PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Roger Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and El toro Fuorte (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). El toro Fuorte will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Gracie
vs
toro Fuorte

180 cm
22
178 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

200 cm
23
170 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Roger Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, El toro Fuorte!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Fuorte won't allow Gracie to pass to mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie controlling the action here.

Gracie is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Fuorte has managed to free his arm - good work.

Gracie is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Gracie moves into full mount! Fuorte won't be happy about that!
Fuorte slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Fuorte manages to get to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fuorte keeping full guard, as Gracie tries to pass.
Fuorte is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Gracie content to stall in guard here.
Gracie postures up.
Gracie not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Fuorte is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Gracie advances position into side control!
Gracie has knee on belly and moves into mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Gracie goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Fuorte is on top in guard.
Fuorte looking to pass the guard.

Fuorte 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.
Gracie might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Fuorte looks gassed!
Fuorte wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Fuorte working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

Gracie has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Fuorte can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie working for a triangle but Fuorte defends it easily.
Gracie looking to hit a scissor sweep but Fuorte is one step ahead there.
Fuorte is stalling in the full guard.

Fuorte avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Fuorte trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.

That's four 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.

Fuorte got a little sloppy there for a moment and Gracie has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Fuorte has managed to get both his arms back between Gracie's legs - danger averted.
Fuorte wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Gracie working a defensive guard here.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Fuorte trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Fuorte tries to bum rush Gracie with a series of wild strikes but Gracie uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Fuorte clinches with his opponent.

Fuorte's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roger Gracie dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Fuorte tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gracie paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Fuorte as he jumps to the side.

Fuorte closes the distance and clinches.
Gracie goes for a takedown in the clinch but Fuorte prevents it.
Gracie has Fuorte pressed against the cage, preventing Fuorte from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Gracie wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Fuorte has him pressed against the cage.
Fuorte is pressed up against the cage. Gracie has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Fuorte down to the mat. Fuorte avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roger Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with Fuorte, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes Fuorte against the cage but Fuorte circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Fuorte tries to close the distance and clinch but Gracie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Fuorte closes the distance and clinches.
Gracie is looking to control Fuorte's arms but Fuorte gets an underhook and turns him. Now Gracie has his back to the cage.
Gracie tries to land knees in the clinch but Fuorte avoids the damage to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Fuorte manages to get underhooks.

Fuorte's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Roger Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gracie avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A combination from Fuorte does no damage.
Gracie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Fuorte scores with a shot to the body.
Fuorte lands with a hook. Gracie tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Fuorte!

Fuorte clinches with his opponent.
Gracie is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Fuorte breaks the clinch.
Fuorte looks to land a combination. Gracie sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Fuorte stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Fuorte wants it to stay on the feet.
Fuorte throws a right and a left that Gracie avoids nicely.
Fuorte stuns Gracie with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
A decent looking cross lands there for Fuorte.
Roger Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gracie showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Fuorte.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Fuorte tries to clinch up.
Gracie showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Fuorte.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fuorte misses with a wild combination.
A combination from Fuorte does no damage.
Fuorte throws a right hand that Gracie ducks under and follows up with a left that Gracie also avoids with ease.
Fuorte stalks Gracie and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Gracie's face. Gracie staggers backwards, shaken.

Gracie closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Fuorte did well to prevent Gracie getting side control.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Fuorte is having none of it.
The fighters are battling for position here. Fuorte manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Fuorte has his feet on Gracie's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Fuorte throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Fuorte is looking to clinch.
Horrible takedown by Gracie or perhaps it was just good defense by Fuorte which made him look bad.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Fuorte as he avoids it easily.
Fuorte lands a jab-cross combination.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Gracie dodges the punch combination from Fuorte.

Gracie feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Gracie stands and throws Fuorte's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Fuorte is looking to reverse the position.
Fuorte can't do much from the bottom here.

Gracie is trying to get an arm triangle but Fuorte is defending well.
Fuorte is not content to let Gracie control the position.

Gracie goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Fuorte has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Gracie but great work by Fuorte.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Fuorte looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Fuorte tries to move to mount but Gracie blocks the move with his legs.
Gracie gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Gracie is not content to let Fuorte control the position.
Fuorte thows a huge punch but Gracie dodges it nicely.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.
Fuorte looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Gracie works his way to full guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

El toro Fuorte showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Gracie throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Fuorte was covering up waiting for the punch and Gracie finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Gracie drops back, looking for a kneebar! Fuorte looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Fuorte looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Fuorte!
Gracie tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Gracie sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

Gracie is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Fuorte pulls his head out easily.
Fuorte is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Fuorte is going olschool here, as he tries to force Gracie to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Gracie shrugs it off.
Fuorte can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Gracie is looking to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie wants to hold on but Fuorte pushes him away.
Fuorte is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Fuorte tries to control but Gracie wriggling away.
Gracie wants to control but Fuorte is having none of it.
Fuorte thowing shots but they're missing.

Fuorte looking for a guillotine from mount but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Gracie keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

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.
Fuorte missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Gracie manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Fuorte throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gracie works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gracie looking to control.

Gracie throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Fuorte throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gracie bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Fuorte's guard.
Gracie trying to move into half guard but instead Fuorte has managed to sweep!
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Fuorte from controlling successfully.

Gracie looking for a triangle here. Fuorte is fighting it but it looks tight! Gracie pulls the arm across and this one won't last much longer! Nope, Fuorte is tapping out - this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:01 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Roger Gracie!