PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Pierce Harper (ranked 5296 p4p, 466 weight class) and Dave Smith (ranked 5590 p4p, 484 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Harper
vs
Smith

187 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
26
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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, Pierce Harper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Dave Smith!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Andrew Berry and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Smith closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Harper did well to prevent Smith getting side control.

Harper pushes Smith off and gets back to his feet.
Smith looks to land a combination but Harper avoids it well.

Smith scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Harper is trying to control Smith's posture but Smith avoids it.
Smith grinds an elbow into Harper's temple.
Harper struggling a bit here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Smith tries for a kimura but Harper is defending well.
Harper manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith trying to control the action but Harper is working from the bottom.
The fighters are battling for position here. Harper manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Smith is in close to Harper's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Smith wants to control from the top but Harper keeps moving.

Harper throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Harper is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Smith is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Smith in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Smith pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Harper is keeping the position for now.
Smith wants to get up but he can't break Harper's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Harper trying to control the position.
Smith trying to control but Harper is working from the bottom.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Harper misses with a takedown attempt
and Smith counters with a nice kick to the body.

Harper is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Smith's half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper stalling.
Harper not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Harper with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Smith is looking for a sweep. Harper is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nice strikes from Harper there.
Smith has his hands clasped together around Harper's back. He's all about the action.
Smith is looking for a sweep. Harper is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Harper is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Harper won't allow Smith to sweep him here.
Smith keeping moving, preventing Harper from controlling successfully.
Harper preventing the sweep.
Smith keeping moving, preventing Harper from controlling successfully.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Harper's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Harper is stalling in the full guard.

Smith looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Harper has picked Smith up and slammed him! Smith can't keep hold of the triangle and Harper manages to pass to side control!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Pierce Harper will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Harper tries for a takedown but Smith circles away easily

and Smith counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Harper seems keen to control Smith's posture.
Harper utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Smith has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Harper is proving hard to escape from.
Harper looking to control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith works over Harper with some ground and pound from guard.
Smith sitting in guard here, content to control.
Harper managing to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Nice uppercut there from Smith.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Smith enables Harper to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Smith manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Smith keeping moving, preventing Harper from controlling successfully.
Harper looking to pass the guard.

Smith working for a triangle but Harper defends it easily.
Smith keeping moving, preventing Harper from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harper pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Smith is keeping the position for now.
Harper lands a couple of digs.
Smith is adopting a defensive guard.
Harper working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Smith throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Harper postures up and lands a big shot to Smith's brow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith looking for a guillotine here but Harper defends easily.
Harper scoring with some ground and pound.

Harper stands up from Smith's guard - Harper perhaps looking for a knockout.

Smith closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Harper's guard.

Harper manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Harper changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Smith looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Smith is breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Harper controls the position from side control.

Harper thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith is trying to control Harper's posture but Harper avoids it.
Harper lands a nice forearm strike.

Harper is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Smith is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Harper is putting a hurting on Smith here, landing some big shots from side control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Harper is trying to get an arm triangle but Smith is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pierce Harper dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Harper misses with a body shot.

Smith changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Harper looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Harper tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Smith presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Smith lands a nice shot to the head.
Harper is trying desperately to improve position.
Smith lands a big elbow.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harper wants to control but Smith is having none of it.
Smith content just to control the position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith looking to control but Harper is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Harper holds on, trying desperately to control.
Smith wants to control the pace but Harper is squirming around nicely.
Harper bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Harper tries to free his leg and advance position but Smith is retaining full guard.
Harper works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Pierce Harper overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harper looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Harper is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Smith is just riding it out for now. Harper eventually gives up the hold.
Smith trying to control from the bottom.
Smith is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Harper is staying active.
Harper throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Smith is trying to stand up here but Harper is controlling him well.
Harper moves nicely into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith is trying to escape the position but Harper is controlling the position.

Harper tries for a kimura but Smith is defending well.
Harper is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Smith throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.

Harper is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Smith has escaped the position, nice work there.

Harper is trying to get an arm triangle but Smith is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Smith is not content to let Harper control the position.
Pierce Harper is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Harper taking a break here but Smith is having none of it and regains half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Smith wants to control but Harper is keeping busy and won't allow it.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Dave Smith.
I think Harper 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 29:28
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pierce Harper!