PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jones Hatham (ranked 6023 p4p, 5043 weight class) and Edward Smart (ranked 445 p4p, 413 weight class). Jones Hatham had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 146.5lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Jones Hatham has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Hatham
vs
Smart

180 cm
23
154
0 - 1 - 0

177 cm
24
156
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jones Hatham!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Edward Smart!
The judges for this bout are Chris Dean, Damien Edna and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smart throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hatham fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Hatham shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Smart pinned against the cage. Smart gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Smart tries a head kick but it misses.
Smart keeps Hatham at a distance using the push kick.
Smart works Hatham's body with a nice hook.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smart swings for the body but Hatham moves out of range.
Hatham half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Hatham shoots in looking for a takedown. Smart tries to sprawl out of it but Hatham keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Smart manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jones Hatham. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Some bone on bone action there as Hatham checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Hatham attempts a counter takedown but Smart avoids it well and moves away.
Smart gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Hatham counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Hatham has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.

Hatham is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Smart keeping hold of Hatham's head, controlling as best he can.
Hatham content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Hatham prevents Smart from improving his position.
Hatham trying to control from half guard but Smart is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smart is trying is best to control the position here.
Hatham trying to control the action but Smart is working from the bottom.
Hatham is breathing heavily.
Smart keeps control of the position for the meantime.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Smart is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Smart slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Smart trying to control the position here.
Hatham has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Hatham trying to control but Smart is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smart tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Smart bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hatham's guard.

Hatham keeping moving, preventing Smart from controlling successfully.
Smart is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Smart advances to half guard.

Smart is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Hatham tries to get to full guard but Smart has control of the leg.
Smart wants to pass to mount but Hatham is defending the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smart looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Smart trying to mount his opponent but Hatham defends it.
Smart controlling the action here.
Smart passes to full mount!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Smart with good strikes from the mount here!
Smart dominating with strikes here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Edward Smart dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Smart misses with a straight left.

Smart throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Hatham was covering up waiting for the punch and Smart finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Hatham is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Smart postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Hatham tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Smart controls from within his opponent's guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hatham looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Smart wants to pass the guard but Hatham is keeping the position.
Smart controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smart lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Smart has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Smart advances position into side control!
Hatham is trying to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Smart is working Hatham over with some ground and pound from side control.
Hatham is trying to improve his position.

Smart is trying to get an arm triangle but Hatham is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hatham is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Smart tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Smart is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Hatham knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Smart controlling the position from side mount.
Smart wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hatham keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hatham can't do much from the bottom here.
Hatham is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Smart is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Hatham wants to control but Smart is having none of it.
Smart tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Hatham keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Smart can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hatham is looking to escape.
Smart takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Smart is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Hatham to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Hatham shrugs it off.
Smart punishing his opponent with strikes.
Smart sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The referee warns Hatham that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Smart tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Smart avoids the attempt from Hatham to control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Edward Smart showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Smart wants to land a leg kick but Hatham is out of range.
Smart swinging wildly here.
Hatham attempts a counter takedown but Smart avoids it well and moves away.

Smart shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Smart was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Smart working away.
Smart scoring with punches and elbows.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hatham is looking to reverse the position.
Edward Smart has got the better of the ground game so far.
Smart advances to mount.
Smart unloading with bombs!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Smart content just to control the position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hatham manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Smart wants to pass to mount but Hatham is defending the position.
Smart looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Smart maintaining the dominant position here and is working for a kimura. He's locked it up! Hatham could be in real trouble here! He's trying to wriggle out but Smart has cracked it and Hatham is screaming in pain - he's tapped out! Great finish by Smart!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:46 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Edward Smart!
A victorious Edward Smart thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.