PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Eric Irwin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kheydon Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kheydon Gracie will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Irwin
vs
Gracie

221 cm
20
151 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

168 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Eric Irwin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kheydon Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Matheus Silva and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Irwin connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Irwin throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Gracie's waist but Gracie gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Irwin off to one side.
Gracie slaps away a takedown attempt from Irwin, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Gracie lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.

Irwin drives through and clinches with Gracie against the cage.
Irwin tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Gracie smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Eric Irwin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Gracie scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Gracie looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie misses with a head shot. Irwin uses the momentum to regain guard.
Gracie is looking to work some ground and pound but Irwin has wrist control.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gracie looking to sit in guard and control but Irwin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Irwin with a flurry of punches that miss.

Gracie throws his legs up looking for a submission but Irwin uses it to pass to side control.
Irwin landing a few strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Irwin throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Irwin is nestled in close to Gracie, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Gracie is trying to maintain the position but Irwin is very close to passing his half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ground and pound from Irwin.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Gracie has hold of Irwin's hands but Irwin slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Irwin misses with a head shot. Gracie uses the momentum to regain guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gracie working a defensive guard but Irwin manages to pass into side control anyway.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Irwin postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Gracie isn't going anywhere.
Irwin looks up at the clock and then as Gracie takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Irwin smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Irwin working away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Irwin keeps moving and retains side control.
Gracie looks winded!
Irwin is looking to take a break and control but Gracie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Irwin dominated that round.
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.

Irwin looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Gracie!
Irwin lands a decent elbow from side control.
Eric Irwin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gracie defending against the ground and pound.
Gracie wants to control but Irwin postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sloppy strikes there by Irwin.
Irwin lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Gracie down.
Gracie looks to move to half guard but instead Irwin has passed into mount! Damn!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Irwin scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Irwin punishing his opponent with strikes.
Irwin pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Gracie wants to control but Irwin is having none of it.
Gracie is in all sorts of trouble here.
Gracie in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Gracie gets back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Irwin working the head and body with strikes.
Gracie moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Irwin working some strikes from top position.
Irwin works over Gracie with some ground and pound from guard.
Irwin cracks Gracie with a solid left hand.
Irwin is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gracie can do to turn this around?
Gracie has momentary wrist control but Irwin slips an elbow through the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Irwin landing with the ground and pound.

Gracie has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Irwin is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Gracie.
Check out the look on Irwin's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Irwin cracks Gracie with a big right hand but Gracie just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Irwin working the head and body with strikes.
Irwin really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Irwin looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control but Irwin postures up.
Irwin is working Gracie over with some ground and pound from side control.

Irwin is trying to get an arm triangle but Gracie is defending well.
Irwin scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Gracie to see if he's OK.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Irwin dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown but Irwin manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Gracie's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Irwin stuffs the takedown.

Irwin shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Irwin showed some decent athleticism there.

Gracie is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Irwin pulls his head out easily.
Irwin scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Irwin is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Irwin lands with a punch from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Irwin is looking to take a break and control but Gracie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Irwin looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Irwin winds up and cracks Gracie with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Irwin landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Gracie actively working from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Irwin lands strikes from half guard.

Gracie with the active half guard here but Irwin passes nicely into side control.
Gracie looks to move to half guard but instead Irwin has passed into mount! Damn!
Irwin lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Irwin lands with some strikes.
Irwin connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Irwin breaks from Gracie's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Irwin lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Gracie is bucking up trying to escape but Irwin cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Irwin raining down hammerfists from mount.
Gracie is trying desperately to improve position.
Irwin with a couple of short strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Irwin punishing his opponent with strikes.
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!
Irwin punishing his opponent with strikes.
Irwin lands a heavy elbow.
Irwin fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Irwin with good strikes from the mount here!
Irwin lands a couple of good shots and Gracie has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Gracie is trapped and Irwin is scoring with shots to the head and body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eric Irwin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Irwin has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:25
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 30:25
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eric Irwin!