PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Avers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Roogeri Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). John Avers could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Roogeri Gracie's chin.

Avers
vs
Gracie

191 cm
23
203 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

185 cm
23
200 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Intelligent

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, John Avers!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Roogeri Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Marco Blurström and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie misses with a head kick.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.

Gracie drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Gracie tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Avers manages to work his way to half guard, despite Gracie's best efforts.
Avers moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Avers is keeping the position.
Gracie tries to stand but Avers is controlling from the bottom.

Gracie decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
John Avers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Avers's corner calls for a 1-2. Avers obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Avers swinging wilding here.
Gracie swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Avers swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Avers connects with a single shot there.
Avers lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Gracie backs up against the cage.

Gracie drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Avers is keeping the position for now.

Avers is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Gracie throwing strikes but missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie won't allow Avers to sweep him here.
Gracie pushing down on Avers's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Gracie trying to control from half guard but Avers is working away.
The fighters are battling for position here. Avers manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Avers is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Avers wants to sweep but no luck.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Gracie throws a big right hand that misses.
Gracie postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Avers is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Gracie, into his guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Avers wants to get up but he can't break Gracie's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Avers trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Avers throws a big right hand that misses.
Avers prevents Gracie from getting back to his feet.

Avers avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Gracie looks gassed!

Gracie working for a triangle but Avers defends it easily.
Avers postures up and lands a big shot to Gracie's brow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Avers throws and elbow that misses. Gracie uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Avers's guard. Nice move by Gracie!
Gracie throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Avers.
Gracie trying to control but Avers is working from the bottom.
Gracie would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Avers is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Avers is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Avers thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that John Avers will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Avers doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Gracie counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Gracie.
Gracie advances position into side control!
Sloppy strikes there by Gracie.

Gracie is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Avers has escaped the position, nice work there.
Avers is looking to regain half guard here but Gracie keeps moving and retains side control.
Gracie tries to move into full mount but can't pass Avers's legs.

Gracie tries for a kimura but Avers is defending well.
Gracie is breathing heavily.

Gracie thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to take a break and control but Avers is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Avers tries to bench press Gracie off him but Gracie keeps the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Avers lands a lovely overhand right.
Good shot there by Avers.
Avers misses with a kick to the body

and Gracie counters with a takedown into side control.

Gracie tries for a kimura but Avers is defending well.
You can see the frustration on Avers's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Avers throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.
Avers is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Gracie's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Avers flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Avers tries to roll over but Gracie keeps him under control.
Avers tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Avers is looking to control Gracie's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Avers avoid being mounted?

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Gracie drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Avers regains half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Avers is defending well.
Avers gets full guard.

Gracie drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gracie jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Avers wants to sweep here but Gracie controlling him for the moment.
Avers not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Avers looking for a sweep. Not yet Avers, not yet.
Avers is working hard here to advance position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Avers scores with the left hand. Gracie knows he should have avoided that one.
Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Avers looks to land a body kick but Gracie moved away.
Gracie tries to clinch there but Avers circles away.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Gracie takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Avers jabs at Gracie's body.
A slow jab from Avers misses its intended target.
Avers throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Avers is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Roogeri Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Avers keeping full guard, as Gracie tries to pass.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roogeri Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Avers lands a really nice looking cross but Gracie seems unphased.
Avers looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Gracie is fending him off so far but Avers persists. Nope, Gracie circles away and we're back to standing.
Gracie on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Gracie slips a jab and a cross from Avers.
Gracie is looking to clinch but Avers is avoiding it.
Avers changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Gracie fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Avers sprawls well initially but Gracie persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but Avers defending well.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Avers is trying to get back to full guard.
Avers pushes Gracie off looking to stand but Gracie dives back in and keeps control.

Gracie stands up out of the half guard.
Avers looks to throw the jab but Gracie is out of range.
Gracie uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Avers.
Gracie looks to land a combination. Avers sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

Avers drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Gracie gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Avers not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.
Avers scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Avers missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Avers misses with a few strikes there.
Avers fails with the takedown

and Gracie counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Avers blocking the ground and pound attempt from Gracie.
Avers is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Gracie stands up out of the half guard.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Avers makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

Avers fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gracie, pushing him back against the cage.
Gracie fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Avers wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Avers stalling in the clinch.
Avers is trying to break free.
Gracie stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Gracie breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Avers misses with a wild combination.
Gracie looks for a takedown but Avers sprawls well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Roogeri Gracie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Gracie has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29

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