PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jackson Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vladimir Putin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jackson Smith has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Smith
vs
Putin

174 cm
18
166 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

175 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Inexperienced

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jackson Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Ivan Kurochkin and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Putin has closed the distance and engaged Smith in a clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Putin just misses with a elbow thrown towards Smith's brow.
Putin tries to land a knee to the head but Smith blocks with his arms.
Smith jumps guard but Putin stands there with Smith around his waist. Smith gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Smith breaks from the clinch.

Smith has taken the fight to the clinch.
Putin prevents the takedown attempt.
Putin misses with an elbow strike.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Putin just misses with a elbow thrown towards Smith's brow.
Smith is trying to maintain a safe position but Putin gets an underhook and turns Smith into the cage.
Putin is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Smith is keeping busy.
Smith tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Putin smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jackson Smith. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Smith shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Putin as he jumps to the side.
Putin tries to clinch but Smith moves away

and Smith counters with a nice double leg into side control. Putin won't be happy with that.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Putin prevents Smith from improving position.
Putin is letting Smith control him for a moment.
Smith misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

Smith wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Putin, who protects the arm well.

Smith decides to take the fight back to the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Putin keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Putin tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Smith counters with a shoot takedown. Putin fights it but they end up in guard.
Putin being controlled here, momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith trying to control the position from guard on top but Putin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Smith controlling from the top position.
Putin utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

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 sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Smith's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Smith thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Putin is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Smith is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jackson Smith dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Smith decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Putin can do anything to dispel that myth.

Smith is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Putin is just riding it out for now. Smith eventually gives up the hold.
Putin won't allow Smith to pass to mount.
Putin 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Putin wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Smith tries to pass the half guard into mount. Putin knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Smith seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Putin does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Smith is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Putin!
Smith looking to ground and pound but Putin is blocking nicely.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Putin is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Putin is looking to escape.
Smith sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Jackson Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Smith shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Putin but Putin pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Smith shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Putin but Putin pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Vladimir Putin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Smith shoots in for a double leg but Putin sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jackson Smith. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Putin tries to clinch but Smith moves away

and Smith counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Smith.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jackson Smith dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Putin tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Smith counters with a takedown into side control.
Smith lands a few punches from side control.

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

Smith wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Putin, who protects the arm well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Putin gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Smith thowing shots but they're missing.
Smith thowing shots but they're missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Smith looking to control and managing it successfully.
You get the feeling that Putin really doesn't like being in this position too much.

Smith jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Putin is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Putin and Smith has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Smith works to advance to full mount. Putin defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith is landing with some decent strikes but Putin is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Smith content just to control the position here.
Smith looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Putin wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Smith sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Smith with a couple of short strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jackson Smith showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Smith, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27

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