PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Steve Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Susi Pulliainen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Susi Pulliainen is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Smith
vs
Pulliainen

150 cm
22
220 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

195 cm
19
240 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Steve Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Susi Pulliainen!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, James Atkins and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith shoots in for a double leg but Pulliainen sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Smith looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Smith is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Smith is in close to Pulliainen's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Pulliainen being controlled here, momentarily.
Smith won't allow Pulliainen to get back to his feet.
Smith controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Pulliainen wants to get back to his feet but Smith is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Smith slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Pulliainen is looking to reverse the position.
Pulliainen is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Smith is controlling him well.
Smith just content to control the position.
Smith scores with punches from side control.
Smith taking a breather here.
Smith has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Steve Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Smith takes a shot to the body in his stride.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pulliainen moves into the clinch successfully.

Smith successfully pulls guard.
Smith looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Smith is pulling down on Pulliainen's head to control his posture.
Pulliainen preventing the sweep.
Smith is breathing heavily.
Smith throws a nice elbow from the bottom.
Pulliainen trying to stand up but can't free himself from Smith's guard.
Smith managing to control the position.
Smith looking for a sweep. Not yet Smith, not yet.
Smith is pulling down on Pulliainen's head. It's preventing any offense from Pulliainen, at least for the moment.
Smith looking for a sweep. Not yet Smith, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Smith looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Pulliainen is looking to clinch.
Smith fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Smith looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Pulliainen is fending him off so far but Smith persists. Nope, Pulliainen circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steve Smith. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Smith fails to land the takedown.
Pulliainen connects with a high kick.

Smith closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Pulliainen to the mat! Pulliainen manages to get full guard.
Smith stopping the sweep attempt from Pulliainen.
Pulliainen being controlled here, momentarily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Smith advances position into side control!
Smith is staying tight to Pulliainen's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Pulliainen is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Smith asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Smith controlling the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Smith 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.

Smith shoots in for a double leg but Pulliainen sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Smith avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A left and a right from Pulliainen both land. Nice combination.

Smith closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Smith lands in his opponent's guard.
Smith slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Steve Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Smith drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Smith prevents Pulliainen from getting back to his feet.
Smith is in close to Pulliainen's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Smith landing some decent shots from guard.
Smith scoring with punches to the head and body.
Smith is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Pulliainen tries to strike from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Pulliainen has momentary wrist control but Smith slips an elbow through the middle.
Pulliainen is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Smith is controlling him.
Pulliainen is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Pulliainen is breathing heavily.
Smith is trying is best to control the position here.
Pulliainen not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Smith is pressing down on Pulliainen's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Smith 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 two minutes gone in the round.
Smith has a closed guard, preventing Pulliainen from standing up.
Smith might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Steve Smith overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pulliainen being controlled here momentarily.

Smith has his feet on Pulliainen's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

Smith feints and as Pulliainen raises his hands in defense, Smith changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Smith sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pulliainen keeping moving, preventing Smith from controlling successfully.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Steve Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Danga de danga de dang - Pulliainen scores with a four punch combination!

Smith instigates a clinch.

Smith lands a takedown into guard.
Smith controls from within his opponent's guard.
Smith seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Pulliainen for as long as he can get away with.
Smith working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Pulliainen's head.
Smith controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Pulliainen trying to strike off his back.
Pulliainen can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Smith controls the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Steve Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Smith looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Pulliainen!
Smith content just to control the position here.
Pulliainen tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Smith controlling from the full mount.
Smith working away from the top, dropping strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Smith dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Smith shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Pulliainen is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Smith controlling the pace for now.
Smith postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Pulliainen looks a forlorn figure.
Pulliainen taking shots to the head.
Smith fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Smith raining down shots from the mount!
Pulliainen tries to reverse the position but Smith maintains control.
Pulliainen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Smith takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pulliainen is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Smith has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Smith controlling the pace for now.
Pulliainen can't escape the position.
Smith controlling the pace for now.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Steve Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Pulliainen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Smith looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Pulliainen is fending him off so far but Smith persists. Nope, Pulliainen circles away and we're back to standing.

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.
Pulliainen tries to clinch up but Smith circles away and keeps his distance.
Pulliainen will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Smith shoots in and drives through. Pulliainen sprawls well.

Smith shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Pulliainen can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Smith controls the pace.
Smith trying to control but Pulliainen is working from the bottom.
Pulliainen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Smith is one step ahead there.
Smith stays in close to Pulliainen's body and controls the position.
Pulliainen wants to get back to his feet but Smith is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Pulliainen can't keep his opponent in guard - Smith advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Smith not doing much here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith uses his free foot to push down on Pulliainen's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Pulliainen.
Pulliainen swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Pulliainen is wriggling around trying to escape.
Smith controlling the pace for now.
Pulliainen is in all sorts of trouble here.
Smith sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Steve Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Pulliainen tries to clinch but Smith moves away

and Smith counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Pulliainen tries to kick Smith off but Smith keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Smith trying to control the pace.
Pulliainen wants to get back to his feet.
Smith has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Pulliainen is trying to stand up.
Smith landing strikes from the mount and Pulliainen is in trouble!
Susi Pulliainen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Smith controlling from the full mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Steve Smith showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Smith, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Gold scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steve Smith!