PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Piet Smit (ranked 925 p4p, 117 weight class) and Eric Whitaker (ranked 887 p4p, 0 weight class). Smit comes to the cage accompanied by Baby Got Back. Eric Whitaker acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Smit
vs
Whitaker

188 cm
27
210 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

185 cm
27
220 lbs
13 - 4 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Piet Smit!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 4 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Eric Whitaker!
The judges for this bout are Sandra Marshall, Winston Alpacca and Dirk Anderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smit ducks under a wild hook from Whitaker.
Whitaker's coach down at ELITE Island Gym - 19 Elite Coaches was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Whitaker's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Whitaker throws a big shot that misses.
An attempted straight right counter from Smit misses the target.
A big right from Whitaker misses.
Smit avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Whitaker just misses with a punch to the body.
Smit tries to clinch but Whitaker moves out of range.
Whitaker throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Smit closes the distance and clinches.

Smit breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Whitaker avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Whitaker missing with a left hand there. Smit was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Smit wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitaker connects with a body shot that sends Smit's belly button to the back.
Whitaker misses with a wild body shot.
Smit feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Smit takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Smit misses with a body kick.
Eric Whitaker seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Smit fails with an attempt to clinch.
Whitaker throws out a counter right but Smit avoids it with no problem.
Smit uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Whitaker.
Whitaker throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Whitaker avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Whitaker is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Smit rather than just go for the knockout.
Smit is looking to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smit shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Whitaker defends it nicely.
Smit takes one to the side of the head.

Smit instigates a clinch.

Whitaker breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Smit takes one on the button.
Donk. Whitaker catches Smit right on the button with a cross.
Whitaker rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Smit connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Smit slips a jab from Whitaker.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Smit was well out of range. Poor timing from Whitaker.
Whitaker lands a body shot.
Smit moves out of range of the strikes.
Whitaker throws a lazy uppercut
and Smit counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Whitaker throws a hook but Smit blocks it.
Smit is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Whitaker throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Smit sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Smit is looking to clinch.
Whitaker looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Whitaker misses the jab.
Smit half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Whitaker throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Smit sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Smit avoids the body shot from Whitaker.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Smit moves away.
Smit tries to close the distance and clinch up but Whitaker swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Whitaker throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Smit tries to close the distance and clinch but Whitaker swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Whitaker misses with a lunging right hand

and Smit counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Whitaker working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

Whitaker escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Whitaker misses with an uppercut.
Whitaker lands a head shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Smit instigates a clinch.
Whitaker stops a takedown attempt from Smit.
Smit tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Whitaker dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Whitaker looks to throw the jab but Smit is out of range.
Whitaker misses the jab.
Smit swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Whitaker throws the left hand but Smit avoids the punch easily.
Whitaker throws a body punch but Smit moves out of range.
Smit is looking to clinch but Whitaker is avoiding it.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Whitaker! But no joy.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Smit is defended easily by Whitaker.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smit is looking to clinch.
Smit doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Smit slips a jab from Whitaker.
Smit is looking to counter with head kicks.
Whitaker moves away from the strike by Smit.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitaker ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Smit moves away.
A swing and a miss from Whitaker.
Smit tries to close the distance and clinch up but Whitaker swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Smit is looking to clinch but Whitaker is avoiding it.
Whitaker loads up on a big right hand but Smit slips the punch.
Smit moves in looking to clinch but Whitaker pushes him off.
Eric Whitaker is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Whitaker just misses with a punch to the body.
Whitaker throws a looping overhand right but Smit ducks down to avoid it.
Whitaker misses with a hook to the body
and Smit counters with a nice body shot.
Whitaker throws the left hand but Smit avoids the punch easily.
Smit tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Whitaker manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Smit slips a jab from Whitaker.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker scores with a punch to the head.
Whitaker circles away from the clinch attempt.
Whitaker looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Whitaker swings and misses with a hook to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Smit looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Smit tries to close the distance and clinch but Whitaker swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Smit wants to clinch up but Whitaker keeps it at a distance.
Smit keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Whitaker ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Whitaker moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Smit on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker misses with a body shot.
Smit quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Smit moves out of range as Whitaker strikes.
Whitaker lands with an overhand left.
Whitaker swings widly with a right hand
and Smit counters with a left to the body.
Whitaker throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Whitaker misses with a wild body shot.
Whitaker misses with an uppercut. Smit saw that one coming.
Smit was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Whitaker misses with a straight left.
Smit blocks a jab.
Whitaker throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
An attempted straight right counter from Smit misses the target.
Whitaker swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Whitaker throws a nice looking combination but Smit bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smit wants to clinch.
Eric Whitaker seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Whitaker is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Smit.
Smit has been working on his balance at , so perhaps that has help him stuff some of the takedown attempts by Whitaker.
Whitaker throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Smit keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Whitaker.
Smit appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Whitaker throws a right hand that misses
letting Smit counter with a right hand.
Smit tries to close the distance and clinch up but Whitaker swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Whitaker misses with a looping right.
Smit slips under a jab.
Smit fails in his attempt to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Whitaker showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Smit throws a sloppy head kick and Whitaker moves out of range easily.
Smit slips a jab from Whitaker.
An attempted straight right counter from Smit misses the target.
Whitaker swats away the attempt to clinch by Smit.
Whitaker throws a poor cross that misses
and Smit counters with a nice uppercut.
Whitaker misses the jab.
Sloppy strikes from Smit. Those never looked like landing.
Whitaker waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Smit.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Whitaker jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Smit seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Whitaker has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Smit uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Whitaker.
A counter left hand to the body from Smit misses its target.
Whitaker swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Smit swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Whitaker ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Smit moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitaker misses the shot to the body.
Whitaker fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Smit manages to avoid it.
Smit avoids the body shot from Whitaker.
Smit looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Whitaker looks to land a right hand but Smit moved out of range.
Smit tries to clinch up.
Smit tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Whitaker paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Whitaker doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Whitaker throws an ugly left hook that misses
enabling Smit to counter with a crisp jab.
Whitaker waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Smit.
Whitaker looks to land a left hand but Smit moved out of range nicely.
Smit wants to clinch up but Whitaker keeps it at a distance.
Smit fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker swings for the body but Smit moves out of range.
Whitaker misses with a wild body shot.
A counter left hand to the body from Smit misses its target.
Smit tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Whitaker paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Whitaker lands with a straight right. Smit didn't see that one coming.
Smit tries to close the distance and clinch up but Whitaker swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Whitaker looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Whitaker circles away from the clinch attempt.
Smit tries a head kick but it misses.
Whitaker throws an overhand right that lands on Smit's shoulder, as Smit tries to avoid the shot.
Whitaker throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Whitaker loads up on a big right hand but Smit slips the punch.
Smit displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Whitaker throws out the jab.
Whitaker throws an off balance right hand
and Whitaker takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smit is looking to clinch but Whitaker is avoiding it.
Whitaker misses the shot to the body.
A counter left hand to the body from Smit misses its target.
Smit ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Smit throws a big counter combination but Whitaker scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Smit avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Smit tries to clinch up but Whitaker circles away and keeps his distance.
Whitaker misses with a looping right.
Smit tries to clinch but Whitaker is having none of it.
Whitaker throws out a loose jab but Smit uses good head movement to avoid it.
Whitaker throws a shot from downtown. Smit moves away and avoids it.
Smit throwing a counter right hand but Whitaker manages to avoid it.
Smit uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Whitaker.
Smit is looking to counter punch.
Whitaker's jab looks to have found its range, popping Smit under the eye.
Piet Smit has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Eric Whitaker is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker misses with an uppercut. Smit saw that one coming.
Whitaker misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Smit.
Whitaker throws a shot from downtown. Smit moves away and avoids it.
Whitaker throws a hook but Smit blocks it.
Smit swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Smit ducks under a wild hook from Whitaker.
Smit cracks Whitaker with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Smit misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Smit ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Whitaker thows a left - swing and a miss!
Smit is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Smit tries to work over Whitaker's front leg with a kick but Whitaker checks it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eric Whitaker comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Whitaker winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Sandra Marshall scores the fight for Eric Whitaker!
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight for Eric Whitaker!
Judge Dirk Anderson scores the fight for Eric Whitaker!

Eric Whitaker wins by unanimous decision!
A relieved looking Eric Whitaker thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.
The defeated Piet Smit had this to say: 'Winning is not everything, it is the only thing!'.