PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Assurio Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tony Rizzo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie's entrance music is Ralek Gracie Freestyle.... A fine choice. Tony Rizzo has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Gracie
vs
Rizzo

175 cm
25
175 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

188 cm
19
170 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Catch Clothing
KrakHeaD Nutrition

KrakHeaD Nutrition
[CBK] The Smashwear Corporation

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Assurio Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tony Rizzo!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Alan Glass and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rizzo bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Rizzo working away.
Gracie might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Rizzo in side control, just content to control the action for now.
It looks like Rizzo 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.
You can see the frustration on Gracie's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Rizzo 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.
Gracie wants to get back to his feet but Rizzo drags him back down.
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard.

Rizzo decides to stand back up. Rizzo steps back and let's Gracie get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie misses with a wild combination.
Gracie fails with the takedown
and Rizzo counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Rizzo drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Rizzo is chipping away with strikes.

Rizzo decides to stand back up.
Gracie misses with a double jab.

Rizzo forces Gracie back against the cage and clinches.

Rizzo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Gracie stuffs the takedown attempt from Rizzo. Rizzo gets slowly back to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Gracie instigates a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rizzo gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Gracie tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Rizzo thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gracie's head.
Gracie trying to control here.
Gracie pushes Rizzo off looking to stand but Rizzo dives back in and keeps control.
Gracie won't allow Rizzo to pass to mount.
Gracie regains full guard. Nicely done.
Gracie trying to control the position.

Gracie pushes Rizzo off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rizzo takes the fight into the clinch.

Rizzo gets control of Gracie's arms and successfully pulls guard. Rizzo will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Gracie is stalling in the full guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Rizzo looking for a sweep. Not yet Rizzo, not yet.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Rizzo keeps moving.
Gracie preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gracie stands up and waves to Rizzo to follow him.
Gracie tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Gracie wants to clinch.
Rizzo scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Gracie dives in and grabs Rizzo's left leg, looking for a takedown. Rizzo pushes down on Gracie's head and hops out.
Gracie tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rizzo scores with a three punch combo!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
No luck for Gracie with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Assurio Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Rizzo dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Rizzo uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

Gracie clinches up with Rizzo and pushes him back against the cage.

Rizzo drags the fight down to the ground.
Rizzo wants to get back to his feet but Gracie is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Rizzo looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Rizzo keeps moving.

Rizzo looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Gracie seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Tony Rizzo has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Rizzo keeps moving.
Rizzo wants to stand and escape but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie trying to control but Rizzo is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Assurio Gracie wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Rizzo misses with a few strikes there.
A slapping body kick lands there for Rizzo.
Gracie is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rizzo sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Gracie misses with a combination

and Rizzo counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rizzo breaks from the clinch.
Rizzo throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gracie with a lazy takedown attempt
letting Rizzo counter with a right hand.

Gracie bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rizzo defending against the ground and pound.
Rizzo is looking for a sweep.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

Gracie decides to stand back up.
Rizzo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gracie paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rizzo swats away the attempt to clinch by Gracie.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Assurio Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Jab by Rizzo.
Gracie shoots in but no luck this time.
Rizzo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gracie throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
No joy there for Rizzo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rizzo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rizzo shoots in and drives through. Gracie sprawls well.
A combination from Rizzo does no damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Rizzo defends it nicely.

Rizzo darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Gracie manages to get to full guard.
Gracie is controlling Rizzo's posture.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rizzo's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Tony Rizzo will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Gracie scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Rizzo moves into the clinch.
Gracie tries to break the clinch but Rizzo is controlling the position.
Gracie is trying to force a seperation but Rizzo has the dominant position.

Gracie wants the takedown. Rizzo is fighting it off but Gracie persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Rizzo's guard against the cage.
Rizzo controls Gracie momentarily but Gracie frees himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Rizzo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie is really struggling to control Rizzo but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Rizzo working a defensive guard but Gracie passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie wants to stand but Rizzo has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Rizzo is trying to stand back up but Gracie is controlling him
Rizzo regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Gracie.
Gracie content to stall in guard here.
Gracie postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gracie accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gracie trying to control but Rizzo is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wanted to stand there but Rizzo had control of the position.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Rizzo keeps moving.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gracie accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gracie's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Assurio Gracie has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Gracie misses with a series of wild punches.

Rizzo fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gracie, pushing him back against the cage.
Rizzo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Gracie wants the takedown. Rizzo is fighting it off but Gracie persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Rizzo's guard against the cage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rizzo had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Gracie defends it easily.
Rizzo trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Rizzo is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Gracie forces his way into half guard.
Gracie is thwarting Rizzo's attempts to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.
Gracie is trying to control the action in half guard but Rizzo is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Rizzo wants to get back to full guard.
Rizzo is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Gracie moves nicely into side control.
Gracie working the ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rizzo is trying to improve his position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Assurio Gracie showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rizzo 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 Chris Downing scores the fight for Tony Rizzo!
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight for Assurio Gracie!
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight for Assurio Gracie!

Assurio Gracie wins by split decision!
Jumping up and down and very excited, Assurio Gracie waved his t-shirt featuring KrakHeaD Nutrition's logo in front of the cameras.