PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Simon Saez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jonathon 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.

Saez
vs
Gracie

191 cm
21
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
22
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Solid chin

Green Spirit Supplements
Swiss Systems Fight School

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Simon Saez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jonathon Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Cecil Peabody and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Saez takes one to the side of the head.
Saez lands a head kick that stumbles Gracie and the fighters go to the mat.

It looks like Jonathon Gracie has been cut.

Saez decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Gracie, up you get!

Saez has closed the distance and engaged Gracie in a clinch.
Saez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Saez lands a nice knee to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
A short body shot lands from Saez as the two fighters clinch.
Saez misses with a hook from the clinch.
Saez lands a knee to the body.

Saez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Saez clinches with his opponent.

Saez breaks the clinch.
Saez tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.
Saez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Gracie swinging wilding here.

Saez clinches up with Gracie and pushes him back against the cage.
Saez prevents Gracie from breaking the clinch.
Saez connects with a knee to the head.
Saez tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie blocks an elbow strike from Saez.
Gracie blocks the elbow strike.
Saez scores a nice knee to the body.
Saez tries for a takedown but Gracie manages to get underhooks.
Saez tries to land knees in the clinch but Gracie avoids the damage to the body.
Saez using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gracie has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Saez breaks from the clinch.

Saez moves into the clinch.
Saez tries to land a knee to the head but Gracie blocks with his arms.
Saez using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gracie has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Saez is breathing heavily.
Gracie wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Saez using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gracie has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Saez stalling the fight.
Gracie wants to get back to striking at distance but Saez won't allow it.
Saez manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Saez keeps control of Gracie as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Saez keeps control of Gracie as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Saez.
Saez misses with a knee to the head.
Saez looking to throw knees to the head but Gracie is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saez lands with a right to the head.
Saez prevents Gracie from breaking the clinch.
Saez misses with an elbow strike.
A short right from Saez.
Saez throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Saez lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Gracie wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Saez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gracie fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gracie tries to clinch up but Saez circles away and keeps his distance.
Gracie fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Saez clinches up against the cage.

Saez breaks from the clinch.
Gracie circles away from the clinch attempt.

Saez drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Saez drops back looking for a leg! Gracie is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Gracie manages to kick Saez off! Saez jumps back into Gracie's guard.
Gracie really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Saez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Saez stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gracie swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Saez is controlling him.
Gracie is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Saez is looking to work some ground and pound but Gracie has wrist control.

Saez drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Gracie manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Saez has Gracie in his guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they both work up against the meshing.
Gracie prevents Saez from getting back to his feet.

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.
Saez wants to sweep here but Gracie controlling him for the moment.

Gracie avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Gracie is looking to stand up but Saez won't let him.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Saez working for a triangle but Gracie defends it easily.
Gracie wanted to stand there but Saez had control of the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Simon Saez dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jonathon Gracie's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gracie works Saez's body with a nice hook.
Gracie throws a right hand that Saez ducks under and follows up with a left that Saez also avoids with ease.
Gracie throws a leg kick but Saez sees it coming and checks it nicely.
A combination from Gracie does no damage.
The fight stays on the outside here - Saez looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gracie fails to land with a series of punches.
Saez avoids a punch combination nicely.
Saez looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Gracie is fending him off so far but Saez persists. Nope, Gracie circles away and we're back to standing.
Saez shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Gracie as he jumps to the side.
Saez moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.
Saez is looking to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gracie looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gracie throws a right hand that Saez ducks under and follows up with a left that Saez also avoids with ease.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saez fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Simon Saez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie misses with a jab, cross combination.
The fight stays on the outside here - Saez looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gracie misses with a straight left.

Saez has closed the distance and engaged Gracie in a clinch.
Gracie trying to stall but Saez improves his position.
Gracie tries to break the clinch but Saez is controlling the position.
Saez controlling the action here for a moment.
Saez looking to throw knees to the head but Gracie is blocking nicely.
Gracie takes an elbow to the forehead.
Saez misses with an elbow over the top.
Saez lands a nice knee to the body.
Saez scores a nice knee to the body.
With the fighters up against the cage, Saez throws an elbow but misses.

That's two 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.
Saez misses with a knee to the head.
Saez throws a knee to the head but misses.
Saez working aggressively here.
Gracie is trying to stall.
Saez is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Saez throws an elbow but it misses.
Gracie wants to break free but Saez has control.
Gracie tries to break the clinch but Saez is controlling the position.
Saez misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Gracie.
Gracie is trying to break free.
Gracie tries to break the clinch but Saez is controlling the position.
Saez looking to throw knees to the head but Gracie is blocking nicely.
Saez misses with an elbow strike.
Saez throws a knee to the head but misses.
Saez prevents Gracie from breaking the clinch.
Saez misses with a knee to the head.
A left hand lands to the body for Saez.
Saez tries to land a knee to the head but Gracie blocks with his arms.
A bit of stalling here from Saez.
Saez lands a left hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saez throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Gracie on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Saez breaks from the clinch.
Saez tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.
Saez throws a head kick that Gracie semi-blocks.

Saez drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Saez passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Gracie is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Saez asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Saez postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Gracie is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

Saez tries for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is not content to let Saez control the position.

Saez tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Saez has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Gracie is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Saez is controlling him well.

Saez thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Simon Saez dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Jonathon Gracie's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Saez shoots in but no luck this time.
Saez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Saez looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Gracie!
Gracie is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

Saez is working for a guillotine from mount but Gracie frees his head quite easily.
Gracie really wants to buck Saez off and get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Saez is working for a guillotine from mount but Gracie frees his head quite easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.

Saez looking to secure an arm triangle but Gracie defends it well.

Saez working for a submission but Gracie is keeping him at bay.
Gracie tries to buck Saez off but he can't manage it.

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.

Saez jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Gracie manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Saez tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Gracie is looking to get back to his feet here but Saez is keeping cool and he's managed to take Gracie's back.

Saez goes for a risky armbar from back mount and it's not paid off. Gracie escapes and is now in half guard on top.

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

Saez looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Saez kicks Gracie off and gets back to his feet.

Saez has managed to clinch.
Saez with a knee to the head.
Gracie blocks an elbow strike from Saez.
Saez pressing his opponent against the cage.

Saez breaks from the clinch.
Saez wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saez tries to clinch up but Gracie circles away and keeps his distance.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt
and Saez counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Gracie is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Gracie is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Saez clinches up against the cage.
Saez tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Gracie is trying to break free.
Jonathon Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Saez softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
The is referee keeping an eye on Saez - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

Saez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Saez tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie throws a left and a right that both miss

and Saez moves into the clinch.
Gracie tries to break the clinch but Saez is controlling the position.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Saez.
Gracie can't break the clinch.

Saez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Saez showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Gracie.

And that's the end of the fight!
Simon Saez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Saez 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:25
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:25
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Simon Saez!