PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rollin Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rollin Gracie had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Gracie
vs
Sanchez

175 cm
22
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

185 cm
23
175 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Rollin Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Dan Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, James Glass and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Sanchez is pressing down on Gracie's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Gracie stops Sanchez from standing up.
Gracie thows a big elbow that misses.
Gracieis looking to pass into half guard but Sanchez pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Sanchez is in guard.
Gracie utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sanchez must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Sanchez won't allow Gracie to sweep him here.

Sanchez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sanchez with a nice head shot there.
Gracie working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sanchez.

Sanchez drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Sanchez jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Gracie escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sanchez gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Sanchez in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sanchez stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.

Gracie has an active guard here but Sanchez has managed to pass into half guard.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Sanchez seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gracie does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Sanchez lands strikes from half guard.
Gracie tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Sanchez is keen to just control but Gracie is a slippery customer.

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 looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Sanchez landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Sanchez working Gracie over with strikes.
Sanchez prevents Gracie from improving his position.
Sanchez with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Sanchez lands strikes from half guard.
Sanchez is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Gracie taking some punishment here, with Sanchez in his half guard.

Sanchez stands up from half guard.
Gracie takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez lands a head kick!
Sanchez tries to bum rush Gracie with a series of wild strikes but Gracie uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Sanchez misses with a takedown

and Gracie counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Sanchez's guard now.

Gracie drops back, looking for a kneebar! Sanchez looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Sanchez looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Sanchez!
Gracie tries to improve position but can't.
Sanchez creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Gracie regains half guard.
Sanchez throwing shots but Gracie is blocking nicely.
Gracie moves into full guard.
Gracie is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez tries to kick Gracie off but Gracie keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Gracie landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Sanchez regains full guard. Nicely done.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Sanchez will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Sanchez wants to stand up but Gracie is controlling him.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Gracie got a little sloppy there for a moment and Sanchez has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Gracie has managed to get both his arms back between Sanchez's legs - danger averted.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie with a flurry of punches that miss.
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 Rollin Gracie will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Gracie fails with the takedown

and Sanchez counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Gracie thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Sanchez preventing the sweep.

Gracie working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Sanchez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Sanchez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Sanchez gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Sanchez gets a takedown into half guard.
Sanchez thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gracie tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sanchez is trying to control. Gracie wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back.
Sanchez lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Gracie is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sanchez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Gracie shoots for a takedown but Sanchez saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Dan Sanchez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gracie shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

so Sanchez counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rollin Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez thows a big elbow that misses.
Gracie looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Gracie being controlled here, momentarily.
Gracie tries to strike from the bottom.

Gracie working for a triangle but Sanchez defends it easily.
Sanchez lands a couple of digs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Gracie is looking for a triangle but Sanchez pushes his legs off easily.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Sanchez lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Gracie striking off his back but it's not causing Sanchez any problems.
Sanchez scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

Gracie looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Sanchez from controlling successfully.
Gracie trying to strike off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Sanchez accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Sanchez trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Sanchez throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Gracie was covering up waiting for the punch and Sanchez finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Sanchez lands a couple of digs.
Sanchez stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
Sanchez keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Gracie's head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Sanchez controlling him for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Sanchez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Sanchez shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Gracie is trying desperately to improve position.
Sanchez landing strikes from the mount and Gracie is in trouble!
A nice elbow there by Sanchez.
Gracie regains half guard.
Gracie manages to get to full guard.
Gracie manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Sanchez manages to get himself to full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sanchez looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Gracie throwing strikes but missing.
Sanchez trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Sanchez not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gracie is looking to work some ground and pound but Sanchez has wrist control.
Gracie throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sanchez works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Sanchez looking for a guillotine here but Gracie defends easily.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Sanchez fails with a takedown attempt.
Gracie steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Sanchez.

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 gets the takedown into side control.
Sanchez can't do much from the bottom here.
Sanchez is looking to regain half guard here but Gracie keeps moving and retains side control.
Gracie landing strikes.
Sanchez tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Gracie tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez tries to get back to half guard but can't.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Sanchez wants to clinch.
Sanchez wants to clinch up but Gracie keeps it at a distance.
Sanchez is looking to clinch but Gracie is avoiding it.

Gracie drives through with a takedown into guard.
Sanchez keeping full guard, as Gracie tries to pass.
Sanchez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez lands a good elbow from the bottom.
Sanchez trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Sanchez has momentary wrist control but Gracie slips an elbow through the middle.
Gracie passes Sanchez's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Gracie seems to be looking for submissions.
Sanchez throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Gracie lands with a punch from half guard.
Sanchez is trying to get back to full guard.
Gracie moves into full mount! Sanchez won't be happy about that!
Gracie landing strikes, looking to finish!
A nice elbow there by Gracie.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rollin Gracie showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Gracie has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Paul Tew scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28

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