PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jarred Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Travis Wickline (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Travis Wickline acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Smith
vs
Wickline

192 cm
19
205 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

188 cm
23
211 lbs
6 - 9 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Good elbows
Powerful

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jarred Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Travis Wickline!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Arvi Lind and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wickline moves in looking to clinch but Smith pushes him off.
Wickline looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Smith is fending him off so far but Wickline persists. Nope, Smith circles away and we're back to standing.

Smith drives through and clinches with Wickline against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Wickline fails to land.
Wickline looking to stall.

Wickline lands a takedown into guard.

Smith pushes Wickline off and scrambles back to his feet.

Smith moves into the clinch.
Smith drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Wickline gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Smith is pressed up against the cage. Wickline has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Smith down to the mat. Smith avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Wickline fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Jarred Smith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Travis Wickline.

Wickline gets a takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Smith pushes Wickline off and gets back to his feet.

Smith scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Smith controlling from side mount.
Wickline looks to move to half guard but instead Smith has passed into mount! Damn!
Smith tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Smith seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Wickline for as long as he can get away with.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith'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.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Wickline can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Jarred Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Smith feints and as Wickline raises his hands in defense, Smith changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Smith forces his way into half guard.
Wickline trying to control here.
Wickline looks gassed!
Smith uses his free foot to push down on Wickline's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Wickline.
Smith looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wickline is in all sorts of trouble here.
Smith controlling the position easily from mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jarred 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.

Smith shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Jarred Smith.

Wickline gets caught flat footed, as Smith shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Smith sitting in guard here, content to control.
Wickline is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Smith slips nicely into half guard.
Smith perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith passes the guard and advances to mount!
Smith sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Wickline is breathing heavily.
Wickline takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Smith controlling his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Smith is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Wickline can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Smith controlling the position easily from mount.
Jarred Smith overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Smith connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Smith is landing with some decent strikes but Wickline is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Smith tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Jarred Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Wickline gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Smith to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Smith seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Wickline thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Smith controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wickline throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Smith controls from within his opponent's guard.
Smith passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Smith controls the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Jarred Smith.

Smith darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Well, if Smith is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jarred Smith dominated that second round.
That's time! Smith's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Smith.

Smith shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Smith passes the guard and advances to mount!
Smith controlling the pace for now.
The referee warns Wickline that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Wickline takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Smith putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Smith looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Smith has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Jarred Smith just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Smith tests Wickline's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Wickline with a poor takedown

and Smith counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Smith slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wickline is trying to keep Smith in close.
Smith controls from within his opponent's guard.
Smith with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Smith pushing down on Wickline's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Smith trying to control the pace.
Wickline wants to sweep but Smith has passed to side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith cracks Wickline with a big right hand but Wickline just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
A lull in the action here.

Smith decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Smith moves into the clinch successfully.

Smith is trying to trip Wickline. He has hold of a leg but Wickline is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Smith persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Smith is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jarred Smith showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Smith 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight for Jarred Smith!
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight for Jarred Smith!
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight for Jarred Smith!

Jarred Smith wins by unanimous decision!