PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight kickboxing rules bout between Cory McDonnell (ranked 17830 p4p, 607 weight class) and Renato Gracie (ranked 3255 p4p, 385 weight class). McDonnell comes to the ring accompanied by Jorge Quintero - 300 Violin Orchestra. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

McDonnell
vs
Gracie

183 cm
32
185 lbs
27 - 12 - 2

175 cm
33
165 lbs
11 - 2 - 0

World class boxer
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Granite chin

Vegan Gains

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 27 - 12 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Cory McDonnell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Renato Gracie!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Tiny Johnson and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie thows a leg kick but McDonnell checks it
and McDonnell counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Gracie does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
McDonnell tries a head kick but it misses.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Gracie has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
McDonnell tries to clinch there but Gracie circles away.
Gracie thuds his right hand into McDonnell's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Gracie throws an uppercut from half a mile away. McDonnell sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Gracie jabs McDonnell to the body, keeping him at a distance.
McDonnell checks a leg kick nicely.
Gracie on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by McDonnell. McDonnell obviously looking to wear him down.
Gracie swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
McDonnell throws a hook but Gracie avoids it easily.
McDonnell tries to bum rush Gracie with a series of wild strikes but Gracie uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A little jabbing left from Gracie on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
McDonnell throws a lazy right hand but Gracie sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

McDonnell gets in close and instigates a clinch.
McDonnell holding his opponent close, against the ropes.
McDonnell blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Gracie misses with a hook from the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Still in the clinch, McDonnell scores with a nice short uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McDonnell throws a head punch that misses.
Gracie lands a hook to the side of the head.
Gracie misses with a short punch on the inside.
McDonnell throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Gracies head.
Gracie blocking some punches.
Gracie throws a punch but it's blocked by McDonnell.
McDonnell keeps control of Gracie as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gracie doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

McDonnell breaks from the clinch.
Gracie walks into a stiff left hand from McDonnell.
McDonnell takes a jab right on the kisser.

McDonnell pushes Gracie up against the ropes in a clinch.
Gracie swings away with an uppercut that misses.
McDonnell throws a punch but it's blocked by Gracie.
McDonnell lands with a short head shot on the inside.
McDonnell pressing his opponent against the ropes.
Gracie lands with a short shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A shot in the inside from Gracie.
Gracie throws a punch but it's blocked by McDonnell.
McDonnell pushes Gracie back against the ropes and lands a hook to the side of the head.
McDonnell looks to throw an elbow but misses.
McDonnell is trying to force a seperation but Gracie has the dominant position.
Gracie lands with a short shot to the head.
Gracie blocks a punch to the side of the head.
McDonnell has Gracie pushed against the ropes.

Gracie manages to break the clinch.
Gracie misses with a straight left.
McDonnell tries to land a leg kick but Gracie saw it coming and moves away.
Nice uppercut lands for Gracie. That snapped McDonnell's head back.
McDonnell throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Gracie is pinned up against the ropes taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
McDonnell throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Gracie sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Gracie fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Gracie has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from McDonnell.
Jab from Gracie.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Cory McDonnell will probably get the nod.
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 throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Gracie thows a body kick. McDonnell tries to catch it but that hurt him.
McDonnell keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Gracie.
McDonnell throws a counter high kick but Gracie was just alert enough to avoid it.
Gracie fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and McDonnell has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
McDonnell walks into a left hand.

McDonnell darts in and clinches Gracie up against the ropes.

McDonnell pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gracie throws an overhand right that lands on McDonnell's shoulder, as McDonnell tries to avoid the shot.
Gracie shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. McDonnell eats them both and turns towards Gracie to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Gracie misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A shot to the liver by Gracie. Beautiful body shot.
Gracie throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
McDonnell swings away with a body shot that misses
and Gracie counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gracie misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from McDonnell.
A head kick misses from McDonnell.
Gracie has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from McDonnell finds it's way round the side to connect with Gracie's head.
Gracie lands with a cross.
Gracie lands with a nice body kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gracie. McDonnell does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie slips under a jab.
Gracie lands a straight punch to the body, keeping McDonnell at a distance.
Gracie lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
McDonnell looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Gracie takes a shot right to the bread basket.
McDonnell throws a big shot that misses.
Gracie digs a good body shot into McDonnell's ribs.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Gracie throws a jab but it's blocked by McDonnell.
Gracie gets cracked with a nice right hand there by McDonnell.

McDonnell clinches up against the ropes.
Gracie has a couple of punches blocked by McDonnell.
A short right from Gracie on the inside.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Gracie swings away with an uppercut that misses.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
McDonnell keeps control of Gracie as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
McDonnell blocking some punches.
Gracie throws a head punch that misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

McDonnell breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie misses with a wild body shot.
McDonnell throws the left hand but Gracie avoids the punch easily.
McDonnell takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Gracie motions for McDonnell to come forward. Gracie throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Jab, jab by McDonnell - just one landing.
A jab lands there for Gracie.
McDonnell lands a two punch combo.

It looks like Renato Gracie has been cut.
McDonnell is looking to clinch but Gracie is avoiding it.
McDonnell connects with a body shot that sends Gracie's belly button to the back.
McDonnell misses with a straight left.
McDonnell steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Gracie.
McDonnell swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Gracie throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
McDonnell with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Gracie avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
McDonnell takes a shot to the body in his stride.
McDonnell swings widly with a right hand
and Gracie counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Gracie throws a hook to the side of McDonnell's head but McDonnell sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
McDonnell motions for Gracie to come forward. McDonnell throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Renato Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Renato Gracie's cut.
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!

McDonnell moves out of range of the leg kick from Gracie.
A slow jab from McDonnell misses its intended target.
Gracie unleashes a big counter combination but McDonnell bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
McDonnell throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
McDonnell dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
McDonnell fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Gracie checks it well.
McDonnell throws a left and a right that both miss
and Gracie counters with a nice uppercut.
Gracie's corner calls for a 1-2. Gracie obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Gracie avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
McDonnell misses with a right hand
and Gracie counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
A slapping leg kick lands for Gracie.
Renato Gracie seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Gracie lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Gracie is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
McDonnell moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.
McDonnell on the wrong end of a nice jab.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A slapping body kick lands there for Gracie.
Gracie fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and McDonnell has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Gracie on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Gracie slips a jab from McDonnell.

That's one minute gone in the round.

McDonnell clinches up with Gracie and pushes him back against the ropes.
Gracie throws a blind hook that connects with the side of McDonnells head.
Cory McDonnell has scored more points in the clinch so far.
McDonnell tries a body shot but Gracie blocks it.
A shot in the inside from Gracie.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gracie.

Gracie breaks the clinch.
Gracie slips under a jab from McDonnell.
Gracie avoids the body shot from McDonnell.
Gracie throws a hook but McDonnell blocks it.
Gracie chopping away at his opponent's legs.
McDonnell ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gracie moves away.
Gracie dips to his left and cracks McDonnell with an uppercut!
Gracie keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from McDonnell.
McDonnell takes a shot right to the bread basket.
McDonnell shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
McDonnell misses with a right hand
and Gracie counters with a left and a right that stings McDonnell.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The fighters circling - Gracie throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A chopping leg kick lands by Gracie.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie throws a body shot but no joy.
McDonnell avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
McDonnell appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
McDonnell on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Gracie tries a head kick but it misses.
Gracie just misses with a punch to the body.
McDonnell is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
It seemed like Gracie was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
McDonnell waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Gracie.
Gracie throws a big shot that misses.
Gracie throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
McDonnell misses with an uppercut.
McDonnell swings and misses with a shot to the body
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Gracie lands with a straight right. McDonnell didn't see that one coming.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A combination from Gracie does no damage.
A little feinted left hand from McDonnell on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
McDonnell tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
McDonnell misses with an uppercut.
Gracie fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

And that's the end of the fight!
Renato Gracie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Gracie 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 George Francis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Renato Gracie!
A relieved looking Renato Gracie thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.