PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Wilson Viera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sergio Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Viera
vs
Gracie

170 cm
23
145 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

176 cm
23
155 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Brown Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Mundo Green - World Verde

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 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wilson Viera!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Edson Gomes and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Viera moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Gracie is looking to clinch.
Gracie uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Viera has time to react.
Viera tries to clinch but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie misses with a low kick.
Viera fails in his attempt to clinch.
Viera defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Gracie.

Viera closes the distance and clinches.
Viera prevents Gracie from breaking the clinch.
Gracie wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Viera wants to break the clinch but can't.

Viera has clasped his hands together around Gracie's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.

Viera looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Gracie gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Viera wants to control but Gracie is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Gracie pushes Viera off looking to stand but Viera dives back in and keeps control.
Gracie regains full guard. Nicely done.
Viera postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Viera distracts Gracie with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Viera working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Viera wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Viera looking to sit in guard and control but Gracie gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Viera striking off his back but it's not causing Gracie any problems.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Viera wants to sweep here but Gracie controlling him for the moment.
Viera on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Viera tries to get out of the position.
Viera tries to strike from the bottom.
Viera has a closed guard, preventing Gracie from standing up.
Viera 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.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gracie tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Viera counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Gracie is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Viera breaks the clinch.
Gracie fails with the takedown

and Viera counters by clinching up.
Wilson Viera has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sergio Gracie.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie tries to break free but Viera pushes him back against the cage.

Viera escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Viera blocks a jab.
Viera circles away from the clinch attempt

and Viera counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Viera.

Viera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Viera moves into the clinch.

Viera works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

Gracie pushes Viera off and scrambles back to his feet.
Gracie closes the distance but Viera moves to the side

and Viera counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Viera.

Viera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gracie looks to clinch

and Viera moves into the clinch.

Viera breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gracie clinches up with Viera and pushes him back against the cage.

Viera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Gracie instigates a clinch.
Gracie is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Viera pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Viera pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gracie fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Viera manages to avoid it.

Viera takes the fight into the clinch.

Viera breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Gracie avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Gracie lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
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!
Gracie looks to clinch

and Viera counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Viera.
Viera wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Gracie has him pressed against the cage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Viera escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Viera breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gracie shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Viera counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wilson Viera dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Gracie throws a lazy head kick

and Viera counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Gracie has Viera pressed against the cage, preventing Viera from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Viera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Viera slips a jab and a cross from Gracie.
Gracie throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Viera circles away easily

and Viera moves into the clinch.

Viera manages to pull guard.
Viera working a defensive guard but Gracie passes into half guard.
Gracie blocks the strikes from Viera.
Viera tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Viera preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Viera wants to control the action here but instead Gracie manages to pass to full mount!
Viera knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie on the ground.
Gracie can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Viera is looking to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Viera is looking to get to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Viera wants to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
Viera is trying to escape the mount.

Gracie swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Viera is now in Gracie's guard. A big mistake from Gracie there, giving up the dominant position!
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Viera loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Viera postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Viera stops Gracie from standing up.

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.
Viera throwing strikes but missing.

Viera drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Gracie manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Viera has Gracie in his guard.
Viera keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Viera looking for a sweep. Not yet Viera, not yet.
Viera striking off his back, scoring a few points.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Viera controls Gracie momentarily but Gracie frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to stand up but can't free himself from Viera's guard.
Viera controls Gracie momentarily but Gracie frees himself.
Viera looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Gracie has his takedown stuffed

and Viera counters by moving into the clinch.

Viera breaks from the clinch.
Gracie clinches but Viera breaks the clinch

and Viera counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Gracie looking for a takedown.
Wilson Viera has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sergio Gracie.

Viera pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Gracie cracks Viera with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Viera tries to close the distance and clinch but Gracie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Gracie wants to clinch

and Viera counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Viera.
Gracie fails to pull guard.

Viera breaks the clinch.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Gracie!
Gracie swats away the attempt to clinch by Viera.
Gracie lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Gracie swats away the attempt to clinch by Viera.
Gracie throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Wilson Viera is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Viera darts in and clinches Gracie up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Wilson Viera will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Viera circles away from the clinch attempt

and Viera counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Viera.
Gracie is trying to break the clinch but Viera has him pressed against the cage.
Gracie changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Viera fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Viera fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gracie tries to clinch up

and Viera counters by clinching up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie has a couple of punches blocked by Viera.

Viera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gracie misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Gracie doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Viera holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Gracie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Viera ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Viera no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Viera 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.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Viera keeps moving.
Viera trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Viera.
Viera is pulling down on Gracie's head to control his posture.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Viera swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gracie is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Viera.
Viera tries to clinch up
and Gracie counters with a one-two to the body.

Gracie closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Gracie lands in his opponent's guard.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Viera is keeping the position.
Viera trying to control the position.
Viera looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Viera swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Viera throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Viera is trying to control the position but Gracie postures up.
Gracie is in close to Viera's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Viera has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Gracie can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Viera is looking to clinch.
Gracie tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Viera counters by moving into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Viera escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sergio Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Gracie drives through and clinches with Viera against the cage.
Gracie has had enough of the clinch but Viera keeps him there for the moment.
Gracie keeps control of Viera as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Gracie pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gracie darts in trying to clinch

and Viera counters by moving into the clinch.
Sergio Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Viera drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Gracie gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Gracie is trying to drag Viera to the mat but Viera just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Wilson Viera has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sergio Gracie.

Viera breaks from the clinch.
Viera avoids a punch combination nicely.
Gracie with a lazy takedown attempt

and Viera counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Viera.
Wilson Viera is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Viera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gracie circles away from the clinch attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Wilson Viera.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Viera, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wilson Viera!