PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Bryant Smith (ranked 5694 p4p, 455 weight class) and Grigoriy Petrov (ranked 1732 p4p, 208 weight class). Smith comes to the cage accompanied by Television - Marquee Moon. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Smith
vs
Petrov

178 cm
22
159 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

165 cm
21
160 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Decent wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bryant Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Grigoriy Petrov!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Chad Campbell and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A looping hook to the body misses from Petrov. Smith does a little dance to reset his feet.
Grigoriy Petrov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Smith takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Petrov ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Smith tries to land a front kick but Petrov steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
A countering left hand to the body from Petrov misses.
Petrov throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Smith throwing a counter right hand but Petrov manages to avoid it.
Petrov has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Smith is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Petrov falls off balance throwing a combination
and Smith makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Petrov steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Smith. That one must have hurt.
Petrov tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Smith was well out of range. Poor timing from Petrov.
Petrov lands with a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Petrov throws a sloppy body shot
and Smith counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Petrov checks the leg kick.
Smith connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Petrov momentarily.
Petrov throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Smith counters with a straight right hand.
Petrov looks to score with a jab to the body but Smith is just out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Petrov looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Petrov throws a lazy uppercut
and Smith cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Smith fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Petrov has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Petrov swings away with a body shot that misses
letting Smith counter with a right hand.
Petrov blocks the body kick.
Both fighters circling a little - Smith finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Petrov misses with a jab to the body
enabling Smith to counter with a crisp jab.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Smith looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Petrov misses with a hook to the body
and Smith counters with a low kick, right behind Petrov 's knee.
Petrov swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Smith counters with a straight right hand.
Smith is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Smith scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Smith lands with an overhand left.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A chopping leg kick lands by Smith.
Smith cracks a nice hook into Petrov's ribs.
Petrov rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Smith counters with a big head kick but Petrov shrugs it off.
Smith swings for the body but Petrov moves out of range.
Smith throws out a leg kick but Petrov moves out of range and Smith only half commits.
Petrov falls off balance throwing a combination
and Smith connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Smith misses with a straight left.
Petrov swings widly with a right hand
and Smith counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Petrov thinking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Petrov wants to clinch but Smith slips to the side
and Smith counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Petrov misses with a hook
and Smith counters with a leg kick.
Petrov scores with a body shot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Smith bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Petrov throws a lazy right hand but Smith sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Petrov tries to clinch up but Smith circles away and keeps his distance.
Smith throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Petrov misses with a right hand
and Smith counters with a nice uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bryant 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.

Petrov just misses with a punch to the body.
Smith throws a quick counter kick to the body but Petrov avoids it.
Petrov avoids the head kick by Smith.
Petrov steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Smith.
Smith tries to land a body kick
and Petrov counters with a nice body shot.
Smith connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Petrov's hands.
Smith is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Petrov can do to turn this around?
Petrov drops his hands momentarily and Smith takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Smith uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Petrov.
Smith throwing a counter right hand but Petrov manages to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Petrov lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Petrov lands a slapping body shot.
Petrov throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Petrov misses with a looping left.
It looked like Smith wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Smith is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Petrov swings for the body but Smith moves out of range.
Petrov misses with a few strikes there.
Smith throws a lazy body kick
and Petrov counters with a straight right hand.
Petrov tries to clinch there but Smith circles away.
Bryant Smith is winning the standup battle so far.

Petrov gets a clinch.
Petrov will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Smith up against the cage.
Smith misses with a short punch on the inside.
Petrov is trying to force a seperation but Smith has the dominant position.
Smith swings wildly with an uppercut but Petrov uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Smith manages to break the clinch.
Good shot there by Smith.
Petrov ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Smith moves away.
Petrov misses with a body shot
and Smith counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Petrov throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Smith lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Smith throws a jab but it's blocked by Petrov.
Petrov misses with an uppercut
and Smith counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Petrov takes a swing at Smith's ribcage but misses.
Smith appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Petrov avoids the body shot from Smith.
Petrov connects with a body shot.
Petrov misses with a lunging right hand
and Smith counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Petrov throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Petrov walks into a jab.
Petrov misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Smith counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Petrov lands a nice looking body shot.
Petrov throws a jab but it's blocked by Smith.
Smith went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Petrov misses with a hook. Smith ducked under it nicely.
Petrov lands a right hook to the body.
Crunch! Smith slams his shin into Petrov's torso.
Petrov is breathing heavily.
Smith connects with a jab.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Smith blocks a jab.
Smith sizes up Petrov with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Smith uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Petrov.
Smith throws a series of punches but Petrov moves out of range.
A big right from Petrov misses.
Smith fires out a quick counter leg kick but Petrov just manages to avoid it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Bryant Smith will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Petrov moves into the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Petrov.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Smith takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Petrov fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
I was talking to Smith's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Smith creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Petrov scores with a hook to the body.
Smith lands a right hand that snaps the head of Petrov backwards.
Smith pressing his opponent against the cage.
Smith gets through Petrov's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Petrov swings wildly with an uppercut but Smith uses good head movement to avoid it.
Petrov is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Petrov.
Petrov throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Smiths head.
Smith stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Petrov stalls.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

Smith's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Petrov throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Smith throwing a counter right hand but Petrov manages to avoid it.
Petrov gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
A left lands for Smith.
Smith takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Petrov throws a hook to the side of Smith's head but Smith sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Grigoriy Petrov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Petrov moves out of range of the strikes.
A little jabbing left from Petrov on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Smith moves out of range of the strikes.
Petrov displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Smith throws out the jab.
Petrov misses with an uppercut
and Smith counters with a straight right hand.
Petrov ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Smith moves away.
And Smith counters with a quick kick to the body but Petrov blocks it.
Petrov throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Smith sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Smith appears to be looking for a big counter.
Petrov throws a hook to the side of Smith's head but Smith sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Smith thinks about countering with a body kick.
A telegraphed right hand from Petrov misses the target.
Petrov is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Smith rather than just go for the knockout.
Petrov blocks a head kick by Smith.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Petrov! But no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Petrov throws a sloppy body shot
and Smith counters with a nice uppercut.
Smith throws a looping overhand right but Petrov ducks down to avoid it.
Smith throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Petrov throws a body shot but no joy.
Nice shot lands for Smith.

Petrov is rocked!
Petrov tries to clinch up.
Smith lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.

Smith drops Petrov with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Petrov looks back up at him and smiles so Smith waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed.
Bryant Smith is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Petrov is still on wobbly legs! Can Smith finish him?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Petrov scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Smith misses with a body kick.
Petrov seems to have recovered his senses.
Smith keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Smith uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Petrov has time to react.
Petrov misses with a looping right.
Smith is looking to counter with a body kick.
Petrov looks to land a left hand but Smith moved out of range nicely.
Smith swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Petrov misses with a body punch
and Smith counters with a nice leg kick.
Smith takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bryant 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight 30:28
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bryant Smith!
Bryant Smith decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.