PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Omer Demirci (ranked 1303 p4p, 1823 weight class) and Kron Gracie (ranked 196 p4p, 261 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Demirci
vs
Gracie

175 cm
25
185
13 - 7 - 0

190 cm
25
190
6 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

HELLBENT

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Omer Demirci!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Kron Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Russell Pearce and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Demirci tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gracie was well out of range. Poor timing from Demirci.
Demirci swings widly with a right hand
letting Gracie counter with a right hand.
Gracie bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Gracie scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Demirci takes a swing at Gracie's ribcage but misses.
Gracie misses with a looping left.
Demirci connects with a jab.
Demirci connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Gracie's hands.
Gracie keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Demirci.
A nice side step and Gracie releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Gracie keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Demirci.
A punch lands to the side of Demirci 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Demirci lands with a hook. Gracie tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Demirci swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A jab from Demirci misses.
Demirci is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gracie.
Gracie cracks Demirci with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
A decent looking cross lands there for Gracie.

Gracie gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie is looking for a triangle but Demirci pushes his legs off easily.
Demirci engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Demirci from controlling successfully.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Demirci controlling him for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie has his hands on Demirci's head, controlling the position.
Gracie keeping full guard, as Demirci tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Gracie tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Demirci might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Gracie has an active guard here but Demirci has managed to pass into half guard.

Demirci is working for a kimura but Gracie is defending it quite comfortably.
Gracie trying to control but Demirci postures up.

Demirci is trying to work for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Demirci wants to pass to mount but Gracie is defending the position.

Gracie actively working from the bottom here.
Gracie makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gracie.

Gracie is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Demirci from controlling successfully.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Demirci defends it easily.
Demirci is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Gracie has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Demirci can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Demirci tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.
Demirci trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Gracie controlling the position.
Demirci trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Gracie has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Demirci closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Gracie tries to get back to half guard but can't.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Omer Demirci dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Gracie lands a body shot.
Demirci misses with a body shot.
A countering left hand to the body from Gracie misses.
Demirci throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Gracie sees it coming and avoids it easily.

Demirci shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Demirci showed some decent athleticism there.

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

Demirci seems to be working for a kimura but Gracie defends the submission attempt.
Gracie wants to improve his position but Demirci is controlling well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie trying to control but Demirci postures up.

Demirci is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Gracie has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Demirci seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gracie does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Demirci seems to be looking for submissions.
Gracie wants to control but Demirci is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Demirci wants to control but Gracie is keeping him busy.

Gracie actively working from the bottom here.
Gracie is not content to let Demirci control the position.
Demirci slows the pace down in half guard.
Gracie felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Gracie is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Demirci pulls his head out easily.
Gracie is trying to get back to full guard.
Gracie is refusing to be controlled, as Demirci sits in half guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Demirci looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Demirci swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Gracie cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Demirci is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gracie can do to turn this around?
Gracie displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Demirci throws out the jab.
Gracie punishes Demirci's body with a nice straight punch.
Gracie moves out of range of the strikes.
Demirci throws a jab when Gracie was well out of range.
Demirci misses with an uppercut
and Gracie counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Gracie throws a body punch but Demirci moves out of range.
Gracie keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Demirci.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice defenses there by Gracie.
Gracie looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Gracie scores with a shot to the body.
Gracie lands a nice hook to Demirci's body. Demirci takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

Demirci looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Demirci tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.

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

Gracie isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Demirci stacks Gracie on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Demirci!
Demirci trying to control the position but Gracie is working away.
Demirci tries to advance to mount but Gracie denies him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Demirci tries for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard.
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Demirci's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Demirci trying to control the action but Gracie is working from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Demirci takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Omer Demirci dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Demirci bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Demirci advances to mount.
Gracie gets back to half guard.
Gracie trying to control here.
Demirci trying to control the action but Gracie is working from the bottom.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Gracie actively working from the bottom here.

Demirci looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Omer Demirci overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gracie won't allow Demirci to pass to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Demirci is looking to take a break and control but Gracie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Demirci performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Gracie actively working from the bottom here.

Demirci is working for a kimura but Gracie is defending it quite comfortably.
Demirci controlling the action here.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.
Gracie preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Demirci shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back.
Demirci sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Gracie is looking for a sweep. Demirci is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Gracie keeps trying to improve his position.

Gracie is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Demirci pulls his head out easily.
Kron Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie moves into full guard.

Gracie looking for a guillotine here but Demirci defends easily.
Demirci is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Demirci avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Omer Demirci showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Demirci, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 30:27
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Omer Demirci!
During a confident post fight interview, Omer Demirci thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.