PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Xorio Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Devon James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Devon James has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Gracie
vs
James

177 cm
21
170 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

183 cm
19
179 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Xorio Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Devon James!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Donatello Bradman and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice straight punches there by James. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of James.
James throws a body punch but Gracie moves out of range.
James throws a leg kick that is checked
and Gracie counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
James tries to clinch
letting Gracie counter with a right hand.
No luck with that takedown attempt from James.
James rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Gracie moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
James scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Gracie doesn't seem bothered though.
James shoots in but no luck this time.

James darts in and clinches Gracie up against the cage.
James pushes Gracie back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Gracie stops a takedown attempt from James.
Xorio Gracie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Devon James.
James is stalling here.
James wants a takedown but no success here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
James is stalling here.
Gracie trying to stall but James improves his position.
Gracie is pressed up against the cage. James has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Gracie down to the mat. Gracie avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
James changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Gracie tries to avoid it but James manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Gracie to the ground. Gracie escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
James slips a jab and a cross from Gracie.
James shoots in but Gracie avoids the takedown attempt easily.
James connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Gracie's hands.

James shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
James slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
James trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. James defends it easily.
James passes into half guard.

Gracie is defending against the submission attempts here by James.

James seems to be looking for submissions.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

James stands up from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James looks to clinch
and Gracie counters with a three punch combo that has James backing up. James nods at Gracie to acknowledge the strikes.
James tries to close the distance and clinch but Gracie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nice takedown defense from Gracie. No joy for James on that attempt.
James changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

James looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Gracie!
Gracie really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
James controlling the pace for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Gracie actively working from the bottom here.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
James is nestled in close to Gracie, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

James decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
James throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Gracie counters with a big head kick but James shrugs it off.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from James.
James scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie avoids the body shot from James.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Devon James dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

James is looking to clinch but Gracie is avoiding it.
James moves to clinch but Gracie breaks away
and Gracie counters with a flying knee. Nice.
James shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Gracie pinned against the cage. Gracie gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
James scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

It looks like Xorio Gracie has been cut.
James tries to clinch but Gracie moves out of range.
James throws a solid leg kick but Gracie takes the impact on his shin and smiles at James.
James moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.
James is looking to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Gracie takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
James tries to clinch up but Gracie circles away and keeps his distance.
Xorio Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

James closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
James cracks Gracie with a big right hand but Gracie just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

James has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
James is looking to clinch.
James throws a nice inside leg kick.

James changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Gracie looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
James grinds an elbow into Gracie's temple.

James tries for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
James scores with a couple of short elbows.
James connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Gracie some visible discomfort.

James wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Gracie, who protects the arm well.

James is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Gracie has escaped the position, nice work there.
James advances to mount.
James breaks from Gracie's wrist control and lands an elbow.
James can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Gracie is looking to escape.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James dominating with strikes here.

James is working for a guillotine from mount but Gracie frees his head quite easily.
James wants to control the pace but Gracie is squirming around nicely.
James controlling from the full mount.
James tries to control but Gracie wriggling away.
Gracie wants to hold on but James pushes him away.
James moves to take his opponent's back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
James lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

James is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Gracie is defending well though. James let's go of the attempt for now.
Devon James has got the better of the ground game so far.
James has good solid back control here.

James is cranking Gracie's head sideways - that looks painful. He's managed to get his other arm under the chin and this looks bad for Gracie! He's tightened the choke and Gracie is tapping out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:45 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Devon James!