PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Chad Smith (ranked 381 p4p, 343 weight class) and Thomas Hearn (ranked 51 p4p, 42 weight class). Hearn has chosen Professor X - Dave as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Smith
vs
Hearn

185 cm
36
178
33 - 27 - 0

185 cm
33
180
22 - 15 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Bondi MMA 🏝️
FUClothing

Voodoo Nutrition

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 33 - 27 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chad Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thomas Hearn!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Yves DeLean and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith falls off balance throwing a combination
and Hearn counters with an inside leg kick.
Smith takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Hearn throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Hearn dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Smith looks to score with a jab to the body but Hearn is just out of range.
Smith checks a low kick from Hearn.
Smith misses with a head kick.
A nice side step and Hearn releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Smith has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Gym in the buildup to the fight.
Smith scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Hearn steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Smith.
Hearn throws a leg kick
and Smith counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Hearn moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Hearn throws a leg kick but Smith sees it coming and moves out of range.
Smith takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Chad Smith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Smith scores with a decent looking hook.
Smith throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Hearn scoring well with a low kick there.
Hearn scores with a jab to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hearn throws a hook but Smith avoids it easily.
Smith moves to clinch but Hearn breaks away
and Hearn counters with a one-two to the body.
Smith jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Smith walks forward, straight into a front kick from Hearn.
Hearn throws a lazy right hand but Smith sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hearn has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Nice defenses there by Hearn.
Hearn ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Hearn turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Smith tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Hearn misses with a low kick.
Hearn lands a slapping body shot.
Smith tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Good leg kick by Hearn.
Smith swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Smith moves out of range as Hearn throws a body kick.
Smith doesn't manage to clinch there - Hearn circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith's corner calls for a 1-2. Smith obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Hearn misses the shot to the body.

Smith closes the distance and pushes Hearn back into the cage.
Hearn misses with a body punch.
Smith creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Hearn misses with a punch to the body.
Smith lands a hook that snaps the head of Hearn backwards.
Smith misses with a hook to the ribs.
Smith misses with a punch to the body.
Hearn throws a punch but it's blocked by Smith.
Hearn tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Smith's elbow.
Smith scores with a shot to the side of Hearn's head.
Smith pushes Hearn back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Hearn misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Hearn softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Smith lands an elbow inside that Hearn shrugs off.

It looks like Thomas Hearn has been cut.
Hearn tries to work over Smith's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A shot in the inside from Hearn.
Hearn stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.

Hearn breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hearn lands a nice shot that snaps Smith's head back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Smith scores with a body shot.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hearn swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Smith rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Hearn counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Smith tries to clinch up but Hearn circles away and keeps his distance.
Hearn takes one to the side of the head.
Smith scores with a nice body kick.
Smith has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Hearn.
Hearn is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Smith rather than just go for the knockout.
Hearn throws a lazy right hand but Smith sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hearn uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Smith.
Hearn throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Smith tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Hearn manages to circle out of the way.
Hearn dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Smith. That did some damage!
Hearn uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Smith.
The fight stays on the outside here - Smith looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Smith gets cracked there but stands up to it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith tries to clinch but Hearn is having none of it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Smith wants to clinch.
Smith throws a hook but Hearn avoids it easily.
Smith doesn't manage to clinch there - Hearn circles away.
Smith swings for the body but Hearn moves out of range.
Smith lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Smith fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Hearn misses with a jab to the body
and Smith counters with a right hand to the body.
Hearn keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Smith.
Smith throws a big shot that misses.
Smith misses the body punch
and Hearn connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hearn takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Smith tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Hearn counters with a straight right hand.
Smith misses the jab.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Thomas Hearn will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Thomas Hearn's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Hearn swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Thomas Hearn seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Hearn chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Hearn with a nice cross.
A looping hook to the body misses from Hearn. Smith does a little dance to reset his feet.
Smith fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Smith throws a body shot but no joy.
Smith misses with a hook
and Hearn counters with a nice low kick that buckles Smith's knee momentarily.

Hearn gets tackled into the cage by Smith. Smith maintains the clinch.
Smith lands an elbow that stopped Hearn in his tracks for a moment.
Smith lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Hearn backwards.
Smith tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Hearn's elbow.
Hearn misses with a punch to the body.
Hearn lands with a short punch from the clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Smith creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Smith blocks a body shot from Hearn.
Smith throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Hearns head.
Smith scores with a shoulder strike.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Smith.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Hearn creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Hearn lands with a short head shot on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hearn pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hearn throws a sloppy head kick and Smith moves out of range easily.
Smith was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Hearn moves away from the strike by Smith.
Hearn throws a big counter head kick but Smith avoids it with no problem.
Nice straight punches there by Smith. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Smith.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch but Hearn swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A clash of legs there as Smith blocks the low kick.
Hearn throws a series of punches but Smith avoids them all with ease.
Smith blocks the body kick.
Smith tries to clinch up.
Hearn looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hearn paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hearn fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Hearn swats away the attempt to clinch by Smith.
Hearn uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Smith.
Smith rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Hearn moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Smith misses the shot to the body.
Smith connects with a looping right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith wants to clinch.
A big right from Smith misses.
Hearn replies with a solid counter kick to the body but Smith blocks it well.
Hearn moves away from the strike by Smith.
Hearn throws a hook to the side of Smith's head but Smith sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Smith throws a left and a right that both miss
and Hearn counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
A chopping leg kick lands by Hearn.
Smith throws a lazy right hand but Hearn sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Smith tries to clinch there but Hearn circles away.
Hearn connects with a leg kick.
Hearn takes a swing at Smith's ribcage but misses.
Hearn lands a head kick!
Hearn throws a looping overhand right but Smith ducks down to avoid it.
A slow jab from Smith misses its intended target.
Smith throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A lazy left from Hearn finds it's target.
Smith is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith tries to clinch there but Hearn circles away.
Hearn throws a front kick that sends Smith stumbling back into the cage.
Smith tries to clinch up
and Hearn counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch but Hearn swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Smith fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Smith connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Hearn misses with a body kick.
Smith throws a hook but Hearn blocks it.
Hearn thinks about the counter body kick.
Hearn throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Hearn lands a high kick!
Smith on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Hearn. Hearn obviously looking to wear him down.
Good leg kick by Hearn.
Smith cracks Hearn with an open hand slap.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Smith looks to land a right hand but Hearn moved out of range.
Hearn takes one to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Smith looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hearn gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Smith.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hearn swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hearn tries a quick counter leg kick but Smith is wise to it.
Hearn thumps Smith with a low kick.
Some wild striking there from Smith.
Smith tries to clinch there but Hearn circles away.
Smith moves out of range of the body kick.
Smith rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Hearn moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Smith tries to clinch there but Hearn circles away.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Smith looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hearn misses with a kick to the body.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch but Hearn swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Smith showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hearn.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Thomas Hearn will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Thomas Hearn's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Hearn lands with an uppercut that bounces Smith off the cage and back into range.
Hearn misses with a low kick.
Hearn throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Hearn lands with a slapping head kick.
Hearn pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Hearn connects with a right hand. Smith shakes it off.
Hearn lands with a thumping leg kick.
Smith blocks a jab.
Smith looks to score with a jab to the body but Hearn is just out of range.
Smith's jab looks to have found its range, popping Hearn under the eye.
Hearn takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Smith doesn't manage to clinch there - Hearn circles away.
Smith misses with a straight left.
Smith throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Hearn sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Hearn appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Smith paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A big right from Hearn misses.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Hearn in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith throws a right hand that misses
and Hearn counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Smith throws a leg kick that misses.
Hearn connects with the punch.
Smith swings for the body but Hearn moves out of range.
Smith tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Hearn was well out of range. Poor timing from Smith.
Hearn misses with a hook. Smith ducked under it nicely.
Hearn throws a front kick aimed at Smith's knee but Smith avoids it well.
Smith scores with a nice head shot.
A jab lands there for Smith.
The fight stays on the outside here - Smith looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A looping hook to the body misses from Smith. Hearn does a little dance to reset his feet.
A lazy body kick from Hearn
letting Smith counter with a right hand.
Smith swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Hearn counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Hearn throws out a powerful jab.
Hearn misses with an attempted mid kick.
Chad Smith has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hearn moves out of range of the strikes.
Hearn swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Danga de danga de dang - Smith scores with a four punch combination!
Smith darts in trying to clinch
and Hearn counters with a stiff right hand.
Smith tries to clinch up but Hearn circles away and keeps his distance.
Hearn connects with a right hand. Smith shakes it off.
Hearn fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Smith clobbers Hearn with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Hearn throws a leg kick which misses Smith's front leg but catches the back leg as Smith tries to avoid it.
Smith tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hearn manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A jab from Smith misses.
Hearn appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Smith moves in looking to clinch but Hearn pushes him off.
Smith throws a jab when Hearn was well out of range.
Smith has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Smith there as he acknowledges the shot.
Smith lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Some wild striking there from Smith.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Smith duly obliges.
Smith fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Smith takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Thomas Hearn is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Smith looks to land a combination but Hearn avoids it well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hearn pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Smith tries to clinch up.

Smith closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Smith is trying to break the clinch but Hearn has him pressed against the cage.
Smith misses with a hook to the ribs.
Smith misses with a punch to the body.
Hearn blocks a body shot from Smith.
Smith's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Smith scores with a hook to the body.
Chad Smith has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Smith misses with some punches.
Smith misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Smith tries to work over Hearn's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hearn prevents a body shot from Smith.
Hearn takes a shot to the head.
Smith blocks an uppercut.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Smith just misses with a elbow thrown towards Hearn's brow.
Smith lands a body shot in the clinch.
Smith misses with a hook to the ribs.
Hearn throws a punch but it's blocked by Smith.

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 Chad Smith.
I think Hearn 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Hearn!
An out of breath Thomas Hearn thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.