PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Johnny Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and CJ Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Smith comes to the cage accompanied by Smoke the Fire. Johnny Smith has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Smith
vs
Penn

183 cm
19
156 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

182 cm
18
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Johnny Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, CJ Penn!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Shigeki Sano and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Smith clinches up against the cage.

Smith lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Smith looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Smith is looking to advance position but Penn won't allow it.
Smith controlling the action here.
Smith thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Penn's head.
Smith not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Smith looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Penn with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Smith scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Penn looks like he's trying to stand up.
Penn is refusing to be controlled, as Smith sits in half guard.
Smith thows a huge punch but Penn dodges it nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn trying to control here.
Penn looks like he's trying to stand up.
Smith working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Penn's thigh. Penn counters though and makes it back to full guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Smith accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Smith controlling from the top position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Penn throws a leg kick that misses.
Penn ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Penn closes the distance and clinches up with Smith, looking for a takedown. Penn pushes Smith against the cage but Smith circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Penn tries to clinch but Smith moves away

and Smith counters with a single leg into guard. Penn didn't expect that.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith trying to control the position from guard on top but Penn is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Penn is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Smith is controlling him.
Penn is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Smith slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Smith working some strikes from top position.
Smith content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Smith throws a strike but Penn rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Smith managing to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith kicks Penn off and gets to his feet.
Penn has his takedown stuffed

and Smith counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Smith is breathing heavily.
Smith is looking to advance position but Penn won't allow it.
Smith thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Penn's head.
Penn is not content to let Smith control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penn is looking for a sweep. Smith is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Smith scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Smith sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Smith working the head and body with strikes.
Penn trying to control but Smith postures up.
Smith looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Smith throwing shots but Penn is blocking nicely.
Smith landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Smith is pressing down on Penn's thigh, looking to free his foot. Penn is holding on for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johnny Smith dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Penn doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Smith counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Penn thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Penn is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Penn has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Smith works to full guard.
Penn trying to control the position from guard on top but Smith is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Smith manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Penn manages to get himself to full guard.
Smith has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Penn looking for a sweep. Not yet Penn, not yet.

Penn is working an open guard so Smith takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Smith misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Penn misses with a takedown attempt

and Smith decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Penn's guard.
Johnny Smith overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Penn is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Smith is controlling him.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Smith missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Penn is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Smith defends well.
Penn looking for a sweep. Not yet Penn, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Penn on the ground.

Smith gets to his feet - Penn follows without any prompting.
Penn misses with a takedown

and Smith counters with a nice double leg into side control. Penn won't be happy with that.
Johnny Smith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of CJ Penn.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
You can see the frustration on Penn's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Smith working the body and head with strikes.
Smith working the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn sneaks back into half guard.
Smith thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Penn's head.
Penn wants to improve his position but Smith is controlling well.
Smith works his way into side control.
Penn gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Smith performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Smith looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith trying to pass the guard but Penn defending well.
Smith is keen to just control but Penn is a slippery customer.
Smith thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Penn to regain full guard.
Smith is looking to advance position but Penn has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Smith in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Penn can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Smith is looking to escape.
Smith tries to buck Penn off but he can't manage it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johnny Smith dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Penn pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Penn with a poor takedown

and Smith counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Smith.
Smith stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Penn swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Smith is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Smith wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.
Penn looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Smith is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Penn has momentary wrist control but Smith slips an elbow through the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Smith shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Smith pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Penn is keeping the position for now.
Smith is working Penn over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Penn wants to get back to his feet but Smith is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Smith throws a big right hand that misses.
Smith wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Smith accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Smith keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Penn's head.
Penn wants to stand but Smith is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Smith is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Penn's half guard.

Smith is looking for a kimura but Penn is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Smith to get the leverage.
Smith keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Penn keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Still in half guard, Smith seems content to control.
Penn striking from half guard on the bottom.
Penn is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Penn is looking to escape.
Smith winds up and cracks Penn with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn trying to control but Smith postures up.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Penn slips a jab from Smith.
Penn misses with a two punch combination.

Smith changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Penn looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Smith lands a decent elbow from side control.

Smith thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Smith sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Penn is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Smith scores with punches from side control.
Penn wants to control but Smith postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penn manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

Smith has one foot on Penn's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Penn is looking to clinch but Smith is avoiding it.

Smith shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Penn manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Smith lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Smith trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Smith thows a big elbow that misses.
Smith stops Penn from standing up.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Smith wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
Johnny 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Johnny Smith!