PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Aleoh Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fergie Balls (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Gracie
vs
Balls

165 cm
22
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

157 cm
22
135 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Aleoh Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Fergie Balls!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Daniel Franklin and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie closes this distance looking for a takedown but Balls circles away.
Gracie throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Balls tries to clinch up.

Balls scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Balls is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Gracie wants to control but Balls is keeping busy.
Balls has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Balls can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Gracie is looking to escape.
Balls throws some wild stikes that Gracie manages to avoid easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balls prevents Gracie from getting the reversal.
Balls tries to control but Gracie wriggling away.
Balls takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Gracie is working to get back to half guard.
Balls tries to control but Gracie wriggling away.
Gracie is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Gracie wants to control but Balls is having none of it.
Gracie regains half guard.
Gracie tries to kick Balls off but Balls keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Gracie is looking to improve his position.
Balls sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gracie defending well though.
Balls stalling.
Gracie wants to control but Balls is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie looking for a kimura from the bottom but Balls passes into side control!
Balls working the ground and pound but Gracie is defending the strikes.
A control attempt from Gracie but he's now mounted!
Gracie wants to control but Balls is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balls looking to ground and pound but Gracie is blocking nicely.
Balls wants to control the pace but Gracie is squirming around nicely.
Gracie tries to hold on but Balls postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Gracie working to try and regain half guard.
Gracie is trying to stand up.
Gracie is desperately trying to improve his position but Balls has a good base and remains in mount.
Gracie on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Gracie tries to get out of the position.
Gracie is working hard here to advance position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fergie Balls dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Gracie closes the distance looking to clinch

and Balls counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Gracie is looking for a sweep. Balls is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Balls working the head and body with strikes.
Gracie is not content to let Balls control the position.
Gracie is pressing down on Balls's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Gracie working a defensive guard here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Balls.
Gracie wants to get back to his feet but Balls is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Gracie throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Balls.

Gracie is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Balls should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Gracie shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Balls counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie tries to clinch but Balls moves away

and Balls counters with a single leg into guard. Gracie didn't expect that.
Balls wants to get up but he can't break Gracie's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Balls postures up.
Balls tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.
Gracie controls Balls momentarily but Balls frees himself.
Gracie wants to stand up but Balls is controlling him.
Gracie thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Balls has passed into side control.
You can see the frustration on Gracie's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Gracie gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Balls counters with a nice double leg into side control. Gracie won't be happy with that.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gracie can't do much from the bottom here.

Balls has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Balls circles away from the clinch attempt

so Balls counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Balls postures up in Gracie's guard and throws a big left but Gracie blocks it.
Balls trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Balls advances to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balls wants to take a breather but Gracie is having none of it.
Balls thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gracie's head.
Balls sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Gracie has a hand on Balls's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Balls takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Balls thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Balls has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gracie is in all sorts of trouble here.
Balls tries to control but Gracie wriggling away.

That's four 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.

Balls jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Gracie manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gracie misses the body punch

and Balls counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Balls trying to control from half guard but Gracie is working away.
Gracie wants to control but Balls passes into side.
Gracie is trying to control Balls's posture but Balls avoids it.
Fergie Balls has got the better of the ground game so far.
Balls postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie struggling a bit here.
Balls lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Gracie down.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fergie Balls showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Gracie with a poor takedown

and Balls counters by moving into the clinch.
Gracie is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Balls pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Balls lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Gracie has picked Balls up - he's going for a ride! Gracie dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.

Gracie seems to be working for a kimura but Balls defends the submission attempt.
Balls is refusing to be controlled, as Gracie sits in half guard.
Balls works his way to full guard. Good work.
Balls is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gracie is controlling him.

Balls working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Gracie doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Gracie manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gracie trying to control but Balls is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balls being controlled here, momentarily.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Balls swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Balls trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Gracie's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Gracie trying to control but Balls is working from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gracie shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Balls holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Aleoh Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gracie is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Balls gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Gracie jumps guard but Balls stands there with Gracie around his waist. Gracie gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

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.
Balls is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Gracie wants to get back to striking at distance but Balls won't allow it.

Balls breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

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

Gracie decides to stand back up. Gracie steps back and let's Balls get back to his feet.
Whack! Balls lands a heavy head kick that drops Gracie. The ref tackles Balls to stop the fight - a great save by the referee because Gracie was done.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:32 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Head Kick). Fergie Balls!