PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zeus Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Sanchez
vs
Gracie

185 cm
37
184 lbs
18 - 20 - 0

175 cm
22
180 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Merciless Gladiators

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 18 - 20 - 0, fighting out of London, Thiago Sanchez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Zeus Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, Paul Tew and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sloppy strikes from Sanchez. Those never looked like landing.
Gracie shoots for a takedown but Sanchez saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Sanchez takes the fight into the clinch.
Gracie goes for a takedown attempt but Sanchez pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Thiago Sanchez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zeus Gracie.

Sanchez closes the distance and clinches.
Sanchez scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Gracie is working for takedown but Sanchez is calmly controlling the position for now.
Gracie has Sanchez pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Sanchez manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Sanchez has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Gracie avoids it.
Sanchez is pressed up against the cage. Gracie has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Sanchez down to the mat. Sanchez avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Sanchez drives through and clinches with Gracie against the cage.

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

Sanchez gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gracie tries for a takedown but Sanchez circles away easily
and Sanchez counters with a straight right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Sanchez as he avoids it easily.

Gracie closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Sanchez to the mat! Sanchez manages to get full guard.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Sanchez wants to stand and escape but Gracie is having none of it.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sanchez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Sanchez is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gracie is controlling him.

Gracie drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Sanchez manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Gracie has Sanchez in his guard.
Sanchez trying to stand up but can't free himself from Gracie's guard.

Gracie looking for a guillotine here but Sanchez defends easily.
Sanchez preventing the sweep.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez trying to stand up but can't free himself from Gracie's guard.
Sanchez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Gracie is trying to keep Sanchez in close.
Gracie is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sanchez would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Gracie throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sanchez decides to stand back up. Sanchez steps back and let's Gracie get back to his feet.

Gracie shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Sanchez manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Gracie prevents Sanchez from getting back to his feet.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sanchez is keeping the position for now.
Gracie is still trying to improve position.
Gracie stops Sanchez from standing up.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sanchez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Sanchez is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Sanchez is keeping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez is looking to stand up but Gracie isn't so interested in that idea.
Gracie wants to pass the guard but Sanchez is keeping the position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sanchez wants to stand up but Gracie is controlling him.
Gracie is pushing down on Sanchez's leg trying to pass to half guard. Sanchez is fighting to maintain full guard but Gracie has managed to sneak the leg through.
Gracie wants to free his trapped foot but Sanchez is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Gracie stops Sanchez from getting back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Gracie is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Sanchez doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Gracie.
Sanchez won't allow Gracie to pass to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Zeus Gracie will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Sanchez moves into the clinch.
Gracie prevents Sanchez from breaking the clinch.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.

Sanchez fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gracie, pushing him back against the cage.
The referee is keeping an eye on Sanchez - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Gracie tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sanchez just stands there and leans against the cage.
Gracie can't get the takedown.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Thiago Sanchez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zeus Gracie.
Gracie closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sanchez circles away.
Sanchez throws a series of punches but Gracie moves out of range.
Gracie shoots in but no luck this time.
Sanchez tries to bum rush Gracie with a series of wild strikes but Gracie uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Thiago Sanchez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Sanchez has taken the fight to the clinch.
Sanchez wants to break free but Gracie has control.
Sanchez throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Sanchez unloads a knee to the mid-section.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sanchez gets underhooks to prevent Gracie's takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Sanchez fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gracie, pushing him back against the cage.
Gracie tries to score a body lock takedown but Sanchez shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Gracie is looking for a takedown.

Sanchez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sanchez swinging wildly here.
Thiago Sanchez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Gracie tries to keep at a distance but Sanchez has taken the fight into the clinch.
Gracie wants a takedown but no success here.

Sanchez manages to break the clinch.
Sanchez lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Sanchez.

Sanchez clinches.
Sanchez gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Gracie.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Sanchez breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie darts in looking for a takedown but Sanchez gets double underhooks and turns Gracie into the cage.
Sanchez throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Sanchez lands a nice shot to the body.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.

Sanchez rushes Gracie and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Sanchez misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Thiago Sanchez has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Sanchez tries a body shot but Gracie blocks it.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but Gracie blocks with his arms.
Sanchez slowing the pace effectively.
Sanchez unloads a knee to the mid-section. Gracie lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Sanchez prevents a takedown attempt there.
Sanchez prevents a takedown attempt there.

Sanchez breaks the clinch.
Sanchez lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Sanchez.
Gracie dives in and grabs Sanchez's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sanchez pushes down on Gracie's head and hops out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie tries to keep at a distance but Sanchez has taken the fight into the clinch.
Gracie has Sanchez pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Sanchez manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Gracie looking for a takedown.

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

Sanchez gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Sanchez dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sanchez lands a body shot.
Gracie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.
Sanchez throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Gracie shoots in looking for a takedown. Sanchez tries to sprawl out of it but Gracie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sanchez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Sanchez gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez stalling against the cage.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sanchez thuds a left hand into Gracie's body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gracie tries to score a power double leg takedown but Sanchez sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Gracie somewhat.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gracie is defended easily by Sanchez.
Gracie avoids the body shot from Sanchez.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Gracie has his takedown stuffed

and Sanchez counters with a nice double leg into side control. Gracie won't be happy with that.
Gracie is looking for a sweep.
Gracie felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.

Sanchez stands up and beckons Gracie to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago Sanchez dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Horrible takedown by Gracie or perhaps it was just good defense by Sanchez which made him look bad.

Gracie scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Sanchez is trying to stand.
Gracie trying to mount his opponent but Sanchez defends it.

Gracie is looking for submissions but instead, Sanchez has regained full guard.
Gracie stops Sanchez from standing up.
Gracie passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Gracie has worked his way into a potential kimura here. Sanchez is trying to get out of the position but his squirming has just got him deeper into trouble. Gracie yanks on the arm and Sanchez is forced to tap due to a very painful looking submission! Nice work by Gracie.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Zeus Gracie!