PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kuba Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aaron Yates (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Yates's choice of entrance music: Here comes Tecca Nina - Tech N9ne. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Gracie
vs
Yates

190 cm
25
215 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

195 cm
22
210 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ace of Spades Clothing
Modernized Goroshi Supplements

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Kuba Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Aaron Yates!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie lands a big head kick that sends Yates tumbling to the mat! Gracie takes a step backwards and waves Yates back to his feet - he wants the finish!

It looks like Aaron Yates has been cut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Gracie shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Yates manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Yates throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Gracie advances to half guard.

Yates actively working from the bottom here.

Gracie decides to stand up.
Yates fails with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie clinches up against the cage.
Gracie lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Gracie escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Yates punishes Gracie's body with a nice straight punch.

Yates fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Gracie sprawls well initially but Yates persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Gracie wants to get back to his feet.

Yates is trying to work for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yates throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Yates is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Yates thows a huge punch but Gracie dodges it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yates thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gracie's head.
Gracie is trying to stand back up but Yates is controlling him
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Yates lands a nice short elbow.

Gracie is defending against the submission attempts here by Yates.

Yates is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Gracie sees it coming and defends easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yates throwing shots but Gracie is blocking nicely.
Yates is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Yates is trying to control the action in half guard but Gracie is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Yates is working for a kimura but Gracie is defending it quite comfortably.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Yates connects with a nice short shot to Gracie's temple.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kuba Gracie dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Aaron Yates's cut.
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 pushes Yates up against the cage in a clinch.
Yates is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Gracie is defending well.

Yates breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Yates uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Gracie has time to react.
Gracie tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gracie lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Yates avoids the head kick by Gracie.
Yates chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Gracie can pounce on him.
Yates jabs at Gracie's body.
Yates avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Yates fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Yates paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie tries to clinch but Yates moves out of range.
Gracie scores with a three punch combo!
Gracie is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Yates shoots in but no luck this time.
Kuba Gracie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aaron Yates.
Yates is breathing heavily.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Yates sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Gracie escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Yates circles away easily

and Yates counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Yates seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gracie does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Gracie taking some punishment here, with Yates in his half guard.
Gracie is trying to stand back up but Yates is controlling him
Yates prevents Gracie from improving his position.

Yates is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Yates seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gracie does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yates with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Aaron Yates wasn't active enough on the ground.
Yates tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Gracie swivels and escapes.

Yates darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to kick Yates off but Yates keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Yates not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Yates wants to work for an arm triangle but Gracie is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie trying to control but Yates postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Aaron Yates will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Aaron Yates's cut.
That's time! Gracie's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Yates shoots in and drives through. Gracie sprawls well.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Gracie prevents a takedown attempt there.

Gracie breaks from the clinch.
Gracie tries to clinch but Yates moves out of range.

Yates decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Gracie tries to kick Yates off but Yates keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie pushes Yates off but Yates dives into side control.
You can see the frustration on Gracie's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Gracie throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.

Yates tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Yates has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Yates looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Yates takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yates is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Gracie has escaped the position, nice work there.
Gracie struggling a bit here.

Yates tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Yates has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Yates tries for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Gracie gets back to half guard.
Yates not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Yates is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Gracie defends it well.
Gracie keeping hold of Yates's head, controlling as best he can.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aaron Yates comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Yates 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aaron Yates!
Aaron Yates was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.