PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between James Marley (ranked 4015 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Wayne Gracie (ranked 3778 p4p, 0 weight class). Marley's entrance music is Mo Money Mo Problems. A fine choice. Gracie comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Thriller by Michael Jackson kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Marley
vs
Wayne Gracie

197 cm
37
283 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

194 cm
40
269 lbs
20 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, James Marley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Wayne Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Gwen Towbar and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Marley rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Marley takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
James Marley seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gracie uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Marley.
Marley connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Marley lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Gracie has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Gracie and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Gracie has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Gracie connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Marley's hands.
Marley throws a jab when Gracie was well out of range.
A thudding body kick lands there by Gracie!
Marley throws a jab when Gracie was well out of range.
Gracie connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Marley lands with a right hand.
Gracie uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Marley.

Marley has taken the fight to the clinch.
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!
Marley tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Gracie drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Marley gets the underhooks and prevents it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie blocks an uppercut.
Gracie digs a right hand into Marley's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Marley's gas tank.
Gracie lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Marley pushes Gracie back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Marley lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Gracie backwards.
Gracie scores with a shoulder strike.
Gracie cracks Marley with a nice body shot.
Gracie presses Marley against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Marley lands an uppercut.
Gracie gets through Marley's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Gracie lands with a light punch inside.
Gracie lands a good knee to the midsection. Marley won't want to take too many of those.
Marley is breathing heavily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Marley has a couple of punches blocked by Gracie.
Gracie takes a shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marley tries to work over Gracie's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Gracie manages to break the clinch.
Nice body kick from Gracie.
Marley throws a leg kick

and Gracie counters with a single leg into guard. Marley didn't expect that.
Gracie scoring with some ground and pound.
Gracie throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Marley seems keen to control Gracie's posture.
Marley is trying to control the position but Gracie postures up.
Gracie with a flurry of punches that miss.
Marley has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Marley is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Gracie's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throws a big elbow that misses.
Marley trying to control the position here.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Marley keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Marley uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Gracie.
Marley takes a jab right on the kisser.
Gracie takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Marley takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Gracie connects with a body shot.
Gracie comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Gracie stuns Marley with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie digs a good body shot into Marley's ribs.
Gracie fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Marley on the side of the head.
Gracie lands a jab.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gracie scores with a sloppy right hand. Marley should have avoided that one.
Marley misses with a few strikes there.
Nice body punch from Gracie.
Gracie bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

Gracie shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Gracie showed some decent athleticism there.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Gracie is looking for a kimura but Marley is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Gracie to get the leverage.
Marley blocking the ground and pound attempt from Gracie.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Wayne Gracie dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Gracie looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Marley misses with a jab, cross combination.
Marley throws a right hand that Gracie ducks under and follows up with a left that Gracie also avoids with ease.
Gracie is trying to counter with his kicks.
Gracie doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Marley takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Marley enables Gracie to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Marley manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Gracie has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gracie slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Gracie scoring with some ground and pound.
Gracie content to stall in guard here.
Gracie preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Marley swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Marley looking to control.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Marley avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gracie trying to control but Marley is working from the bottom.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Gracie scores with a jab to the body.

That's two 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 connects with a crisp jab.

Marley looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Marley trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.

Gracie looking for a guillotine here but Marley defends easily.

Gracie is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Marley is aware though and is defending well.
Marley has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marley postures up.
Marley won't allow Gracie to sweep him here.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Marley wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

Gracie working for a triangle but Marley defends it easily.
Marley wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

Gracie is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Marley looking to pass the guard.
Marley preventing the sweep.
Marley stands up over Gracie, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Marley wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Marley looking to sit in guard and control but Gracie gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Gracie postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Wayne Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Gracie throws a low kick, looking for Marley's leg but Marley calmly moves out of range.
Gracie looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Gracie is looking to slow Marley down with leg kicks.
Gracie will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Marley scores with a decent looking hook.
Gracie throws a body kick that misses.
Gracie moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Marley lands with a good body shot.
Marley slips under a jab from Gracie.
Marley wants to clinch
and Gracie counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie circles away from the clinch attempt.
Gracie throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Marley.
Marley went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Marley throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Gracie sees it coming and avoids it easily.

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!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marley tries to bench press Gracie off him but Gracie keeps the position.
Marley is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Gracie's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Marley wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.

Gracie is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Gracie working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

That's two 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 working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Gracie working the head and body with strikes.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Gracie in particular looking to stall.

Gracie is trying to work for a kimura but Marley is defending well.
John Wayne Gracie is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Marley wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marley is trying to control but can't.
Marley wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.
Marley moves into full guard.
James Marley has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gracie slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Gracie being controlled here momentarily.

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.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Gracie connects with a leg kick. Marley looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Gracie uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
A jab from Marley misses.
Gracie lands a jab to Marley's midsection.
Marley fails to land with a series of punches.
Marley throws an off balance right hand
and Gracie counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Marley looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Marley on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Gracie throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
John Wayne Gracie seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Marley misses with the body kick
and Gracie counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Wayne Gracie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Gracie has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Wayne Gracie!
After winning the bout, John Wayne Gracie thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.