PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between DATU LAPULAPU (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Relson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

LAPULAPU
vs
Gracie

178 cm
18
173 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
180 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Very confident

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, DATU LAPULAPU!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Relson Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Kenichi Hosakawa and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

LAPULAPU gets caught flat footed, as Gracie shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

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

LAPULAPU escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but LAPULAPU is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Gracie thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. LAPULAPU is keeping the position for now.
Gracie wants to control from the top but LAPULAPU keeps moving.

LAPULAPU 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 trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but LAPULAPU is keeping the position.
Gracie controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
LAPULAPU has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Gracie has passed into side control.
LAPULAPU tries to improve position but can't.
Gracie moves into full mount!

Gracie wants to finish this one by submission but LAPULAPU is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Gracie.
Gracie controlling the position easily from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
LAPULAPU is trying to escape the mount.
LAPULAPU is breathing heavily.

Gracie looking for a guillotine from mount but LAPULAPU is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
LAPULAPU is desperately trying to improve his position but Gracie has a good base and remains in mount.
Gracie takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
LAPULAPU is looking to get to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
LAPULAPU is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Gracie sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

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 goes for an armbar but LAPULAPU turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from LAPULAPU.

LAPULAPU thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Gracie holds on and takes a little breather.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Relson Gracie hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

LAPULAPU tries to sprawl but Gracie drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Gracie is trying to control the action in half guard but LAPULAPU is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
LAPULAPU is in trouble now - Gracie has advanced to mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Relson Gracie dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Gracie drives through with a takedown into guard.
Gracie is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Gracie trying to control but LAPULAPU is working from the bottom.

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

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

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. LAPULAPU is keeping the position for now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Gracie stands and throws LAPULAPU's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Gracie controlling the position from side mount.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
LAPULAPU is looking for a sweep.
Gracie is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Gracie trying to control the position but LAPULAPU is working away.
Gracie in side control, just content to control the action for now.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie taking a breather here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but LAPULAPU keeps working.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Gracie tries to move to mount but LAPULAPU blocks the move with his legs.
LAPULAPU manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Gracie is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four 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 is defending against the submission attempts here by LAPULAPU.

Gracie actively working from the bottom here.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

LAPULAPU looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

LAPULAPU wants to work for an arm triangle but Gracie is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Relson Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

A momentary lapse in concentration from LAPULAPU enables Gracie to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. LAPULAPU manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Gracie's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Gracie trying to control but LAPULAPU is working from the bottom.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. LAPULAPU swivels though and keeps the full guard.
LAPULAPU looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Gracie puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Gracie seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but LAPULAPU does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Gracie moves into full mount! LAPULAPU won't be happy about that!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gracie controlling his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
LAPULAPU regains half guard.
Gracie prevents LAPULAPU from improving his position.
Relson Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gracie not doing much here.
Gracie is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. LAPULAPU is keeping the position for now.

LAPULAPU working for submissions but it's allowed Gracie to get to half guard.
Gracie controlling the action here.

LAPULAPU actively working from the bottom here.
Well, if Gracie is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
LAPULAPU is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Gracie is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for LAPULAPU!
Gracie controlling the position easily from mount.

Gracie working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

Gracie is going oldschool here, as he tries to force LAPULAPU to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so LAPULAPU shrugs it off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie content just to control the position here.
LAPULAPU is working to get back to half guard.
Gracie controlling from the full mount.
LAPULAPU is wriggling around trying to escape.

And that's the end of the fight!
Relson 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 27:30

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