PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Tony Kazarian (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Adam Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kazarian comes to the cage accompanied by Limp Bizkit - My Way. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Kazarian
vs
Gracie

165 cm
34
146 lbs
25 - 8 - 1

175 cm
28
143 lbs
19 - 9 - 1

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Red Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Brute

//buriedALIVE// Fight Gear
CEC Nutrition Q160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 25 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Tony Kazarian!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 9 - 1, fighting out of New York, Adam Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kazarian with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Gracie to score with a decent uppercut.
Kazarian moves away from the strike by Gracie.

Kazarian gets caught flat footed, as Gracie shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kazarian is keeping the position for now.
Kazarian keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Kazarian preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gracie with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Kazarian looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Gracie showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie throwing strikes but missing.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Kazarian keeps moving.
Gracie controls from within his opponent's guard.
Gracie throws a big right hand that misses.
Gracie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Kazarian keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie distracts Kazarian with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Gracie working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Kazarian's head.

Kazarian looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Gracie makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Gracie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
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.
Gracie is looking to work some ground and pound but Kazarian has wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie won't allow Kazarian to sweep him here.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Kazarian is on top in guard.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Kazarian throws a big right hand that misses.

Gracie has his foot on Kazarian's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Kazarian works his way back into a safe position though.
Kazarian works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Kazarian working Gracie over with strikes.
Gracie slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Kazarian working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Gracie's head.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Kazarian accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Kazarian controlling him for the moment.
Kazarian postures up in Gracie's guard and throws a big left but Gracie blocks it.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Kazarian controlling him for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kazarian's guard.
Gracie looking to pass the guard.
Kazarian pulls Gracie in close to prevent any damage.
Gracie postures up in Kazarian's guard and throws a big left but Kazarian blocks it.
Kazarian trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Gracie trying to control but Kazarian is working from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Gracie dominated that round.
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.

Kazarian throws a wild body kick that Gracie sees coming a mile off.

Kazarian changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Gracie looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Kazarian working the head with strikes.
Kazarian scoring with punches from side control.
Gracie tries to bench press Kazarian off him but Kazarian keeps the position.
Gracie is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Kazarian cracks Gracie with a big right hand but Gracie just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Kazarian throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Kazarian keeps moving and retains side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie is working to avoid the ground and pound but Kazarian connects with a decent elbow.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Kazarian.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kazarian throws a strike aimed at the side of Gracie's head but Gracie avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kazarian grinds an elbow into Gracie's temple.

Kazarian is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Gracie is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Gracie manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Kazarian is refusing to be controlled, as Gracie sits in half guard.
Gracie tries to pass to full mount but Kazarian defends it.
Gracie keeps trying to improve his position.
Gracie working the head and body with strikes.
Gracie missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kazarian gets full guard.
Kazarian utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Kazarian wants to sweep here but Gracie controlling him for the moment.
Kazarian preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gracie accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Adam Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Kazarian trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kazarian has momentary wrist control but Gracie slips an elbow through the middle.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Kazarian is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Kazarian keeps moving.
Gracie postures up.
Gracie throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kazarian works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Kazarian is retaining full guard.
Kazarian is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Kazarian prevents Gracie from improving his position.
Gracie avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Kazarian.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kazarian is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Gracie blocking the ground and pound attempt from Kazarian.
Kazarian is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Gracie wants to control but Kazarian is keeping busy.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Kazarian working over Gracie with some ground and pound. Gracie looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie trying to hold on to Kazarian's head to control him but Kazarian postures up.
Gracie might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Kazarian haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
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!
Kazarian not landing any meaningful shots this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Kazarian dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Gracie jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Kazarian closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Gracie did well to prevent Kazarian getting side control.

Kazarian looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Gracie is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Kazarian throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Gracie manages to get to full guard.
Gracie keeping busy, throwing shots from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie wants to sweep but no luck.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gracie is on top in guard.
Gracie throwing strikes from guard but Kazarian blocks nicely.
Kazarian trying to control the position.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Gracie landing with the ground and pound.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kazarian is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kazarian keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Kazarian is trying to control the position but Gracie postures up.
Kazarian controlling Gracie's posture.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Kazarian working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gracie.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Kazarian is on top in guard.

Gracie working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Kazarian doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but Gracie is tightening it up a little... Kazarian has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Kazarian reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Kazarian taps out! Nice BJJ there by Gracie!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:26 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Adam Gracie! Adam Gracie retains his featherweight title!
A relieved looking Adam Gracie thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.