PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Royce Gracie (ranked 2066 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrew Henry Jr (ranked 21531 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Jiu Jitsu by Smoke Serpent. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Gracie
vs
Henry Jr

185 cm
29
181 lbs
21 - 10 - 0

182 cm
24
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

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 21 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Royce Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Andrew Henry Jr!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Konstantin Menshow and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie looks to land a left hand but Henry Jr moved out of range nicely.

Gracie gets a clinch.
Gracie wants to stall.
Gracie effectively controlling the action here.
Henry Jr landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Henry Jr misses with a punch to the body.
Gracie leaning his opponent against the cage.
Henry Jr lands an elbow that stopped Gracie in his tracks for a moment.
Henry Jr using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gracie has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Gracie is trying to maintain a safe position but Henry Jr gets an underhook and turns Gracie into the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie displaying some good clinch control by pressing Henry Jr up against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Royce Gracie.

Henry Jr moves into the clinch.
Gracie avoids the elbow strike from Henry Jr, against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie prevents a body shot from Henry Jr.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Henry Jr.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Henry Jr lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Gracie taking a breather.
Gracie leaning against his opponent.
Gracie gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Gracie trying to stall but Henry Jr improves his position.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Royce Gracie.
Henry Jr tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gracie swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Gracie throws a big shot that misses.
Gracie loads up on a big right hand but Henry Jr slips the punch.
Henry Jr tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.
A big right from Gracie misses.
Henry Jr with the counter takedown but Gracie avoids it easily.

Henry Jr gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Gracie blocks a body shot from Henry Jr.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Come on Gracie - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Stalling in the clinch from Gracie.
Gracie avoids the elbow strike from Henry Jr, against the cage.
Gracie is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Gracie is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Gracie is trying to maintain a safe position but Henry Jr gets an underhook and turns Gracie into the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Royce Gracie.
Gracie jabs Henry Jr right on the nose. Henry Jr blinks but takes it well.

Gracie darts in and clinches Henry Jr up against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Henry Jr throws an elbow but misses.
Henry Jr lands a damaging elbow.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gracie just leaning against Henry Jr, taking a breather.
Gracie taking a breather.
Henry Jr looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Gracie looking to stall.
Gracie is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Henry Jr is keeping busy.
Henry Jr lands a nice knee to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry Jr misses with a body punch.
Gracie will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Henry Jr up against the cage.
Gracie stalling in the clinch but Henry Jr improves position.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Royce Gracie.
Henry Jr misses with a wild combination.
Henry Jr fails to land with a series of punches.
Gracie attempts a counter takedown but Henry Jr avoids it well and moves away.
Gracie fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Gracie walks into a left hand.
Gracie swats away the attempt to clinch by Henry Jr.
Gracie attempts a counter takedown but Henry Jr avoids it well and moves away.
Henry Jr ducks under a wild hook from Gracie.

Henry Jr gets tackled into the cage by Gracie. Gracie maintains the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henry Jr scores a nice knee to the body.
Henry Jr tries a knee to the head but Gracie blocks it.
Gracie slows down the pace here.
Gracie stalling in the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Henry Jr just misses with a elbow thrown towards Gracie's brow.
Gracie manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Henry Jr is fighting off a takedown attempt but Gracie is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Henry Jr to the mat. Henry Jr regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Henry Jr is pulling down on Gracie's head to control his posture.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Henry Jr looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gracie is one step ahead there.
Henry Jr looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Henry Jr is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Gracie misses with a straight right.
Henry Jr moves away from the strike by Gracie.
Henry Jr wants to clinch but Gracie slips to the side

and Gracie counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Henry Jr wants to sweep but no luck.
Henry Jr working a defensive guard here.
Henry Jr looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Gracie postures up.
Henry Jr wants to sweep but no luck.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Henry Jr is keeping the position for now.
Henry Jr looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Henry Jr is keeping the position for now.
Gracie works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Henry Jr is defending well.

Gracie is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Henry Jr has managed to free his arm - good work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Henry Jr is looking to control Gracie's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Henry Jr avoid being mounted?

Gracie is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Henry Jr is trying to control but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry Jr is pressing down on Gracie's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Gracie won't allow Henry Jr to sweep him here.
Henry Jr has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Gracie has passed into side control.
Henry Jr sneaks back into half guard.
Gracie is thwarting Henry Jr's attempts to control the position.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Henry Jr is defending well.
Henry Jr trying to control but Gracie postures up.

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

Gracie is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Henry Jr doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Gracie.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Henry Jr is having none of it.
Henry Jr holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but Henry Jr defending well.
Henry Jr moves into full guard.
Henry Jr is pulling down on Gracie's head. It's preventing any offense from Gracie, at least for the moment.
Henry Jr wants to sweep but no luck.
Gracie sitting in guard here, content to control.
Gracie sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Henry Jr's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Henry Jr works his way to full guard. Good work.
Henry Jr is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Henry Jr working a defensive guard here.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Henry Jr swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Henry Jr pulls Gracie in close to prevent any damage.
Gracie advances to half guard.
Henry Jr has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Gracie is working away from the top position though.
Henry Jr is refusing to be controlled, as Gracie sits in half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Henry Jr is looking to improve his position.
Henry Jr slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Royce Gracie dominated that second round.
That's time! Gracie's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

A slow jab from Gracie misses its intended target.
Henry Jr lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Gracie circles away quickly and effectively.
Gracie drops down looking for a counter takedown but Henry Jr sprawls and moves away.

Henry Jr closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Henry Jr tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gracie's elbow.
Gracie is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Henry Jr is keeping busy.
Henry Jr tries to land a knee to the head but Gracie blocks with his arms.
Henry Jr tries to land knees in the clinch but Gracie avoids the damage to the body.
Henry Jr tries to throw a body punch but Gracie avoids it by throwing Henry Jr back against the cage.
Henry Jr tries to land a knee to the head but Gracie blocks with his arms.
Gracie dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Gracie just leaning against Henry Jr, taking a breather.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie stalling against the cage.
Henry Jr misses with a punch to the body.
Gracie is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
The referee is keeping an eye on Gracie - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Royce Gracie.
Henry Jr scores with a jab to the jaw.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Gracie was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Gracie tries to move into full mount but can't pass Henry Jr's legs.
Gracie trying to control the position but Henry Jr is working away.
Gracie moves into full mount!
Royce Gracie overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Henry Jr wants to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
Gracie trying to control but Henry Jr is having none of it.
Gracie is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Henry Jr is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Gracie wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry Jr tries to reverse the position but Gracie maintains control.

Henry Jr defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Gracie.

Henry Jr defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Gracie.
Gracie tries to control but Henry Jr wriggling away.
Henry Jr wants to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
Henry Jr is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Henry Jr is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie moves to the back position.
Henry Jr can't escape the position.

Gracie has the hooks in and he's looking for a rear naked choke here. Henry Jr is defending well but eventually Gracie manages to get an arm under the chin and he's locked on the RNC! Henry Jr has no choice but to tap now! He does! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:36 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Royce Gracie!
Royce Gracie decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.