PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jay Reepo (ranked 914 p4p, 1804 weight class) and Rufino Gracie (ranked 67 p4p, 127 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Reepo
vs
Gracie

165 cm
30
135
16 - 7 - 0

165 cm
27
135
9 - 2 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Fast

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jay Reepo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rufino Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, Paul Tew and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Reepo.
Reepo just misses with a punch to the body.
Gracie lands with a slapping head kick.
Gracie misses with a straight left.
The fight stays on the outside here - Reepo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Reepo moves out of range as Gracie strikes.
Gracie has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Reepo stuns Gracie with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Reepo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Gracie swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Jay Reepo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Reepo listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Gracie fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Reepo manages to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Reepo takes a swing at Gracie's ribcage but misses.
Reepo dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
A big left from Reepo misses.
Reepo moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big right from Reepo misses.
Reepo defending well as Gracie loads up on a big left hand.
Reepo misses with a hook. Gracie ducked under it nicely.
Gracie looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Gracie misses with a hook
and Reepo counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Reepo cracks Gracie with an open hand slap.
Reepo throws a lazy uppercut

and Gracie counters with a takedown into side control.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Reepo keeps working.
Reepo sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Gracie looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Reepo with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Gracie with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

Gracie is looking for a kimura here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Reepo looking for submissions off his back.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gracie is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reepo has hold of Gracie's hands but Gracie slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Gracie is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Reepo!
Gracie scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Reepo is trying desperately to improve position.
Reepo is working hard here to advance position.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Gracie cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Gracie connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Reepo is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Gracie with shots to the head and body - Reepo looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Reepo is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Gracie postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Reepo looks a forlorn figure.
Gracie connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Reepo taking shots to the head.
Reepo tries to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Reepo hang on?
Gracie breaks from Reepo's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Reepo is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Reepo wants to control but Gracie is having none of it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Rufino Gracie dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Gracie walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Reepo tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A looping hook to the body misses from Reepo. Gracie does a little dance to reset his feet.
Gracie swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Nice shot by Reepo.
Reepo throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Gracie sees it coming and avoids it easily.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gracie.
Reepo connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Gracie momentarily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Reepo tries to clinch but Gracie moves away
and Gracie counters with a low kick, right behind Reepo 's knee.
Good standup being displayed there by Gracie as he connects with a hook.
Reepo swings for the body but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie throws out a counter right but Reepo avoids it with no problem.
A slow jab from Reepo misses its intended target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Reepo throws out a loose jab but Gracie uses good head movement to avoid it.
Reepo connects with a solid leg kick.
Reepo just misses with a punch to the body.
Gracie changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Gracie misses with a wild body shot.
Jay Reepo is winning the standup battle so far.
Gracie is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Reepo.
Reepo scores with a shot to the body.
Reepo listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Reepo moves to clinch but Gracie breaks away
and Gracie connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gracie gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
The fighters circling - Gracie throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

Gracie closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Gracie lands in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Reepo trying to control the position.

Reepo had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Gracie defends it easily.
Reepo tries to strike from the bottom.
Gracie works over Reepo with some ground and pound from guard.
Gracie is in close to Reepo's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Reepo looking for a guillotine here but Gracie defends easily.

Reepo isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Gracie stacks Reepo 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 Gracie!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie cracks Reepo with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Reepo is not content to let Gracie control the position.
Reepo regains half guard.
Reepo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four 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 lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Gracie perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Gracie is looking for a kimura here.
Ground and pound from Gracie.

Reepo looking for submissions off his back.
Reepo misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Reepo tries to roll over but Gracie keeps him under control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rufino Gracie will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Gracie takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Reepo misses with a wild body shot.
Reepo misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Gracie connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gracie jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Reepo throws out a loose jab but Gracie uses good head movement to avoid it.
Reepo throws a right and a left that both miss.
Reepo throws a shot from downtown. Gracie moves away and avoids it.
Reepo waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Gracie.
Gracie throws a counter combo.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Reepo misses with a looping right.
Reepo throws a body shot but no joy.
Reepo throws the left hand but Gracie avoids the punch easily.
Reepo bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Gracie's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Gracie checks a leg kick.
Reepo throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Gracie fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Reepo on the side of the head.
Reepo throws a nice inside leg kick.
Jay Reepo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Reepo misses the jab.
Gracie throws out a counter right but Reepo avoids it with no problem.
Reepo misses with a straight right.
Gracie chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Reepo can pounce on him.

Reepo gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Reepo can't find room to land a body shot as Gracie controls the action.
Reepo misses with a punch to the body.
Reepo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Reepo doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Gracie misses with a body punch.
Gracie looking for a takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reepo's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Reepo as Gracie tries to tie him up.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Reepo can't find room to land a body shot as Gracie controls the action.
Reepo misses with a body punch.
Reepo is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Reepo tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gracie's elbow.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Gracie swings wildly with an uppercut but Reepo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Reepo lands a shoulder strike.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Reepo tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gracie's elbow.
Reepo blocks an uppercut.
A left hand lands to the body for Gracie.
Gracie being controlled against the cage.
Reepo goes for a takedown attempt but Gracie pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Gracie displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Reepo throws out the jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reepo throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Gracie makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Reepo connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Gracie looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Reepo lands a jab to the head.
Reepo throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Gracie getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Gracie defending well as Reepo loads up on a big left hand.
Gracie uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Reepo.
As Reepo backs off Gracie throws a huge counter combo but Reepo manages to avoid it all.
Reepo throws a jab when Gracie was well out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Reepo misses the target.
Gracie takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Reepo dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Reepo throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Gracie sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Reepo throws a jab when Gracie was well out of range.
Gracie throws out a counter right but Reepo avoids it with no problem.
Gracie ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A little jabbing left from Gracie on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Reepo tries to clinch there but Gracie circles away.
Gracie tries a quick counter leg kick but Reepo is wise to it.
Gracie swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A jab lands there for Reepo.
Reepo throws a good cross that connects.
Reepo throws a lazy uppercut
and Gracie connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Reepo lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Gracie ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Jay Reepo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gracie avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
As Reepo backs off Gracie throws a huge counter combo but Reepo manages to avoid it all.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jay Reepo showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Gracie has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 29:29
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Rufino Gracie!
A very excited looking Rufino Gracie made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.