PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Matt Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gary Whittaker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Smith's entrance music is Guerilla Radio by RATM. A fine choice. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Smith
vs
Whittaker

188 cm
19
245 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

174 cm
22
256 lbs
0 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Matt Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Gary Whittaker!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Ian Loll and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Whittaker tries to clinch there but Smith circles away.
Whittaker swats away the attempt to clinch by Smith.
Whittaker wants to clinch up but Smith keeps it at a distance.
Whittaker is looking to clinch but Smith is avoiding it.

Whittaker gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Smith is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Smith stopping the sweep attempt from Whittaker.
Whittaker wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Smith manages to pass to side control.
Whittaker wants to get back to his feet.

Smith escapes and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whittaker wants to clinch.
Smith scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Whittaker is rocked!

Smith closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Whittaker is still in real trouble! Can Smith finish him?
Smith in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Whittaker seems to have recovered his senses.
Whittaker should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whittaker is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Smith asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Smith trying to control the action but Whittaker is working from the bottom.
Whittaker taking punishment in the form of punches.
Smith cracks Whittaker with a big elbow.
Whittaker is pushing Smith's head away, looking to escape. Smith manages to hold on to the position though.

Whittaker explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!

Smith has closed the distance and engaged Whittaker in a clinch.
Smith on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith breaks from the clinch.
Smith tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Smith closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Smith lands in his opponent's guard.
Whittaker looks gassed!
Whittaker wants to get back to his feet but Smith passes into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Whittaker is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Whittaker on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Smith stalling.
Nice strikes from Smith there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whittaker wants to get back to full guard.
Smith looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Smith will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Smith not doing much here.
Whittaker is in trouble now - Smith has advanced to mount!
Whittaker is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Smith controlling the pace for now.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Smith dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Whittaker throws a combination. Smith tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

Whittaker closes the distance and clinches.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Whittaker.
Whittaker misses with a knee to the head.
Smith wants to stall.

Whittaker breaks the clinch.
A combination from Smith does no damage.
Smith moves away from the strike by Whittaker.
Whittaker stuffs the takedown attempt from Smith. Smith gets slowly back to his feet.
Whittaker thows a body shot but no joy.

Smith drives through with a takedown into guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Whittaker scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Whittaker tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Smith paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Smith misses with a double jab
and Whittaker counters with a left and a right that stings Smith.
Whittaker swats away the attempt to clinch by Smith.
Smith misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith shoots in and drives through. Whittaker sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Smith. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Whittaker gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Smith slows down the pace here.
Whittaker goes for a takedown in the clinch but Smith prevents it.

Smith breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Smith closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Matt Smith overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Smith stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Whittaker to get to his feet.

Smith shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Smith was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Whittaker is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Whittaker regains half guard.
Whittaker is looking for a sweep. Smith is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith trying to control the pace.
Smith prevents Whittaker from standing back up.
Whittaker is trying to get back to full guard.
Whittaker has hold of Smith's hands but Smith slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Whittaker looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Whittaker wants to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Smith sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Smith has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Whittaker is in trouble now - Smith has advanced to mount!
Smith has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Whittaker's face.
Smith landing strikes from the mount and Whittaker is in trouble!
Smith knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Whittaker on the ground.
A nice elbow there by Smith.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Whittaker bucks Smith off and manages to get back to his feet!
Whittaker tries to clinch up but Smith circles away and keeps his distance.

Smith closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Whittaker to the mat! Whittaker manages to get full guard.
Smith sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Smith decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Whittaker, up you get!

Smith has Whittaker up against the cage in a clinch.
Knees to the body from Whittaker.
Whittaker manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Whittaker breaks from the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Whittaker tries to clinch

and Smith counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Whittaker breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Whittaker has Smith up against the cage in a clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Smith turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Smith manages to end up in side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Smith dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Whittaker throws a head kick that misses.
Smith cracks Whittaker with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Smith works the jab nicely.

Smith scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Smith trying to control the action but Whittaker is working from the bottom.
Whittaker manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

Whittaker decides to stand up.

Whittaker moves into the clinch.

Whittaker breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Some wild striking there from Whittaker.

Whittaker feints and as Smith raises his hands in defense, Whittaker changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Whittaker stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Whittaker takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Smith drops Whittaker with a right and a left! Smith comes rushing in but Whittaker regains his composure and manages to keep Smith in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith stops Whittaker from standing up.
Smith is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Whittaker is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Smith is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Whittaker throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Whittaker can't keep his opponent in guard - Smith advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

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.
Whittaker is trying to stand.
Whittaker tries to get to full guard but Smith has control of the leg.
Whittaker wants to get back to his feet.
Smith controlling the action here.
Smith seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Whittaker is trying to stand.
Smith is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith wants to lay and pray for a moment but Whittaker keeps working.
Whittaker wants to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Smith escapes and gets back to his feet.
Nice sprawl there from Smith as Whittaker shoots in.
Whittaker moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Smith chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Whittaker can pounce on him.
Whittaker tries a head kick but it misses.
Gary Whittaker seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Smith fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Smith scores with a body shot.
Smith darts in trying to clinch

and Whittaker counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Smith's guard now.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Smith wants to sweep but no luck.
Whittaker loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith wants to sweep but no luck.

Whittaker drops back looking for a leg! Smith is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Smith manages to kick Whittaker off! Whittaker jumps back into Smith's guard.
Whittaker prevents Smith from getting back to his feet.
Gary Whittaker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Smith utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Whittaker lands a couple of elbows.
Smith pulls Whittaker in close to his closed guard and prevents Whittaker from doing any damage or advancing position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Whittaker postures up in Smith's guard and throws a big left but Smith blocks it.

Whittaker drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Whittaker jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Gary Whittaker.
I think Smith has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Trevor Gratis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matt Smith!