PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Artie DeVanzo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gary Grice (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Grice comes into a darkened arena with his song building. GZA - Shadowboxin' kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

DeVanzo
vs
Grice

182 cm
26
191 lbs
21 - 11 - 0

184 cm
33
191 lbs
16 - 5 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 1 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 11 - 0, fighting out of New York, Artie DeVanzo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Gary Grice!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Steve Montenegro and David Schapiro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Grice walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. DeVanzo checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Grice cracks DeVanzo with a good jab.
A bone on bone clash there as Grice blocks the leg kick.
DeVanzo misses with the combination.
DeVanzo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Grice.
DeVanzo chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Grice can pounce on him.
DeVanzo throws a body kick that misses.

Grice steps into range and cracks DeVanzo with a monster punch that buckles his knees! DeVanzo flops backwards and Grice dives into his guard looking to finish!

DeVanzo is rocked!
This has been an exciting period of action!
DeVanzo is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Oh DeVanzo is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
DeVanzo looking to hit a scissor sweep but Grice is one step ahead there.
DeVanzo seems to have got his legs back now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Grice postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
DeVanzo utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Grice is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Grice looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Grice postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

DeVanzo had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Grice defends it easily.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

DeVanzo is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Grice is aware though and is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
DeVanzo wants to sweep here but Grice controlling him for the moment.
Grice trying to control the position from guard on top but DeVanzo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
DeVanzo connects with a leg kick. Grice looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Grice scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
DeVanzo takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
DeVanzo takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
A looping hook to the body misses from Grice. DeVanzo does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nice body kick from Grice.
DeVanzo dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
DeVanzo displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Grice throws out the jab.
DeVanzo fires out a quick counter leg kick but Grice just manages to avoid it.
Grice looks for the body kick but DeVanzo saw that one coming.
Grice scoring well with a low kick there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grice connects with a jab.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Grice, right into the meat.
Grice swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Grice connects with a leg kick. DeVanzo looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Grice throws a low kick but it's checked well by DeVanzo.
DeVanzo throws a lazy head kick
and Grice counters with a low kick, right behind DeVanzo 's knee.
Gary Grice seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Grice lunges at DeVanzo with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by DeVanzo's hand.
The crowd cheers as DeVanzo lands an impressive looking overhand right. Grice doesn't seem phased though.
DeVanzo takes a swing at Grice's ribcage but misses.
Grice throws a big shot that misses.
Grice moves out of range of the body kick from DeVanzo.
Grice lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Gary Grice is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
DeVanzo staying out of range there.
Grice will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Grice with a hook.
DeVanzo lands a nice looking body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grice does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Grice avoids a punch combination nicely.
DeVanzo shoots in for a takedown but Grice shows good takedown defense.
DeVanzo is looking to land body kicks.
DeVanzo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Grice.
Grice takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
DeVanzo checks a leg kick.
DeVanzo checks the leg kick.
Grice throws a jab but it's blocked by DeVanzo.
DeVanzo seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Grice tries to land a leg kick but DeVanzo saw it coming and moves away.
Grice throws a right hand that misses
and DeVanzo makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
DeVanzo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Grice fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but DeVanzo is out of range.
Grice lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Grice misses the shot to the body.
DeVanzo scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Grice attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
DeVanzo is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Grice fails with an attempt to clinch.
DeVanzo fakes the leg kick and cracks Grice in the body.
Grice lands a nice leg kick that just misses DeVanzo's sensitive parts.

DeVanzo shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
DeVanzo thows a huge punch but Grice dodges it nicely.
Grice tries to get to full guard but DeVanzo has control of the leg.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Grice wants to control but DeVanzo is keeping busy.
DeVanzo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Grice does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Grice wants to get back to full guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Ground and pound from DeVanzo.
Grice is pressing down on DeVanzo's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
DeVanzo is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Grice is trying to control the position but DeVanzo postures up.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
DeVanzo trying to control the position from guard on top but Grice is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Grice misses with a straight right.
DeVanzo looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Grice takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
DeVanzo throws a body shot but no joy.
A head kick misses from Grice.
DeVanzo walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
DeVanzo lands a slapping body shot.
DeVanzo fails with a takedown attempt.
Grice lands a nice leg kick that just misses DeVanzo's sensitive parts.
The fighters circle momentarily. DeVanzo darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Grice wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Grice throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
DeVanzo fires out a quick counter leg kick but Grice just manages to avoid it.
Grice chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before DeVanzo can pounce on him.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
DeVanzo throws a low kick but Grice moves out of range easily.
DeVanzo scoring well with a low kick there.
DeVanzo 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.
Grice swings for the body but DeVanzo moves out of range.
Grice fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. DeVanzo looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
DeVanzo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Grice goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
DeVanzo landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
DeVanzo scores with a nice hook to the head.
Grice has a couple of punches blocked by DeVanzo.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
DeVanzo throws a head punch that misses.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Grice tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
DeVanzo working aggressively here.
Grice misses with a body punch.
Grice avoiding damage as DeVanzo throws knees to the body.
Grice is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but DeVanzo is keeping busy.
Grice has a couple of punches blocked by DeVanzo.
Grice is trying to stall.
Grice tries to throw a body punch but DeVanzo avoids it by throwing Grice back against the cage.
DeVanzo lands with a left to the head.
Grice lands a left hand.
Grice swings wildly with an uppercut but DeVanzo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Grice looking to slow down the pace here.
Grice blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
DeVanzo has Grice pressed against the cage, preventing Grice from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gary Grice comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Grice 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 1 round of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 9:10
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 9:10
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 9:10

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gary Grice!
Gary Grice spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.
In defeat, Artie DeVanzo stepped up to the mic, saying 'Hey, are we done here? 'Cause I'm losing my buzz. '.