PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Bruce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jet Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Li is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Tourniquet by Evanescence. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Gracie
vs
Li

170 cm
23
177 lbs
9 - 6 - 0

167 cm
20
175 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

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 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Bruce Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jet Li!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Elvis Blanc and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie checks the leg kick nicely there.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Gracie.
Gracie shoots and misses
and Li counters with a head kick. That will keep Gracie thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
A solid leg kick lands there for Li.
Gracie misses with a takedown
and Li makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruce Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Li feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Gracie's calf.
Li goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Li scores with a spinning back kick!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Nice body kick there by Li.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Li lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Gracie takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
A slapping leg kick lands for Li.
Li is looking to slow Gracie down with leg kicks.
Li misses with a head kick.
Nice cross by Li.
Gracie takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Li throws a leg kick which misses Gracie's front leg but catches the back leg as Gracie tries to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Gracie.
Li scores with a leg kick.
Li throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown but Li manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Gracie's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Li throws a head kick that lands with a deafening thwack! The crowd roars as Gracie stumbles backwards and falls to the mat. Li follows into mount!

Gracie is rocked!

It looks like Bruce Gracie has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Li looking for a guillotine from mount but Gracie is having none of it.
Oh Gracie is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Li content just to control the position here.

Li is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Gracie has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Gracie seems to have got his legs back now.
Li fails to advance to Gracie's back.
Li takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is controlling an arm, preventing Li from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.
Gracie really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Li can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Gracie is looking to escape.
Gracie keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

Gracie defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Li.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is in all sorts of trouble here.
Li can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Gracie is looking to escape.
Gracie is desperately trying to improve his position but Li has a good base and remains in mount.
Li wants to control the pace but Gracie is squirming around nicely.
Gracie is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Li controlling the position easily from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to get to half guard.
Gracie is working hard here to advance position.
Li wants to control the pace but Gracie is squirming around nicely.
Li prevents Gracie from getting the reversal.

Li is working for a guillotine from mount but Gracie frees his head quite easily.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Gracie is desperately trying to improve his position but Li has a good base and remains in mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jet Li dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bruce Gracie's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Li as he jumps to the side.
Li moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

Gracie shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Li manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Li is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Li is keeping the position for now.
Li preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Li wants to sweep but no luck.
Li has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Gracie avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gracie accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gracie is controlling him.
Gracie looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie is looking to pass into half guard but Li pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Li is in guard.
Li tries to stand but Gracie is controlling from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Li works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Li is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Gracie defends it well.
Gracie makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gracie.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie looking to control.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gracie is on top in guard.

Li looking for a guillotine here but Gracie defends easily.

Li looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Li bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Gracie's guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Li has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Gracie is proving hard to escape from.

Gracie has his foot on Li's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Li works his way back into a safe position though.
Li not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Li stands and steps away. Gracie gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
A nice leg kick lands there from Li.
Gracie chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Li can pounce on him.
Gracie takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Jet Li is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie avoids the head kick by Li.
Jet Li seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Li keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Li scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nice sprawl there from Li as Gracie shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruce Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Li stuns Gracie with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Li throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
A nice leg kick lands there from Li.
Li lands with a kick to the temple. Gracie shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Li throws a nice inside leg kick.
Gracie chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Li can pounce on him.
Gracie is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Li ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Li scoring well with a low kick there.
Gracie on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
A solid leg kick lands there for Li.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jet Li showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Bruce Gracie's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Gracie on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Li. Li obviously looking to wear him down.
Li lands with a kick to the temple. Gracie shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Li dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Gracie. That did some damage!
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Li as he jumps to the side.
Li connects with a high kick.
Li stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Li wants it to stay on the feet.
Li thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Gracie if he has to take too many more of those.
Li lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Left hook, right uppercut from Li.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Li lands with a kick to the temple. Gracie shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
An inside leg kick lands from Li.
A chopping leg kick lands by Li.
A head kick misses from Li.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Li.
Gracie has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Li.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li misses with a head kick.
Gracie blocks a head kick by Li.
Li scores with a head kick. Gracie tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Li throws a nice outside leg kick.
Li connects with a leg kick. Gracie looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
A head kick misses from Li.
A head kick misses from Li.
A head kick misses from Li.
Li misses with a head kick.
Gracie misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Li.
Li takes a swing at Gracie's ribcage but misses.
Li throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Gracie's head.
Gracie is trying hard to land a takedown here. Li sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruce Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Li misses with a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie looks for a takedown but Li sprawls well.
Gracie takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Gracie will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gracie.
Li misses with a head kick.
A head kick from Li lands but Gracie takes it in his stride.
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 misses with a takedown attempt - Li sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Li throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Gracie on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Li throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Li cracks the inside of Gracie's front leg.
Gracie tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Gracie's calf.
Li chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.
Li throws a leg kick which misses Gracie's front leg but catches the back leg as Gracie tries to avoid it.
Jet Li is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Li bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Gracie changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Li tries to avoid it but Gracie manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Li to the ground. Li escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Li throws a quick inside leg kick.
Li stuns Gracie with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Li slaps away a takedown attempt from Gracie, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Li dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Gracie. That did some damage!
Li throws a nice head kick!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie fails with the takedown.
Li scoring well with a low kick there.
Li throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Li throws a quick inside leg kick.
Li throws a nice outside leg kick.
Gracie is trying hard to land a takedown here. Li sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Li lands a high kick!
Li scores with a leg kick.
Li buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Li throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Li connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Li throws a head kick that misses.
Nice sprawl there from Li as Gracie shoots in.
Bruce Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gracie on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jet Li comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Li has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 27:30
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jet Li!
Jet Li tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.