PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Aydine Antona (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jeffson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Antona might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Laid to Rest by Lamb of God. Gracie comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Cliff Richard - Summer Holiday kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Jeffson Gracie told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Antona
vs
Gracie

170 cm
44
156 lbs
41 - 33 - 0

160 cm
44
155 lbs
37 - 34 - 3

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 41 - 33 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Aydine Antona!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 37 - 34 - 3, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jeffson Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Emerson Jorge and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Antona looks to land a body kick but Gracie moved away.
Antona tries a head kick but it misses.
Antona avoids the body shot from Gracie.
Antona thinks about countering with a head kick.
Antona throws a right hand that misses
and Gracie counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Antona throws a leg kick

and Gracie counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Gracie's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gracie darts in trying to clinch
letting Antona counter with a right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gracie. Antona does a little dance to reset his feet.
Antona ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gracie moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Antona scores with a decent looking hook.
Antona lands a front kick.
Gracie shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Antona defends it nicely.
Antona misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Gracie feints the counter takedown.
Antona throws a head kick but Gracie moves out of range.
Antona throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Gracie moves into the clinch successfully.
Gracie misses with a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Gracie looking to throw knees to the head but Antona is blocking nicely.
Gracie tries to land a knee to the head but Antona blocks with his arms.
Gracie with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Antona tries to pull guard but Gracie forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Antona takes a knee to the side of the body.
Gracie misses with the head strike.
Gracie throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Antona blocks it with crossed arms.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Gracie decides to pull guard.
Antona forces his way into half guard.
Gracie is in trouble now - Antona has advanced to mount!
Gracie can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Antona trying to control but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Antona takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Gracie slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Antona in particular looking to stall.
Gracie makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gracie.
Antona stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gracie swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Antona wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Antona tries to stand but Gracie is controlling from the bottom.
Antona wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Antona is looking to stand up but Gracie won't let him.

Antona decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Antona throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Gracie sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Aydine Antona seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Antona scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Antona cracks Gracie with an open hand slap.
Gracie showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Antona.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aydine Antona dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Gracie checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Antona throws a head kick but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Antona connects with a jab.
Antona lands with a cross.
Jab, jab by Antona - just one landing.
Gracie moves out of range as Antona strikes.
A jab from Antona finds it's way through Gracie's defenses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Antona.
Antona cracks Gracie with a good jab.
Antona misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Antona is looking to slow Gracie down with leg kicks.
Antona looks to land a left hand but Gracie moved out of range nicely.
Antona looks to land a right hand but Gracie moved out of range.
Antona is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gracie can do to turn this around?
Antona throws a left and a right that both miss
and Antona takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gracie is defended easily by Antona.
Gracie fails with the takedown
and Antona counters with a left and a right that stings Gracie.
Aydine Antona is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gracie slips a jab from Antona.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Gracie tries a knee to the head but Antona blocks it.
Antona is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
A short right from Gracie on the inside.
Gracie drops down looking for an ankle pick but Antona pulls his leg out and moves away.
Aydine Antona has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jeffson Gracie.
Gracie misses with a double jab.
Antona fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A nice leg kick lands there from Antona.
Gracie is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Antona.
An attempted straight right counter from Antona misses the target.
Gracie looks to score with a jab to the body but Antona is just out of range.
Antona looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Antona throws the left hand but Gracie avoids the punch easily.
Antona feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Gracies jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Antona scores with a leg kick.
Aydine Antona is winning the standup battle so far.
Antona throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Gracie counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch up but Antona swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Gracie misses with a two punch combination.
Gracie uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Antona.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Antona sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Gracie ducks right into an uppercut from Antona.
Jab, jab by Antona - just one landing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Antona lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Gracie backs up against the cage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Antona throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
It seemed like Gracie was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
A swing and a miss from Gracie.
A jab from Antona misses.
Antona connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Gracie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Antona is fending him off so far but Gracie persists. Nope, Antona circles away and we're back to standing.
Gracie takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Antona uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Gracie has time to react.
Antona moves into range and connects with a jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aydine Antona 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 is looking to clinch but Antona is avoiding it.
Antona throws a big counter combination but Gracie scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Antona throws a series of punches but Gracie moves out of range.
As Antona backs off Gracie throws a huge counter combo but Antona manages to avoid it all.
Aydine Antona is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch but Antona swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Gracie on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Antona has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Antona there as he acknowledges the shot.
Antona throws a head kick that misses.
Gracie is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Antona throws a right hand that misses
and Gracie connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A left lands for Antona.
Antona loads up on a big right hand but Gracie slips the punch.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Gracie! But no joy.
Antona rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Gracie moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie closes the distance and pushes Antona back into the cage.

Gracie decides to pull guard.
Gracie keeping full guard, as Antona tries to pass.
Antona controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Antona gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Gracie looks to score with a jab to the body but Antona is just out of range.
Gracie avoids the head kick by Antona.
Gracie checks the leg kick nicely there.
Jeffson Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Antona lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Antona is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Gracie takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Antona fails to land with a series of punches.
Antona swats away the attempt to clinch by Gracie.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Antona, as that shot connected.
Gracie throws a sloppy body shot
and Antona connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gracie tries to clinch but Antona is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie gets a takedown into half guard.
Gracie is just content to waste time from the top position. Antona takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Gracie not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Antona wants to sweep but no luck.

Gracie drops back looking for a submission - "I'm sorry sir, but I'm gunna break your leg" says Gracie as he cranks on the unfortunate limb! Antona screams and taps out before any major damage is done! Don't mess with Gracie! Nice submission victory there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kneebar). Jeffson Gracie!
Jeffson Gracie seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.