PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Braxton Hernando (ranked 2376 p4p, 217 weight class) and Gray Cuida (ranked 4988 p4p, 354 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Hernando
vs
Cuida

175 cm
28
144 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

170 cm
31
144 lbs
11 - 19 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Heavy handed

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 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Braxton Hernando!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gray Cuida!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, George Francis and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cuida misses with a wild body shot.
A jab from Cuida misses.

Hernando has Cuida up against the cage in a clinch.
Hernando swings wildly with an uppercut but Cuida uses good head movement to avoid it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Cuida.
Cuida blocking some punches.
Hernando working aggressively here.
Hernando has a couple of punches blocked by Cuida.
Hernando has a couple of punches blocked by Cuida.
Nice elbow from Cuida.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Cuida has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Cuida blocks an uppercut.
Hernando throws a punch but it's blocked by Cuida.
Our sources have told us that Hernando has been working on his elbows in the gym.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cuida misses with a knee to the head.
Hernando drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Cuida managing to block the knees to the body from Hernando.
Hernando misses with the head strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cuida tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hernando avoids it.
Hernando lands with a left to the head.
Hernando throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Cuida trying to stall but Hernando improves his position.
Cuida with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Cuida misses with a knee strike.
Cuida is looking to control Hernando's arms but Hernando gets an underhook and turns him. Now Cuida has his back to the cage.
Hernando goes for a takedown attempt but Cuida pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Cuida feints and then cracks Hernando's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Hernando down.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Hernando, as that shot connected.

Hernando closes the distance and clinches.
Hernando is working for takedown but Cuida is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Braxton Hernando. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cuida blocking some punches.
Hernando stops a takedown attempt from Cuida.
Hernando pushes off an throws an elbow but Cuida leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Hernando misses with a punch on the inside.
Hernando tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hernando throws a head punch that misses.
Cuida unloads a knee to the mid-section. Hernando lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Cuida unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cuida leaning against his opponent.
Cuida throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Cuida swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hernando misses with a punch on the inside.
Cuida holding his opponent close, against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Cuida fails to land.
Cuida is pushing Hernando up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Cuida lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Braxton Hernando has been cut.
Hernando misses with some punches.
Cuida prevents the takedown attempt.
Cuida stalling.
The referee calls for Cuida to work.
Cuida leaning against his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hernando working aggressively here.
Hernando misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cuida.
Hernando has a couple of punches blocked by Cuida.
Hernando throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Hernando tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Hernando tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Hernando pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Hernando misses with the head strike.
Hernando has a couple of punches blocked by Cuida.
Cuida throws a head punch that misses.
Cuida throws an elbow that misses.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Hernando.
Hernando misses with a hook from the clinch.
Cuida creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Hernando's defenses.
Cuida throws a knee to the head but misses.
A nice right hand lands inside from Hernando.
Cuida tries to land knees in the clinch but Hernando avoids the damage to the body.
Hernando creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Hernando.

Hernando's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cuida misses with a looping right.
Hernando cracks Cuida with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
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!
Cuida misses with a hook. Hernando ducked under it nicely.
Hernando avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Cuida moves out of range of the strikes.
Hernando throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
No joy there for Hernando, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Cuida loads up on a big right hand but Hernando slips the punch.
Cuida avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Cuida has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Cuida there as he acknowledges the shot.
Hernando on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Hernando swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Cuida uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Hernando.
Cuida punishes Hernando's body with a nice straight punch.
Cuida moves away from the strike by Hernando.
Hernando walks into a left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Braxton Hernando will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Braxton Hernando's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Cuida misses with a few strikes there.
Hernando lands with a straight right. Cuida didn't see that one coming.
Hernando throws a poor cross that misses
and Cuida counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Braxton Hernando seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cuida fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cuida tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hernando swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hernando tries to clinch but Cuida moves out of range.
Cuida throws out a counter right but Hernando avoids it with no problem.
Cuida scores with a jab.
Nice sprawl there from Hernando as Cuida shoots in.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Hernando moves away from the strike by Cuida.
Hernando lands a right hook to the body.
Hernando missing with a left hand there. Cuida was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Hernando misses with a straight right.
Hernando keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Cuida throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Cuida moves out of range as Hernando strikes.
Cuida misses with a straight left.
Hernando is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A big left from Cuida misses.
Hernando throwing a counter right hand but Cuida manages to avoid it.
Good leg kick by Cuida there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Hernando scores with a leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hernando clinches up with Cuida and pushes him back against the cage.
Cuida lands a knee to the head.
Cuida working Hernando over with knees to the body.
Hernando lands with a right to the head.

Hernando has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Cuida clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

Cuida is trying to get back to his feet. He's worked up on to his knees and now he's on his feet with his head on the canvas, trying to shake Hernando off. It looks like it's working - Hernando slides off, much to his dismay, and we're back to standing! Cuida displaying calm under pressure there.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hernando misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Cuida.
Hernando throws a hook but Cuida avoids it easily.
Cuida throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Hernando.
Hernando misses with a wild body shot.
A head kick by Hernando misses
and Cuida counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Hernando slips a straight right by Cuida.
Hernando is looking to score with low kicks.
Cuida avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hernando uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Cuida has time to react.
Cuida throws the left hand but Hernando avoids the punch easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cuida has Hernando up against the cage in a clinch.
Hernando scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Cuida blocking some punches.
Hernando throws a punch but it's blocked by Cuida.
Hernando misses with a punch on the inside.
Cuida throws a knee to the head but misses.

Hernando breaks from the clinch.
Hernando is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hernando connects with a looping right hand.
Cuida fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Cuida shoots in for a takedown but Hernando shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Braxton Hernando has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gray Cuida.
Hernando connects with a right hand. Cuida shakes it off.
Cuida throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Hernando misses with a hook to the body
and Cuida counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hernando circles away from the clinch attempt.
Cuida wants to clinch.
Cuida needs to keep his hands up - Hernando had a free shot at his head there.

Cuida bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Cuida working away.
Hernando manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Cuida gets back to full guard.
Hernando content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Hernando won't allow Cuida to sweep him here.
Hernando lands a couple of decent looking shots.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hernando scoring with punches to the head and body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cuida looking for a sweep. Not yet Cuida, not yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hernando trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Hernando missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Hernando lands a couple of digs.
Cuida is adopting a defensive guard.
Cuida tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cuida manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hernando manages to get himself to full guard.

There's a bit of a scramble here and now Hernando is on top in guard.

Hernando thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hernando throws a big elbow that misses.
Hernando with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cuida is trying to control the position but Hernando postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Braxton Hernando will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Braxton Hernando's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Hernando attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

Cuida moves into the clinch successfully.
A short right from Hernando on the inside.

Cuida is rocked!
A nice glancing elbow lands by Hernando.
Cuida is still on wobbly legs! Can Hernando finish him?
Hernando throws a big uppercut that drops Cuida! More strikes from Hernando and the referee jumps in to stop the fight! Cuida lies dazed against the cage as Hernando celebrates with his cornermen!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:20 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Braxton Hernando!
The defeated Gray Cuida had this to say: 'This is why I run...'.