PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kleber Paiva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrei Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Paiva
vs
Gracie

225 cm
22
215 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

186 cm
22
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Malicious Intent Fight Gear - The Pit Inc

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kleber Paiva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Andrei Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Matheus Silva and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie fails with the takedown.

Gracie gets a takedown into half guard.

Paiva makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Paiva as he avoids it easily.

Paiva clinches up against the cage.
Paiva landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Paiva effectively controlling the action here.

Paiva breaks from the clinch.
Paiva displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

It looks like Andrei Gracie has been cut.
Gracie fails to land the takedown.
Kleber Paiva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andrei Gracie.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Paiva tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Paiva manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paiva lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Gracie looks gassed!

Paiva has managed to clinch.

Paiva breaks from the clinch.

Paiva clinches up with Gracie and pushes him back against the cage.
Paiva just leaning against Gracie, taking a breather.

Paiva breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Paiva gets a clinch.
Paiva really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Paiva breaks the clinch.
Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Paiva closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Paiva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Paiva clinches.

Paiva manages to break the clinch.

Paiva clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paiva will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Gracie up against the cage.

Paiva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Donk. Paiva catches Gracie right on the button with a cross.

Paiva takes the fight into the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Paiva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Paiva gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Gracie jumps guard but Paiva stands there with Gracie around his waist. Gracie gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Paiva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.
Andrei Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Paiva tries to clinch there but Gracie circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie shoots in but no luck this time.
Gracie takes a shot to the body in his stride.

Paiva moves into the clinch.
Paiva unloads a knee to the mid-section. Gracie lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Paiva breaks from the clinch.
Kleber Paiva is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Paiva gets a clinch.

Paiva breaks from the clinch.
A left and a right from Paiva both land. Nice combination.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Paiva pushes Gracie up against the cage in a clinch.

Paiva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A head kick from Paiva lands but Gracie takes it in his stride.

Gracie is rocked!
Paiva lands a high kick to the side of Gracie's head that stuns him and send him tumbling down to the canvas! Paiva dives into guard, looking to finish.
Gracie is still in real trouble! Can Paiva finish him?

That has opened up Andrei Gracie's cut even more.

Paiva decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Gracie, up you get!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Paiva has managed to clinch.
Gracie seems to have recovered his senses.

Paiva breaks from the clinch.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Paiva tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Paiva manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Paiva ducks down and throws a hook to the body.

Gracie tries to keep at a distance but Paiva has taken the fight into the clinch.

Paiva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Paiva scores with a head kick.
Paiva plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Paiva clinches with his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kleber Paiva dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Andrei Gracie's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Paiva closes the distance and clinches.

Paiva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Paiva keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Paiva fails to land with a series of punches.
No luck for Gracie with that takedown attempt.
Kleber Paiva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andrei Gracie.
Paiva lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Gracie backs up against the cage.
Kleber Paiva is winning the standup battle so far.
Paiva plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Paiva forces Gracie back against the cage and clinches.

Paiva manages to break the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Paiva forces Gracie back against the cage and clinches.
Paiva is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gracie can do to turn this around?
Paiva lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Paiva breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Paiva gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Paiva with a knee to the head.

Paiva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gracie on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Paiva lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.

Paiva rushes Gracie and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Paiva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Paiva clinches up against the cage.

Paiva manages to break the clinch.

Paiva gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Paiva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Paiva darts in and clinches Gracie up against the cage.

Paiva's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Kleber Paiva is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Gracie takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

Paiva gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Paiva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Paiva has managed to clinch.
Paiva displaying some good clinch control by pressing Gracie up against the cage.

Paiva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Paiva is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Gracie keeps the fight on the outside.
Paiva throws a nice head kick!
Paiva bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Gracie shoots in but Paiva avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Paiva misses with a double jab.
Gracie looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Paiva lands a jab to the head.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Paiva as he jumps to the side.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Paiva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Paiva closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Paiva lands an elbow inside that Gracie shrugs off.

Paiva breaks the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Paiva pinned against the cage. Paiva gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Paiva closes the distance and clinches.
Paiva stalls.
Paiva seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.

Paiva's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Paiva thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Gracie if he has to take too many more of those.

Paiva clinches.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Paiva breaks the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kleber Paiva dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Andrei Gracie's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Paiva keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Gracie circles away from the clinch attempt.
Paiva throws a right and a left that both miss.
Nice takedown defense from Paiva. No joy for Gracie on that attempt.

Paiva rushes Gracie and presses him up against the cage.

Paiva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Paiva closes the distance and clinches.

Paiva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Paiva rushes Gracie and presses him up against the cage.

Paiva breaks from the clinch.
Gracie looks for a takedown but Paiva sprawls well.
Kleber Paiva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andrei Gracie.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Paiva connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Gracie momentarily.
Paiva throws a one two combo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie falls off balance throwing a combination

and Paiva holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Paiva manages to break the clinch.
Paiva lands an overhand right.
Gracie shoots and misses
and Paiva counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Paiva lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Paiva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Paiva has closed the distance and engaged Gracie in a clinch.
Gracie fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Paiva scores with a knee to the head.

Paiva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Paiva thumps Gracie with a low kick.
Paiva misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Paiva closes the distance and clinches.

Paiva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Paiva moves into the clinch successfully.

Paiva breaks the clinch.
Paiva wants to clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Paiva's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Paiva goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Nice straight punches there by Paiva. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Paiva.
Gracie moves out of range of the body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie shoots and misses

and Paiva counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Paiva.
Paiva with a knee to the head.

Paiva breaks the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Paiva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gracie swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Gracie.
Paiva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Paiva closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Paiva's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Paiva gets a clinch.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants a takedown.

Paiva breaks the clinch.
Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with Paiva, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes Paiva against the cage but Paiva circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Paiva cracks the inside of Gracie's front leg.
Paiva tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.
Paiva moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.
Paiva lands with a slapping head kick.
Andrei Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gracie shoots and misses
and Paiva counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Gracie shoots and misses

and Paiva moves into the clinch.

Paiva breaks from the clinch.
Kleber Paiva is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Paiva has managed to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kleber Paiva showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Paiva has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:24
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 30:24
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:24

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kleber Paiva!