PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Reinaldo Gracie (ranked 283 p4p, 911 weight class) and Marek Cervenka (ranked 36 p4p, 100 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Gracie might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Apaga Mas NÃ£o Bate. Reinaldo Gracie has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Gracie
vs
Cervenka

175 cm
24
155
10 - 2 - 0

176 cm
23
152
7 - 7 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Fast

Urban Fighter
Paddy's Enhancing Drugs (160Q)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Reinaldo Gracie!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Marek Cervenka!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Alyssa Summers and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cervenka misses with a hook.
Gracie tries to counter with a takedown but Cervenka is quick to defend against it.
Gracie throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Nice sprawl there from Gracie as Cervenka shoots in.
Gracie tries to counter with a takedown but Cervenka is quick to defend against it.
Cervenka misses with a combination

and Gracie counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Gracie has a couple of punches blocked by Cervenka.
Gracie is stalling here.
Gracie pushes Cervenka back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Gracie lands a shoulder strike.
Cervenka makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Cervenka lands a shoulder strike.
Gracie lands a nice shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie blocks an uppercut.
A hook to the body from Gracie.
Gracie throws a head punch that misses.
Gracie taking a breather.
Gracie swings wildly with an uppercut but Cervenka uses good head movement to avoid it.
A hook to the body from Cervenka.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cervenka working aggressively here.
Gracie is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Cervenka to keep the fight standing.
Gracie misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gracie blocks a body shot from Cervenka.
Gracie tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Gracie doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Gracie blocking some punches.

Gracie drags the fight down to the ground.
Cervenka scoring with punches to the head and body.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Cervenka defends it easily.
Gracie trying to control the position.

Cervenka got a little sloppy there for a moment and Gracie has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Cervenka has managed to get both his arms back between Gracie's legs - danger averted.
Cervenka looking to sit in guard and control but Gracie gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie works over Cervenka with some ground and pound from guard.
Cervenka wants to get back to his feet but Gracie is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
We've been hearing that Gracie has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Gracie passes Cervenka's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Gracie working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Cervenka on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Cervenka misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cervenka is pressing down on Gracie's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Cervenka looking for a sweep. Not yet Cervenka, not yet.
Gracie controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Cervenka keeps moving.
Gracie lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Gracie passes Cervenka's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Gracie is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Gracie 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.

Gracie is working for a submission here. He's got hold of the far side arm and he's looking for a kimura. He's cranking on the arm and he's got it! Cervenka is tapping out! Ouch, that looked like it hurt!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:51 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Reinaldo Gracie!
Reinaldo Gracie retains his featherweight title!
Reinaldo Gracie seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.