PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Bernard Best (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lee 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.

Best
vs
Gracie

215 cm
18
161 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Likes comics

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bernard Best!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Lee Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Seu Braga and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gracie tried to score with a low kick but Best checks it.
Best closes this distance looking for a takedown but Gracie circles away.

Best looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Gracie!
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard.
Gracie wants to get back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie regains half guard.
Best is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to maintain the position but Best is very close to passing his half guard.

Best looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Gracie trying to hold on to Best's head to control him but Best postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gracie is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Best's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Best's back!

Best manages to stand up with Gracie still on his back. Eventually Gracie drops to his feet and we're back in the standing position.
Best slips a straight right by Gracie.
Best throws a big counter combination but Gracie scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.

Best has Gracie up against the cage in a clinch.

Best is fighting off a takedown attempt but Gracie is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Best to the mat. Best regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Best really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Gracie got a little sloppy there for a moment and Best has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Gracie has managed to get both his arms back between Best's legs - danger averted.
Best is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Gracie with a flurry of punches that miss.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Best is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Best keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A combination from Gracie does no damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Best went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Gracie looks winded!

Best closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Gracie tries to bench press Best off him but Best keeps the position.
Gracie manages to get back to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie trying to control here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Lee Gracie will probably get the nod.
That's time! Best's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Best closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Best lands in his opponent's guard.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gracie wants to get back to his feet but Best passes into half guard.
Gracie has a hand on Best's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Best takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Best with shots to the head and body - Gracie looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Best looking to control and managing it successfully.

Best get's back to his feet.
Best avoids the head kick by Gracie.
Best appears to be looking for a big counter.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt
and Best counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Gracie is breathing heavily.

Best closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Gracie quickly recovers to half guard.

Best is looking for a kimura here.
Best knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.
Gracie trying to control from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking for a sweep. Best is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Best is looking for a kimura but Gracie is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Best to get the leverage.
Gracie is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Best jumps into side control!
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard.
Best lands a nice forearm strike.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Best keeps moving and retains side control.
Best taking a breather here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.
Best will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Gracie can't do much from the bottom here.

Best is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Gracie has escaped the position, nice work there.

Best tries for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

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.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Gracie shoots for a takedown but Best saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Best dives in and scores a takedown into Gracie's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Best 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.
Best is in close to Gracie's body, working some short punches and elbows.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bernard Best dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Gracie gets a clinch.

Gracie breaks from the clinch.

Best rushes Gracie and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Best tries for a takedown but Gracie manages to get underhooks.
Best throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Gracies head.
Gracie stops a takedown attempt from Best.

Best breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gracie wants to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice takedown defense from Best. No joy for Gracie on that attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Best as Gracie shoots in.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Best throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Gracie's waist but Gracie gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Best off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bernard Best. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gracie throws a sloppy head kick
and Best counters with a two punch combo.
Best shoots in and drives through. Gracie sprawls well.
Best throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gracie is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Gracie is looking to clinch but Best is avoiding it.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown
letting Best counter with a right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Gracie wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Best manages to pass to side control.

This has been an exciting period of action!
Best not doing much here.

Best is working for a kimura but Gracie is defending it quite comfortably.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.

Best wants to work for an arm triangle but Gracie is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.

Best is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

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 is trying to get back to full guard.
Gracie missing with punches from the bottom.
Gracie trying to control from the bottom.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
A head kick by Gracie misses
and Best counters with a three punch combo that has Gracie backing up. Gracie nods at Best to acknowledge the strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bernard Best showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Best 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:28
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bernard Best!