PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Kelvin Keenan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rorst Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie has chosen Buttons as his entrance music. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Keenan
vs
Gracie

156 cm
24
136 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

173 cm
22
155 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kelvin Keenan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rorst Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Ben Zyskovitsi and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A right-left combo lands from Gracie.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gracie. Keenan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Gracie misses with the combination.
Gracie changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Gracie throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Keenan.
Gracie misses with a straight right.
Gracie misses with a few strikes there.
Keenan uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Gracie.
Gracie looks to score with a jab to the body but Keenan is just out of range.

Keenan clinches up against the cage.
Gracie prevents the takedown attempt.

Gracie breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Keenan throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Gracie stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie needs to keep his hands up - Keenan had a free shot at his head there.
Keenan keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Gracie.
Keenan moves out of range as Gracie strikes.
A telegraphed right hand from Keenan misses the target.
Keenan circles away from the clinch attempt

and Keenan counters with a nice double leg into side control. Gracie won't be happy with that.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Keenan keeps moving and retains side control.
Keenan working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
The strikes coming from Keenan are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Gracie is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
An elbow from Keenan crashes against the mat.
Keenan tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Gracie takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Keenan tries to score with some ground and pound. Gracie controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.

Keenan tries for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.
Gracie can't do much from the bottom here.
Gracie is trying to improve his position.
Keenan tries to advance to mount but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ground and pound from Keenan seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

Keenan is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Gracie is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Keenan is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Gracie knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Gracie parries the strikes from Keenan easily there. Keenan is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Gracie to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie dodges the ground and pound from Keenan.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Keenan working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

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.
Keenan taking a breather here.
Gracie parries the strikes from Keenan easily there. Keenan is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Gracie to escape.
Keenan trying to control the action but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Keenan throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Gracie works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Keenan is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kelvin Keenan dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Keenan walks into a jab.
Gracie stalks Keenan and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Keenan's face. Keenan staggers backwards, shaken.
Keenan uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Gracie.
Keenan changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Gracie tries to avoid it but Keenan manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Gracie to the ground. Gracie escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Keenan uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Gracie.
Gracie throws a shot from downtown. Keenan moves away and avoids it.
Gracie tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Keenan was well out of range. Poor timing from Gracie.
A slow jab from Gracie misses its intended target.
Keenan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Gracie jabs at Keenan's body.
Gracie gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
letting Keenan counter with a right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keenan keeps the fight on the outside.
Gracie swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Keenan counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Keenan.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Keenan is looking to advance position but Gracie has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Keenan is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

Gracie moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Keenan has worked his arm free - good work by Keenan!
Keenan sneaks back into half guard.
Keenan avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Gracie.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keenan moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Keenan swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Keenan not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Keenan has a closed guard, preventing Gracie from standing up.
Gracie forces his way into half guard.
Gracie tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Keenan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Keenan looking for submissions off his back.

Gracie is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Gracie thows a huge punch but Keenan dodges it nicely.
Gracie trying to control from half guard but Keenan is working away.

Keenan is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Gracie pulls his head out easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Keenan wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy.
Gracie is keen to just control but Keenan is a slippery customer.
Keenan is looking to improve his position.
Keenan trying to control but Gracie postures up.
Gracie wants to stand but Keenan has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rorst Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Gracie misses with a hook.
Gracie throws a sloppy body shot

and Keenan counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Gracie's guard now.
Keenan is pushing down on Gracie's leg trying to pass to half guard. Gracie is fighting to maintain full guard but Keenan has managed to sneak the leg through.
Gracie moves into full guard.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Keenan controlling him for the moment.
Keenan keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Gracie's head.
Gracie keeping full guard, as Keenan tries to pass.
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Keenan accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Keenan has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Gracie has momentary wrist control but Keenan slips an elbow through the middle.
Keenan thows a big elbow that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Keenan wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Keenan preventing the sweep.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Keenan looking to sit in guard and control but Gracie gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Keenan has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control but Keenan is working from the bottom.
Keenan looking to control.
Keenan 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.
Keenan might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Keenan keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Gracie must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Rorst Gracie was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Gracie falls off balance throwing a combination

and Keenan counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Gracie's guard now.
Keenan trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keenan stands and throws Gracie's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Keenan tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Keenan here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Keenan throws an elbow but Gracie slips to the side and avoids it well.
Keenan tries to move to mount but Gracie blocks the move with his legs.
Keenan prevents Gracie from escaping the position.

Keenan tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Keenan has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Gracie prevents Keenan from improving position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Gracie tries to escape but Keenan is in control.
Kelvin Keenan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Keenan throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Keenan is trying to ground and pound but Gracie uses the momentary lack of control by Keenan to regain half guard.
Keenan is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Gracie!
Gracie is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Keenan working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Gracie tries to buck Keenan off but he can't manage it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kelvin Keenan showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Keenan 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kelvin Keenan!