PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gabriel Popinksi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Royce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Popinksi comes into the arena with My Life blaring out of the sound system. Gracie has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Gabriel Popinksi had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Popinksi
vs
Gracie

191 cm
21
214 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

210 cm
22
200 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Gabriel Popinksi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Royce Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, John Roberts and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Popinksi moves into the clinch successfully.
Gracie stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Gracie has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Popinksi is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Popinksi manages to break the clinch.
Popinksi tries to clinch but Gracie is having none of it.

Popinksi shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Gracie's guard.
Gracie looks gassed!
Gracie has a closed guard, preventing Popinksi from standing up.
Popinksi is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Popinksi gets to his feet - Gracie follows without any prompting.
Popinksi looks for the body kick but Gracie saw that one coming.
Popinksi misses with a few strikes there.
Popinksi scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Gracie doesn't seem bothered though.

Popinksi feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popinksi tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.
Popinksi seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Popinksi has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Popinksi from controlling successfully.
Popinksi would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Popinksi is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Popinksi makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Popinksi's corner is telling him to maintain position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Gabriel Popinksi.
Nice sprawl there from Gracie as Popinksi shoots in.

Popinksi moves into the clinch.

Popinksi jumps guard.
Popinksi might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Popinksi manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gracie manages to get himself to full guard.
Popinksi trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Gracie looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popinksi controlling from the top position.
Gracie is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Gracie is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Popinksi tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.
Popinksi loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Popinksi from controlling successfully.
Gracie working a defensive guard but Popinksi passes into half guard.
Popinksi 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.
Popinksi takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Gracie clinches but Popinksi breaks the clinch
and Popinksi connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Popinksi closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Gracie did well to prevent Popinksi getting side control.
Gracie is pressing down on Popinksi's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Popinksi loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gracie trying to keep a closed guard but Popinksi is proving a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Popinksi dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Royce Gracie's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

No luck with that takedown attempt from Gracie.
Some wild striking there from Popinksi.

Gracie gets caught flat footed, as Popinksi shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Popinksi won't allow Gracie to get back to his feet.
Popinksi trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Popinksi stops Gracie from standing up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Popinksi from controlling successfully.

Popinksi stands and steps away. Gracie gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popinksi shoots and misses

and Gracie counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Gracie pushes down on Popinksi's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Popinksi trying to control here.
Popinksi is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Gracie jumps into side control!
Popinksi is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Gracie laying and praying for a moment but Popinksi takes advantage and regains half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throwing shots but Popinksi is blocking nicely.
Gracie trying to control the action but Popinksi is working from the bottom.
Popinksi wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Gracie keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popinksi tries to kick Gracie off but Gracie keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Gracie drops an elbow to the side of Popinksi's head.
Gabriel Popinksi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Nice sprawl there from Gracie as Popinksi shoots in.
Popinksi pivots, looking for a leg kick but Gracie is out of range and Popinksi settles back down.
Gabriel Popinksi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Popinksi doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Gracie counters with a leg kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gabriel Popinksi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Popinksi looks for a takedown but Gracie sprawls well.
Gracie shoots in and drives through. Popinksi sprawls well.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Gracie was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to control but Popinksi wriggling away.
Popinksi tries to lock up and control but Gracie gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Gracie blocks Popinksi's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Gracie prevents Popinksi from getting the reversal.
Popinksi swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Popinksi to control.
Popinksi is looking to get to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Royce Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Royce Gracie's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Gracie stuffs the takedown.
Gracie looks to clinch

and Popinksi counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Gracie!
Popinksi scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Popinksi throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Gracie because Popinksi loaded up on that one.
Popinksi trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Gracie is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gracie is looking to improve his position but Popinksi isn't that keen on the idea.
Popinksi controlling from the full mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie is working to get back to half guard.
Popinksi thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Popinksi putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Popinksi avoids the attempt from Gracie to control.
Popinksi with good strikes from the mount here!
Popinksi looking to control but Gracie is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

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.
Gracie wants to hold on but Popinksi pushes him away.
Gracie sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Popinksi wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
Popinksi wants to get back to his feet.
Popinksi passes to side control.
Popinksi remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popinksi with the ground and pound but Gracie regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.

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.
Gracie is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Popinksi's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Popinksi's back!
Gracie looking to hold on to the position here but Popinksi rolls and ends up regaining guard.
Popinksi wants to stand and escape but Gracie is having none of it.
Popinksi is controlling Gracie's posture.
Popinksi wants to control the position but Gracie says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Popinksi wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gabriel Popinksi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Popinksi 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 Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gabriel Popinksi!