PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Woodrow Black (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Xavier Gracie Jr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie Jr has chosen System Of a Down - She's Like Heroin #10 as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Black
vs
Gracie Jr

200 cm
18
250 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

189 cm
25
265 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Woodrow Black!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Xavier Gracie Jr!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Black bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Black appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Gracie Jr throws a hook but Black blocks it.
Black works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

It looks like Xavier Gracie Jr has been cut.
Black scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Gracie Jr thows a left - swing and a miss!
Black looks to land a right hand but Gracie Jr moved out of range.

Gracie Jr cracks Black with an uppercut from hell and Black crumples to the canvas, he's out! Oh no, he's recovered and he's grabbed one of Gracie Jr's legs and pulled him into guard. The ref thought about stopping it there but he's let it go - good reffing!

It looks like Woodrow Black has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gracie Jr accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie Jr throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Black works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gracie Jr is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Gracie Jr wants to control from the top but Black keeps moving.
Black looking for a sweep. Not yet Black, not yet.
Gracie Jr has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gracie Jr loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gracie Jr trying to control but Black is working from the bottom.
My spies in Club Savage MMA Tokyo inform me that Gracie Jr has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!

Gracie Jr 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.
Black knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie Jr on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie Jr drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gracie Jr jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Gracie Jr trying to stand up but can't free himself from Black's guard.
Black keeping moving, preventing Gracie Jr from controlling successfully.

Gracie Jr gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Black keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Black scores with a body shot.
A jab from Gracie Jr misses.
Gracie Jr takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Black tries a head kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Black throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Woodrow Black is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gracie Jr shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Black but Black pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Gracie Jr looks winded!
Black throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Black misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gracie Jr.
Gracie Jr avoids the head kick by Black.
Black swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
enabling Gracie Jr to counter with a crisp jab.
Black swinging wildly here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gracie Jr misses with a straight right.
Gracie Jr is trying hard to land a takedown here. Black sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Woodrow Black has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Xavier Gracie Jr.
Black throws a shot from downtown. Gracie Jr moves away and avoids it.
Black throws a series of punches but Gracie Jr avoids them all with ease.
Gracie Jr looks to land a right hand but Black moved out of range.
Black connects with a nice looking jab.
Gracie Jr throws a lazy right hand but Black sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Black lands with a shot to the body.
Gracie Jr throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Black misses with the combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie Jr fails to land the takedown.
Black closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Black lands a nice shot to the body.
Black fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Gracie Jr looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Black connects with a high kick.
Black thuds a left hand into Gracie Jr's body.
Gracie Jr showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Black.
Gracie Jr jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Black seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Black will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gracie Jr blocks a head kick by Black.
Gracie Jr jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Black tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gracie Jr was well out of range. Poor timing from Black.
Gracie Jr is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
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!
Gracie Jr throws a sloppy head kick and Black moves out of range easily.
Gracie Jr throws a hook but Black blocks it.
Black misses with a two punch combination.
Gracie Jr throws a shot from downtown. Black moves away and avoids it.
Black connects with a body shot that sends Gracie Jr's belly button to the back.
Gracie Jr throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Gracie Jr misses with a hook. Black ducked under it nicely.
Black moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Gracie Jr throws a hook to the side of Black's head but Black sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Gracie Jr might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Black lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Black throws a head kick that misses.
Gracie Jr feints a jab promting Black to slip. Gracie Jr then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Black slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Gracie Jr dodges the punch combination from Black.
Woodrow Black seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie Jr scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Gracie Jr throws out a loose jab but Black uses good head movement to avoid it.
Black throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Woodrow Black dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Black thuds his right hand into Gracie Jr's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Black blocks a head kick by Gracie Jr.
Woodrow Black is winning the standup battle so far.
Black scores with a hook.
Gracie Jr looks to land a left hand but Black moved out of range nicely.
Whack! Black lands a heavy head kick that drops Gracie Jr. The ref tackles Black to stop the fight - a great save by the referee because Gracie Jr was done.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:18 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Head Kick). Woodrow Black!