PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rolando Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zack Williams (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Williams's choice of entrance music: Get up on my Level. Rolando Gracie has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Gracie
vs
Williams

176 cm
26
139 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

179 cm
25
142 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rolando Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Zack Williams!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Taro Takaoka and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Williams tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the ropes. Williams manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Williams gets a double leg takedown into Gracie's guard.

Williams avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Williams pushes down on Gracie's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Gracie keeping hold of Williams's head, controlling as best he can.
Gracie has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back.

Gracie is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Williams pulls his head out easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gracie defending well though.
Williams is trying to control. Gracie wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Williams is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Gracie avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Williams.
Williams looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Gracie trying to control here.
Gracie tries to get to full guard but Williams has control of the leg.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Williams lands a nice short elbow.
Gracie is trying to stand up here but Williams is controlling him well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Williams is looking for a kimura but Gracie is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Williams to get the leverage.
Nice strikes from Williams there.
Williams scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Williams thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gracie's head.
Williams 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 but can't.

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Williams is thwarting Gracie's attempts to control the position.

Williams is working for a kimura but Gracie is defending it quite comfortably.

Williams is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard but Williams has passed into side control.
Gracie tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Gracie gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Gracie tries to roll over but Williams keeps him under control.

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.
Gracie is refusing to be controlled, as Williams sits in half guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Williams not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Gracie is looking to control Williams's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Gracie avoid being mounted?

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Williams is looking to take a break and control but Gracie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Williams not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Gracie is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Williams's half guard.
Zack Williams has got the better of the ground game so far.

Gracie is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Williams is just riding it out for now. Gracie eventually gives up the hold.
Williams manages to get to full guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Williams is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gracie is controlling him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Williams keeps moving.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Williams swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams being controlled here, momentarily.
Williams tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Williams is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Gracie defends well.
Williams wants to hit a switch here but Gracie passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Williams there!
Gracie throwing strikes here but Williams is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Williams prevents Gracie from taking his back.
Gracie wants to control but instead Williams manages to regain half guard.
Gracie passes to full mount!
Williams has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Gracie trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Williams is in all sorts of trouble here.
Gracie looking to control but Williams is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Gracie there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Gracie controlling from the full mount.
Gracie prevents Williams from getting the reversal.
Gracie controlling the pace for now.
Williams tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Williams to control.
Gracie looking to control but Williams is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Gracie thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Gracie controlling his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rolando Gracie dominated that second 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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Gracie looks for a takedown but Williams sprawls well.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Gracie was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Williams gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Gracie seems to be working for a kimura but Williams defends the submission attempt.

Gracie is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Williams defends it well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie wants to control but Williams is keeping him busy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams pushes Gracie off looking to stand but Gracie dives back in and keeps control.
The fighters are battling for position here. Williams manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Williams wants to stand and escape but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Williams is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Williams manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gracie manages to get himself to full guard.

Williams is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Williams lands a couple of digs.
Gracie trying to keep a closed guard but Williams is proving a slippery customer.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Williams defends it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Williams keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Gracie's head.
Williams wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

Gracie has an active guard here but Williams has managed to pass into half guard.
Williams lands strikes from half guard.
Ground and pound from Williams.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.
Williams is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Williams missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.
Williams drops an elbow to the side of Gracie's head.
Williams not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Gracie wants to control but Williams is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Gracie has hold of Williams's hands but Williams slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Williams seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Williams is looking for a kimura here.
Williams lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control from the bottom.
Gracie is looking to escape.

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Williams passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Gracie!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Gracie tries to lock up and control but Williams gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zack Williams comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Williams has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight for Zack Williams!
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight for Zack Williams!
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight for Zack Williams!

Zack Williams wins by unanimous decision!
An intense looking Zack Williams took to the microphone post fight and gave a little speech: 'Are you not entertained??!!'.