PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Nate Gracie (ranked 24160 p4p, 25132 weight class) and Thomas Bayner (ranked 743 p4p, 759 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Thomas Bayner enters the cage!

Gracie
vs
Bayner

178 cm
21
169
2 - 7 - 0

185 cm
20
182
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nate Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Thomas Bayner!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Valeri Chadov and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Gracie throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Bayner on the side of the head.
Bayner throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gracie lands a head shot.
Gracie throws an off balance right hand
and Bayner counters with a straight right hand.
Nate Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gracie misses with a looping right.
Gracie connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Gracie has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Iron mikes mma in the buildup to the fight.
Gracie throws a jab but it's blocked by Bayner.
Gracie throws a series of punches but Bayner avoids them all with ease.

Gracie looking to score a takedown here. Bayner is defending well but Gracie drives through and ends up in Bayner's guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bayner can't keep his opponent in guard - Gracie advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Bayner won't allow Gracie to pass to mount.
Gracie is trying to control the action in half guard but Bayner is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Gracie is thwarting Bayner's attempts to control the position.
Bayner looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

Gracie is working for a submission of some sort.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Bayner is having none of it.
Gracie passes to full mount!

Gracie looking for a guillotine from mount but Bayner is having none of it.
Bayner is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Bayner wants to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.

Gracie looking to secure an arm triangle but Bayner defends it well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Bayner is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Bayner and Gracie has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.

Gracie is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Bayner knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Gracie is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Bayner has escaped the position, nice work there.

Gracie is trying to get an arm triangle but Bayner is defending well.

Gracie is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Bayner has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bayner is looking to reverse the position.
Gracie advances to mount.

Bayner somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Gracie closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Gracie throws a poor cross that misses
and Bayner counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Bayner jabs Gracie right on the nose. Gracie blinks but takes it well.
A big right from Bayner misses.
Gracie avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
A jab from Bayner misses.
Gracie misses the jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie misses with an uppercut. Bayner saw that one coming.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bayner lands a jab.
Bayner misses with a hook. Gracie ducked under it nicely.

Gracie closes the distance and pushes Bayner back into the cage.
Bayner prevents a takedown attempt there.
Gracie is working for takedown but Bayner is calmly controlling the position for now.

Gracie breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gracie slips under a jab.
Gracie bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Bayner's head backwards.
Gracie jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Gracie throws an off balance right hand
and Bayner counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Gracie thinking.
Gracie fails to land with a series of punches.
Bayner drops his hands momentarily and Gracie takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Gracie just misses with a punch to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nate Gracie dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Gracie wants to clinch up but Bayner keeps it at a distance.
Gracie lands an overhand right.
Bayner throws a poor cross that misses
and Gracie connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gracie dives in and grabs Bayner's left leg, looking for a takedown. Bayner pushes down on Gracie's head and hops out.
Bayner throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Gracie sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Gracie avoids the body shot from Bayner.
Gracie scores with a shot to the body.
Gracie throws a shot to the body.
Bayner slips a straight right by Gracie.
A little jabbing left from Bayner on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Bayner is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bayner throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Gracie uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Bayner.
Bayner swinging wildly here.
Gracie lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bayner uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Gracie.
Bayner looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Gracie shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Gracie uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Bayner.
A jab lands there for Gracie.
Gracie throws out a loose jab but Bayner uses good head movement to avoid it.

Gracie changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Bayner looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Bayner is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Gracie is looking to take a break and control but Bayner is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Gracie in side control, working for a kimura. He's got hold of an arm and he's torquing it... Bayner is tapping! That's the end of the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Nate Gracie!