PBP Commentary

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

Smooth
vs
Robataille

175 cm
18
165 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

181 cm
20
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Very quick

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Benson Smooth!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Neil Robataille!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Steven Brown and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Robataille drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Smooth looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!

Robataille tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Robataille is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Smooth is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Smooth is not content to let Robataille control the position.

Robataille tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Robataille has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Robataille landing strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Robataille scores with a couple of short elbows.
Smooth knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Robataille on the ground.
Robataille scores with a couple of short elbows.

Robataille is trying to get an arm triangle but Smooth is defending well.

Robataille is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Smooth has escaped the position, nice work there.
Robataille has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Smooth is trying to escape the position but Robataille is controlling the position.
Smooth is working to avoid the ground and pound but Robataille connects with a decent elbow.

Robataille tries for a kimura but Smooth is defending well.

Robataille looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Robataille is chipping away with strikes.

Robataille wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Smooth, who protects the arm well.
Robataille creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Robataille cracks Smooth with a big elbow.

Robataille stands up and beckons Smooth to his feet.

Robataille closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Robataille moves into full mount!
Robataille tries to control but Smooth wriggling away.
Robataille is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Smooth can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Robataille raining down hammerfists from mount.
Robataille raining down shots from the mount!
The referee warns Smooth that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Robataille postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Smooth looks a forlorn figure.
Robataille working the ground and pound effectively.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Robataille connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Robataille controlling his opponent.
Robataille with good strikes from the mount here!
Smooth wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Robataille lands a shot to the head.
Robataille is looking to control Smooth but Smooth is wriggling around and keeping busy.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Robataille has Smooth flattened out and is raining down punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neil Robataille dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Smooth enables Robataille to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Smooth manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Robataille stands and steps away. Smooth gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Robataille closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Smooth to the mat! Smooth manages to get full guard.
Robataille controlling from the top position.
Smooth keeping moving, preventing Robataille from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Smooth is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Robataille dives into side control.
Robataille trying to control the position but Smooth is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Robataille lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Smooth down.
Robataille working away.

Robataille tries for a kimura but Smooth is defending well.

Robataille is trying to get an arm triangle but Smooth is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Robataille is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Smooth knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Robataille has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Smooth is squirming around, avoiding Robataille's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Robataille fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Robataille looking to control but Smooth is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Smooth is trying desperately to improve position.
Smooth tries to lock up and control but Robataille gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Robataille working the ground and pound effectively.
Smooth on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Smooth tries to get out of the position.
Smooth taking shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Robataille looking to control but Smooth is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Robataille with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Robataille lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Smooth hang on?
Robataille controlling the position easily from mount.
Robataille scores with a couple of good head shots there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neil Robataille showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Robataille circles away from the clinch attempt

and Robataille decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Smooth's guard.
Robataille engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Robataille lands a couple of elbows.
Neil Robataille has got the better of the ground game so far.
Smooth looking to control.
Robataille trying to control but Smooth is working from the bottom.
Robataille is pushing down on Smooth's leg trying to pass to half guard. Smooth is fighting to maintain full guard but Robataille has managed to sneak the leg through.
Smooth is trying to control but can't.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Smooth wants to get back to full guard but Robataille has passed into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Robataille trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Robataille lands a heavy elbow.
Robataille raining down shots from the mount!
Robataille controlling from mount.

Robataille is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Smooth has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Robataille lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smooth takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Robataille lands a heavy elbow.
Robataille trying to control but Smooth is having none of it.
Smooth is looking to get to half guard.
A nice elbow there by Robataille.
Robataille looking to control but Smooth is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Robataille looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smooth swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Robataille looking to control but Smooth is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Robataille lands a heavy elbow.
A nice elbow there by Robataille.
Benson Smooth has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Robataille connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Robataille working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Smooth is in a horrible position here. Robataille smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Robataille trying to control but Smooth is having none of it.
Smooth takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Robataille controlling from mount.
Robataille with a couple of short strikes.
Smooth is looking to get to half guard.
Robataille with good strikes from the mount here!
Robataille has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Smooth's face.
Robataille scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Neil Robataille is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Robataille is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Smooth is surviving well by controlling Robataille's body position as best he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Neil Robataille comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Robataille 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 William Gold scores the fight 25:30
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 25:30
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Neil Robataille!