PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between James Gracie (ranked 4479 p4p, 3048 weight class) and Inacio Azevedo (ranked 0 p4p, 430 weight class). The key to victory for James Gracie has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Gracie
vs
Azevedo

188 cm
25
190
0 - 0 - 0

184 cm
25
194
1 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, James Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Inacio Azevedo!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Edson Gomes and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gracie gets a takedown into half guard.
Azevedo is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Azevedo felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.

Azevedo looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Gracie trying to control the action but Azevedo is working from the bottom.
Gracie controlling the action here.

Azevedo is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Gracie pulls his head out easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Azevedo taking some punishment here, with Gracie in his half guard.
Azevedo on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie is keen to just control but Azevedo is a slippery customer.

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

Azevedo with the active half guard here but Gracie passes nicely into side control.
Azevedo looks winded!
Azevedo takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Gracie controls the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Azevedo takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Gracie working the head with strikes.
Gracie takes a little break here. Azevedo wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Azevedo is trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control the position but Azevedo is working away.
Azevedo is looking to regain half guard here but Gracie keeps moving and retains side control.
Azevedo is working to avoid the ground and pound but Gracie connects with a decent elbow.
Azevedo is trying to improve his position.
Gracie cracks Azevedo with a big right hand but Azevedo just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Azevedo taking a bit of punishment here - Gracie scoring with strikes.
Gracie scores with punches from side control.
Azevedo tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Gracie is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Azevedo is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo is looking to regain half guard here but Gracie keeps moving and retains side control.

Gracie is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Azevedo knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Azevedo is trying to improve his position.
Gracie trying to control the action but Azevedo is working from the bottom.
Azevedo is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Gracie in side control lands a decent elbow.

Gracie tries for a kimura but Azevedo is defending well.
Azevedo is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Gracie in particular looking to stall.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Azevedo keeps working.

Azevedo looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Gracie is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

James Gracie dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Gracie shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Gracie landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Nice strikes from Gracie there.

Azevedo looking for submissions off his back.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Azevedo is staying active underneath Gracie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Azevedo on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Gracie is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie wants to pass to mount but Azevedo is defending the position.

Azevedo looking for submissions off his back.
Azevedo is breathing heavily.

Azevedo looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Gracie seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

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

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 wants to lay and pray for a moment but Azevedo keeps working.
Azevedo tries to get to full guard but Gracie has control of the leg.
Gracie winds up and cracks Azevedo with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Gracie is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Azevedo keeps working.

Azevedo looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Gracie takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Gracie is looking to advance position but Azevedo won't allow it.
Gracie working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
James Gracie overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gracie content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Gracie working over Azevedo with some ground and pound. Azevedo looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Azevedo looking for submissions off his back.
Gracie not doing much here.
Gracie seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Gracie is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Azevedo can do to turn this around?
Gracie performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

James Gracie dominated that second round.
That's time! Gracie's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Gracie shoots in and gets a takedown into Azevedo's guard.

Gracie got a little sloppy there for a moment and Azevedo has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Gracie has managed to get both his arms back between Azevedo's legs - danger averted.
Gracie trying to control but Azevedo is working from the bottom.
Azevedo has momentary wrist control but Gracie slips an elbow through the middle.

Azevedo looking for a guillotine here but Gracie defends easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Azevedo keeps moving.
Azevedo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Gracie content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie content to stall in guard here.

Azevedo had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Gracie defends it easily.
Gracie lands a couple of digs.

Azevedo looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Gracie drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gracie jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Azevedo keeps moving.

That's two 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.
Gracie stands up over Azevedo, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Gracie sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Azevedo's guard.
Azevedo won't allow Gracie to pass to mount.

Azevedo looking for submissions off his back.
Gracie perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Azevedo actively working from the bottom here.
Gracie slips a nice elbow through Azevedo's hands, connecting with Azevedo's forehead.
Ground and pound from Gracie.
Ground and pound from Gracie.
Gracie is looking to take a break and control but Azevedo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Gracie in particular looking to stall.
Gracie seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Azevedo for as long as he can get away with.

Azevedo looking for submissions off his back.
Gracie looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Azevedo with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Gracie is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Gracie trying to control from half guard but Azevedo is working away.
Gracie wants to pass to mount but Azevedo is defending the position.

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.
Gracie is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Inacio Azevedo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Azevedo looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Gracie uses his free foot to push down on Azevedo's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Azevedo.
Gracie tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
James Gracie showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Gracie has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:27
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Gracie!