PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Belle Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tim Sham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Belle Gracie has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Gracie
vs
Sham

171 cm
25
136 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

170 cm
22
140 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Belle Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tim Sham!
The judges for this bout are , Jack Bonds and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Gracie looking for a takedown.
Sham prevents a takedown attempt there.
Gracie looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Belle Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Sham gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Gracie is working for takedown but Sham is calmly controlling the position for now.
Gracie wants a takedown but no success here.
Gracie managing to block the knees to the body from Sham.

Sham pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gracie with a poor takedown
letting Sham counter with a right hand.
Gracie wants to clinch but Sham slips to the side
and Sham counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Gracie shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
enabling Sham to counter with a crisp jab.

Sham moves into range and clinches up with Gracie.

Sham jumps guard and drags Gracie to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Sham pulls Gracie in to control the position.

Gracie drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Sham manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Gracie has Sham in his guard.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Gracie can't keep his opponent in guard - Sham advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sham takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Sham missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Gracie is trying to get back to full guard.
Sham controlling the action here.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Tim Sham.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Sham counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sham is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Gracie is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Sham pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Sham breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sham fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.

Sham closes the distance and pushes Gracie back into the cage.
Gracie drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Sham pulls guard.
Sham has Gracie pulled in close to control his posture.
Let's hope that Sham 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.

Gracie got a little sloppy there for a moment and Sham has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Gracie has managed to get both his arms back between Sham's legs - danger averted.
Sham managing to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sham bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Gracie's guard.

Sham decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Gracie, up you get!
Sham misses with a hook. Gracie ducked under it nicely.
Belle Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
That kick from Sham tenderised Gracie's leg. Gracie is trying to keep his angry face on.

Sham gets the takedown into side control.
Sham is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Sham advances to full mount.
Gracie can't escape the position.
Sham content just to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Sham is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Gracie can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Sham sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

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

That's five minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Sham.
Sham lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Gracie hang on?

Sham stands up from mount. Strange move.

Sham closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Gracie quickly recovers to half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Sham in particular looking to stall.
It looks like Sham might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Sham thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gracie's head.
Sham frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Sham controlling from the full mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's six minutes gone in the round.

Sham jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Gracie manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Sham works to advance to full mount. Gracie defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Sham controlling the pace for now.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Sham looking to control and managing it successfully.

Sham quickly switches position and commits to an armbar! It's a big risk for Sham but it's paid off an Gracie is forced to tap! Nice work by Sham.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 7:41 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Tim Sham!