PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Rambo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jorge Gracie Jr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rambo's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Basic Thugonomics. This should be fireworks!

Rambo
vs
Gracie Jr

185 cm
27
248 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

189 cm
22
275 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

ADCC Champion
Counter striker
Knockout power

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 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Rambo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jorge Gracie Jr!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Chris Downing and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rambo closes the distance and pushes Gracie Jr back into the cage.
Gracie Jr drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Gracie Jr wants a takedown but no success here.
Gracie Jr drops down looking for an ankle pick but Rambo pulls his leg out and moves away.
John Rambo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jorge Gracie Jr.
Gracie Jr takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
A swing and a miss from Gracie Jr.

Rambo closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Gracie Jr tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rambo smiles and moves away.
Rambo darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Gracie Jr rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Rambo counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
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!
Rambo wants to clinch.
Gracie Jr swats away the attempt to clinch by Rambo.
John Rambo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rambo moves out of range as Gracie Jr strikes.
Gracie Jr rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Rambo counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Gracie Jr tries to pull guard but Rambo won't allow it.
Gracie Jr jumps guard but Rambo stands there with Gracie Jr around his waist. Gracie Jr gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Gracie Jr changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Rambo fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Rambo wants to clinch up but Gracie Jr keeps it at a distance.
Rambo tries to clinch
and Gracie Jr counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Rambo is looking to clinch.
Rambo misses the shot to the body.
Rambo tries to clinch but Gracie Jr moves out of range.
Rambo works Gracie Jr's body with a nice hook.

Rambo has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie Jr jumps guard but Rambo stands there with Gracie Jr around his waist. Gracie Jr gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Rambo stalls.

Rambo gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Gracie Jr regains guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.

Gracie Jr escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Rambo gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Rambo has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rambo postures up.
Rambo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rambo wants to control from the top but Gracie Jr keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rambo postures up and lands a big shot to Gracie Jr's brow.
Gracie Jr working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rambo.
Rambo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Gracie Jr is trying to control the position but Rambo postures up.
Gracie Jr preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gracie Jr looking to control.
Rambo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gracie Jr works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Gracie Jr has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rambo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Rambo looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Rambo wants to control from the top but Gracie Jr keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Rambo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Rambo got a little sloppy there for a moment and Gracie Jr has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Rambo has managed to get both his arms back between Gracie Jr's legs - danger averted.
Gracie Jr is trying to keep Rambo in close.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Rambo accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Gracie Jr holds on and takes a little breather.

Gracie Jr is looking for a triangle here but Rambo uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rambo looks up at the clock and then as Gracie Jr takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Rambo smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Rambo dominated that 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.

The fight stays on the outside here - Rambo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rambo looks to score with a jab to the body but Gracie Jr is just out of range.
Rambo ducks under a wild hook from Gracie Jr.
Rambo swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Gracie Jr pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rambo checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Rambo scores with a shot to the body.
Rambo scores with a nice right hand.
Good work by Rambo as he checks the leg kick.
Rambo slips a jab from Gracie Jr.
Rambo wants to clinch.
Rambo tries to clinch up but Gracie Jr circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rambo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gracie Jr takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Rambo wants to clinch up but Gracie Jr keeps it at a distance.
Rambo tries to clinch up but Gracie Jr circles away and keeps his distance.
Rambo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gracie Jr throws a big shot that misses.
Rambo tries to close the distance and clinch but Gracie Jr swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rambo slips under a jab.
Gracie Jr misses with a hook.

Rambo has managed to clinch.
Gracie Jr tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rambo smiles and moves away.
Gracie Jr throws a poor cross that misses
and Rambo counters with a series of strikes. Gracie Jr will be more careful next time no doubt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie Jr misses with a low kick as Rambo jumps back.
Rambo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gracie Jr.
Gracie Jr throws a looping overhand right but Rambo ducks down to avoid it.

Rambo rushes Gracie Jr and presses him up against the cage.
Gracie Jr is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Rambo here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Good body shot from Rambo.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Rambo lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Gracie Jr blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rambo.
Gracie Jr is trying to maintain the position but Rambo is very close to passing his half guard.
Gracie Jr trying to get back to full guard but Rambo takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rambo postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Gracie Jr looks a forlorn figure.
Gracie Jr takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Rambo lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Gracie Jr is squirming around, avoiding Rambo's attempts to control the action.
Rambo punishing his opponent with strikes.
Rambo prevents Gracie Jr from getting the reversal.
A nice elbow there by Rambo.
Gracie Jr is breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rambo lands with some strikes.
Rambo avoids the attempt from Gracie Jr to control.
Rambo lands a big shot there that rocks Gracie Jr but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rambo lands a heavy elbow.
Rambo putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
John Rambo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rambo tries to control but Gracie Jr wriggling away.
Gracie Jr tries to hold on but Rambo pushes him away.
Rambo is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gracie Jr can do to turn this around?
Rambo tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Gracie Jr tries to lock up and control but Rambo gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Rambo unloading with bombs!
Rambo wants to control the pace but Gracie Jr is squirming around nicely.
Rambo lands a nice shot to the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie Jr is squirming around, avoiding Rambo's attempts to control the action.
Gracie Jr tries to hold on but Rambo postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Rambo dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Rambo keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Rambo is looking to clinch.
Rambo tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Gracie Jr manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Gracie Jr pivots, looking for a leg kick but Rambo is out of range and Gracie Jr settles back down.
John Rambo is winning the standup battle so far.
Rambo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gracie Jr.
Rambo moves in looking to clinch but Gracie Jr pushes him off.
Rambo is looking to clinch but Gracie Jr is avoiding it.

Rambo closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rambo cracks Gracie Jr with a nice body shot.
Gracie Jr is trying to stall.
Rambo lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Gracie Jr takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rambo gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Gracie Jr.
Gracie Jr is working for takedown but Rambo is calmly controlling the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie Jr is fighting off a takedown attempt but Rambo is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Gracie Jr to the mat. Gracie Jr regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

Gracie Jr had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Rambo defends it easily.
Gracie Jr has momentary wrist control but Rambo slips an elbow through the middle.
Rambo content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Rambo landing with the ground and pound.

Gracie Jr is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rambo is aware though and is defending well.
Gracie Jr preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rambo wants to control from the top but Gracie Jr keeps moving.
Rambo with a nice head shot there.
Rambo keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Gracie Jr's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gracie Jr looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rambo landing with the ground and pound.
Rambo slips nicely into half guard.
Rambo knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gracie Jr on the ground.
Rambo trying to control from half guard but Gracie Jr is working away.
Rambo wants to pass the guard but Gracie Jr is defending well.
Gracie Jr keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Rambo trying to control the action but Gracie Jr is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rambo working the head and body with strikes.
Rambo prevents Gracie Jr from improving his position.
Nice strikes from Rambo there.
Rambo lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Rambo throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Gracie Jr looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Rambo tries to pass to full mount but Gracie Jr defends it.
Rambo trying to control from half guard but Gracie Jr is working away.
Rambo lands strikes from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie Jr manages to get to full guard.
Rambo postures up and lands a big shot to Gracie Jr's brow.
Rambo stands up over Gracie Jr, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Rambo drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Rambo jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Rambo's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Rambo avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rambo postures up.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Rambo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rambo 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:26
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 30:26
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Rambo!