PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Paul Smart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bushi Ishikawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Smart comes to the cage accompanied by Billy Talent - Red Flag. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Smart
vs
Ishikawa

175 cm
27
143 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

173 cm
23
145 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Paul Smart!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Bushi Ishikawa!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Steve Smith and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A nice leg kick lands there from Ishikawa.
Ishikawa misses with a head kick.
Smart takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Smart takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Smart stuffs the takedown.
Ishikawa misses with a combination
letting Smart counter with a right hand.
Ishikawa moves in looking to clinch but Smart pushes him off.
Smart slips a jab from Ishikawa.
Ishikawa throws a sloppy head kick and Smart moves out of range easily.
Smart shoots and misses
letting Ishikawa counter with a right hand.

Smart gets tackled into the cage by Ishikawa. Ishikawa maintains the clinch.
Ishikawa misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Smart.
Smart tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Smart is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ishikawa is defending well for now.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Smart.
Ishikawa lands with a left to the head.
Ishikawa misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Smart.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smart is pressed up against the cage. Ishikawa has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Smart down to the mat. Smart avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Smart closes the distance and clinches.
Ishikawa lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A short uppercut from Smart.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Ishikawa.
Nice elbow from Ishikawa.
Smart lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Ishikawa backwards.
Ishikawa is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Smart is defending well for now.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Smart takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Ishikawa lands an uppercut.
Smart tries for a takedown. No joy.
Smart tries to land knees in the clinch but Ishikawa avoids the damage to the body.
Ishikawa drops down looking for an ankle pick but Smart pulls his leg out and moves away.
Paul Smart has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bushi Ishikawa.
Ishikawa scores with a jab to the jaw.

Ishikawa scores with a takedown into Smart's guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ishikawa accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Smart knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Ishikawa on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ishikawa looking to sit in guard and control but Smart gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Ishikawa seems keen to control Smart's posture.
Ishikawa wants to sweep but no luck.
Smart wants to control from the top but Ishikawa keeps moving.
Ishikawa working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Smart.
Smart trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Smart working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Ishikawa is looking for a triangle but Smart pushes his legs off easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smart throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ishikawa works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Ishikawa is looking to stand up but Smart isn't so interested in that idea.
Smart throwing strikes but missing.
Smart has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Smart trying to control but Ishikawa is working from the bottom.
Ishikawa manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Smart manages to get himself to full guard.
Ishikawa postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Ishikawa throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Ishikawa postures up in Smart's guard and throws a big left but Smart blocks it.
Ishikawa throws and elbow that misses. Smart uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ishikawa's guard. Nice move by Smart!
Ishikawa managing to control the position.
Ishikawa has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Ishikawa utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Ishikawa looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ishikawa preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bushi Ishikawa dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

A jab lands there for Ishikawa.
Ishikawa scores with a body shot.
Smart lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Ishikawa circles away quickly and effectively.
A slapping leg kick lands for Ishikawa.
Ishikawa throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Smart throws a poor cross that misses

and Ishikawa moves into the clinch.
Smart is pressed up against the cage. Ishikawa has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Smart down to the mat. Smart avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Smart shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Ishikawa defends it nicely.

Smart moves into the clinch.
Ishikawa has Smart pressed against the cage, preventing Smart from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Ishikawa landing knees to the body.
A nice left hand lands by Ishikawa.
Ishikawa lands a left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ishikawa lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
A short left from Ishikawa.
Smart's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Ishikawa lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Ishikawa.
Smart tries to score a body lock takedown but Ishikawa shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ishikawa lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Ishikawa lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Smart backwards.
Ishikawa lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Smart backwards.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Ishikawa.
Ishikawa works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Smart wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Ishikawa has him pressed against the cage.
Smart jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Ishikawa walks away with a smile on his face. Smart gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Paul Smart. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ishikawa stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Smart defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Ishikawa.
Horrible takedown by Smart or perhaps it was just good defense by Ishikawa which made him look bad.
Ishikawa cracks Smart with a good jab.
Paul Smart is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Smart doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Ishikawa counters with a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ishikawa throws a nice inside leg kick.
A combination from Ishikawa does no damage.
Ishikawa smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Ishikawa cracks Smart with a good jab.

Smart moves into the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ishikawa prevents a takedown attempt there.
Ishikawa lands an elbow inside that Smart shrugs off.
Ishikawa scores with a nice hook to the head.
Ishikawa softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Ishikawa lands a shoulder strike.
Ishikawa scores with a shoulder strike.
Smart tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Smart jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Ishikawa walks away with a smile on his face. Smart gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Ishikawa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Nice straight punches there by Ishikawa. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Ishikawa.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ishikawa has a takedown stuffed.
Paul Smart seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ishikawa jabs Smart to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Ishikawa misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Smart.
Ishikawa jabs Smart right on the nose. Smart blinks but takes it well.
Ishikawa's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Ishikawa duly obliges.
Smart takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Smart is defended easily by Ishikawa.
Ishikawa throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Ishikawa.
Ishikawa lands a jab to the head.
Smart misses with a takedown
and Ishikawa makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Smart misses with a combination
and Ishikawa counters with an inside leg kick.

Ishikawa darts in and clinches Smart up against the cage.

Ishikawa gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Ishikawa working the head and body with strikes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ishikawa working Smart over with strikes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ishikawa missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bushi Ishikawa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Ishikawa catches Smart with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Ishikawa connects with an inside leg kick.
Smart fails to land the takedown.
Ishikawa loads up on a big right hand but Smart slips the punch.

Ishikawa drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Smart is not content to let Ishikawa control the position.
Ishikawa taking a breather here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ishikawa sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Smart is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Smart is not content to let Ishikawa control the position.
Ishikawa looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Smart is avoiding damage well.
Ishikawa controls the 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.
Ishikawa working the strikes but Smart uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Ishikawa seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Ishikawa seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Smart does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Ishikawa not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Ishikawa thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Smart to regain full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ishikawa throws and elbow that misses. Smart uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ishikawa's guard. Nice move by Smart!
Ishikawa is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ishikawa manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Smart manages to get himself to full guard.
Paul Smart has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Smart working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ishikawa.
Ishikawa throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Ishikawa tries to free his leg and advance position but Smart is retaining full guard.
Ishikawa in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ishikawa content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Ishikawa trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ishikawa loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Ishikawa trying to control the position from guard on top but Smart is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ishikawa pushes down on Smart's leg and manages to get into half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Ishikawa connects with a nice short shot to Smart's temple.
Ground and pound from Ishikawa.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bushi Ishikawa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Ishikawa 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 Peck scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bushi Ishikawa!