PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Zelios Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jean Claude Van Damme (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Van Damme has chosen Boom! Shake The Room as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Gracie
vs
Claude Van Damme

180 cm
34
201 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

177 cm
28
198 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

BJJ Red Belt
Counter fighter
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Fury Nutrition Inc.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Zelios Gracie!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jean Claude Van Damme!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Dillan Fox and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie rushes Van Damme and presses him up against the cage.
Gracie blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Gracie blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Van Damme breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Van Damme as he jumps to the side.
Gracie steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Van Damme.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Van Damme as he avoids it easily.
Gracie swings widly with a right hand
and Van Damme counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Van Damme misses with a kick to the body.
Both fighters circling a little - Van Damme finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Damme misses with a straight left.
A nice leg kick lands there from Van Damme.
Van Damme stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zelios Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A combination from Van Damme does no damage.
Van Damme is looking to land body kicks.
Gracie tries to land a front kick but Van Damme steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Jean Claude Van Damme is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Van Damme lands with a hook. Gracie tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Van Damme scoring well with a low kick there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
No luck for Gracie with that takedown attempt.
Van Damme scores with a body shot.
Van Damme misses with a wild combination.
Van Damme looks to land a left hand but Gracie moved out of range nicely.
Van Damme is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gracie.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes one to the side of the head.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Gracie. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Van Damme throws a hook but Gracie blocks it.
Van Damme misses with a lunging right hand

and Gracie counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Van Damme working a defensive guard here.
Van Damme really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Gracie. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Van Damme is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Gracie is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Our spies down at at Slaughterhouse MMA (Redesigned) inform us that Van Damme has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Van Damme is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Damme wants to sweep but no luck.

Gracie drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gracie jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Van Damme is keeping the position.
Van Damme looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Gracie trying to control but Van Damme is working from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Claude Van Damme dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Van Damme stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Van Damme wants it to stay on the feet.
Van Damme lands with a kick to the temple. Gracie shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Van Damme fails with an attempt to clinch.
Van Damme fails in his attempt to clinch.
Van Damme dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Van Damme looks for the body kick but Gracie saw that one coming.
Van Damme wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with Van Damme, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes Van Damme against the cage but Van Damme circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Van Damme misses with a wild combination.
Van Damme scores with a leg kick.
Van Damme takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

It looks like Jean Claude Van Damme has been cut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes one to the side of the head.
Van Damme missing with a left hand there. Gracie was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Gracie with a poor takedown
and Van Damme counters with a low kick, right behind Gracie 's knee.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zelios Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Gracie walks into a straight right hand from Van Damme.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Van Damme scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Van Damme, right into the meat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Van Damme pinned against the cage. Van Damme gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Van Damme's corner calls for a 1-2. Van Damme obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Gracie takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Van Damme lands with a cross.
Van Damme lands with a cross.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Van Damme lands a nice leg kick that just misses Gracie's sensitive parts.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Van Damme throws a series of punches but Gracie avoids them all with ease.
A head kick misses from Van Damme.
Jean Claude Van Damme seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Van Damme throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Gracie on the side of the head.
Van Damme jabs Gracie to the body, keeping him at a distance.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sloppy strikes from Van Damme. Those never looked like landing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Claude Van Damme showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jean Claude Van Damme's cut.
That's time! Gracie's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

A good leg kick by Van Damme.
Gracie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Van Damme is fending him off so far but Gracie persists. Nope, Van Damme circles away and we're back to standing.
Van Damme misses with a body kick.
Gracie is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Van Damme misses with an attempted mid kick.
A slow jab from Van Damme misses its intended target.
Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with Van Damme, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes Van Damme against the cage but Van Damme circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Van Damme throws a sloppy head kick and Gracie moves out of range easily.
Gracie circles away from the clinch attempt

and Gracie counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Van Damme is just riding it out for now. Gracie eventually gives up the hold.

Gracie is looking for a kimura but Van Damme is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Gracie to get the leverage.

Gracie is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Gracie seems to be working for a kimura but Van Damme defends the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Van Damme pushes Gracie off and gets back to his feet.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Van Damme counters with a flying knee. Nice.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zelios Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Van Damme lands a head shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gracie looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Van Damme lands with a shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Damme lands with a nice body punch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Van Damme pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Van Damme throws a head kick but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie has a takedown stuffed.
Van Damme tries a head kick but it misses.
Van Damme throws a wild body kick that Gracie sees coming a mile off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Gracie throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Van Damme's waist but Van Damme gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Gracie off to one side.
A nice inside leg kick there by Van Damme. That's going to slow Gracie down.
Van Damme misses with a head kick.
Gracie gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Van Damme, right into the meat.
Van Damme scores with a nice head shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Claude Van Damme really dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jean Claude Van Damme's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Van Damme drops Gracie with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Gracie looks back up at him and smiles so Van Damme waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed.

Gracie is rocked!
Van Damme lands an uppercut out of nowhere! Gracie falls backwards - clearly groggy! Van Damme dives in and finishes the fight with more strikes for a TKO finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:14 of round 4, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jean Claude Van Damme!
Jean Claude Van Damme is the new middleweight champion!
An out of breath Jean Claude Van Damme thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.