PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Corrado Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Hughes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Matt Hughes will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Smith
vs
Hughes

190 cm
28
304 lbs
15 - 15 - 1

225 cm
27
347 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 15 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Corrado Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Matt Hughes!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Viktor Lagutenko and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hughes fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Smith with a lazy takedown attempt

and Hughes counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Smith's guard now.
Hughes would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Hughes wants to stand and escape but instead Smith has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Hughes preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Smith stops Hughes from standing up.

Smith drops back looking for a leg! Hughes is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Hughes manages to kick Smith off! Smith jumps back into Hughes's guard.
Hughes wants to get back to his feet but Smith is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Smith lands a couple of digs.
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 one minute gone in the round.
Hughes wants to stand and escape but Smith is having none of it.
Smith throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hughes looks gassed!
Hughes keeping full guard, as Smith tries to pass.
Hughes wants to get back to his feet but Smith is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Hughes keeping full guard, as Smith tries to pass.
Hughes working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Smith.
Hughes is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Smith is controlling him.
Smith throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hughes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hughes wants to stand and escape but Smith is having none of it.
Smith with a flurry of punches that miss.
Smith looking to pass the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Smith stands up over Hughes, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Smith is looking to work some ground and pound but Hughes has wrist control.
Smith throwing strikes from guard but Hughes blocks nicely.
Smith lands a couple of digs.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Hughes preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Smith drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Smith jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Smith wanted to stand there but Hughes had control of the position.
Smith missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
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.
Smith prevents Hughes from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hughes swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hughes working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Smith.
Hughes wants to get back to his feet but Smith is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Hughes can do anything to dispel that myth.
Smith throws a big right hand that misses.
Smith thows a big elbow that misses.
Smith postures up in Hughes's guard and throws a big left but Hughes blocks it.
Smith pushing down on Hughes's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Smith missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Hughes pushes Smith off looking to stand but Smith dives back in and keeps control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Smith is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Smith throwing shots but Hughes is blocking nicely.

Smith is trying to work for a kimura but Hughes is defending well.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Smith sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Hughes defending well though.
Smith works his way into side control.

Smith is trying to get an arm triangle but Hughes is defending well.
Smith throws an elbow but Hughes slips to the side and avoids it well.
Smith misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Smith cracks Hughes with an elbow. That is naaassty.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Corrado Smith dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Smith looks to clinch

and Hughes counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Hughes has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Smith is proving hard to escape from.

Hughes stands up from Smith's guard - Hughes perhaps looking for a knockout.
Smith closes the distance looking to clinch

and Hughes counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hughes gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Hughes circles away from the clinch attempt

so Hughes counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Smith has a closed guard, preventing Hughes from standing up.
Hughes stopping the sweep attempt from Smith.
Hughes trying to stand up but can't free himself from Smith's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hughes postures up.
Hughes wants to stand but Smith is controlling his posture from full guard.

Hughes gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Hughes misses with a takedown attempt - Smith sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hughes circles away from the clinch attempt

and Hughes counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Hughes seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Hughes prevents Smith from improving his position.
Hughes seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hughes is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Smith manages to get to full guard.
Hughes wants to stand and escape but instead Smith has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Hughes wants to stand and escape but Smith is having none of it.
Smith is looking to stand up but Hughes won't let him.
Smith postures up in Hughes's guard and throws a big left but Hughes blocks it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Smith tries to free his leg and advance position but Hughes is retaining full guard.
Smith scoring with punches to the head and body.
Smith tries to stand but Hughes is controlling from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Hughes 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!

Smith looks to clinch

and Hughes counters with a nice double leg into side control. Smith won't be happy with that.
Hughes tries to stand but Smith is controlling his head.
Smith tries to bench press Hughes off him but Hughes keeps the position.
Hughes wants to stand but Smith has his arm trapped.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Hughes has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes shoots and misses

and Smith moves into the clinch.
Hughes avoids a wild elbow strike from Smith.
Hughes fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Smith tries a knee to the head but Hughes blocks it.
Smith with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Hughes jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Smith walks away with a smile on his face. Hughes gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Corrado Smith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matt Hughes.
Smith doesn't manage to clinch there - Hughes circles away.
Smith tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Hughes counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Smith is on top in guard.
Smith with a nice head shot there.
Smith tries to free his leg and advance position but Hughes is retaining full guard.
Smith with a nice head shot there.
Smith throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hughes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Smith tries to stand but Hughes is controlling from the bottom.
Smith with a flurry of punches that miss.
Hughes is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Smith missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hughes keeping full guard, as Smith tries to pass.
Smith won't allow Hughes to get back to his feet.
Hughes really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Smith. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Smith trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Smith cracks Hughes with a solid left hand.
Smith pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hughes is keeping the position for now.
Matt Hughes has got the better of the ground game so far.
Smith throwing strikes but missing.
Smith makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Smith throwing strikes but missing.
Hughes wants to stand but Smith is controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Hughes has a closed guard, preventing Smith from standing up.
Hughes is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Smith is controlling him.
Hughes working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Smith.
Hughes utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Hughes is looking to stand up but Smith isn't so interested in that idea.
Smith throwing strikes from guard but Hughes blocks nicely.
Hughes keeping full guard, as Smith tries to pass.
Smith postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matt Hughes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hughes 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight for Matt Hughes!
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight for Matt Hughes!
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight for Matt Hughes!

Matt Hughes wins by unanimous decision!