PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Enzo Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jakub Norka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Gracie
vs
Norka

175 cm
21
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

165 cm
24
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Enzo Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jakub Norka!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Yukihiro Shimada and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Norka stuffs the takedown attempt from Gracie. Gracie gets slowly back to his feet.

Norka darts in and clinches Gracie up against the cage.
Gracie is stalling here.
Gracie fails to pull guard.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Gracie stops a takedown attempt from Norka.
Gracie's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Enzo Gracie. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Norka escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Norka manages to get to full guard.
Norka is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Gracie trying to control but Norka is working from the bottom.
Gracie trying to stand up but can't free himself from Norka's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is fighting to break Norka's control of his arms but Norka is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Norka not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gracie's corner is telling him to maintain position.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Gracie postures up.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Gracie drives through with a takedown into Norka's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Norka 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.
Gracie throwing strikes from guard but Norka blocks nicely.
Norka throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Norka controls Gracie momentarily but Gracie frees himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Norka throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Norka is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Gracie dives into side control.
Norka defending against the ground and pound.
Gracie lands an elbow.
Gracie taking a breather here.
Gracie has knee on belly and moves into mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie controlling from the full mount.
Norka tries to hold on but Gracie postures up.
Gracie can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Norka is looking to escape.
Norka is working to get back to half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Norka wants to hold on but Gracie pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Enzo Gracie 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.

Gracie gets a takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Norka pushes Gracie off looking to stand but Gracie dives back in and keeps control.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Norka is having none of it.
Gracie sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Gracie is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gracie perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Enzo Gracie overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Norka is looking to improve his position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Norka will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt - Norka sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Norka fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gracie shoots for a double leg takedown but Norka sprawls well. He's pushed Gracie's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Gracie shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Norka is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Gracie wants to pass to mount but Norka is defending the position.
Norka works his way to full guard. Good work.
Norka trying to strike off his back.
Norka is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Norka scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Gracie fails with an attempt to clinch.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Norka! But no joy.

Norka shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Gracie is looking for a sweep. Norka is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Norka drops an elbow to the side of Gracie's head.
Gracie tries to get to full guard but Norka has control of the leg.
Gracie trying to control here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is pressing down on Norka's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Norka wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Norka controlling him for the moment.
Gracie wants to stand and escape but Norka is having none of it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Gracie looking to control.
Gracie wants to get back to his feet but Norka is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jakub Norka 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!

Norka shoots in looking for a takedown. Gracie tries to sprawl out of it but Norka keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Gracie manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Gracie is looking for a counter combo.
Norka lands a high kick!
Gracie fails with an attempt to clinch.
Norka tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Gracie defends well and Norka ends up having to push Gracie into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Gracie misses with a body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Norka shoots in for a takedown but Gracie shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Enzo Gracie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jakub Norka.
Gracie misses with a low kick.
Gracie fails with the takedown.
Norka lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Norka shoots in looking for a takedown but Gracie manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Norka's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
A looping hook to the body misses from Norka. Gracie does a little dance to reset his feet.
Horrible takedown attempt by Norka or perhaps it was just good defense by Gracie, which made it look bad.
Gracie appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Norka takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Gracie closes the distance and clinches.
Gracie tries to pull guard but Norka won't allow it.
Gracie fails to pull guard.
A right hand to the body from Norka.
Norka jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Gracie walks away with a smile on his face. Norka gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Norka swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with Norka, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes Norka against the cage but Norka circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Norka lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Norka. No joy for Gracie on that attempt.

Norka closes the distance and pushes Gracie back into the cage.
Norka tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Gracie avoids it.
Gracie will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Norka up against the cage.
Gracie has had enough of the clinch but Norka keeps him there for the moment.
Gracie has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Norka is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Norka has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Gracie after a bit of a struggle.
Gracie wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Norka misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is trying to pull guard but Norka turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Norka.

Gracie breaks the clinch.
Gracie avoids the head kick by Norka.
Norka dives in and grabs Gracie's left leg, looking for a takedown. Gracie pushes down on Norka's head and hops out.
Norka lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Norka tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gracie defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Norka.
Gracie misses with a series of wild punches.
Gracie throws a low kick but it's checked well by Norka.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gracie manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Norka on his heels. He'll look to pass Norka's guard now, I'm sure.
Gracie not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Gracie trying to control but Norka is working from the bottom.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Gracie won't allow Norka to sweep him here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gracie throws a big elbow that misses.
Gracie is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jakub Norka.
I think Norka 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight for Enzo Gracie!
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight for Jakub Norka!
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight for Jakub Norka!

Jakub Norka wins by split decision!