PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alexei Karelin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Max Grace (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Grace is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg. Max Grace will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Karelin
vs
Grace

181 cm
22
289 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

182 cm
33
275 lbs
13 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Grace Grappling Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Alexei Karelin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Max Grace!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Grace keeps the fight on the outside.
Karelin misses with a body shot.
Max Grace seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Karelin throws a right hand that misses
letting Grace counter with a right hand.
Karelin takes one to the chin there.
Karelin wants to clinch.
Grace misses with a body shot.
Karelin throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Grace sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Karelin throws a looping overhand right but Grace ducks down to avoid it.
Grace dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Grace slips under a jab from Karelin.
Grace displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Karelin throws out the jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelin tries to clinch but Grace is having none of it.
A shot to the liver by Grace. Beautiful body shot.
A swing and a miss from Karelin.
Grace dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Grace tests Karelin's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Grace throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Grace digs a good body shot into Karelin's ribs.
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!
Grace closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Grace misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Karelin.
Grace throws a hook but Karelin blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karelin tries to clinch up.
Karelin moves out of range as Grace strikes.
Karelin swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Grace counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Grace just misses with a punch to the body.
Grace connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Karelin tries to clinch but Grace is having none of it.
Karelin misses with a jab to the body

and Grace counters with a crisp one two that drops Karelin! Grace thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Karelin to his feet! Karelin is in big trouble!

Karelin is rocked!
Grace takes a swing at Karelin's ribcage but misses.
Oh Karelin is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Grace fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Karelin manages to avoid it.
Karelin seems to have got his legs back now.
Grace blocks a jab.
Karelin throws an overhand right that lands on Grace's shoulder, as Grace tries to avoid the shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karelin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Grace manages to avoid it.
Grace avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Karelin throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Grace tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Karelin is in Grace's guard.
Grace has his hands on Karelin's head, controlling the position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Grace can do anything to dispel that myth.
Karelin throws a big elbow that misses.
Karelin stops Grace from standing up.
Karelin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Karelin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karelin is fighting to break Grace's control of his arms but Grace is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Grace looking to hit a scissor sweep but Karelin is one step ahead there.
Karelin trying to control but Grace is working from the bottom.
Karelin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Grace works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Karelin won't allow Grace to sweep him here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Grace dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Karelin steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Grace. That one must have hurt.

Karelin shoots in and gets a takedown into Grace's guard.
Karelin throwing strikes but missing.
Karelin trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Karelin postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Karelin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Grace works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Karelin not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Karelin in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelin keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Grace's head.
Karelin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Grace works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Karelin with a flurry of punches that miss.
Grace pulls Karelin in close to prevent any damage.
Karelin throws a big elbow that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Grace manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Karelin manages to get himself to full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Karelin is on top in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karelin is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Karelin looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Karelin working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Grace's head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Karelin looking to pass the guard.
Karelin keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Grace's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grace keeping moving, preventing Karelin from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Karelin postures up.
Karelin scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Grace looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Grace trying to keep a closed guard but Karelin is proving a slippery customer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Max Grace has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Karelin loads up on a big right hand but Grace slips the punch.
Karelin has a takedown stuffed.
Karelin takes one to the side of the head.
Karelin misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Grace counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Karelin connects with a body shot that sends Grace's belly button to the back.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Grace connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
A big right from Karelin misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Karelin connects with a looping right hand.
A looping hook to the body misses from Karelin. Grace does a little dance to reset his feet.
Karelin fails in his attempt to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexei Karelin dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Karelin.
Karelin takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Grace thows a body shot but no joy.
A big left from Karelin misses.
Max Grace seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Karelin tries to close the distance and clinch up but Grace swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Grace uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Karelin.
Karelin misses with a hook. Grace ducked under it nicely.
Karelin takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Karelin tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Grace manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Karelin shoots in but no luck this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karelin's jab looks to have found its range, popping Grace under the eye.
Grace misses with a shot to the body

and Karelin counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Grace trying to control here.
Grace won't allow Karelin to pass to mount.
Karelin thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Grace's head.
Grace is staying active underneath Karelin, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Karelin missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Karelin wants to take a breather but Grace is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karelin sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Grace defending well though.
Grace is looking to escape.
Grace keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Grace is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
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!
Karelin missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Karelin thows a huge punch but Grace dodges it nicely.
Karelin thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Grace's head.
Karelin 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.
Karelin throws a strike but Grace avoids it easily and moves to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karelin postures up in Grace's guard and throws a big left but Grace blocks it.
Karelin throwing strikes but missing.
Grace is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Alexei Karelin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Karelin is stalling in the full guard.
Karelin throws a big elbow that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grace utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Karelin controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Grace keeping moving, preventing Karelin from controlling successfully.

Alexei Karelin has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Grace stalks Karelin and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Karelin's face. Karelin staggers backwards, shaken.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Grace lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Karelin at a distance.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Grace lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Grace lands a nice hook to Karelin's body. Karelin takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Max Grace.
I think Grace 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Max Grace!
Max Grace thanked the fans post fight for their support.