PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Namba Babakla (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Demian Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Namba Babakla is staring across the ring at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Babakla
vs
Gracie

170 cm
29
170 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

178 cm
26
184 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Namba Babakla!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Demian Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Paulo Santos and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
We've got one fighter who appears to only be looking to counter and the other not looking particularly aggressive either, so we could be in for a dull fight.
Gracie will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Gracie misses with a takedown

and Babakla counters with a takedown into side control.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Babakla throws a strike aimed at the side of Gracie's head but Gracie avoids it well.
Babakla trying to control the position but Gracie is working away.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Babakla keeps moving and retains side control.
Gracie struggling a bit here.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Babakla keeps moving and retains side control.
Babakla in side control, throwing shots but Gracie defends.
Gracie is not content to let Babakla control the position.
Babakla looking to control but instead Gracie has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babakla throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Babakla wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
Gracie tries to get to full guard but Babakla has control of the leg.
Babakla 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.
Gracie gets back to full guard.
Babakla showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Namba Babakla.
Gracie shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

so Babakla counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Namba Babakla has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Demian Gracie.
Babakla won't allow Gracie to sweep him here.
Babakla wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
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!
Babakla throws a strike but Gracie rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Babakla looking for a sweep. Not yet Babakla, not yet.
Babakla utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babakla wants to improve his position but instead Gracie has moved into half guard.
Gracie is keen to just control but Babakla is a slippery customer.
Babakla flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

Gracie is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Gracie prevents Babakla from improving his position.
Babakla throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Gracie performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Babakla trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Gracie manages to pass to mount!
Babakla is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Babakla bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Babakla from controlling successfully.
Gracie is trying to control the position but Babakla postures up.

Babakla 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 Babakla has Gracie in his guard.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Babakla striking off his back but it's not causing Gracie any problems.
Babakla is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Babakla tries to land a sweep but no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Namba Babakla dominated that round.
That's time! Babakla's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gracie is defended easily by Babakla.
Babakla fails with a takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Babakla darts in looking for a takedown but Gracie gets double underhooks and turns Babakla into the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie has picked Babakla up - he's going for a ride! Gracie dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Babakla keeps working.

Gracie seems to be looking for submissions.
Babakla moves into full guard.
Babakla not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Babakla trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Gracie slips nicely into half guard.
Babakla is looking to improve his position.
Gracie tries to pass to full mount but Babakla defends it.
Babakla manages to get to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Babakla striking off his back but it's not causing Gracie any problems.
Gracie won't allow Babakla to sweep him here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Babakla throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Namba Babakla overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Babakla swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Babakla looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Babakla is keeping the position for now.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Gracie stands and throws Babakla's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Babakla tries to improve position but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babakla is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Gracie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Gracie wants to control but Babakla is keeping him busy.
Babakla missing with punches from the bottom.
Babakla tries to get to full guard but Gracie has control of the leg.
Well, if Gracie is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

Gracie is looking for a kimura here.
Gracie tries to pass to full mount but Babakla defends it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Babakla is having none of it.
Gracie sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Babakla keeps working.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Demian Gracie.
Babakla fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Gracie avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Namba Babakla. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Babakla shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Gracie as he jumps to the side.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Demian Gracie will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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!

Gracie shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Babakla sprawls well. Babakla wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Gracie gets slowly back to his feet.

Gracie gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Gracie working for a triangle but Babakla defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babakla sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Gracie looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Babakla slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Babakla stands and throws Gracie's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Babakla throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Gracie can't do much from the bottom here.
Gracie is looking to regain half guard here but Babakla keeps moving and retains side control.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Babakla thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Babakla wants to control but Gracie is keeping him busy.
Babakla working away.
Babakla throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Gracie is trying to control Babakla's posture but Babakla avoids it.
Gracie is trying to improve his position.
Gracie wants to control but Babakla postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.
Gracie defending against the ground and pound.
Babakla misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Babakla misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Babakla misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Babakla works to advance to full mount. Gracie defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Babakla misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Gracie is working to get back to half guard.
Gracie wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Babakla.
Poor strikes thrown by Babakla there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Babakla punching from mount but Gracie doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Babakla throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Gracie is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Babakla throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Gracie is in all sorts of trouble here.
Gracie avoids a series of strikes thrown by Babakla.
Babakla looking to finish with strikes here!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gracie wants to hold on but Babakla pushes him away.
Babakla dominating with strikes here.
Babakla can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Gracie is looking to escape.
Gracie bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gracie accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Babakla keeps moving.
Babakla striking off his back but it's not causing Gracie any problems.

And that's the end of the fight!
Namba Babakla showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Babakla has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Namba Babakla!