PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Manunu Igi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Manunu Igi has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Igi
vs
Smith

182 cm
21
175 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

180 cm
19
170 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Insanely flexible

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Manunu Igi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mike Smith!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Yuuki Gou and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Igi throws a left and a right that both miss
and Smith connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Smith waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Igi.
Smith fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Igi shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
letting Smith counter with a right hand.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Igi enables Smith to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Igi manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Igi working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Smith.
Igi has control of Smith's left arm, preventing Smith from doing any damage.
Igi can't keep his opponent in guard - Smith advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Smith lands a nice short elbow.
Igi knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Smith on the ground.
Smith keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Igi wants to sweep but Smith has passed to side control!
Smith lands an elbow.
Smith tries to score with some ground and pound. Igi controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Smith throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Igi is trying to escape the position but Smith is controlling the position.
Igi prevents Smith from improving position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Igi tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Smith wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Smith has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Smith cracks Igi with a big right hand but Igi just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Igi on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Igi avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Smith.
Smith scores with punches from side control.
Igi is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Smith throws an elbow but Igi slips to the side and avoids it well.
Smith lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Smith throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Igi dodges the ground and pound from Smith.
Igi parries the strikes from Smith easily there. Smith is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Igi to escape.
Smith creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Smith tries to score with some ground and pound. Igi controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Smith controls the position.
Igi tries to improve position but can't.
Igi dodges the ground and pound from Smith.
Igi on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Igi tries to get out of the position.
Smith connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Igi some visible discomfort.
Igi tries to control but Smith manages to take his back.
Igi covering up well under a series of strikes from Smith.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Igi tries to break free.

Igi preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Smith.
Smith lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
Smith tries to get the hooks in deep but Igi pushed the leg off.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Smith punishes Igi with strikes from the back mount.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Smith's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Smith missing with punches from the back.
Igi staying busy and making it hard for Smith to control.
Smith slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
Smith not allowing Igi to control his hands.
Will Smith go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Smith not allowing Igi to control his hands.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Igi tries to escape but Smith has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Smith struggling to land strikes to the head as Igi covers up.
Smith has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Igi's body.

Igi defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Smith lands a shot to the body.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Smith struggling to land strikes to the head as Igi covers up.
Smith misses with a punch to the head.
Igi grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.
Igi trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

Smith working for the choke.
Smith trying to control momentarily.

That's eight 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.
Smith controlling from the back.
Smith lands punches and elbows.
Smith has Igi flattened out and is raining down punches.

Smith looking for the choke from the back.
Igi is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Smith missing with strikes.
Igi looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Smith tries to keep control of the position but Igi is staying busy.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Smith misses with a punch to the head.
Smith lands a shot to the body.
Igi is in bad spot here.
Igi staying busy and making it hard for Smith to control.
Smith is punishing Igi with strikes - can he finish him?!
Smith is looking to control Igi but Igi is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Smith is landing with strikes. Igi can't take much more of this.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Smith misses with a straight left.
Igi slaps away a takedown attempt from Smith, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Igi gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Smith counters with a three punch combo that has Igi backing up. Igi nods at Smith to acknowledge the strikes.
Manunu Igi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Igi tries to clinch but Smith moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Igi avoids a kick to the body.
Igi looks to land a combination. Smith sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Igi swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Smith decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Igi's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Smith trying to control but Igi is working from the bottom.
Igi utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Igi controls Smith momentarily but Smith frees himself.
Smith slips nicely into half guard.
Igi is controlling Smith's position as best he can from this difficult position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Smith frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Smith working Igi over with strikes here.

Smith is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Igi is surviving well by controlling Smith's body position as best he can.
Smith is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Smith throwing strikes here but Igi is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Igi is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

Igi defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Smith.
Smith looking to control and managing it successfully.
Smith looking to control but Igi is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Smith avoids the attempt from Igi to control.

That's four 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.
Igi is squirming around, avoiding Smith's attempts to control the action.
Smith in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Smith looking to finish Igi with some ground and pound. This is bad for Igi!
Smith cracks Igi with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Smith landing strikes from the mount.
Smith with the ground and pound from mount.
Smith misses with a head shot.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Smith wants to control the pace but Igi is squirming around nicely.
Smith throwing strikes here but Igi is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Smith with good strikes from the mount here!
Igi tries to hold on but Smith pushes him away.
Smith putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Smith fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

Igi is rocked!
Smith loads up on a couple of big shots to the head that have Igi scrambling to escape. He can't get free though and several more unanswered shots from Smith land to the head. The referee has no choice but to stop the fight. Smith stands and salutes the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 6:03 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mike Smith!