PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rickson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rob Kelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kelly has chosen R Kelly - Real talk as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Gracie
vs
Kelly

187 cm
28
185 lbs
11 - 12 - 0

180 cm
21
178 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Phoenix Nutrition - 158 recovery $99

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 11 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rickson Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rob Kelly!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Felipe Paraventi and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kelly misses with a hook
enabling Gracie to counter with a crisp jab.
Gracie ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Kelly lands with a hook. Gracie tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Gracie displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Kelly throws out the jab.
Gracie gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Kelly jabs Gracie right on the nose. Gracie blinks but takes it well.
Left hook, right uppercut from Kelly.
Gracie throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gracie connects with a looping right hand.
Gracie staying out of range there.
Gracie is looking to clinch but Kelly is avoiding it.
Kelly rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Gracie counters by moving into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly blocks a body shot from Gracie.
Gracie swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kelly can't break the clinch.
Kelly tries to circle away but Gracie has him pinned against the cage.
Kelly can't break the clinch.
Kelly is trying to stall.
Kelly has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Gracie takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Kelly wants to break the clinch but can't.
Gracie is working for takedown but Kelly is calmly controlling the position for now.
Kelly wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Gracie lands a nice shot to the body.
Gracie tries to break the clinch but Kelly is controlling the position.
Gracie wants a takedown but no success here.
Kelly has had enough of the clinch but Gracie keeps him there for the moment.
Kelly is trying to break the clinch but Gracie has him pressed against the cage.
A right hook to the body lands for Gracie.

Gracie has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Kelly is trying to keep an underhook but Gracie manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Gracie frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Gracie pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

Gracie is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Kelly has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Kelly!
Kelly with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kelly gets to his feet. Gracie looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Kelly throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Gracie connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Rob Kelly is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Gracie looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Gracie prevents Kelly from improving his position.
Kelly wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy.
Gracie missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is pressing down on Kelly's thigh, looking to free his foot. Kelly is holding on for now.
Nice strikes from Gracie there.
Kelly pushes Gracie off looking to stand but Gracie dives back in and keeps control.
Gracie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Kelly is trying to control but can't.
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 Rickson Gracie will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Nice defenses there by Gracie.
Gracie slips under a jab.
Rickson Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gracie misses with a few strikes there.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Kelly tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Kelly manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Kelly lands a nice shot to the body.
Kelly misses with a wild body shot.
Nice uppercut lands for Kelly. That snapped Gracie's head back.
Kelly circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kelly lands with a cross.
Kelly thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly missing with a left hand there. Gracie was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
The crowd cheers as Kelly lands an impressive looking overhand right. Gracie doesn't seem phased though.
Kelly misses with a right hand
and Gracie counters with a straight right hand.
Gracie misses with a wild combination.
Kelly with a nice cross.
Gracie misses with a hook.
Gracie uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Kelly.
Gracie throws a combination that misses
and Kelly makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Gracie avoids the body shot from Kelly.
Kelly throws out a powerful jab.
Kelly misses with a hook
and Gracie counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Kelly circles away easily
and Kelly counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kelly misses with a shot to the body

and Gracie counters with a takedown into side control.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Kelly can't do much from the bottom here.
Kelly is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Gracie has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Kelly is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kelly manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Kelly keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Kelly sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gracie defending well though.
Kelly uses his free foot to push down on Gracie's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Gracie.
Kelly sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Let's hope that Kelly has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelly lands a nice shot to the head.
Kelly landing shots from mount.
Gracie working to try and regain half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kelly lands with some strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rob Kelly 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! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Kelly misses with an uppercut
and Gracie counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kelly throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Gracie counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Kelly!
Kelly manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Kelly is trying to get back to full guard.
Kelly moves into full guard.
Gracie works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kelly has one foot on Gracie's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown but Kelly manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Gracie's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Rob Kelly seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gracie slips under a jab from Kelly.
Gracie swinging wildly here.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kelly throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gracie misses with a body shot.
Gracie is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
A slow jab from Kelly misses its intended target.
Gracie defending well as Kelly loads up on a big left hand.
Gracie steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kelly.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Kelly misses with a straight right.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but Kelly shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rickson Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie connects with a right hand. Kelly shakes it off.
Kelly misses with a body shot.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kelly lands a nice looking body shot.
Kelly scores with a crisp jab that stopped Gracie in his tracks.
Kelly pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Kelly throws an overhand right that lands on Gracie's shoulder, as Gracie tries to avoid the shot.
Gracie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Kelly is fending him off so far but Gracie persists. Nope, Kelly circles away and we're back to standing.
Gracie ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kelly.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Kelly sprawls well. Kelly wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Gracie gets slowly back to his feet.
Kelly misses with a straight right.
Kelly lands a slapping body shot.
Kelly looks to land a left hand but Gracie moved out of range nicely.
Gracie moves away from the strike by Kelly.
Gracie on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Gracie takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Gracie moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelly is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gracie.
Kelly throws a jab when Gracie was well out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Kelly misses the target.
Gracie tries to work over Kelly's front leg with a kick but Kelly checks it.
Gracie looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Kelly scores with a decent looking hook.
Kelly slips a straight right by Gracie.
Kelly lands a nice looking body shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kelly fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Gracie looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kelly connects with a body shot that sends Gracie's belly button to the back.
Kelly ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gracie moves away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rob Kelly comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Kelly has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rob Kelly!