PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Manny Holt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Coalman Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Holt
vs
Gracie

185 cm
29
270 lbs
19 - 18 - 0

219 cm
26
269 lbs
14 - 14 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Brute

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 19 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Manny Holt!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Coalman Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Daniel Franklin and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Holt lands a nice shot to the body.
Manny Holt seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Holt ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Gracie uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Holt.
Holt throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Gracie pushes Holt up against the cage in a clinch.
Holt drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Gracie gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Holt throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Gracie blocks it with crossed arms.
Gracie's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
A short left from Holt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Holt manages to get underhooks.

Gracie breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Holt swings for the body but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Holt throws out a loose jab but Gracie uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gracie is looking to clinch.
Holt tests Gracie's chin there with a solid looking shot.

It looks like Coalman Gracie has been cut.
Holt fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Gracie manages to avoid it.
Holt circles away from the clinch attempt
and Holt counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Holt lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Gracie looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Gracie is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Holt is retaining full guard.
Holt keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Holt trying to control the position.
Gracie throws a big elbow that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Gracie throws a series of punches but Holt avoids them all with ease.
Holt is looking to wear down Gracie with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Gracie doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Holt throws a head kick that misses.
Gracie stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

It looks like Manny Holt has been cut.

Holt fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gracie, pushing him back against the cage.
Holt has had enough of the clinch but Gracie keeps him there for the moment.

Gracie has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Holt uses from the top position.
Gracie utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Holt has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Holt passes easily into side control. Nice work.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Holt's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie is trying to maintain the position but Holt is very close to passing his half guard.

Holt seems to be working for a kimura but Gracie defends the submission attempt.
Gracie is trying to maintain the position but Holt is very close to passing his half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Gracie kicks Holt off and gets back to his feet.
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 Manny Holt will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Gracie misses with a looping right.
Holt catches Gracie with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Holt throws a shot from downtown. Gracie moves away and avoids it.
Holt misses with a body shot.
Gracie bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Gracie tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Gracie blocks a jab.
Holt scores with a jab to the head.
A jab from Holt misses.
Gracie moves out of range as Holt strikes.
Holt clobbers Gracie with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Manny Holt is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Holt moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Holt has Gracie up against the cage in a clinch.
Holt stalling in the clinch but Gracie improves position.
Gracie prevents a takedown attempt there.
Holt tries to break free but Gracie pushes him back against the cage.
Gracie tries to pull guard but Holt forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Holt has had enough of the clinch but Gracie keeps him there for the moment.
Holt goes for a takedown attempt but Gracie pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Holt avoids the body shot from Gracie.

Gracie shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Holt's guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Gracie trying to control but Holt is working from the bottom.
Gracie is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Holt wants to sweep here but Gracie controlling him for the moment.
Gracie looking to pass the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Holt controls Gracie momentarily but Gracie frees himself.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Holt is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Coalman Gracie hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Holt misses with a right hand

and Gracie counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Stalling in the clinch from Gracie.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Holt.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Gracie lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

Gracie tightens his grip and picks Holt up, before dumping him to the ground. Holt manages to land in guard.
Holt has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Gracie is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie prevents Holt from getting back to his feet.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Holt keeps moving.
Gracie scoring with some ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Holt looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gracie is one step ahead there.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie looking to pass the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Manny Holt will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. 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.

A jab from Holt misses.

Gracie forces Holt back against the cage and clinches.
Holt drops down looking for an ankle pick but Gracie pulls his leg out and moves away.
Holt pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Gracie takes the fight into the clinch.
Holt is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Gracie is keeping busy.
Holt has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Holt wants a takedown but no success here.
Gracie holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Holt tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Holt swings wildly with an uppercut but Gracie uses good head movement to avoid it.
Holt wants to break free but Gracie has control.
Holt is looking to break free of the clinch but Gracie has double underhooks.
Gracie wants to take the fight to the mat but Holt manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Gracie drops down looking for an ankle pick but Holt pulls his leg out and moves away.
Coalman Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Holt misses.
Holt moves out of range as Gracie strikes.
Holt ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gracie.
Manny Holt has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Coalman Gracie.

Gracie moves into range and clinches up with Holt.
Gracie is looking for a takedown.
Holt has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Gracie is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Holt stops a takedown attempt from Gracie.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Holt tries to land a knee to the head but Gracie blocks with his arms.
Manny Holt is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Holt wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Gracie prevents Holt from breaking the clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Gracie as Holt tries to tie him up.
Holt blocks a body shot from Gracie.
Gracie is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Holt to keep the fight standing.
Holt misses with some punches.
Gracie is trying to drag Holt to the mat but Holt just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Holt can't break the clinch.
Holt blocking some punches.
Gracie is working for takedown but Holt is calmly controlling the position for now.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Holt manages to get underhooks.
Gracie is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Gracie drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Holt gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Gracie misses with a punch on the inside.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Manny Holt.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Holt, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Manny Holt!