PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rickson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Simon Williamson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie comes to the cage accompanied by Mouth for war. Williamson is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Iggy Pop - Lust For Life . There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Gracie
vs
Williamson

186 cm
26
180 lbs
6 - 11 - 0

170 cm
42
185 lbs
28 - 19 - 0

Good takedowns
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
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 6 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rickson Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 28 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Simon Williamson!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Ben Hemmingworth and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Williamson closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Gracie to the mat! Gracie manages to get full guard.
Gracie wants to improve his position but instead Williamson has moved into half guard.
Williamson scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Williamson trying to control the action but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Williamson performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Williamson trying to control from half guard but Gracie is working away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Williamson lands with a punch from half guard.
Williamson is figuring out what he wants to do next.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Williamson sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gracie defending well though.
Williamson thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Williamson connects with a nice short shot to Gracie's temple.
Williamson looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Williamson looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gracie.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gracie wants to sweep but no luck.

Williamson thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Williamson from controlling successfully.
Williamson tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.
Williamson stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
Williamson postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Williamson stops Gracie from standing up.
Williamson sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Williamson wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Williamson stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
Williamson must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Williamson working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Williamson works over Gracie with some ground and pound from guard.
Williamson with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Williamson is working Gracie over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Williamson trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.

Gracie escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Williamson gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gracie working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Williamson.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Williamson manages to get himself to full guard.

Williamson is controlling Gracie's posture.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Gracie trying to control but Williamson is working from the bottom.
Williamson wants to improve his position but instead Gracie has moved into half guard.
Williamson is looking to improve his position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Williamson can do anything to dispel that myth.

Williamson actively working from the bottom here.
Gracie seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Gracie is trying to control the action in half guard but Williamson is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Gracie thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Williamson's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Williamson is trying to get back to full guard.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Williamson keeps working.
Gracie thows a huge punch but Williamson dodges it nicely.
Gracie prevents Williamson from improving his position.
Gracie looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Williamson with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Williamson wants to get back to his feet.
Gracie is looking to advance position but Williamson won't allow it.
Williamson works his way to full guard. Good work.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Gracie trying to control but Williamson is working from the bottom.
Williamson looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Simon Williamson dominated that round.
That's time! Gracie's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Gracie on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Gracie swings for the body but Williamson moves out of range.
Gracie throws a nice outside leg kick.
Nice cross by Gracie.
Williamson misses with a body shot.
Gracie was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
A decent looking cross lands there for Gracie.

Williamson tries to keep at a distance but Gracie has taken the fight into the clinch.
Williamson blocks a body shot from Gracie.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Williamson backwards.
Williamson scores with a shot to the side of Gracie's head.
Gracie trying to land knees to the body.
A right hand to the body from Williamson.
Williamson stalls.
Williamson lands a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williamson scores with a hook to the body.
Gracie swings wildly with an uppercut but Williamson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Williamson avoiding damage as Gracie throws knees to the body.
Williamson blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Williamson lands a hook to the side of the head.
Williamson lands a body shot.
Williamson lands a hook to the side of the head.
Nice elbow from Williamson.
Williamson managing to block the knees to the body from Gracie.
Williamson lands an elbow just above Gracie 's eye.
Gracie misses with a punch to the body.
Gracie misses with a punch to the body.
Williamson with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Gracie missing with knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Williamson is defending well for now.
Gracie lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Williamson backwards.
Williamson lands a body shot in the clinch.
Williamson lands a left hand.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gracie blocks an elbow strike from Williamson.
Gracie fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Gracie throws a punch but it's blocked by Williamson.
A short right from Williamson.
Simon Williamson seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Williamson avoiding damage as Gracie throws knees to the body.
Gracie tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Williamson avoids it.
Gracie misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Williamson.
Gracie tries to land knees in the clinch but Williamson avoids the damage to the body.
Williamson tries to pull guard but Gracie won't allow it.

Williamson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Williamson shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Gracie as he jumps to the side.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Williamson.

Gracie closes the distance and clinches.
Williamson on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Gracie trying to land knees to the body.
Williamson managing to block the knees to the body from Gracie.
Williamson looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Williamson on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Gracie missing with knees to the body.
Williamson gets through Gracie's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Gracie lands a hook to the side of the head.
Williamson blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Gracie is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Williamson is defending well for now.

Williamson gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Williamson from controlling successfully.
Gracie seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
Williamson throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gracie works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Williamson lands a couple of elbows.
Williamson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Simon Williamson has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gracie is on top in guard.

Williamson looking for a guillotine here but Gracie defends easily.
Williamson bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Gracie's guard.

Gracie wants to sweep but no luck.
Williamson wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Gracie utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Williamson content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Gracie lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Simon Williamson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Gracie throws a right and a left that Williamson avoids nicely.

Gracie gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Williamson jumps guard and drags Gracie to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Gracie postures up.

Williamson looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Williamson is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Gracie trying to control but Williamson is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Williamson is trying to control the position but Gracie postures up.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Williamson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Williamson trying to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gracie accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gracie is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Williamson preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gracie working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Williamson trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Gracie scoring with some ground and pound.
Williamson keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Williamson is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Gracie is looking to work some ground and pound but Williamson has wrist control.

Williamson looking for a guillotine here but Gracie defends easily.

Williamson looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie with a flurry of punches that miss.
Williamson lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Gracie working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Williamson doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Williamson manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Williamson stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
Williamson trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Williamson trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Gracie is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Williamson is aware though and is defending well.

Williamson avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gracie can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Williamson controls the pace.
Williamson looking to sit in guard and control but Gracie gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Williamson is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Williamson lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Williamson won't allow Gracie to sweep him here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Williamson passes Gracie's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Gracie tries to roll over but Williamson keeps him under control.
Williamson is trying to control. Gracie wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Williamson lands with a punch from half guard.
Williamson is pressing down on Gracie's thigh, looking to free his foot. Gracie is holding on for now.
Williamson scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Simon Williamson is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Williamson winds up and cracks Gracie with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Williamson is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rickson Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Simon Williamson.
I've got Williamson winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Hemmingworth scores the fight 28:29
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Simon Williamson!
Simon Williamson gave a mention to Steel Penn's Laundry 93% in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).
Rickson Gracie was interviewed post fight and said 'I blame the crowd'.