PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Shawn Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodney Pearson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Smith
vs
Pearson

160 cm
25
147 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
25
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Shawn Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Rodney Pearson!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Steven Brown and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith just misses with a punch to the body.
Pearson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Smith keeps the fight on the outside.

Smith looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Pearson!
Smith sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Smith looking to finish with strikes here!
Smith looking to finish with strikes here!
Smith wants to control the pace but Pearson is squirming around nicely.
Smith throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Pearson because Smith loaded up on that one.
Pearson is in all sorts of trouble here.
Pearson swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Pearson tries to lock up and control but Smith gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Pearson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Smith sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith looking to ground and pound but Pearson is blocking nicely.

Smith moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Pearson has worked his arm free - good work by Pearson!

Smith goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Pearson has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Smith but great work by Pearson.
Pearson wants to control but Smith is keeping him busy.

Pearson swings around for an armbar but Smith sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Pearson's guard.
Smith won't allow Pearson to get back to his feet.
Pearson controls Smith momentarily but Smith frees himself.
Smith throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pearson has his takedown stuffed

and Smith counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Pearson's guard now.
Smith stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pearson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Smith stands and throws Pearson's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Smith is breathing heavily.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Pearson tries to escape but Smith is in control.
Pearson is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Smith's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Smith not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Smith throwing shots but Pearson is blocking nicely.

Smith wants to work for an arm triangle but Pearson is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Smith is thwarting Pearson's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pearson wants to improve his position but Smith is controlling well.

Pearson is defending against the submission attempts here by Smith.
Pearson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Smith thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Pearson shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Smith napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Smith might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The ground and pound from Pearson seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Smith sneaks back into half guard.
Pearson wants to pass the guard but Smith is defending well.

Smith is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Pearson pulls his head out easily.
Pearson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Smith does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shawn Smith dominated that round.
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.

Pearson tries for a takedown but Smith circles away easily

and Smith counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Smith stopping the sweep attempt from Pearson.
Smith postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Smith accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Smith passes Pearson's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Smith is working for a kimura but Pearson is defending it quite comfortably.
Smith is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pearson is trying to control but can't.
Smith stops Pearson from getting back to his feet.

Pearson kicks Smith off and gets back to his feet.
Pearson circles away from the clinch attempt

and Pearson counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Pearson missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Smith wants to sweep here but Pearson controlling him for the moment.
Pearson loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pearson trying to control but Smith is working from the bottom.

Smith working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Pearson doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Pearson manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Pearson wants to control from the top but Smith keeps moving.

Smith throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Pearson escapes and throws Smith's legs to the side, diving into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith is looking for a sweep.
The ground and pound from Pearson seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Pearson scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Smith to see if he's OK.
Pearson moves into full mount!
Pearson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Smith is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Pearson throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Smith because Pearson loaded up on that one.
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.

Pearson looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Pearson misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Pearson is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Smith can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pearson tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rodney Pearson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Smith misses with a takedown
and Pearson counters with a right hand to the body.
Smith shoots and misses
and Pearson counters with an outside leg kick.
Smith misses with a takedown attempt

and Pearson counters with a takedown into side control.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shawn Smith. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pearson is looking to take a break and control but Smith is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Pearson tries to advance to mount but Smith denies him.

Pearson tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pearson tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Smith is trying to control Pearson's posture but Pearson avoids it.

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.
Smith regains half guard, as Pearson was trying to land strikes.
Pearson seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Smith manages to get to full guard.
Smith is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pearson trying to stand up but can't free himself from Smith's guard.
Pearson looking to sit in guard and control but Smith gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Smith is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Pearson looking to control.
Pearson bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Smith's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pearson trying to move into half guard but instead Smith has managed to sweep!
Pearson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Smith with a flurry of punches that miss.

Smith has gone for a leg lock! Pearson slips out almost immediately though and dives into Smith's guard.
Pearson is pushing down on Smith's leg trying to pass to half guard. Smith is fighting to maintain full guard but Pearson has managed to sneak the leg through.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rodney Pearson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Pearson has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight for Rodney Pearson!
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight for Rodney Pearson!
Judge James Glass scores the fight for Rodney Pearson!

Rodney Pearson wins by unanimous decision!