PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Gamba Osaka (ranked 4360 p4p, 2975 weight class) and Royce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Osaka
vs
Gracie

150 cm
18
146
0 - 0 - 0

160 cm
20
150
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

Brachial Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight 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, Gamba Osaka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Royce Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Paulo Santos and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie misses with a kick to the body.

Osaka closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Gracie sneaks out the side door and pushes Osaka away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.

Osaka gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Gracie to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gracie sitting in guard here, content to control.
Gracie trying to control but Osaka is working from the bottom.
Osaka is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Osaka is looking for a triangle here but Gracie uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Osaka trying to remain calm as Gracie controls from the top position.
Osaka struggling a bit here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Osaka keeps working.
Osaka is looking to reverse the position.
Gracie just content to control the position.
Osaka prevents Gracie from improving position.
Gracie postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Gracie controlling the position.
Gracie working away.
Osaka on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Osaka tries to get out of the position.
Gracie is staying tight to Osaka's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Osaka keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Gracie throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Gracie tries to move to mount but Osaka blocks the move with his legs.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie wants to control but Osaka is keeping him busy.
Osaka struggling a bit here.
Gracie in side control, throwing shots but Osaka defends.
Osaka could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Osaka looking for a sweep but Gracie has passed into full mount! Oh no!
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Osaka is wriggling around trying to escape.
Osaka tries to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
Osaka is desperately trying to improve his position but Gracie has a good base and remains in mount.
Gracie controlling from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie breaks from Osaka's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Osaka to control.
Gracie throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Osaka because Gracie loaded up on that one.
Osaka is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
Osaka is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Osaka tries to lock up and control but Gracie gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Gracie tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Gracie throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Osaka because Gracie loaded up on that one.
Gracie throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Osaka because Gracie loaded up on that one.
Osaka bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Osaka showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Gracie working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Osaka.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Osaka looking to pass the guard.
Gracie manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Osaka manages to get himself to full guard.

Osaka is breathing heavily.
Osaka controlling Gracie's posture.
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Osaka wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Gracie is now in half guard.
Gracie is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Osaka is having none of it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Royce Gracie dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A decent looking cross lands there for Osaka.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Osaka gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Osaka stays in close to Gracie's body and controls the position.
Gracie 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.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Osaka trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Osaka content to stall in guard here.
Gracie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.
Osaka lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Osaka wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Osaka won't allow Gracie to sweep him here.
Gracie keeping full guard, as Osaka tries to pass.
Osaka passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard.

Osaka working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Osaka just content to control the position.

Osaka wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Gracie, who protects the arm well.

Osaka is trying to get an arm triangle but Gracie is defending well.
Osaka in the domination position with Gracie hanging on.
Osaka throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Gracie works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Gracie slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to control the position but Osaka postures up.
Gracie pulls Osaka in close to his closed guard and prevents Osaka from doing any damage or advancing position.
Osaka postures up in Gracie's guard and throws a big left but Gracie blocks it.
Osaka has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Osaka trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Gracie manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Gracie wants to control from the top but Osaka keeps moving.
Osaka wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Gracie is now in half guard.
Osaka manages to get to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie controlling from the top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Gracie has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Gracie controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Gracie trying to control but Osaka is working from the bottom.
Royce Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gracie is pushing down on Osaka's leg trying to pass to half guard. Osaka is fighting to maintain full guard but Gracie has managed to sneak the leg through.
Osaka is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Osaka is working hard here to advance position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Gracie seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gamba Osaka dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Gracie closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Osaka to the mat! Osaka manages to get full guard.
Gracie looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Osaka working a defensive guard here.
Osaka wants to sweep here but Gracie controlling him for the moment.
Osaka keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Osaka manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gracie manages to get himself to full guard.

Osaka stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
Osaka knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.

Osaka 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!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Osaka is keeping the position for now.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gracie content to stall in guard here.
Osaka has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Gracie is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Gracie throws a big elbow that misses.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Osaka keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Gracie postures up in Osaka's guard and throws a big left but Osaka blocks it.
Gracie is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Osaka looking to control.
Osaka is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Gracie is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Gracie sitting in guard here, content to control.

Gracie avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Osaka trying to control the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Osaka has managed to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Osaka can't find room to land a body shot as Gracie controls the action.

Gracie manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Gracie being controlled here, momentarily.
Osaka being controlled here momentarily.
Gracie trying to control 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.
Osaka sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Gracie trying to control the position.
Osaka wants to pass the guard but Gracie is keeping the position.
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Gracie moves into the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

Gracie has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Osaka is trying to keep an underhook but Gracie manages to get the takedown into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Royce Gracie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Gracie 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 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Royce Gracie!
Royce Gracie tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.