PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Eric Lawson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rickson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie has chosen Black & Yellow as his entrance music. Rickson Gracie is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Lawson
vs
Gracie

190 cm
19
190 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

173 cm
27
195 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Vandal Fight Boutique (prices $8 - $30)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Eric Lawson!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rickson Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Frank Dennis and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Lawson circles away quickly and effectively.
Lawson leaves Gracie with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Gracie needs to keep his hands up - Lawson had a free shot at his head there.

Lawson gets caught napping as Gracie dives in and scores a takedown. Lawson manages to retain guard.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Lawson is retaining full guard.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Lawson.
Gracie passes Lawson's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Gracie is looking for a kimura here.
Lawson moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Lawson will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Lawson trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Lawson has momentary wrist control but Gracie slips an elbow through the middle.
Lawson is controlling Gracie's posture.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Gracie's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throws a big right hand that misses.
Gracie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Lawson wants to stand and escape but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Gracie postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lawson preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Lawson wants to sweep here but Gracie controlling him for the moment.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Lawson is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Lawson keeps moving.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Lawson is retaining full guard.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Lawson.
Lawson has his hands on Gracie's head, controlling the position.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Gracie trying to control but Lawson is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Gracie has his takedown stuffed
and Lawson counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.
Eric Lawson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rickson Gracie.
Gracie slips a straight right by Lawson.
Gracie throws a sloppy head kick and Lawson moves out of range easily.
Lawson cracks Gracie with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Lawson as he avoids it easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Lawson tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Lawson manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Lawson lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rickson Gracie will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Lawson connects with the punch.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but Lawson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Lawson will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gracie shoots in but no luck this time.

Lawson drops Gracie with a right and a left! Lawson comes rushing in but Gracie regains his composure and manages to keep Lawson in guard.

Gracie is rocked!

It looks like Rickson Gracie has been cut.
Lawson trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Gracie is still in real trouble! Can Lawson finish him?

Gracie is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Lawson defends well.
Gracie seems to have recovered his senses.

Gracie is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Gracie controls Lawson momentarily but Lawson frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lawson sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Lawson gets to his feet - Gracie follows without any prompting.
Lawson defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Gracie.
Eric Lawson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rickson Gracie.
Some wild striking there from Lawson.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Lawson counters with a right hand to the body.
Good standup being displayed there by Lawson as he connects with a hook.
Gracie dives in and grabs Lawson's left leg, looking for a takedown. Lawson pushes down on Gracie's head and hops out.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Horrible takedown by Gracie or perhaps it was just good defense by Lawson which made him look bad.
Gracie has his takedown stuffed
and Lawson counters with a one-two to the body.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Gracie on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Gracie fails to land the takedown.
Gracie with a lazy takedown attempt
letting Lawson counter with a right hand.

That has opened up Rickson Gracie's cut even more.
Gracie gets clipped by a big right hand and goes down spinning to the canvas! Lawson gets the back mount and begins to drop bombs on his rocked foe! Gracie is too out of it to defend against the strikes and the referee jumps in to save him from the beatdown!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:53 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Eric Lawson!
Eric Lawson retains his middleweight title!