PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Markus Gunnarsson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chad Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Smith has chosen Stemm- Face the pain as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Gunnarsson
vs
Smith

188 cm
22
217 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent knees
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Markus Gunnarsson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Chad Smith !
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck for Smith with that takedown attempt.
Gunnarsson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Smith swats away the attempt to clinch by Gunnarsson.
Smith wants to clinch up but Gunnarsson keeps it at a distance.

Gunnarsson gets a clinch.
Gunnarsson looking for a takedown.
Smith throws a knee to the head but misses.
Smith jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Gunnarsson walks away with a smile on his face. Smith gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Gunnarsson has managed to clinch.
Smith tries to pull guard but Gunnarsson holds him up against the cage and eventually Smith drops back down to his feet.
Markus Gunnarsson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chad Smith .
Smith stops a takedown attempt from Gunnarsson.

Smith breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Smith fails with a takedown attempt.
Smith fails with a takedown attempt.
Gunnarsson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Smith paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Smith shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Gunnarsson but Gunnarsson pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Gunnarsson is looking to clinch but Smith is avoiding it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gunnarsson closes the distance and clinches.
Smith wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Gunnarsson changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Smith fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Gunnarsson tries to clinch but Smith moves away

and Smith counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Gunnarsson's guard now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gunnarsson wants to stand but Smith is controlling the position.

Gunnarsson has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Smith off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith tries for a takedown but Gunnarsson sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Gunnarsson tries to clinch there but Smith circles away.
Smith will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Smith looks gassed!
No luck for Smith with that takedown attempt.

Gunnarsson gets the takedown into side control.
Gunnarsson lands a nice forearm strike.
Gunnarsson cracks Smith with a big elbow.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith tries to escape but Gunnarsson is in control.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Gunnarsson scores with punches from side control.
Gunnarsson cracks Smith with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Gunnarsson scores with punches from side control.
Gunnarsson knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Smith on the ground.
Smith wants to get back to his feet.
Smith is not content to let Gunnarsson control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Smith 's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Gunnarsson working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Smith can do anything to dispel that myth.
Gunnarsson working the ground and pound from side control.
Smith on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Smith is trying to improve his position.
Gunnarsson scoring with punches from side control.
Smith is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Smith is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Gunnarsson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Smith keeps working.
Gunnarsson cracks Smith with an elbow. That is naaassty.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gunnarsson lands a nice forearm strike.
Gunnarsson wants to control but Smith is keeping him busy.
Smith stops Gunnarsson from passing to mount.
Gunnarsson lands a few punches from side control.
Gunnarsson lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Smith down.
Gunnarsson works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Gunnarsson working the ground and pound.
Smith is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Gunnarsson asserts his dominance and retains side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Gunnarsson doesn't manage to clinch there - Smith circles away.

Smith instigates a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Markus Gunnarsson dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Gunnarsson throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Smith on the side of the head.

Gunnarsson drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Smith wants to stand and escape but Gunnarsson is having none of it.

Smith scrambles and gets back to his feet.

Gunnarsson has Smith up against the cage in a clinch.

Gunnarsson has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Smith clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Gunnarsson landing with strikes.
Smith tries to roll but Gunnarsson sticks to his back.
Gunnarsson is punishing Smith with strikes - can he finish him?!
Smith is trying to get back to his feet but Gunnarsson has full control of the position and if anything, Smith has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Can Smith hold on?! Gunnarsson is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gunnarsson wants to control but Smith is keeping busy.
Smith is trying to get back to his feet but Gunnarsson has full control of the position and if anything, Smith has just worked his way into a worse spot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gunnarsson lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Smith .
Smith wants to control his opponent's hands but Gunnarsson gets his hands free.
Gunnarsson is punishing Smith with strikes - can he finish him?!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gunnarsson lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Gunnarsson's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Smith controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Gunnarsson lands shots from the back.
Gunnarsson trying to control momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Smith is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Markus Gunnarsson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gunnarsson has Smith flattened out and is raining down punches.
Gunnarsson lands a shot to the body.
Smith trying to control the position but Gunnarsson manages to sink in the hooks.
Smith controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Gunnarsson is working the ground and pound. Can Smith escape?
Smith has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Gunnarsson biding his time, controlling Smith .
Smith is trying to stand back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gunnarsson has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Smith .
Gunnarsson is working the ground and pound. Can Smith escape?
Gunnarsson lands shots from the back.
Smith just trying to survive but Gunnarsson is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Smith wants to escape the position.
Smith wants to get back to his feet.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Gunnarsson's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.

Gunnarsson has his opponent's back but Smith is looking to stand. He manages to get to his feet and shakes off Gunnarsson.

Gunnarsson scores with a takedown into Smith 's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gunnarsson trying to control the position from guard on top but Smith is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Smith trying to keep a closed guard but Gunnarsson is proving a slippery customer.
Smith is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Gunnarsson lands a couple of elbows.
Gunnarsson sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Smith 's guard.
Gunnarsson looks to land a strike but Smith avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Smith wants to stand up but Gunnarsson is controlling him.
Gunnarsson working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Gunnarsson stops Smith from standing up.
Smith not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Markus Gunnarsson dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Smith shoots in but Gunnarsson avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Smith with a lazy takedown attempt

and Gunnarsson counters by clinching up.
Smith wants to break the clinch but can't.
Gunnarsson drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Gunnarsson gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Smith regains guard.
Gunnarsson lands a couple of digs.
Smith throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Gunnarsson lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Smith pushes Gunnarsson off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Smith doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Gunnarsson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Markus Gunnarsson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chad Smith .
Smith is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gunnarsson stops Smith from standing up.
Gunnarsson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Smith swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith keeping moving, preventing Gunnarsson from controlling successfully.
Smith is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Smith working a defensive guard here.
Smith wants to get back to his feet but Gunnarsson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Gunnarsson closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Smith to the mat! Smith manages to get full guard.
Gunnarsson missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Gunnarsson scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Smith looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gunnarsson is one step ahead there.
Gunnarsson is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Markus Gunnarsson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith keeping moving, preventing Gunnarsson from controlling successfully.
Gunnarsson not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Smith wants to get back to his feet but Gunnarsson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Smith looking for a sweep. Not yet Smith , not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gunnarsson is controlling him.
Gunnarsson preventing the sweep.
Smith trying to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Gunnarsson moves into the clinch successfully.
Smith throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Gunnarsson blocks it with crossed arms.

Gunnarsson wants the takedown. Smith is fighting it off but Gunnarsson persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Smith 's guard against the cage.
Smith can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Gunnarsson controls the pace.
Gunnarsson's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Gunnarsson trying to control but Smith is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gunnarsson advances to half guard.
Smith looks like he's trying to stand up.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Gunnarsson in particular looking to stall.
Gunnarsson is trying to control. Smith wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Gunnarsson is looking to advance position but Smith won't allow it.
Smith is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Markus Gunnarsson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Gunnarsson 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Markus Gunnarsson!