PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mirko Cop (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and David Hart Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Cop
vs
Hart Smith

186 cm
18
255 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

190 cm
18
262 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mirko Cop!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, David Hart Smith!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Thiago Cunha and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cop avoids the body shot from Hart Smith.

Hart Smith closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Cop scores with a shoulder strike.

Cop breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cop lands with a kick to the temple. Hart Smith shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Cop catches Hart Smith with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cop lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Hart Smith circles away quickly and effectively.
Hart Smith shoots in for a takedown but Cop shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Cop closes the distance and clinches up with Hart Smith, looking for a takedown. Cop pushes Hart Smith against the cage but Hart Smith circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Hart Smith takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.

Cop fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Hart Smith sprawls well initially but Cop persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Hart Smith is trying to maintain the position but Cop is very close to passing his half guard.
Cop not doing much here.
Hart Smith wants to control but Cop is keeping busy.
Cop perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Cop has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hart Smith trying to control from the bottom.
Cop controlling the action here.

Hart Smith kicks off Cop and gets to his feet.
Cop throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Hart Smith fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Cop sprawls well initially but Hart Smith persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Hart Smith looks gassed!
Hart Smith throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hart Smith throwing shots but Cop is blocking nicely.
Cop has his hands clasped together around Hart Smith's back. He's all about the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cop wants to get back to his feet.
Hart Smith is looking to take a break and control but Cop is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Cop makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

Hart Smith gets a clinch.

Cop pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cop goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
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!

Hart Smith scores with a takedown into Cop's guard.
Hart Smith won't allow Cop to get back to his feet.
Cop on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Cop tries to get out of the position.
Cop is pulling down on Hart Smith's head. It's preventing any offense from Hart Smith, at least for the moment.
Cop wants to sweep but no luck.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hart Smith prevents Cop from getting back to his feet.
Cop keeping moving, preventing Hart Smith from controlling successfully.
Cop wants to stand but Hart Smith is controlling the position.

Hart Smith gets to his feet. Cop looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Cop throws a sloppy head kick and Hart Smith moves out of range easily.
Cop fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Hart Smith.
Cop misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Hart Smith.
Mirko Cop seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice takedown defense from Cop. No joy for Hart Smith on that attempt.
Cop scores with a shot to the body.

Cop looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Cop preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hart Smith controls Cop momentarily but Cop frees himself.
Cop 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.
Cop seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Hart Smith for as long as he can get away with.
Hart Smith bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cop's guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cop tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Hart Smith looking to pass the guard.
Hart Smith trying to control the position from guard on top but Cop is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mirko Cop dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Cop shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Hart Smith forces Cop back against the cage and clinches.
Cop has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Hart Smith avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Hart Smith pressing his opponent against the cage.

Cop breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cop lands a high kick!
Hart Smith stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mirko Cop. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cop closes the distance looking to clinch

so Hart Smith counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Hart Smith controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Hart Smith wants to stand but Cop has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Cop knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Hart Smith on the ground.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hart Smith wants to control from the top but Cop keeps moving.
Hart Smith stopping the sweep attempt from Cop.

Hart Smith gets to his feet. Cop looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Cop throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Cop misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Cop swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
letting Hart Smith counter with a right hand.
Cop scoring well with a low kick there.
Cop is trying hard to land a takedown here. Hart Smith sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Hart Smith gets a takedown into half guard.
Hart Smith is trying to control the action in half guard but Cop is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cop pushes Hart Smith off looking to stand but Hart Smith dives back in and keeps control.
Hart Smith prevents Cop from improving his position.
Hart Smith tries to pass the half guard into mount. Cop knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Hart Smith trying to control from half guard but Cop is working away.

Cop has one foot on Hart Smith's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Cop misses with a body punch
and Hart Smith makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Cop looks to land a combination but Hart Smith avoids it well.
Cop could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Hart Smith attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hart Smith tries for a takedown but Cop sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Cop scores with a decent looking hook.
Hart Smith slips a jab and a cross from Cop.
Hart Smith tries to clinch but Cop is having none of it.
Cop throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mirko Cop is winning the standup battle so far.
Hart Smith throws a combination that misses
and Cop counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Cop stuffs the takedown.
Cop swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Hart Smith counters with a left and a right that stings Cop.
Mirko Cop is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hart Smith takes one to the side of the head.
Cop lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Hart Smith shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Cop as he jumps to the side.

Hart Smith shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Cop is trying to defend but Hart Smith finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Cop is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cop pushes Hart Smith off looking to stand but Hart Smith dives back in and keeps control.
Hart Smith missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Hart Smith is trying to control. Cop wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Hart Smith stands up out of the half guard.
Cop lands a lovely overhand right.

Cop darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Cop with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

David Hart Smith showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Cop misses with a head kick.
Cop has a takedown stuffed.
Cop lands a nice leg kick that just misses Hart Smith's sensitive parts.
Cop scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Cop's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Cop duly obliges.
Cop leaves Hart Smith with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Hart Smith lands with a shot to the body.

Cop gets caught flat footed, as Hart Smith shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Cop looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Hart Smith trying to control but Cop is working from the bottom.
Hart 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.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cop looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cop wants to stand and escape but Hart Smith is having none of it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Cop avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hart Smith fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cop misses with a few strikes there.
A low kick from Cop is predictable there
and Hart Smith counters with a series of strikes. Cop will be more careful next time no doubt.
Hart Smith avoids the head kick by Cop.
Cop throws a sloppy head kick and Hart Smith moves out of range easily.
Hart Smith is trying hard to land a takedown here. Cop sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Cop throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Hart Smith closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Hart Smith prevents Cop from escaping the position.
Hart Smith moves into full mount!
Cop is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

Cop bucks Hart Smith off and manages to get back to his feet!
Hart Smith misses with the combination.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Cop.
Cop lands with a kick to the temple. Hart Smith shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Hart Smith with a hook.
Cop connects with the punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hart Smith tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cop swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hart Smith takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Cop avoids the head kick by Hart Smith.
Hart Smith circles away from the clinch attempt

and Hart Smith counters with a single leg into guard. Cop didn't expect that.
Cop has a closed guard, preventing Hart Smith from standing up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hart Smith preventing the sweep.
Cop is trying to keep Hart Smith in close.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cop is on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cop stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hart Smith swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hart Smith working a defensive guard here.
Hart Smith can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Cop controls the pace.
Hart Smith looking to control.
Cop looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Hart Smith is trying to keep Cop in close.

And that's the end of the fight!
David Hart Smith comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hart Smith 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29

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