch but Puzo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Gracie on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie misses with a hook
and Puzo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Gracie ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Puzo moves away.

Gracie closes the distance and pushes Puzo back into the cage.

Puzo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Puzo fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Puzo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
It looked like Puzo wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

Gracie shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Puzo is trying to defend but Gracie finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Puzo knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.
Puzo holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Gracie is keen to just control but Puzo is a slippery customer.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Puzo is trying to stand.
Gracie missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Puzo won't allow Gracie to pass to mount.
Gracie prevents Puzo from standing back up.
Puzo pushes Gracie off but Gracie dives into side control.
Puzo tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Puzo is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Gracie has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Gracie looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Puzo is avoiding damage well.
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 an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Puzo avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Gracie.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mario Puzo dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Puzo uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Gracie.
Gracie misses the jab.
Gracie uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Puzo.
Puzo throws a lazy right hand but Gracie sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Puzo thows a left - swing and a miss!
Gracie uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Puzo.
Gracie tries to counter by closing the distance.
Gracie sizes up Puzo with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Puzo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Gracie drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Puzo defends it well.
Puzo throws out a loose jab but Gracie uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gracie misses with a wild body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Puzo throws a leg kick but Gracie checks it.
Gracie wants to clinch
and Puzo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Puzo tries to score with a low kick but Gracie moves his leg out of the way.
Gracie swings widly with a right hand
enabling Puzo to counter with a crisp jab.

It looks like Anderson Gracie has been cut.

Gracie rushes Puzo and presses him up against the cage.
Puzo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Gracie keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Puzo's efforts to push away.
Puzo wants to break the clinch but can't.
Anderson Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Puzo breaks from the clinch.
Puzo fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Gracie looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Puzo misses with an uppercut.
Puzo scores with a nice head shot.
Gracie misses with an uppercut. Puzo saw that one coming.
Puzo throws a shot to the body.
Gracie misses with a right hand
and Puzo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Puzo shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Gracie has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Puzo takes a swing at Gracie's ribcage but misses.
Puzo fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Gracie is out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Puzo circles away from the clinch attempt
and Gracie takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Gracie displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Puzo throws out the jab.
A slow jab from Puzo misses its intended target.
Puzo with a jab.
Gracie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gracie has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Puzo finds it's way round the side to connect with Gracie's head.
A telegraphed right hand from Gracie misses the target.
Puzo swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Puzo connects with a jab.
Gracie scores with a nice head shot.
Gracie avoids the body shot from Puzo.
Gracie is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Gracie throws a big shot that misses.
A cross from Gracie lands.
Puzo doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie misses with a low kick.
Gracie takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Mario Puzo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Puzo with a hook.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mario Puzo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Puzo, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mario Puzo!