PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chuck Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brian Staal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie comes to the cage accompanied by disturbed - down with the sickness. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Gracie
vs
Staal

200 cm
20
272 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

197 cm
24
273 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Hell's Balls Cardio and Strength
Hell's Balls Cardio and Strength

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Chuck Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Brian Staal!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Stewart Dunkirk and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Staal.
Gracie throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Staal on the side of the head.
Staal dodges the punch combination from Gracie.
Gracie misses with a wild body shot.
Staal slips under a jab from Gracie.
Gracie is trying hard to land a takedown here. Staal sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Gracie takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

Staal drives through with a takedown into guard.
Staal in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Staal trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Staal throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gracie works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Staal throws and elbow that misses. Gracie uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Staal's guard. Nice move by Gracie!
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gracie accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Gracie is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Staal is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Staal has escaped and now he's on top!
Staal passes Gracie's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Staal prevents Gracie from improving his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Staal 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 blocking the ground and pound attempt from Staal.
Staal not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Gracie keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Staal missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Staal shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Gracie lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
A cross from Gracie lands.
Gracie misses with an uppercut.
Gracie scores with a jab.
Staal misses with a body shot.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Staal circles away easily

and Staal counters with a shoot takedown. Gracie fights it but they end up in guard.
Gracie avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Gracie is looking for a triangle here but Staal uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie taking a bit of punishment here - Staal scoring with strikes.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Staal keeps moving and retains side control.

Staal tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Gracie regains half guard, as Staal was trying to land strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gracie.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Gracie wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Gracie slips a straight right by Staal.
Chuck Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gracie throws an overhand right that lands on Staal's shoulder, as Staal tries to avoid the shot.
Gracie lands an overhand right.
Gracie misses with a straight left.
Gracie looks to land a left hand but Staal moved out of range nicely.
Gracie fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Gracie scores with a nice head shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gracie misses with a hook.
Staal moves out of range of the strikes.
Chuck Gracie is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie stuffs the takedown.
Staal fails with the takedown

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Staal is breathing heavily.
Gracie postures up in Staal's guard and throws a big left but Staal blocks it.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Staal swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gracie thows a big elbow that misses.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gracie trying to control but Staal is working from the bottom.
Gracie won't allow Staal to sweep him here.
Gracie loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gracie pushes down on Staal's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Gracie not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Staal gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Staal takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Chuck Gracie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Brian Staal.
Gracie gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Gracie takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Staal circles away easily

and Staal counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Gracie!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Gracie working to try and regain half guard.
Staal postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Gracie looks a forlorn figure.
Staal throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to escape the mount.
Staal is landing with some decent strikes but Gracie is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Staal lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Brian Staal has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gracie tries to reverse the position but Staal maintains control.

Staal is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Gracie has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Gracie!
Staal throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Staal preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Gracie got a little sloppy there for a moment and Staal has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Gracie has managed to get both his arms back between Staal's legs - danger averted.
Gracie won't allow Staal to sweep him here.
Staal looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Gracie puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Staal is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Gracie scores with a couple of nice shots.
Gracie thows a huge punch but Staal dodges it nicely.
Staal avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Gracie.
Gracie moves nicely into side control.
Staal is trying to improve his position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Check out the look on Gracie's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Staal is trying to control Gracie's posture but Gracie avoids it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chuck Gracie 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. This is the final round!

Staal is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Gracie's half guard.

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Gracie has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Staal is working away from the top position though.
Gracie wants to get back to full guard.
Staal sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gracie defending well though.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Staal is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Gracie doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Staal.
Staal takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Staal throwing shots but Gracie is blocking nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Staal with the ground and pound but Gracie uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Staal working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gracie looks to land a combination but Staal avoids it well.

Staal shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Staal not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Staal throwing shots but Gracie is blocking nicely.
Gracie has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Staal thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gracie avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Staal.
Gracie tries to get to full guard but Staal has control of the leg.
Staal slips a nice elbow through Gracie's hands, connecting with Gracie's forehead.
Staal winds up and cracks Gracie with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Staal not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Gracie tries to get to full guard but Staal has control of the leg.
Staal trying to control from half guard but Gracie is working away.
Gracie makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gracie.

Gracie has his foot on Staal's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Staal works his way back into a safe position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Staal loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Gracie looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Staal from controlling successfully.
Gracie utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Gracie avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Staal looking to pass the guard.
Staal wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brian Staal comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Staal 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 Chris Downing scores the fight for Chuck Gracie!
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight for Chuck Gracie!
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight for Chuck Gracie!

Chuck Gracie wins by unanimous decision!