PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rafael dos Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lester Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

dos Santos
vs
Gracie

178 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
22
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Rafael dos Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Lester Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Gregory Folan and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with dos Santos, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes dos Santos against the cage but dos Santos circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

dos Santos shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Gracie trying to control from the bottom.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Gracie trying to control here.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back.
dos Santos trying to pass the guard but Gracie defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
dos Santos trying to advance position but Gracie counters by regaining guard.
dos Santos controls from within his opponent's guard.
Gracie tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gracie throws a head kick but dos Santos moves out of range.
dos Santos shoots in for a takedown but Gracie shows good takedown defense.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown

and dos Santos counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
dos Santos is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Gracie is trying to maintain the position but dos Santos is very close to passing his half guard.
dos Santos stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
dos Santos prevents Gracie from improving his position.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Gracie slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
dos Santos is breathing heavily.

That's four 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 thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

Gracie throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Gracie might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control dos Santos kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael dos Santos dominated that round.
That's time! dos Santos's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

dos Santos darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Gracie regains full guard. Nicely done.
Gracie is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
dos Santos stops Gracie from standing up.
Gracie trying to strike off his back.
Gracie is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
dos Santos is refusing to be controlled, as Gracie sits in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
dos Santos wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but dos Santos does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Gracie wants to free his trapped foot but dos Santos is holding on for dear life with his legs.
dos Santos is looking to improve his position.
dos Santos is holding on to half guard well.

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 wants to stand up but dos Santos is controlling the position.
Gracie trying to mount his opponent but dos Santos defends it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gracie shoots and misses

and dos Santos counters with a takedown into side control.
Gracie prevents dos Santos from improving position.
You can see the frustration on Gracie's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Gracie being controlled for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
dos Santos works to advance to full mount. Gracie defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Gracie keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Gracie has given up his back here. Will dos Santos look for the submission or keep pounding away?
I really don't envy Gracie right now.
What can Gracie do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael dos Santos dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

dos Santos shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Gracie's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. dos Santos manages to get himself to full guard.
Rafael dos Santos overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
dos Santos looking for a sweep. Not yet dos Santos, not yet.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Gracie drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but dos Santos manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Gracie has dos Santos in his guard.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
dos Santos looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Gracie wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and dos Santos is now in half guard.
Gracie is trying to control but dos Santos passes into side control!
Gracie can't do much from the bottom here.

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.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.
dos Santos staying calm.
Gracie tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but dos Santos wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Gracie struggling a bit here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

dos Santos scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Gracie can't do much from the bottom here.
Gracie is trying to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Gracie struggling a bit here.
dos Santos works to advance to full mount. Gracie defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
dos Santos controlling from the full mount.
Gracie sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Lester Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Gracie is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but dos Santos pulls his head out easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rafael dos Santos showed his dominance in that final round.
Well dos Santos 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 Robert Douchet scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rafael dos Santos!