PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Michail Karnov (ranked 2176 p4p, 2620 weight class) and Rafaelo Gracie (ranked 263 p4p, 314 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Karnov
vs
Gracie

180 cm
29
160
5 - 3 - 0

175 cm
23
165
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Good kicks
Granite chin

Conviction

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 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Michail Karnov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Rafaelo Gracie!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Reed Andrews and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Karnov defends it nicely.
A counter left hand to the body from Karnov misses its target.
Karnov with a body punch. A glancing blow.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Karnov working a defensive guard here.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Karnov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Karnov swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control but Karnov is working from the bottom.
Gracie postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Karnov is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Karnov keeps moving.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Karnov misses the shot to the body.
Karnov wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
No luck for Gracie with that takedown attempt.
Michail Karnov is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karnov scores with a hook to the body. Gracie takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Karnov displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Gracie.
Michail Karnov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rafaelo Gracie.
Gracie lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Karnov swinging wildly here.
Karnov misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gracie.
Karnov fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Gracie manages to avoid it.
Karnov with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Karnov will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gracie with the counter takedown but Karnov avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karnov lands a right hook to the body.
Gracie connects with the punch.
Gracie shoots for a double leg takedown but Karnov sprawls well. He's pushed Gracie's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Gracie misses with an uppercut
and Karnov counters with a right hand to the body.

Karnov clinches.
I was talking to Karnov's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Karnov blocks an uppercut.
Karnov tries a body shot but Gracie blocks it.
Gracie is trying to drag Karnov to the mat but Karnov just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Karnov misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karnov misses with a punch on the inside.
Karnov swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Gracie is trying to drag Karnov to the mat but Karnov just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Karnov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie dives in for a single leg takedown but Karnov sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Gracie uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Karnov.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michail Karnov dominated that round.
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.

Gracie has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Gracie there as he acknowledges the shot.

Karnov pushes Gracie up against the cage in a clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Gracie.
Karnov lands a body shot in the clinch.
Karnov wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Gracie is trying to stall.
Gracie blocks a punch to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie is trying to pull guard but Karnov has him pressed against the cage.
Karnov misses with a hook to the ribs.
A short uppercut from Gracie.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Karnov tries a body shot but Gracie blocks it.
Gracie tries to stall but Karnov uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Karnov misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Karnov tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Karnov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Gracie misses with a hook to the ribs.
Gracie has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Karnov is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Gracie goes for a takedown in the clinch but Karnov prevents it.
Michail Karnov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rafaelo Gracie.
Karnov misses with a punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
A left hand lands to the body for Gracie.
Gracie tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Gracie jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Karnov walks away with a smile on his face. Gracie gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Karnov connects with a body shot that sends Gracie's belly button to the back.
Karnov lands with a nice body punch.

Gracie closes the distance and pushes Karnov back into the cage.
Karnov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gracie can do to turn this around?
Gracie fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Gracie throws a punch but it's blocked by Karnov.
Gracie looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Karnov working aggressively here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice right hand lands inside from Karnov.
Karnov swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Karnov can't find room to land a body shot as Gracie controls the action.
A right handed body shot lands from Karnov.
Karnov misses with a hook from the clinch.
Gracie blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Gracie creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karnov lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Gracie misses with a hook to the ribs.
Gracie avoiding damage.
Gracie is trying to pull guard but Karnov turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Gracie is leaning against Karnov and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Gracie trying to land knees to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Karnov lands a nice uppercut.
Gracie working aggressively here.
Karnov tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gracie's elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michail Karnov dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Karnov takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

Gracie shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Gracie showed some decent athleticism there.

Karnov makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Karnov throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gracie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Karnov throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Karnov motions for Gracie to come forward. Karnov throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Karnov scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie avoids the body shot from Karnov.
Karnov misses the shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karnov throws a leg kick

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into side control. Karnov won't be happy with that.
Karnov sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

Gracie is trying to work for a kimura but Karnov is defending well.
Gracie frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Gracie throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Karnov because Gracie loaded up on that one.
Gracie can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Karnov is looking to escape.
Gracie fails to move to back control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Karnov is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Gracie controlling from mount.

Gracie looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Karnov tries to reverse the position but Gracie maintains control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to control but Karnov wriggling away.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Karnov to control.
Gracie throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Karnov because Gracie loaded up on that one.
Gracie controlling from the full mount.
Gracie misses with a head shot.
Gracie trying to control but Karnov is having none of it.
Gracie misses with a head shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control but Karnov is having none of it.
Karnov on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Karnov tries to get out of the position.
Karnov wants to control but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Karnov is looking to escape.

Gracie wants to finish this one by submission but Karnov is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Gracie.
Rafaelo Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Michail Karnov is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Gracie throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Karnov because Gracie loaded up on that one.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rafaelo Gracie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Karnov 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 John Roberts scores the fight 29:28
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight 29:28
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Michail Karnov!
Michail Karnov managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, Conviction, into his post fight interview.