PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Junior Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Escobar Franco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Gracie
vs
Franco

179 cm
26
158 lbs
14 - 6 - 0

168 cm
24
150 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Junior Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Escobar Franco!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Daniel Cesar and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Gracie throws a front kick aimed at Franco's knee but Franco avoids it well.
Gracie punishes Franco's body with a nice straight punch.
Gracie shoots for a double leg takedown but Franco sprawls well. He's pushed Gracie's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Gracie closes the distance looking to clinch
and Franco counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Franco misses the shot to the body.
Franco stuffs the takedown attempt from Gracie. Gracie gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Junior Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Franco defends it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A jab lands there for Franco.
Franco misses with a wild body shot.

Gracie closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Franco to the mat! Franco manages to get full guard.
Franco wants to stand but Gracie is controlling the position.
Gracie throwing strikes but missing.
Franco is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gracie is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Franco can do anything to dispel that myth.
Gracie throwing strikes but missing.
Franco wants to stand up but Gracie is controlling him.
Gracie trying to control but Franco is working from the bottom.
Gracie works a leg free and moves into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Franco is refusing to be controlled, as Gracie sits in half guard.
Franco is trying to stand back up but Gracie is controlling him
Gracie looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Gracie has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Franco defend it? Gracie steps over the head and cranks it - Franco is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Gracie!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:55 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Junior Gracie!
Our winner, Junior Gracie, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.