PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Roberto Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael McCready (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Michael McCready acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Gracie
vs
McCready

180 cm
28
181 lbs
9 - 10 - 0

165 cm
26
180 lbs
9 - 6 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Good gas tank

GTI - 1337 sponsors VERSUS

ĄFFĄKĘTIΘN

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 9 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Roberto Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Michael McCready!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Paul Tew and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
McCready fails with the takedown.
Nice defenses there by McCready.
Gracie throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Gracie scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Gracie wants to land a leg kick but McCready is out of range.
A bone on bone clash there as McCready blocks the leg kick.
Gracie's jab looks to have found its range, popping McCready under the eye.
Gracie ducks down and throws a hook to the body but McCready moves away.
Gracie misses with a two punch combination.
McCready cracks Gracie with a good jab.
Gracie throws a body punch but McCready moves out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gracie. McCready does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCready takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
A nice combination there by Gracie.
Gracie keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Gracie misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Sloppy strikes from Gracie. Those never looked like landing.
Gracie fails in his attempt to clinch.

McCready closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.
Gracie keeping hold of McCready's head, controlling as best he can.
Gracie is trying to stand up here but McCready is controlling him well.
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.
McCready working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Gracie's thigh. Gracie counters though and makes it back to full guard.
McCready throwing strikes but missing.
McCready trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
McCready in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Gracie avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gracie bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in McCready's guard.
Gracie postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
McCready is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Gracie wants to control from the top but McCready keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCready tries to land a sweep but no joy.

McCready pushes Gracie off and scrambles back to his feet.
The fighters circle momentarily. McCready darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Roberto Gracie is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
McCready slips a straight right by Gracie.
Some wild striking there from Gracie.
McCready moves out of range of the body kick.

McCready darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
McCready thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gracie's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie won't allow McCready to pass to mount.
McCready looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Gracie with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
McCready working the head and body with strikes.
McCready throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
McCready passes to side control.
Gracie is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Gracie makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
A nice leg kick lands there from Gracie.
McCready's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Gracie connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! McCready scrambles back to his feet.
Gracie tries to bum rush McCready with a series of wild strikes but McCready uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
McCready shoots for a takedown but Gracie saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
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 Roberto Gracie will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Gracie throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

McCready shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Gracie manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
McCready stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
Gracie trying to control the position.
McCready is looking to work some ground and pound but Gracie has wrist control.
McCready stops Gracie from standing up.
McCready postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
McCready trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Gracie is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
McCready really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Gracie. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCready is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
McCready is staying active underneath Gracie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Gracie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Michael McCready has got the better of the ground game so far.

Gracie is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
McCready is trying to get back to full guard.
McCready has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Gracie is working away from the top position though.
Nice strikes from Gracie there.
McCready wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy.

Gracie decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

McCready drives through with a takedown into guard.
Gracie preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McCready passes into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Gracie has one foot on McCready's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

McCready fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Gracie to the ground. McCready is now in Gracie's guard.
Gracie 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.
McCready with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
McCready must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
McCready works over Gracie with some ground and pound from guard.
Gracie wants to sweep but no luck.
McCready with a flurry of punches that miss.
McCready wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

Gracie pushes McCready off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCready avoids the body shot from Gracie.
Roberto Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gracie wants to land a leg kick but McCready is out of range.
Gracie rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but McCready moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
McCready takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
McCready showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Gracie.
Gracie misses with a body kick.
Gracie lets loose with a powerful body kick. McCready will feel that in the morning.

McCready shoots in and bounces Gracie off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Gracie 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.
Gracie will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McCready is in close to Gracie's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Gracie looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Gracie is looking to stand up but McCready isn't so interested in that idea.
McCready throwing strikes from guard but Gracie blocks nicely.
Gracie preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gracie working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from McCready.

Gracie is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie tries to land knees in the clinch but McCready avoids the damage to the body.
McCready is looking to take this one to the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Michael McCready will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

McCready slips under a jab.
McCready avoids a punch combination nicely.
Gracie throws an uppercut from half a mile away. McCready sees it coming and avoids it easily.

McCready closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Gracie did well to prevent McCready getting side control.
McCready prevents Gracie from standing back up.
Gracie moves into full guard.
McCready scoring with some ground and pound.
Gracie doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Gracie manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Gracie throws a solid leg kick but McCready takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Gracie.
Gracie throws a series of punches but McCready avoids them all with ease.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie throws a one two combo.
McCready slips a jab and a cross from Gracie.
McCready fails with the takedown.
Gracie misses the jab.

McCready shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Gracie is trying to defend but McCready finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Gracie is refusing to be controlled, as McCready sits in half guard.
Gracie is trying to defend against the ground and pound but McCready scores with a couple of nice shots.
Gracie gets full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McCready working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
McCready working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.
McCready stops Gracie from standing up.
Gracie working a defensive guard here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie wants to sweep but no luck.
McCready lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
McCready with a flurry of punches that miss.

Gracie is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
McCready with a flurry of punches that miss.
McCready wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCready advances position into side control!
McCready landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

McCready is trying to get an arm triangle but Gracie is defending well.
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on McCready's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
McCready passes to full mount!
Gracie regains half guard.
McCready wants to control but Gracie is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to stand.
McCready not landing any meaningful shots this time.
McCready wants to pass to mount but Gracie is defending the position.
Gracie avoiding damage under a succession of punches from McCready.
McCready looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Gracie is looking to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
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!
McCready thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gracie's head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie is looking to escape.
Gracie tries to roll over but McCready keeps him under control.
McCready is trying to control the action in half guard but Gracie is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michael McCready comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think McCready 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 29:29
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Michael McCready!
A relieved looking Michael McCready thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.