PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Radu Dracul (ranked 250 p4p, 915 weight class) and Diego Garcia (ranked 32 p4p, 117 weight class). Radu Dracul had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 186.6lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Dracul
vs
Garcia

190 cm
37
202
36 - 14 - 0

190 cm
36
192
18 - 8 - 3

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
KO power

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Granite chin

30th Century Beer Store

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 36 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Radu Dracul!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 8 - 3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Diego Garcia!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Chris Edwards and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Garcia misses with a right hand

and Dracul counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Dracul.
Garcia is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Garcia is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Dracul trying to control but Garcia is working from the bottom.
Dracul is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Garcia lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Garcia is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Dracul holds on and takes a little breather.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia trying to control but Dracul is working from the bottom.
Garcia advances to half guard.
Dracul is looking to control Garcia's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Dracul avoid being mounted?
Dracul wants to get back to full guard.
Garcia seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Dracul does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

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.
Garcia looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Garcia wants to lay and pray for a moment but Dracul keeps working.
Dracul tries to get to full guard but Garcia has control of the leg.
Garcia controlling the action here.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Garcia wants to pass the guard but Dracul is defending well.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A low kick from Garcia is predictable there

and Dracul counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Garcia is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Garcia taking some punishment here, with Dracul in his half guard.
Dracul wants to take a breather but Garcia is having none of it.
Garcia regains full guard. Nicely done.
Dracul stays in close to Garcia's body and controls the position.
Dracul cracks Garcia with a solid left hand.
Garcia is trying to control the position but Dracul postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Dracul manages to get himself to full guard.

Dracul isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Garcia stacks Dracul 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 Garcia!
Garcia trying to control the action but Dracul is working from the bottom.

Garcia looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Garcia tries to advance to mount but Dracul denies him.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Radu Dracul dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Dracul checks a leg kick nicely.
Dracul feinted with a counter takedown.
A left lands for Garcia.
Garcia connects with a single shot there.
A good leg kick by Garcia.
A leg kick checked by Dracul.
Garcia throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Dracul stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Garcia.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Garcia throws a shot to the body.
Dracul with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Garcia to score with a decent uppercut.
Garcia fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Dracul manages to avoid it.
Dracul walks into a left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Dracul counters with a shoot takedown. Garcia fights it but they end up in guard.
Garcia can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Dracul controls the pace.
Garcia bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Dracul's guard.

Dracul had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Garcia defends it easily.
Dracul keeping moving, preventing Garcia from controlling successfully.
Radu Dracul overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Dracul is looking for a triangle but Garcia pushes his legs off easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia looking to sit in guard and control but Dracul gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Dracul with a nice head shot there.
Dracul preventing the sweep.
Dracul is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Garcia can't keep his opponent in guard - Dracul advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Dracul controlling the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is looking to improve his position.
Garcia gets full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Garcia looking to control.
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Dracul from controlling successfully.
Dracul is really struggling to control Garcia but he's trying to hold on to the position.

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.
Dracul advances to half guard.
Dracul controlling the action here.
Dracul works his way into full mount!
Garcia is in a horrible position here. Dracul smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Garcia regains half guard.
Garcia regains full guard. Nicely done.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Diego Garcia will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Dracul takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Dracul attempts a counter takedown but Garcia avoids it well and moves away.
Dracul takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Dracul has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Garcia.
Dracul looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Diego Garcia seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Garcia connects with a body shot.
Dracul takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
The fighters circle momentarily. Garcia darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Garcia connects with a solid leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Garcia throws a front kick aimed at Dracul's knee but Dracul avoids it well.
Dracul appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Garcia throws a lazy body kick

and Dracul counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Dracul stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Garcia swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia looking for a sweep. Not yet Garcia, not yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dracul tries to free his leg and advance position but Garcia is retaining full guard.
Garcia looking to control.
Dracul trying to control the position from guard on top but Garcia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Garcia looking to hit a scissor sweep but Dracul is one step ahead there.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's two 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.
Garcia with the inside leg kick.
That kick from Garcia tenderised Dracul's leg. Dracul is trying to keep his angry face on.
Garcia throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Garcia punishes Dracul's body with a nice straight punch.
Garcia throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Dracul feinted with a counter takedown.
An inside leg kick lands from Garcia.
Garcia connects with the punch.
Dracul checks a low kick from Garcia.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia with the inside leg kick.
Garcia misses with a right hand

and Dracul counters with a takedown into side control.
Dracul lands an elbow.
Dracul remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Dracul throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Garcia is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Garcia takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is looking to reverse the position.
Garcia manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Dracul is trying to control but can't.
Garcia trying to control from half guard but Dracul is working away.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Garcia is looking for a kimura but Dracul is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Garcia to get the leverage.
Garcia is thwarting Dracul's attempts to control the position.
Garcia tries to pass the half guard into mount. Dracul knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Diego Garcia comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Garcia 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 James Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Diego Garcia!
A relieved looking Diego Garcia thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.