PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rickson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johann Kessler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Gracie
vs
Kessler

186 cm
24
180 lbs
5 - 7 - 0

181 cm
21
179 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
Good gas tank

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 5 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rickson Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Johann Kessler!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, John Mangel and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kessler lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Gracie circles away quickly and effectively.
Gracie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gracie was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Gracie throws a body shot but no joy.
A left and a right from Kessler both land. Nice combination.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.
Kessler pushes Gracie away with a front kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A low kick from Kessler misses
and Gracie counters with a two punch combo.
Gracie takes a shot right to the bread basket.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A swing and a miss from Kessler.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Kessler throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Gracie misses with the combination.
A slapping leg kick lands for Kessler.

Kessler fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gracie, pushing him back against the cage.
Gracie misses with a punch on the inside.
Kessler prevents a takedown attempt there.
Kessler lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Gracie or not.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gracie.
Still in the clinch, Kessler scores with a nice short uppercut.
Kessler lands a body punch.
I was talking to Gracie's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Kessler tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Gracie tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rickson Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Kessler's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown but Kessler manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Gracie's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Kessler is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Gracie shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kessler circles away quickly and effectively.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Kessler counters with a straight right hand.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kessler lands a nice leg kick that just misses Gracie's sensitive parts.
A combination from Gracie does no damage.
Kessler throws a nice outside leg kick.
Kessler throws a wild body kick that Gracie sees coming a mile off.
Gracie throws a big counter combination but Kessler scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Kessler swings and misses with a hook to the body.
No joy there for Gracie, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Gracie throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Kessler counters with a nice leg kick.
Kessler thumps Gracie with a low kick.
Kessler lands with a thumping leg kick.
Gracie shoots in but no luck this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Gracie misses with a kick to the body.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Kessler.
Gracie looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kessler flicks out a counter leg kick but Gracie steps away.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt
and Kessler counters with a big head kick but Gracie shrugs it off.
Gracie throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Gracie moves out of range of the strikes.
Gracie on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Gracie moves out of range of the body kick from Kessler.
Gracie appears to be looking for a big counter.
Kessler lands with an uppercut that bounces Gracie off the cage and back into range.
Kessler throws a chopping leg kick but Gracie manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
A solid leg kick lands there for Kessler.
Gracie has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kessler scores with a punch to the head.
Kessler keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Kessler throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Gracie stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Kessler.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Kessler, right into the meat.
Kessler tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gracie was well out of range. Poor timing from Kessler.

Kessler clinches.
Kessler lands a knee to the body.
Kessler lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Kessler throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Gracie blocks it with crossed arms.
Gracie is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Kessler working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Kessler breaks the clinch.
Gracie throws a series of punches but Kessler avoids them all with ease.
Kessler appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Kessler avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johann Kessler dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Kessler connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Gracie's hands.
Good leg kick by Kessler there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Gracie throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt - Kessler sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Gracie avoids a punch combination nicely.
Gracie looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A punch combination from Gracie misses.
Kessler has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kessler connects with a leg kick. Gracie looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Kessler with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Gracie fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kessler looks to land a combination. Gracie sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kessler looks to land a left hand but Gracie moved out of range nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kessler throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Gracie changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Kessler sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Kessler dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Gracie. That did some damage!
Rickson Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gracie bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Gracie shoots and misses
and Kessler counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Gracie is lucky that one didn't land flush.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rickson Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kessler looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Gracie with a lazy takedown attempt
and Kessler counters with a low kick, right behind Gracie 's knee.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kessler circles away quickly and effectively.
Kessler counters with a body kick.
Kessler wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Kessler tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Kessler manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kessler works the jab nicely.
Gracie moves out of range of the body kick from Kessler.
Kessler lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kessler lands a nice looking kick to the body. Gracie takes a step back to recover.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kessler. That's going to slow Gracie down.
Kessler throws a nice head kick!
Kessler throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Gracie on the side of the head.

Gracie is rocked!
Kessler lunges in with a left hook that violently twists Gracie head around and knocks him out cold! Kessler hops onto the cage and yells out at the top of his lungs - Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah! They're showing the replay on the big screens now; that was nasty! I hope one of the photographers got a good shot of it.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Johann Kessler!
A very excited looking Johann Kessler made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.