PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Viktor Gragula (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul McCracken (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Gragula
vs
McCracken

188 cm
32
219 lbs
21 - 17 - 0

185 cm
38
200 lbs
20 - 20 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Bloodlust Horde Fightwear
Sin City Allstars

Sin City Allstars

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Viktor Gragula!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Paul McCracken!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Wesley Smith and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gragula tries to clinch but McCracken moves out of range.
McCracken misses with an uppercut.

Gragula closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming McCracken to the mat! McCracken manages to get full guard.
We've been hearing that Gragula has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
McCracken wants to stand and escape but Gragula is having none of it.
Gragula cracks McCracken with a solid left hand.
McCracken keeping moving, preventing Gragula from controlling successfully.
Gragula cracks McCracken with a solid left hand.
Gragula won't allow McCracken to get back to his feet.
McCracken keeping moving, preventing Gragula from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gragula connects with a couple of short punches.
Gragula throwing strikes but missing.
McCracken preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gragula 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCracken seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Gragula with a nice head shot there.
McCracken is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gragula is controlling him.
Gragula trying to control but McCracken is working from the bottom.
Gragula looking to pass the guard.

Gragula drops back looking for a leg! McCracken is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and McCracken manages to kick Gragula off! Gragula jumps back into McCracken's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
McCracken looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Gragula's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Gragula trying to control but McCracken is working from the bottom.
McCracken seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Gragula stays in close to McCracken's body and controls the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
McCracken has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Gragula is landing a low percentage of strikes.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gragula.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCracken throws a nice inside leg kick.
Gragula stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from McCracken.
McCracken lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Gragula takes one to the chin there.
Paul McCracken is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
McCracken cracks Gragula with an open hand slap.
McCracken misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
McCracken misses with a hook
and Gragula cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
McCracken scores with a sloppy right hand. Gragula should have avoided that one.
Gragula shoots in but McCracken avoids the takedown attempt easily.
McCracken lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
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!
McCracken thumps Gragula with a low kick.
Gragula on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gragula takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
McCracken circles away from the clinch attempt.
Gragula throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from McCracken! But no joy.
McCracken throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Gragula has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from McCracken.
McCracken lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Gragula fails with an attempt to clinch.
McCracken clobbers Gragula with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

Gragula throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. McCracken was covering up waiting for the punch and Gragula finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Gragula is looking to work some ground and pound but McCracken has wrist control.
Gragula looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
McCracken utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul McCracken dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

That kick from McCracken tenderised Gragula's leg. Gragula is trying to keep his angry face on.
Gragula fails with the takedown.
McCracken gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Gragula.
McCracken cracks Gragula with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Gragula throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around McCracken's waist but McCracken gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Gragula off to one side.
McCracken connects with a solid leg kick.
A slow jab from Gragula misses its intended target.
McCracken scores with a hook.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gragula fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Viktor Gragula. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gragula misses with a takedown
and McCracken counters with a low kick, right behind Gragula 's knee.
McCracken lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Gragula is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck for Gragula with that takedown attempt.
McCracken cracks Gragula with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Paul McCracken seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gragula stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from McCracken.
McCracken connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Gragula momentarily.
McCracken fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Gragula has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Gragula slips a jab and a cross from McCracken.
McCracken will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Gragula shoots in but no luck this time.
McCracken looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Gragula avoids the head kick by McCracken.
McCracken lands with an overhand left.
McCracken tries a head kick but it misses.

McCracken gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gragula working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McCracken is trying to keep Gragula in close.
McCracken is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gragula is controlling him.
McCracken has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
McCracken avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gragula engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Gragula loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Viktor Gragula overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Gragula drops back, looking for a kneebar! McCracken looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. McCracken looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from McCracken!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Gragula's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
McCracken trying to control the position but Gragula is working away.
Gragula is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.
Sloppy strikes there by McCracken.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
McCracken throws an elbow but Gragula slips to the side and avoids it well.
McCracken wants to control but Gragula is keeping him busy.
Gragula defending against the ground and pound.
McCracken wants to control but Gragula is keeping him busy.
Gragula gets back to half guard.
McCracken slows the pace down in half guard.
McCracken looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Gragula with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul McCracken showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Gragula feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
McCracken 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.
Gragula stops McCracken from standing up.

Gragula is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Gragula trying to control but McCracken is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gragula accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gragula wants to control from the top but McCracken keeps moving.
McCracken really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Gragula. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Gragula throwing strikes from guard but McCracken blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gragula trying to control the position from guard on top but McCracken is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
McCracken throws a nice outside leg kick.
McCracken slaps away a takedown attempt from Gragula, before circling back to the center of the mat.
McCracken cracks the inside of Gragula's front leg.
A head kick misses from McCracken.
Jab by McCracken.
McCracken lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Gragula circles away quickly and effectively.
Gragula throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around McCracken's waist but McCracken gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Gragula off to one side.
McCracken throws a sloppy head kick and Gragula moves out of range easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McCracken lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Gragula tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but McCracken defends well and Gragula ends up having to push McCracken into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Viktor Gragula. That's going to take a lot out of him.
An inside leg kick lands from McCracken.
Nice sprawl there from McCracken as Gragula shoots in.
Gragula shoots in for a double leg but McCracken sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
McCracken connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
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!
Gragula shoots in looking for a takedown. McCracken tries to sprawl out of it but Gragula keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. McCracken manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
McCracken swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
McCracken feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Gragula's calf.

McCracken throws a head kick that lands with a deafening thwack! The crowd roars as Gragula stumbles backwards and falls to the mat. McCracken follows into mount!
Viktor Gragula has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCracken sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
McCracken with a couple of short strikes.
Gragula gets back to half guard.
Gragula moves into full guard.
Gragula has McCracken pulled in close to control his posture.
Paul McCracken is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
McCracken trying to control the position from guard on top but Gragula is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gragula is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Gragula looking to hit a scissor sweep but McCracken is one step ahead there.
Gragula avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

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

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Paul McCracken comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got McCracken 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 George Francis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paul McCracken!
Paul McCracken took to the microphone after his victory and thanked his sponsors, Sin City Allstars for their support in the buildup to the fight.
Viktor Gragula spoke after the fight, saying 'I hate werewolves'.