PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Awut Smith (ranked 3507 p4p, 346 weight class) and Ret Ired (ranked 2141 p4p, 235 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Smith might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Ladies and Gentlemen. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Smith
vs
Ired

192 cm
32
273 lbs
14 - 5 - 0

150 cm
37
191 lbs
18 - 7 - 1

Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Lethal high kicks
Heavy handed

Dr Zoidberg Office

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Awut Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ret Ired!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Shigeki Fujiwara and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ired swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Smith counters with a nice uppercut.

Smith staggers Ired with a jab and knocks him down with a follow up straight! Ired looks in trouble, will he beat the count?! The count has reached 5 and he's only back to 1 knee - it's going to be close! 6,7,8 - he's up! Just in time and the ref is going to let the fight continue!

It looks like Ret Ired has been cut.

Smith tries to keep at a distance but Ired has taken the fight into the clinch.
Ired lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Smith tries to work over Ired's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Knees to the body from Smith.
Ired looks winded!
Smith is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ired is defending well for now.
Smith displaying some good clinch control by pressing Ired up against the ropes.
Ired letting Smith take a breather here.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Smith as Ired tries to tie him up.
Smith tries a body shot but Ired blocks it.
Smith tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ired avoids it.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Ired tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Smith avoids it.
Ired on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith crunches a lovely knee into Ired's ribcage.
Ired managing to block the knees to the body from Smith.
Smith tries to land knees in the clinch but Ired avoids the damage to the body.
Ired blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Ired stalling against the ropes.
Smith is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ired is defending well for now.
Smith avoiding damage.
Smith just leaning against Ired, taking a breather.

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

Ired closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Smith misses with some punches.
Smith'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.
Smith is looking to control Ired's arms but Ired gets an underhook and turns him. Now Smith has his back to the ropes.
Ired avoiding damage as Smith throws knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith is trying to maintain a safe position but Ired gets an underhook and turns Smith into the ropes.
Smith lands a left hand that snaps the head of Ired backwards.
Ired blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A short left from Ired.
Ired on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Smith misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Ired.
Smith tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ired avoids it.
Ired lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Smith or not.
Smith blocking some punches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Ired has him pressed against the ropes.

Smith breaks the clinch.
Smith misses with a hook.
Smith throws a low kick but it's checked well by Ired.
Smith loads up on a big right hand but Ired slips the punch.

Ired rushes Smith and presses him up against the ropes.

Ired breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Smith tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Ired is able to avoid easily.
Smith throws a jab when Ired was well out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Awut Smith should take that round, based on the knockdown.
The cut man is working on Ret Ired'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.

Smith blocks a head kick by Ired.
A little feinted left hand from Smith on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
A nice combination there by Ired.

It looks like Awut Smith has been cut.
Awut Smith is winning the standup battle so far.
Smith misses with a wild body shot.
Ired throws a counter combo.

Ired has closed the distance and engaged Smith in a clinch.
Ired blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Ired avoiding damage as Smith throws knees to the body.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ired.
Ired blocking some punches.
Smith lands on the inside with an uppercut.
A shot in the inside from Ired.
A right handed body shot lands from Ired.
Ired on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Ired tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ired lands a nice uppercut.
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!
Smith has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Ired on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Ired managing to block the knees to the body from Smith.
Ired tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Ired blocks a body shot from Smith.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ired managing to block the knees to the body from Smith.
Ired lands with a left to the head.

Ired breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Smith throws a leg kick but Ired sees it coming and moves out of range.
Ired wants to clinch up but Smith keeps it at a distance.
Ired throws a right and a left that both miss.
Smith just misses with a punch to the body.

Ired has managed to clinch.

Ired's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ired is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Smith on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Smith lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Ired tries to close the distance and clinch but Smith swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ired checks a leg kick.
Ired checks a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Ired checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.

Ired moves into the clinch.
Smith looking to slow down the pace here.
Smith tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ired avoids it.
Smith trying to land knees to the body.
Smith takes a shot to the head.
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!
Ired is trying to break free.
Smith blocks an uppercut.
Ired using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Smith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Ret Ired seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Smith is leaning against Ired and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Ired blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Ired digs a right hand into Smith's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Smith's gas tank.
Smith trying to control the position but instead, Ired has worked for underhooks and has pushed Smith into the ropes.
Ired looking to stall.
Ired avoiding damage as Smith throws knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ret Ired showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Smith throws a combination. Ired tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Smith tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Ired is able to avoid easily.
Ired is looking to clinch but Smith is avoiding it.
An attempted straight right counter from Smith misses the target.
Ired throws a right and a left that Smith avoids nicely.
Smith misses with a low kick.

Smith clinches with his opponent.
Ired on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Ired scores with a nice hook to the head.

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

Ired closes the distance and clinches.
Smith misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Ired.
Ired trying to stall but Smith improves his position.
Smith tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ired avoids it.

Smith breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Smith lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The fight stays on the outside here - Smith looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A leg kick checked by Ired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ired misses with a low kick.
As Ired backs away, Smith returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Smith is looking to chop away at Ired's legs.
Ired throws a counter combo.
Smith tries a head kick but it misses.
Smith throws a low kick, looking for Ired's leg but Ired calmly moves out of range.
Ired connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Smith momentarily.
Ired slips under a jab.
Ired dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Ired forces Smith back against the ropes and clinches.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Ired.
Ired lands a left hand that snaps the head of Smith backwards.
Smith lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Ired avoiding damage as Smith throws knees to the body.
Smith scores a nice knee to the body.

Ired breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Smith throws a low kick but Ired moves out of range easily.

Ired pushes Smith up against the ropes in a clinch.
Ired avoiding damage as Smith throws knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith wants to stall.
A head punch on the inside from Ired fails to land.
Ired has Smith pressed against the ropes.
Smith tries to land knees in the clinch but Ired avoids the damage to the body.
Smith is looking to control Ired's arms but Ired gets an underhook and turns him. Now Smith has his back to the ropes.

Smith breaks from the clinch.
Ired lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Ired tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Smith manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ret Ired is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Ired darts in and clinches Smith up against the ropes.
Ired with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Ired with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Smith pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ired drops his hands momentarily and Smith takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Smith moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Smith throws a chopping leg kick but Ired manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Awut Smith.
I think Smith 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:27
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Awut Smith!
Awut Smith managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, RESISTANCE, into his post fight interview.