PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Sakuraba Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Habib Arellano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie's entrance music is Gimme Shelter. A fine choice. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Gracie
vs
Arellano

180 cm
22
192 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

183 cm
21
180 lbs
6 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Bushido Clothing

Bushido Clothing
Carnage Fight Wear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sakuraba Gracie!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Habib Arellano!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Daniel Cesar and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Arellano takes the fight into the clinch.

Gracie lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Gracie working the head and body with strikes.
Gracie has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Arellano manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Arellano shoots in but Gracie avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Gracie misses with a head kick.

Arellano instigates a clinch.
Arellano lands an elbow just above Gracie 's eye.
Arellano goes for a takedown attempt but Gracie pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Gracie wants to clinch.
Arellano digs a good hook to Gracie's body.
Arellano fails with the takedown.
Sakuraba Gracie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Habib Arellano.
Arellano looks for a takedown but Gracie sprawls well.

Gracie shoots in and bounces Arellano off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control but Arellano is working from the bottom.

Gracie stands up from Arellano's guard - Gracie perhaps looking for a knockout.
Arellano moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.
Gracie misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

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

Arellano manages to pull guard.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Arellano is retaining full guard.
Gracie is working hard here to advance position.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Arellano is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gracie is controlling him.
Arellano looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gracie is one step ahead there.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arellano passes into half guard.
Arellano prevents Gracie from improving his position.
Gracie keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Arellano decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Arellano gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Gracie counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Arellano is lucky that one didn't land flush.

Arellano shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Arellano thows a big elbow that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie has a closed guard, preventing Arellano from standing up.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Arellano postures up.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Arellano is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Gracie Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Arellano's back instead.
Arellano trying to get back to his feet but Gracie is in full control for now.

Arellano defends a prolonged rear naked choke attempt and turns nicely into his opponent's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Arellano stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gracie swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Arellano decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Gracie bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control but Arellano is keeping him busy.
Arellano wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Gracie is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Arellano knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Gracie trying to control the action but Arellano is working from the bottom.
Check out the look on Gracie's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Arellano pushes Gracie away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Gracie gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Gracie tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Arellano is looking to regain half guard here but Gracie keeps moving and retains side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sakuraba Gracie dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Gracie misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Gracie misses with a double jab.
Sakuraba Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Arellano closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Arellano creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Gracie sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Gracie tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Gracie manages to work his way to half guard, despite Arellano's best efforts.

Arellano is trying for a kimura here. Gracie looks like he's in a lot of pain... and he's tapping out! Arellano wins by kimura!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:45 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Habib Arellano! Habib Arellano retains his middleweight title!