PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ife Edwards (ranked 183 p4p, 249 weight class) and Kenny Smith (ranked 29 p4p, 39 weight class). Edwards comes to the cage accompanied by Damian Marley - Road to Zion. Smith has chosen IS THIS LOVE as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Edwards
vs
Smith

189 cm
35
209
33 - 18 - 0

181 cm
34
189
24 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

HELLBENT
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 33 - 18 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ife Edwards!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Kenny Smith!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Edwards takes one to the chin there.
Edwards throws a leg kick but Smith checks it.
Edwards walks into a jab.

It looks like Ife Edwards has been cut.
Smith feints and then cracks Edwards's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Edwards down.
Edwards blocks a jab.
Smith scores with a nice strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Smith darts in and clinches Edwards up against the cage.
Smith lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A knee to the head by Smith.

Edwards's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith wants to clinch but Edwards slips to the side
and Edwards counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Edwards manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Good standup being displayed there by Edwards as he connects with a hook.

It looks like Kenny Smith has been cut.
A low kick lands for Smith.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Edwards paws at him with a jab and circles away.
An attempted straight right counter from Edwards misses the target.
Edwards pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Edwards throws a poor cross that misses
and Smith counters with a nice uppercut.
We've been informed that Smith has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Edwards throws a jab when Smith was well out of range.
Smith feints a counter leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Smith takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Smith throws a body kick that misses
and Edwards counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Edwards is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
Smith uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Edwards.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Smith! But no joy.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Edwards.

Edwards gets tackled into the cage by Smith. Smith maintains the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Smith misses with some punches.
Edwards presses Smith against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Edwards avoiding damage as Smith throws knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Edwards tries a body shot but Smith blocks it.
Edwards wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Smith has him pressed against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Smith.
Smith is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Edwards is defending well for now.
Edwards blocking some punches.
Smith working aggressively here.
Smith tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Edwards avoids it.
Smith is working Edwards over against the cage.
Smith scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Edwards lands a body punch.

Edwards's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Smith throws a sloppy body shot
and Edwards counters with a good, hard body kick but Smith shrugs it off.
Smith looks winded!
Smith lands a nice looking body kick.
Edwards throws the left hand but Smith avoids the punch easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Edwards rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Smith counters with a nice kick to the body.
Smith swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Smith throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Edwards appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Edwards takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith misses with a lunging right hand
and Edwards counters with a good, hard body kick but Smith shrugs it off.
Nice uppercut there from Smith.
Edwards scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Smith doesn't seem bothered though.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Kenny Smith dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Smith waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Edwards.
Edwards looks to land a right hand but Smith moved out of range.
Ife Edwards is winning the standup battle so far.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Edwards.
Edwards swings for the body but Smith moves out of range.
Despite the aggression on Smith's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Edwards throws a lazy right hand but Smith sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Edwards ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
It looked like Edwards wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Edwards throws a leg kick but Smith sees it coming and moves out of range.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Smith! But no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Edwards fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

Edwards gets tackled into the cage by Smith. Smith maintains the clinch.
Edwards's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Knees to the body from Smith.
Smith blocking some punches.
Edwards doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Smith misses with a short punch on the inside.
Edwards struggles to land a body shot inside as Smith controls his hands.
Smith tries a body shot but Edwards blocks it.
Edwards tries to throw a body punch but Smith avoids it by throwing Edwards back against the cage.
Smith throws a punch but it's blocked by Edwards.

Edwards manages to break the clinch.
Smith loads up on a big right hand but Edwards slips the punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Edwards misses with an uppercut. Smith saw that one coming.
A lazy left from Edwards finds it's target.
Smith throws a lazy right hand but Edwards sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Smith closes the distance but Edwards moves to the side
and Edwards counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Smith. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Smith throws a leg kick which misses Edwards's front leg but catches the back leg as Edwards tries to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith tries to land a body kick
and Edwards counters with a straight right hand.
Edwards throws a looping overhand right but Smith ducks down to avoid it.
Smith swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Edwards 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.
Edwards wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Edwards moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Edwards throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Smith moves to clinch but Edwards breaks away
and Edwards counters with a straight right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Smith takes the fight into the clinch.

Edwards breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Smith tries to clinch
and Edwards counters with a straight right hand.

That has opened up Kenny Smith's cut even more.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Smith scores with the left hand. Edwards knows he should have avoided that one.
Edwards looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ife Edwards dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Smith lands with a shot to the body.
Edwards takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Edwards scores with a jab. Smith acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Both fighters circling a little - Smith finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Smith misses the jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith throws a low kick but Edwards moves out of range easily.
Smith misses with a wild body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Edwards circles away from the clinch attempt.
Smith tries to clinch there but Edwards circles away.
Edwards cracks Smith with a right hand to the side of the head.
Edwards misses with a low kick.
Smith tries a quick counter leg kick but Edwards is wise to it.

Smith instigates a clinch.
Smith tries a knee to the head but Edwards blocks it.

Edwards breaks the clinch.
Edwards keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
As Smith backs away, Edwards returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Edwards fakes the leg kick and cracks Smith in the body.
Edwards waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Smith.
Edwards bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Smith's head backwards.
A telegraphed right hand from Smith misses the target.
Edwards misses with a head kick.
Smith rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Edwards counters with a lovely straight right hand!

The cut above Kenny Smith's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Edwards is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Edwards thuds his right hand into Smith's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Smith tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Edwards counters with a leg kick.
Edwards throws a leg kick which misses Smith's front leg but catches the back leg as Smith tries to avoid it.
Edwards lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

Smith clinches up against the cage.

Edwards's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Edwards avoids a kick to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Smith gets a clinch.
Smith lands a shoulder strike.
Edwards misses with a body punch.

Edwards's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Edwards misses with a left hand
and Smith counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.

Smith clinches up with Edwards and pushes him back against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Edwards is leaning against Smith and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Smith takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Smith working Edwards over with knees to the body.
Kenny Smith seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Edwards can't break the clinch.
Smith tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Edwards's elbow.
Smith blocks an uppercut.

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 Ife Edwards.
I think Edwards 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a draw!