PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tony Hibbert (ranked 898 p4p, 112 weight class) and Raul Gracie (ranked 1060 p4p, 129 weight class). Gracie has chosen Jiu Jitsu-Apaga Mas Não Bate as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Hibbert
vs
Gracie

172 cm
28
160 lbs
17 - 11 - 1

175 cm
28
165 lbs
10 - 4 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Red Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

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 17 - 11 - 1, fighting out of New York, Tony Hibbert!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 1, fighting out of London, Raul Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Hibbert is refusing to be controlled, as Gracie sits in half guard.
Hibbert trying to hold on to Gracie's head to control him but Gracie postures up.
Gracie passes the guard and advances to mount!
Gracie seems to be looking to move to his opponent's back but Hibbert is holding on tight.
Gracie landing strikes from the mount and Hibbert is in trouble!
Hibbert is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hibbert really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie wants to take Hibbert's back here but Hibbert is holding on to an arm, himself looking to escape.
Hibbert is desperately trying to improve his position but Gracie has a good base and remains in mount.
Gracie fails to take his opponent's back.
Hibbert is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Gracie is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Hibbert is trying desperately to improve position.
Gracie looking to control but Hibbert is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Gracie sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Hibbert is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Hibbert is in all sorts of trouble here.
Gracie looking to control but Hibbert is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Hibbert regains half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie prevents Hibbert from improving his position.
Hibbert taking some punishment here, with Gracie in his half guard.
Gracie scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hibbert is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Hibbert won't allow Gracie to pass to mount.
Gracie passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Hibbert!
Hibbert really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Hibbert is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Hibbert slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

Hibbert looking for submissions off his back.
Hibbert is trying to control but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hibbert tries to get to full guard but Gracie has control of the leg.

Gracie is working for a kimura but Hibbert is defending it quite comfortably.
Gracie trying to control the action but Hibbert is working from the bottom.
Hibbert wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie trying to control from half guard but Hibbert is working away.
Hibbert is looking to control Gracie's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Hibbert avoid being mounted?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raul Gracie dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Hibbert misses with a few strikes there.
Hibbert lands a high kick!

Gracie rushes Hibbert and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Hibbert letting Gracie take a breather here.
Gracie trying to control the position but instead, Hibbert has worked for underhooks and has pushed Gracie into the cage.
Gracie is trying to pull guard but Hibbert has him pressed against the cage.
Gracie takes a shot to the head.
Gracie has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Hibbert lands with a left to the head.
Hibbert misses with a short punch on the inside.
Hibbert looking to stall.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gracie.
Gracie lands a hook that snaps the head of Hibbert backwards.
Hibbert is trying to maintain a safe position but Gracie gets an underhook and turns Hibbert into the cage.
Hibbert looking to stall.
Hibbert seems a little flustered. He's come in with the intention of controlling the clinch but Gracie is preventing him from doing so, at least for the moment.
Gracie is trying to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie lands with a light punch inside.
Gracie tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Gracie lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
A nice right hand lands inside from Hibbert.
A head punch on the inside from Hibbert fails to land.
Hibbert scores with a shoulder strike.
Gracie blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hibbert lands a hook that snaps the head of Gracie backwards.
Hibbert trying to stall but Gracie improves his position.
Gracie blocks a body shot from Hibbert.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Hibbert.
Gracie misses with a punch on the inside.
Gracie throws a punch but it's blocked by Hibbert.
Hibbert blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Gracie fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Gracie tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Hibbert just stands there and leans against the cage.
Tony Hibbert has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Raul Gracie.
Hibbert lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gracie backwards.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gracie tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Hibbert digs a right hand into Gracie's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Gracie's gas tank.
Hibbert lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie pulls guard successfully.
Hibbert trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Hibbert pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gracie is keeping the position for now.
Hibbert trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie keeping full guard, as Hibbert tries to pass.
Gracie tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Hibbert throwing strikes but missing.
Hibbert is pushing down on Gracie's leg trying to pass to half guard. Gracie is fighting to maintain full guard but Hibbert has managed to sneak the leg through.
Gracie is in trouble now - Hibbert has advanced to mount!
Hibbert breaks from Gracie's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hibbert goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Gracie is on top in guard.
Gracie lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Gracie throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hibbert works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Hibbert keeps moving.
Gracie content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Raul Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.

Hibbert 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.

Hibbert 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.
Gracie throws a big right hand that misses.
Hibbert trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Gracie controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hibbert swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gracie keeps trying to improve his position.
Gracie is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Gracie being controlled here momentarily.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hibbert swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hibbert looking for a sweep. Not yet Hibbert, not yet.
Gracie is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Gracie throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hibbert works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hibbert keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Hibbert dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Hibbert throws a right and a left that Gracie avoids nicely.
Gracie tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Hibbert swivels and escapes.
Hibbert misses the shot to the body.
Hibbert throws an off balance right hand

and Gracie counters with a single leg into guard. Hibbert didn't expect that.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Hibbert keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Hibbert bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Gracie's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie keeping full guard, as Hibbert tries to pass.

Hibbert is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Gracie is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Gracie has escaped and now he's on top!

Gracie controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control but Hibbert is working from the bottom.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Hibbert is keeping the position.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Hibbert.

Hibbert 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.
Hibbert lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Hibbert wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Gracie lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hibbert not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gracie passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Hibbert tries to improve position but can't.

Gracie swings around for an armbar but Hibbert sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Gracie's guard.
Hibbert is looking to advance position but Gracie has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Hibbert tries to lock up and control but Gracie gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Hibbert is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
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!
Hibbert is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hibbert tries to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hibbert is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Gracie breaks from Hibbert's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Gracie tries to control but Hibbert wriggling away.
Hibbert really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Hibbert to control.
Gracie in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Hibbert tries to improve his position but Gracie has taken his back! Gracie has a choke - it's sunk in pretty tight... Will Hibbert tap? No... maybe... yes! He's tapped! Gracie pushes Hibbert away and gets up to celebrate with his corner!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Raul Gracie!
Raul Gracie seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.