PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rumble Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bob Sponge (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bob Sponge has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Gracie
vs
Sponge

178 cm
20
182 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
22
170 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

Dangerous GnP
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rumble Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bob Sponge!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Tiny Johnson and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie throws a nice looking combination but Sponge bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

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.
Sponge trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie prevents Sponge from getting back to his feet.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Sponge is retaining full guard.
Gracie is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Sponge is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie throwing strikes but missing.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Sponge.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Gracie.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Gracie darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Sponge is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Gracie not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Sponge tries to kick Gracie off but Gracie keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sponge keeps working.
Sponge works his way to full guard. Good work.
Gracie trying to control but Sponge is working from the bottom.
Gracie controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Gracie passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie working the ground and pound.
Gracie controls the position.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Sponge is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Gracie scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Sponge to see if he's OK.
Gracie wants to control but Sponge is keeping him busy.
Sponge tries to buck Gracie off but Gracie is having none of it.
You can see the frustration on Sponge's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Sponge manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Sponge is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Gracie stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to take a break and control but Sponge is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Rumble Gracie just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt - Sponge sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rumble Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Sponge as he avoids it easily.
Gracie looks to score with a jab to the body but Sponge is just out of range.
Gracie misses the shot to the body.

Sponge clinches.
Sponge using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sponge stalling against the cage.
Sponge scores a nice knee to the body.

Sponge breaks the clinch.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Sponge sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Sponge instigates a clinch.
Sponge prevents Gracie from breaking the clinch.
Gracie drops down looking for an ankle pick but Sponge pulls his leg out and moves away.

Gracie shoots in and bounces Sponge off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Sponge is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie connects with a couple of short punches.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Sponge keeps moving.
Gracie looking to pass the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rumble Gracie dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Gracie wants to clinch.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Sponge regains half guard.
Gracie performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Gracie lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Well, if Gracie is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Gracie landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Sponge is breathing heavily.
Nice strikes from Gracie there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie passes to side control.
Sponge trying to remain calm as Gracie controls from the top position.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sponge keeps working.
Gracie is chipping away with strikes.
Sponge taking punishment in the form of punches.
Gracie cracks Sponge with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Gracie working the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sponge trying to remain calm as Gracie controls from the top position.
Gracie scores with a couple of short elbows.
Gracie controls the position from side control.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sponge keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie lands some shots froms side control.
Gracie lands a decent elbow from side control.
Gracie cracks Sponge with a big elbow.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sponge keeps working.
Sponge looks to move to half guard but instead Gracie has passed into mount! Damn!
Sponge is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Sponge is looking to improve his position but Gracie isn't that keen on the idea.
Gracie landing strikes from the mount and Sponge is in trouble!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sponge tries to lock up and control but Gracie gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Gracie controlling the position easily from mount.
Gracie prevents Sponge from getting the reversal.
Gracie with shots to the head and body - Sponge looks very uncomfortable down there.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Sponge to control.
Gracie looking to finish Sponge with some ground and pound. This is bad for Sponge!
Gracie landing shots from mount.
Sponge is in all sorts of trouble here.
Gracie looking to control but Sponge is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Gracie blocks Sponge's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Sponge is desperately trying to improve his position but Gracie has a good base and remains in mount.
Sponge gets back to half guard.
Sponge manages to get to full guard.
Gracie sitting in guard here, content to control.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Sponge keeps moving.
Gracie controls from within his opponent's guard.

Sponge looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Gracie fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Sponge sprawls well initially but Gracie persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Sponge wants to get back to his feet.
Gracie winds up and cracks Sponge with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Gracie is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Gracie content to control rather than advance.
Sponge wants to control the action here but instead Gracie manages to pass to full mount!
Gracie has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Sponge swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
A nice elbow there by Gracie.
Gracie landing strikes, looking to finish!
Sponge is looking to get to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gracie punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie landing strikes from the mount.
Sponge tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sponge is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Sponge is looking to get to half guard.
Gracie breaks from Sponge's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Sponge is desperately trying to improve his position but Gracie has a good base and remains in mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Gracie putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Sponge is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Gracie with the ground and pound from mount.
Gracie is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Sponge is looking to get to half guard.
Gracie lands a big shot there that rocks Sponge but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
A nice elbow there by Gracie.
Gracie controlling the pace for now.
Sponge keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Gracie working the ground and pound effectively.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Sponge looks a forlorn figure.
Gracie has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Sponge's face.
Rumble Gracie overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gracie trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Gracie controlling the pace for now.
Bob Sponge has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sponge is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Gracie controlling the position easily from mount.
Gracie prevents Sponge from getting the reversal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Sponge is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Gracie blocks Sponge's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Gracie throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Sponge working to try and regain half guard.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Sponge to control.
Sponge wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Gracie.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Sponge to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rumble Gracie showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Gracie, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rumble Gracie!