PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Steinar Sting (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Royce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie has chosen Heart of a Champion as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sting
vs
Gracie

168 cm
39
148 lbs
38 - 27 - 1

165 cm
37
149 lbs
19 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Fast

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 38 - 27 - 1, fighting out of New York, Steinar Sting!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Royce Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, John Roberts and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie tries a head kick but it misses.
Gracie scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Sting looks to throw the jab but Gracie is out of range.
Gracie misses with an uppercut. Sting saw that one coming.
Gracie jabs Sting to the body, keeping him at a distance.
A big left from Sting misses.
Gracie throws a head kick that misses.
Gracie slips under a jab from Sting.
Nice cross by Sting.
Gracie jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Sting swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sting takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Sting swats away the attempt to clinch by Gracie.
Sting is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Gracie.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sting slips under a jab from Gracie.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Steinar Sting is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sting tries a head kick but it misses.
Gracie cracks Sting with a right hand to the side of the head.
Gracie digs a good hook to Sting's body.
Gracie catches Sting with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sting swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Sting throws a series of punches but Gracie avoids them all with ease.
Sting misses with a body punch
and Gracie cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Sting throws a right hand that Gracie ducks under and follows up with a left that Gracie also avoids with ease.
Gracie jabs Sting to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Sting has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Gracie tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Royce Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Good work by Sting as he checks the leg kick.
Gracie moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
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 lands with a cross.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie scores with a head kick.
Sting connects with the punch.
Gracie throws a shot from downtown. Sting moves away and avoids it.
Sting looks to score with a jab to the body but Gracie is just out of range.
Gracie throws a series of punches but Sting avoids them all with ease.
Sting misses with a straight right.
Sting swinging wildly here.
Gracie lands with a shot to the body.
Sting fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Gracie manages to avoid it.
No joy there for Sting, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Sting misses the jab.
Sting smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sting looks to land a left hand but Gracie moved out of range nicely.
Gracie tries a head kick but it misses.
Gracie slips a jab from Sting.
Sting connects with a nice looking jab.
Sting throws the left hand but Gracie avoids the punch easily.
Sting scores with a shot to the body.
Gracie takes a swing at Sting's ribcage but misses.
Gracie misses with a hook. Sting ducked under it nicely.
Gracie throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Sting misses with a straight right.
Gracie looks to land a combination but Sting avoids it well.
Sting avoids a punch combination nicely.
Gracie pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sting misses with a left hand
and Gracie counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Sting misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Gracie misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Sting.
A slow jab from Sting misses its intended target.
Gracie throws a head kick that misses.
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!
A looping hook to the body misses from Gracie. Sting does a little dance to reset his feet.
A cross from Sting lands.
Gracie tries to close the distance and clinch but Sting swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sting throws the left hand but Gracie avoids the punch easily.
Gracie scores with a sloppy right hand. Sting should have avoided that one.
Gracie avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gracie with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Sting on the wrong end of a nice hook.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Royce Gracie dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Some wild striking there from Gracie.
Some wild striking there from Sting.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Gracie, as that shot connected.
Gracie tests Sting's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Gracie lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Sting tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Gracie displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Sting throws out the jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sting misses with a head kick.
Sting tries a head kick but it misses.
Gracie tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gracie tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Sting was well out of range. Poor timing from Gracie.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Sting misses with a straight left.
Gracie cracks Sting with an open hand slap.
Sting has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Sting there as he acknowledges the shot.
Gracie showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Sting.
Sting looks to throw the jab but Gracie is out of range.
Sting throws a lazy right hand but Gracie sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Gracie displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Sting throws out the jab.
Gracie shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Sting blocks a head kick by Gracie.
Sting throws a shot from downtown. Gracie moves away and avoids it.
Sting lunges at Gracie with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Gracie's hand.
Sting slips a jab and a cross from Gracie.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sting avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
This entire fight has taken place on the feet so far and you wonder whether Sting might be better served trying to take this one to the ground because he's losing the standup battle so far.
A telegraphed right hand from Gracie misses the target.
Sting scores with a jab. Gracie acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie throws a head kick but Sting moves out of range.
Gracie throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
The crowd cheers as Gracie lands an impressive looking overhand right. Sting doesn't seem phased though.
Sting misses with a hook.
Gracie scores with a jab to the head.
Jab, jab by Gracie - just one landing.
Gracie tries to bum rush Sting with a series of wild strikes but Sting uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Sting throws a poor cross that misses
and Gracie connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gracie misses with a head kick.
Gracie fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Sting has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sting lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Sting is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Sting swinging wildly here.
A left and a right from Sting both land. Nice combination.
A telegraphed right hand from Sting misses the target.
Sting misses with an uppercut. Gracie saw that one coming.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sting. Gracie does a little dance to reset his feet.
Gracie misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sting misses with a head kick.
Sting misses with a few strikes there.
Sting loads up on a big right hand but Gracie slips the punch.
Gracie displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Sting throws out the jab.
Sting 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.
Gracie has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Gracie.
Nice uppercut there from Gracie.
Royce Gracie seems to be getting the better of the standup.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gracie feints a jab promting Sting to slip. Gracie then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Sting slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Gracie moves out of range of the strikes.
Gracie throws a quick inside leg kick.
Gracie dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Gracie misses with an attempted mid kick.
Sting pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Royce Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gracie misses with a head kick.
Sting takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Sting throws a nice outside leg kick.
Gracie throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Royce Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Gracie pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Sting throws a jab when Gracie was well out of range.
Sting dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Sting keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A clash of legs there as Sting blocks the low kick.
Gracie throws a push kick but Sting slaps the foot to one side.
Gracie defending well as Sting loads up on a big left hand.
Sting throws out a leg kick but Gracie moves out of range and Sting only half commits.
Gracie ducks under a wild hook from Sting.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gracie. Sting does a little dance to reset his feet.
Gracie lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Sting backs up against the cage.
A nice leg kick lands there from Gracie.
A head kick from Gracie lands but Sting takes it in his stride.
Sting blocks a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sting swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Gracie takes a swing at Sting's ribcage but misses.
Gracie scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Sting misses with a right hand
and Gracie counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Sting looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Sting throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Gracie slips a straight right by Sting.
Gracie thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Sting if he has to take too many more of those.
Sting rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Gracie moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Gracie is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Sting's half guard.

Gracie is looking for a kimura here.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sting manages to get to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gracie with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Royce Gracie is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Sting manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Sting showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Sting from controlling successfully.
Sting postures up.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Sting from controlling successfully.
Gracie is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Sting wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gracie needs to keep his hands up - Sting had a free shot at his head there.
Sting throws a solid leg kick but Gracie takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Sting.
Sting throws out a loose jab but Gracie uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gracie tries to land a front kick but Sting steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Sting misses with a few strikes there.
Sting 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 goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Sting misses with a low kick.
Steinar Sting has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sting looks to score with a jab to the body but Gracie is just out of range.
Gracie uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Sting has time to react.

And that's the end of the fight!
Royce Gracie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Gracie 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Royce Gracie!
Royce Gracie decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.