PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Raul Gracie (ranked 1021 p4p, 117 weight class) and Bernardo De Barros (ranked 457 p4p, 56 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Raul Gracie has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Raul Gracie seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Gracie
vs
De Barros

175 cm
25
165 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

173 cm
25
160 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

BJJ Red Belt
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Bee Krazy

Arcticus University: London

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Raul Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bernardo De Barros!
The judges for this bout are Topper Green, Summer Carpenter and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A swing and a miss from De Barros.
De Barros shoots in for a double leg but Gracie sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

De Barros clinches up against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
De Barros tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Gracie smiles and moves away.
Gracie tries to move into range but De Barros moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
De Barros throws the left hand but Gracie avoids the punch easily.
Gracie lands with a straight right. De Barros didn't see that one coming.
Gracie uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from De Barros.
Gracie scores with a hook to the body. De Barros takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

Gracie gets a takedown into half guard.
De Barros punching from the bottom.
De Barros trying to control here.

De Barros looking for submissions off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie trying to mount his opponent but De Barros defends it.
Gracie prevents De Barros from improving his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Gracie trying to mount his opponent but De Barros defends it.

De Barros actively working from the bottom here.
Gracie seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but De Barros does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Gracie looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks De Barros with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

Gracie is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's two 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 works his way into side control.
De Barros is looking for a sweep.
De Barros manages to get back to half guard.
Gracie perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

De Barros looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
We've been hearing that Gracie has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
De Barros is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Gracie blocks the strikes from De Barros.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
De Barros manages to get to full guard.
De Barros 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

De Barros throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

De Barros escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
De Barros is trying to keep Gracie in close.

De Barros is looking for a triangle here but Gracie uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
De Barros being controlled for a moment.
De Barros tries to bench press Gracie off him but Gracie keeps the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
De Barros regains half guard.
Gracie seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but De Barros does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

De Barros looking for submissions off his back.
Gracie working the head and body with strikes.

Gracie is working for a submission of some sort.
De Barros slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

De Barros working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Gracie doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Gracie manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raul Gracie 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.

Gracie shoots in and bounces De Barros off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

De Barros had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Gracie defends it easily.

De Barros throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

De Barros has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

De Barros looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
De Barros being controlled here, momentarily.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from De Barros.
Gracie is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that De Barros can do to turn this around?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie passes easily into side control. Nice work.
De Barros is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
De Barros is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Gracie is pressing down on De Barros's thigh, looking to free his foot. De Barros is holding on for now.
Gracie works his way into full mount!
De Barros srikes from the bottom but he's lost position and has given up his back.
Raul Gracie overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
De Barros manages to reverse the position and now he's in Gracie's guard. Nice work there by De Barros.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
De Barros trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
De Barros throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gracie not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
De Barros is pushing down on Gracie's leg trying to pass to half guard. Gracie is fighting to maintain full guard but De Barros has managed to sneak the leg through.
De Barros sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gracie defending well though.
Gracie is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
De Barros not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
De Barros takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
De Barros wants to pass to mount but Gracie is defending the position.
Gracie has hold of De Barros's hands but De Barros slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
De Barros working Gracie over with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

De Barros wants to work for an arm triangle but Gracie is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

De Barros is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Gracie sees it coming and defends easily.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.
De Barros working the head and body with strikes.
Gracie moves into full guard.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Gracie is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

De Barros moves into full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
De Barros striking off his back but it's not causing Gracie any problems.

Gracie got a little sloppy there for a moment and De Barros has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Gracie has managed to get both his arms back between De Barros's legs - danger averted.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
De Barros trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.

De Barros escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

De Barros has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

De Barros working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Gracie doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Gracie manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Gracie is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Bernardo De Barros will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. This is the final round!

De Barros tries to clinch up

and Gracie counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
De Barros wants to sweep but Gracie has passed to side control!
De Barros is not content to let Gracie control the position.
De Barros regains half guard.

Gracie 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 thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

De Barros actively working from the bottom here.
De Barros trying to control here.
De Barros is refusing to be controlled, as Gracie sits in half guard.

Gracie is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
De Barros wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.
Gracie works his way into full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
De Barros is in all sorts of trouble here.
De Barros regains half guard.
De Barros is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Gracie is looking for a kimura but De Barros is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Gracie to get the leverage.
Gracie is trying to control the action in half guard but De Barros is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Gracie is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, De Barros has managed to free his arm - good work.

De Barros looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
De Barros is trying to get back to full guard.
Gracie is pressing down on De Barros's thigh, looking to free his foot. De Barros is holding on for now.
De Barros is trying to get back to full guard.
Gracie working over De Barros with some ground and pound. De Barros looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Gracie is working for a kimura but De Barros is defending it quite comfortably.

De Barros looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Gracie is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. De Barros doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Gracie.

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.
De Barros trying to control here.

De Barros is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Gracie pulls his head out easily.

De Barros actively working from the bottom here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Gracie looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
De Barros trying to control from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Raul Gracie showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Gracie has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Topper Green scores the fight 29:28
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Raul Gracie!
A relieved looking Raul 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.