PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Itchy Sinclair (ranked 1502 p4p, 4257 weight class) and William Smyth (ranked 202 p4p, 514 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Sinclair
vs
Smyth

179 cm
18
182
12 - 4 - 0

183 cm
26
180
4 - 11 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

Barry Bonds Performance Enhancers $120 3 160Q

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Itchy Sinclair!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 11 - 1, fighting out of London, William Smyth!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Joseph Jones and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sinclair paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Sinclair connects with a nice looking jab.
A jab lands there for Sinclair.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sinclair. Smyth does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sinclair scores with a kick to the midsection.
Sinclair throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Sinclair instigates a clinch.
Sinclair lands a right hand.
Smyth has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Sinclair escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sinclair lands a glancing blow to the side of Smyth's head.
Sinclair lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

Sinclair decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Sinclair working over Smyth with some ground and pound. Smyth looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Sinclair is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Smyth is looking to improve his position.
Smyth told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Sinclair with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smyth has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Sinclair is working away from the top position though.
Sinclair keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Sinclair missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Smyth taking some punishment here, with Sinclair in his half guard.
Sinclair looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Sinclair wants to pass the guard but Smyth is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sinclair seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Sinclair looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Sinclair is taking a breather. Smyth says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

Sinclair is working for a kimura but Smyth is defending it quite comfortably.

Sinclair seems to be working for a kimura but Smyth defends the submission attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Smyth is defending against the submission attempts here by Sinclair.

Sinclair wants to work for an arm triangle but Smyth is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Sinclair is working for a kimura but Smyth is defending it quite comfortably.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Itchy Sinclair dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Sinclair throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Smyth is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Sinclair.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sinclair goes for a double leg but Smyth avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Smyth continues to drive forward.
Sinclair lands a body shot.
Sinclair stalling against the cage.
Smyth is looking to break free of the clinch but Sinclair has double underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sinclair is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Smyth to keep the fight standing.
Sinclair doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Sinclair digs a right hand underneath Smyth's ribcage. Smyth let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Sinclair tries to pull guard but Smyth holds him up against the cage and eventually Sinclair drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Itchy Sinclair. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Sinclair pulls guard effortlessly.
Sinclair is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Smyth trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Sinclair is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sinclair avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Sinclair looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smyth wants to control from the top but Sinclair keeps moving.

Smyth is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Sinclair is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Sinclair has escaped and now he's on top!

The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sinclair slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Sinclair accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Smyth tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Sinclair postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sinclair controlling from the top position.
Sinclair throwing strikes from guard but Smyth blocks nicely.
Sinclair works over Smyth with some ground and pound from guard.
Sinclair is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Smyth can do to turn this around?
Smyth looking for a sweep. Not yet Smyth, not yet.
Sinclair slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Sinclair has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Smyth not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sinclair with a flurry of punches that miss.
Sinclair trying to control but Smyth is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Sinclair drives through and clinches with Smyth against the cage.
Sinclair is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Smyth to keep the fight standing.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sinclair stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Sinclair can't find room to land a body shot as Smyth controls the action.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Itchy Sinclair dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Sinclair shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Smyth as he avoids it easily.
Smyth swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Sinclair tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Smyth manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Smyth is looking for the big counter here.
Sinclair lands a body shot.
Sinclair looks to land a body kick but Smyth moved away.
Smyth takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smyth takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Sinclair fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sinclair misses with a few strikes there.
Sinclair throws a right hand that Smyth ducks under and follows up with a left that Smyth also avoids with ease.
Sinclair misses with a few strikes there.
Despite the aggression on Smyth's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Sinclair is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sinclair fails with a takedown attempt.
As Sinclair backs off Smyth throws a huge counter combo but Sinclair manages to avoid it all.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Itchy Sinclair. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smyth keeps the fight on the outside.
Smyth lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Sinclair shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Smyth but Smyth pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Sinclair tries to close the distance and clinch up but Smyth swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Nice body kick from Sinclair.
Smyth slaps away a takedown attempt from Sinclair, before circling back to the center of the mat.
As Sinclair backs off Smyth throws a huge counter combo but Sinclair manages to avoid it all.
William Smyth has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Sinclair, as that shot connected.
Smyth takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Smyth has a couple of punches blocked by Sinclair.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sinclair fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Smyth breaks from the clinch.
Sinclair tries to clinch but Smyth moves out of range.
Smyth is looking for the big counter here.
Smyth takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Smyth takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
William Smyth is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sinclair scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sinclair is looking to slow Smyth down with leg kicks.
Itchy Sinclair is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Itchy Sinclair is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nice uppercut there from Sinclair.

And that's the end of the fight!
Itchy Sinclair showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sinclair has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 30:26
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 30:26

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