PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Aaron Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Taken Ya Down (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Hydraulix 13.5 - D.A.V.E. the Drummer & Alex Calver. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Gracie
vs
Ya Down

183 cm
30
195 lbs
32 - 20 - 1

190 cm
30
200 lbs
12 - 1 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

- - - - - All Nutrients 160 - - - - -

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 32 - 20 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Aaron Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Taken Ya Down!
The judges for this bout are Dillan Fox, Gregory Folan and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie has a takedown stuffed.
Gracie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Gracie's jab looks to have found its range, popping Ya Down under the eye.
Gracie throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Ya Down gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Ya Down is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Ya Down lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Gracie!
Gracie wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Ya Down.
Gracie tries to hold on but Ya Down postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ya Down dominating with strikes here.
Gracie tries to hold on but Ya Down postures up.
Gracie regains half guard.
Ya Down wants to pass to mount but Gracie is defending the position.
Gracie moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Ya Down must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Gracie looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Gracie is pulling down on Ya Down's head to control his posture.
Ya Down trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Gracie throws his legs up looking for a submission but Ya Down uses it to pass to side control.
Gracie sneaks back into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ya Down trying to pass the guard but Gracie defending well.
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!
Ya Down winds up and cracks Gracie with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Gracie wants to control but Ya Down is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Ya Down working Gracie over with strikes.
Ya Down 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.
Gracie is trying to get back to full guard.
Ya Down working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Gracie throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Ya Down 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 control but Ya Down is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to improve his position but Ya Down is controlling well.
Ya Down working the head and body with strikes.
Ya Down lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ya Down wants to control but Gracie is keeping him busy.
Gracie is looking to improve his position.
Gracie is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Ya Down scores with a couple of nice shots.

Gracie actively working from the bottom here.
Ya Down thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Ya Down lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
The fighters are battling for position here. Gracie manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Gracie lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Ya Down!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie unloads with some shots from mount but Ya Down bucks and avoids them well.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ya Down can't escape the position.
Gracie throws some wild stikes that Ya Down manages to avoid easily.
Gracie scoring with strikes but Ya Down is staying in there.
Ya Down is bucking up trying to escape but Gracie cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Gracie content just to control the position here.
Ya Down is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Gracie landing strikes from the mount and Ya Down is in trouble!
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 Aaron Gracie will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Ya Down shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Gracie napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Gracie dodges the ground and pound from Ya Down.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.
Gracie manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Gracie trying to control from half guard but Ya Down is working away.

Gracie seems to be working for a kimura but Ya Down defends the submission attempt.
Gracie passes to side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ya Down seems a little lost for a moment, as Gracie dominates the positioning.
Ya Down isn't going anywhere.
Gracie looking to control but instead Ya Down has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Gracie not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Gracie is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Ya Down is just riding it out for now. Gracie eventually gives up the hold.
Ya Down avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Gracie.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Ya Down is bucking up trying to escape but Gracie cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Gracie sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Ya Down wants to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
Gracie lands a big shot there that rocks Ya Down but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gracie punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control but Ya Down is having none of it.
Aaron Gracie overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gracie putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Gracie working the ground and pound effectively.
Gracie has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Gracie looking to finish with strikes here!
Gracie sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Ya Down regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ya Down is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Gracie's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Gracie's back!
Ya Down lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Gracie hold on?!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie breaks Ya Down's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Ya Down keeping full guard, as Gracie tries to pass.
Gracie looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Gracie seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Ya Down for as long as he can get away with.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Gracie dominated that second round.
That's time! Gracie's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Gracie throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gracie ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ya Down moves away.
Ya Down looks to land a combination but Gracie avoids it well.
Gracie moves away from the strike by Ya Down.
Ya Down misses the shot to the body.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Gracie looks to land a strike but Ya Down avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Ya Down trying to control the position.
Ya Down manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gracie manages to get himself to full guard.
Ya Down looking to sit in guard and control but Gracie gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ya Down tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Ya Down not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gracie slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Ya Down gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Gracie is looking to take a break and control but Ya Down is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Gracie scoring with strikes to the body and head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ya Down wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Ya Down blocking the ground and pound attempt from Gracie.
Gracie not doing much here.
Gracie passes the guard and advances to mount!
Gracie throwing strikes here but Ya Down is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Gracie pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
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!
Gracie can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Ya Down is looking to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is really struggling to control Ya Down but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Ya Down tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Gracie tries to control but Ya Down wriggling away.
Gracie lands a nice shot to the head.
Gracie fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie content just to control the position here.
Ya Down is wriggling around trying to escape.
Gracie working the ground and pound effectively.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ya Down wants to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.

Gracie looking for a guillotine from mount but Ya Down is having none of it.
Gracie lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aaron Gracie showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Gracie has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Dillan Fox scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aaron Gracie!
After winning the bout, Aaron Gracie thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.