PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Aaron Smith (ranked 1365 p4p, 155 weight class) and Soul Jah (ranked 1533 p4p, 171 weight class). Smith comes to the cage accompanied by Lonely Train by Black Stone Cherry. Jah has chosen Bob Marley - Buffalo Soldier as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Smith
vs
Jah

195 cm
25
280 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

196 cm
38
237 lbs
32 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Groove Gear

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 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Aaron Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 32 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Soul Jah!
The judges for this bout are Ryoma Takatsuka, Paul Gruel and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Smith throws a lazy right hand but Jah sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Jah only half commits to the counter leg kick.

Smith rushes Jah and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Jah escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Smith throws a right hand that misses
and Jah counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Smith thinking.
Smith misses with a hook. Jah ducked under it nicely.
Jah follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Jah takes one to the chin there.
Jah showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Smith.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jah slips a jab and a cross from Smith.
Smith throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Jah is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Smith.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Jah takes one to the chin there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith connects with a looping right hand.
Smith lands a jab to the nose.
Smith has been working on his boxing with his coaches at 3Band MMA ($700/week) in the buildup to the fight.
Jab from Smith.
Smith fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Smith misses with a hook. Jah ducked under it nicely.
Smith throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Jah throws out a counter right but Smith avoids it with no problem.
Smith jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Smith looks to throw the jab but Jah is out of range.
Smith scores with a jab. Jah acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

Smith instigates a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Jah obliges.
Jah is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Smith is defending well for now.
Still in the clinch, Smith scores with a nice short uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Jah misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Smith.
Smith managing to block the knees to the body from Jah.
Smith lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Soul Jah has been cut.

Smith breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Smith throws a lazy right hand but Jah sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Jah avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Jah thinks about the counter body kick.
Smith misses with a body shot.
Jah counters with a body kick.
Smith connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Aaron Smith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jah gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Smith.
Smith looks to land a right hand but Jah moved out of range.
Jah throws a big counter head kick but Smith avoids it with no problem.
A jab lands there for Smith.
Jah ducks under a wild hook from Smith.
Jah unleashes a big counter combination but Smith bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Smith jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Smith misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Jah.
Jah appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Smith is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Smith misses with a right hand
and Jah counters with a one-two to the body.
Jah avoids the body shot from Smith.
Jah avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Jah moves out of range as Smith strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith misses with a straight right.
Smith throws a right and a left that both miss.

Smith rushes Jah and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Smith misses with an elbow strike.
Jah presses Smith against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Smith scores with a nice hook to the head.
Smith misses with a punch on the inside.
Smith blocks a body shot from Jah.

Jah manages to break the clinch.
Smith fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Jah on the side of the head.
Smith throws a right hand that misses
and Jah counters with a right hand to the body.
Smith throws an off balance right hand
and Jah counters with a nice low kick that buckles Smith's knee momentarily.
Smith falls off balance throwing a combination
and Jah counters with a body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Smith dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Soul Jah's cut.
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 misses the jab.
Jah looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Smith connects with a good right hand that stumbles Jah. Jah circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Jah has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Smith ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
A jab from Smith misses.
Jah flicks out a counter leg kick but Smith steps away.
A slow jab from Smith misses its intended target.
Smith looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Smith's jab looks to have found its range, popping Jah under the eye.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice defenses there by Jah.
Jah takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Smith sizes up Jah with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Sloppy strikes from Smith. Those never looked like landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith throws a hook but Jah blocks it.
Smith misses with an uppercut.
Jah thinks about the counter body kick.
Smith swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Smith throws an overhand right that lands on Jah's shoulder, as Jah tries to avoid the shot.
Jah moves away from the strike by Smith.
Jah throws out a counter right but Smith avoids it with no problem.
Jab by Smith.
Jah ducks under a wild hook from Smith.
Smith throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Smith tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Smith throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jah ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Jah ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Jah takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Jah moves away from the strike by Smith.
A big left from Smith misses.
Smith catches Jah with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Smith thows a left - swing and a miss!
Smith lands a lovely overhand right.
Smith looks to land a right hand but Jah moved out of range.
Jah is looking for the big counter here.
Smith throws a looping overhand right but Jah ducks down to avoid it.
Jah thinks about the counter body kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Smith misses the shot to the body.
Jah tries a quick counter leg kick but Smith is wise to it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith throws a right hand that misses
and Jah counters with a series of strikes. Smith will be more careful next time no doubt.
Smith lands a body shot.
Smith scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Jah doesn't seem bothered though.
Smith misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Smith misses with a two punch combination.
Smith loads up on a big right hand but Jah slips the punch.
Smith cracks Jah with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
A slow jab from Smith misses its intended target.
Jah follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Jah has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Jah takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Smith stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A telegraphed right hand from Smith misses the target.
Despite the aggression on Jah's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Aaron Smith is winning the standup battle so far.
Jah slips a jab from Smith.
Jah looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Smith scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Smith clinches.
Smith pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

Jah breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Jah dodges the punch combination from Smith.
Smith tries to clinch but Jah is having none of it.
Smith misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Jah.
Smith cracks Jah with a right hand to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Smith dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Soul Jah's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Smith has taken the fight to the clinch.
With the fighters up against the cage, Smith throws an elbow but misses.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Smith just misses with a elbow thrown towards Jah's brow.
Smith lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Jah blocks an elbow strike.

Jah pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Smith with a jab.
Jah ducks under a wild hook from Smith.
Jah follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Smith throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Jah tries a quick counter leg kick but Smith is wise to it.
Jah slips a jab from Smith.
Smith lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith misses with a jab to the body
and Jah counters with a straight right hand.

It looks like Aaron Smith has been cut.
A swing and a miss from Smith.
Smith throws a hook but Jah blocks it.
Jah counters with a body kick.
Jah displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Smith throws out the jab.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Smith.
Smith pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Jah shapes to counter with a head kick.
Smith misses with a hook. Jah ducked under it nicely.
Smith swings widly with a right hand
and Jah counters with a thumping low kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Smith cracks Jah with an open hand slap.
Smith misses with a hook
and Jah counters with a huge head kick that drops Smith! The ref dives in to stop the fight and the crowd goes wild!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:56 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Soul Jah!
An out of breath Soul Jah thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.
Aaron Smith spoke after the fight, saying 'No one likes seeing their opponent's hand raised, but that just means that they were the better man today. My team at 3Band MMA and I will break down this match and make the proper changes for my next camp.'.