PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Bruce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Bay (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie comes to the cage accompanied by Kung Fu Fighting. The crowd seem to be enjoying Bay's choice of entrance music: Feuer Frei. Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Gracie
vs
Bay

183 cm
23
174 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

168 cm
23
170 lbs
3 - 0 - 1

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Bruce Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Thomas Bay!
The judges for this bout are Skip Squint, Winston Howard and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bay darts in and clinches Gracie up against the cage.
Bay landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Bay lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Bruce Gracie has been cut.
Bay misses with a knee strike.
Bay unloads a knee to the mid-section. Gracie lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Bay lands an elbow inside that Gracie shrugs off.
Bay gets underhooks to prevent Gracie's takedown attempt.
Bay stalls.
Bay comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Gracie avoiding damage as Bay throws knees to the body.
Bay lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Gracie on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Gracie managing to block the knees to the body from Bay.
Gracie is looking to break free of the clinch but Bay has double underhooks.
Bay lands a nice knee to the body.
Gracie is breathing heavily.
Gracie drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Gracie avoiding damage as Bay throws knees to the body.
A knee to the head by Bay.
Gracie fails to pull the fight into his guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruce Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The referee calls for Bay to work.

Bay pulls Gracie into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bay throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Bay wants to sweep here but Gracie controlling him for the moment.
Bay is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Bay is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bay working a defensive guard here.

Bay 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.

Gracie has gone for a leg lock! Bay slips out almost immediately though and dives into Gracie's guard.
Gracie is trying to control the position but Bay postures up.
Gracie will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

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.
Bay stands up over Gracie, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bay scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bay works over Gracie with some ground and pound from guard.

Gracie working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Bay has passed into half guard!
Bay is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Ground and pound from Bay.
Gracie keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Gracie taking some punishment here, with Bay in his half guard.
Bay working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Gracie's thigh. Gracie counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Bay working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Bay trying to control from the bottom.

Bay looking for submissions off his back.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Bay misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Gracie stalling.
Bay is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bay manages to get to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gracie throwing strikes from guard but Bay blocks nicely.
Bay tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Gracie cracks Bay with a solid left hand.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Bay is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Bay is looking for a triangle but Gracie pushes his legs off easily.
Bay wants to sweep but no luck.
Gracie passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Gracie trying to control the action but Bay is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Bay dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bruce Gracie's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Bay closes the distance and clinches.
Gracie is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Bay stalling against the cage.
Gracie jumps guard but Bay stands there with Gracie around his waist. Gracie gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Bay tries a knee to the head but Gracie blocks it.
Nice elbow from Bay.

Gracie has clasped his hands together around Bay's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Bay throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.
Bay is trying to get back to half guard.
Gracie trying to control the position but Bay is working away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Gracie has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Bay manages to work his way to half guard, despite Gracie's best efforts.
Bay is looking to improve his position.
Bay missing with punches from the bottom.
Bay slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Bay.

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.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bay tries to strike from the bottom.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Bay.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Bay keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bay misses with a low kick as Gracie jumps back.
Bay misses with a body shot.
Bay pivots, looking for a leg kick but Gracie is out of range and Bay settles back down.

Bay darts in and clinches Gracie up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Bay lands a knee to the body.

Gracie has clasped his hands together around Bay's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Bay gets back to half guard.
Bay is pressing down on Gracie's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Bay not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Bay doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Gracie sitting in guard here, content to control.
Bay lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Gracie!
Gracie is trying to escape the mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bay breaks from Gracie's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Gracie slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

Bay is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Gracie is just riding it out for now. Bay eventually gives up the hold.
Bay landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Gracie gets back to full guard.
Gracie looking to control.

Gracie isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Bay stacks Gracie on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Bay!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Thomas Bay will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Bruce Gracie's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Bay misses with a straight right.
Bay tries to clinch up.
Thomas Bay seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gracie digs a good hook to Bay's body.
Gracie shoots in but Bay avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Gracie shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Gracie showed some decent athleticism there.
Bay is trying to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Bay is not content to let Gracie control the position.
Bay gets full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bay throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Gracie postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Bay has his hands on Gracie's head, controlling the position.

Bay is looking for a triangle but Gracie pushes his legs off easily.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Bay keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Bruce Gracie overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gracie won't allow Bay to sweep him here.

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.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Nice defenses there by Gracie.
Bay scores with a jab. Gracie acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Bruce Gracie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bay throws the left hand but Gracie avoids the punch easily.
Bay misses with a two punch combination.
Bay tries to clinch there but Gracie circles away.
Bay thows a body shot but no joy.

Gracie shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Gracie was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Gracie unloads with some shots from mount but Bay bucks and avoids them well.
Gracie trying to control but Bay is having none of it.
Bay working to try and regain half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Gracie trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Gracie is really struggling to control Bay but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Gracie avoids the attempt from Bay to control.
Bay can't escape the position.

Gracie has hold of Bay's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Bay manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Bruce Gracie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four 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.
Bay is looking to improve his position but Gracie isn't that keen on the idea.
Bay wants to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
Gracie unloads with some shots from mount but Bay bucks and avoids them well.
Bay blocking the ground and pound.
Gracie fails to advance to Bay's back.
Bay is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Gracie is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Bay has managed to escape the submission attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bruce Gracie showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Bay has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Skip Squint scores the fight 28:29
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 28:29
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Bay!