PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Salvatore Berg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Neil Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Berg
vs
Smith

204 cm
20
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
21
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Salvatore Berg!
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 Smith!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Phil Schofield and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Smith scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Berg really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Smith is looking to take a break and control but Berg is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Smith decides to stand back up. Smith steps back and let's Berg get back to his feet.

Smith closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Smith lands in his opponent's guard.
Berg is adopting a defensive guard.
Smith slips nicely into half guard.
Smith is just content to waste time from the top position. Berg takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Berg wants to sweep but no luck.
Smith wants to control from the top but Berg keeps moving.
Berg preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Smith pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Berg is keeping the position for now.
Berg controls Smith momentarily but Smith frees himself.

Berg looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Berg working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Smith.
Berg is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Berg has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Smith can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Berg has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Smith can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Berg is controlling Smith's posture.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Berg fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Smith wants to clinch up but Berg keeps it at a distance.
Smith circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith falls off balance throwing a combination

and Berg decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Smith's guard.

Smith working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Berg doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Berg manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Berg is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Berg tries to stand but Smith is controlling from the bottom.
Berg sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Berg has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Berg prevents Smith from getting back to his feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch up but Berg swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Smith shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Berg napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Berg wants to control but Smith postures up.
Smith wants to lay and pray for a moment but Berg keeps working.
Berg can't do much from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neil Smith dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Smith throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.

Berg gets caught flat footed, as Smith shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Smith trying to control but Berg is working from the bottom.
Berg is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Smith trying to control the position from guard on top but Berg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Berg is trying to control the position but Smith postures up.
Smith trying to control the position from guard on top but Berg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Berg is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Smith defends well.
Smith wants to control from the top but Berg keeps moving.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Smith tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Berg enables Smith to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Berg manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Berg doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Berg preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Berg escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Smith gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Smith lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Berg is pulling down on Smith's head. It's preventing any offense from Smith, at least for the moment.
Berg keeping moving, preventing Smith from controlling successfully.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

Berg throws his legs up looking for a submission but Smith uses it to pass to side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Smith closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Berg quickly recovers to half guard.
Smith has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Berg has a hand on Smith's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Smith takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!

Smith goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Berg is on top in guard.
Berg slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Berg'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.
Berg won't allow Smith to sweep him here.
Smith working a defensive guard here.

Smith is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Berg drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Smith manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Berg has Smith in his guard.

Berg is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neil Smith showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Smith tries to clinch up.
Neil Smith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Smith throws a head kick that Berg semi-blocks.

Smith scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Smith prevents Berg from improving his position.
Neil Smith has got the better of the ground game so far.
Berg gets full guard.

Berg looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Berg keeping full guard, as Smith tries to pass.
Berg will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Berg working for submissions but it's allowed Smith to get to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Berg tries to roll over but Smith keeps him under control.
Smith perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Smith tries to pass the half guard into mount. Berg knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Berg trying to control but Smith postures up.
Smith prevents Berg from improving his position.
Smith trying to control from half guard but Berg is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Berg is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Smith scores with a couple of nice shots.
Berg trying to hold on to Smith's head to control him but Smith postures up.
Smith is trying to control the action in half guard but Berg is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Berg is trying to get back to full guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Smith throws a lazy head kick

and Berg counters with a shoot takedown. Smith fights it but they end up in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Berg engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Smith looking to control.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Smith holds on and takes a little breather.
Berg's corner is telling him to maintain position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Berg won't allow Smith to sweep him here.
Berg stays in close to Smith's body and controls the position.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Smith has his hands on Berg's head, controlling the position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Smith shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Berg is trying to defend but Smith finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith trying to control the action but Berg is working from the bottom.

Berg looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Smith working over Berg with some ground and pound. Berg looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

And that's the end of the fight!
Neil Smith comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Smith 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 27:30
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 27:30

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