PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Christopher Durst (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Smackmy Bitshup (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Durst
vs
Bitshup

150 cm
18
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
23
144 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Christopher Durst!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Smackmy Bitshup!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Jeff Smith and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bitshup tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Durst swivels and escapes.
Durst could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Durst darts in and clinches Bitshup up against the cage.
Bitshup misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Durst.
Durst with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Bitshup gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Durst scores with a few weak punches.
Durst trying to control from the bottom.
Durst is refusing to be controlled, as Bitshup sits in half guard.
Bitshup wants to stand up but Durst has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Durst is staying active underneath Bitshup, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Durst trying to control but Bitshup postures up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Smackmy Bitshup was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Durst stuffs the takedown attempt from Bitshup. Bitshup gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bitshup tries a head kick but it misses.

Durst closes the distance and clinches.

Bitshup manages to break the clinch.
Durst tries to score a power double leg takedown but Bitshup sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Durst somewhat.
Durst fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Durst drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Durst looks up at the clock and then as Bitshup takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Durst smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

Durst has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Bitshup closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Durst is trying to pull guard but Bitshup has him pressed against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Christopher Durst. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Durst wants to break free but Bitshup has control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bitshup throws a knee to the head but misses.
Bitshup lands a knee to the head.

Bitshup escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Bitshup tries to close the distance and clinch but Durst swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Durst stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Durst wants it to stay on the feet.

Bitshup tries to keep at a distance but Durst has taken the fight into the clinch.
Durst goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Bitshup pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Bitshup instigates a clinch.
Durst managing to block the knees to the body from Bitshup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Durst is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Bitshup to keep the fight standing.

Durst successfully pulls guard.

Durst looking for a guillotine here but Bitshup defends easily.
Durst looking for a sweep. Not yet Durst, not yet.
Durst has his hands on Bitshup's head, controlling the position.

Bitshup stands up and waves to Durst to follow him.
Durst is breathing heavily.

Bitshup has closed the distance and engaged Durst in a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bitshup connects with a nasty looking knee right to Durst's face.
Durst tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Bitshup just stands there and leans against the cage.
Durst is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Durst takes an elbow to the temple.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Bitshup breaks from the clinch.
Durst slaps away a takedown attempt from Bitshup, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Bitshup lands with a slapping head kick.

Durst is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
No luck for Durst with that takedown attempt.
Bitshup shoots in for a takedown but Durst shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Bitshup misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Smackmy Bitshup will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Bitshup clinches.
Bitshup has Durst pressed against the cage, preventing Durst from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Durst takes a knee right on the jaw!

Bitshup escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Durst throws a low kick, looking for Bitshup's leg but Bitshup calmly moves out of range.
Bitshup changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Durst tries to avoid it but Bitshup manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Durst to the ground. Durst escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Bitshup lands a high kick!
Oh Durst is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Durst will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Durst stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Durst wants it to stay on the feet.
Bitshup tries to clinch up

and Durst counters by clinching up.
Bitshup creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Durst's defenses.
Durst seems to have got his legs back now.
Bitshup with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Bitshup is breathing heavily.
Durst tries to pull guard but Bitshup won't allow it.

Durst jumps guard and drags Bitshup to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Bitshup wants to pass the guard but Durst is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Durst looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Durst bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Bitshup's guard.
Bitshup tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bitshup looking to control.
Bitshup looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Christopher Durst overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Smackmy Bitshup has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Bitshup moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Durst's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bitshup wants to clinch up but Durst keeps it at a distance.
Bitshup wants to clinch.
Durst swats away the attempt to clinch by Bitshup.
Bitshup tries for a takedown but Durst circles away easily

and Durst moves into the clinch.
Christopher Durst has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Smackmy Bitshup.
Durst managing to block the knees to the body from Bitshup.
Bitshup using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Durst has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Durst trying to stall but Bitshup improves his position.
Bitshup tries a knee to the head but Durst blocks it.

Durst breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Bitshup slaps away a takedown attempt from Durst, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bitshup rushes Durst and presses him up against the cage.
Durst trying to control the position but instead, Bitshup has worked for underhooks and has pushed Durst into the cage.
Bitshup is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Bitshup is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Durst to keep the fight standing.
Durst has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Bitshup after a bit of a struggle.
Bitshup misses with a knee strike.
Bitshup trying to control the position but instead, Durst has worked for underhooks and has pushed Bitshup into the cage.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bitshup slows down the pace here.

Durst pulls guard successfully.
Durst controls Bitshup momentarily but Bitshup frees himself.
Bitshup trying to control the position from guard on top but Durst is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Durst uses the cage to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Smackmy Bitshup will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Durst bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Bitshup tries to escape but Durst is in control.
Durst trying to control the position but Bitshup is working away.
Durst tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Durst grinds an elbow into Bitshup's temple.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Durst trying to control the position but Bitshup is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Durst working the head and body with strikes.
Durst controlling the position from side mount.

Durst decides to stand back up. Durst steps back and let's Bitshup get back to his feet.
Bitshup throws a head kick that misses.
Smackmy Bitshup seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Bitshup looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bitshup is looking to clinch but Durst is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Durst fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Bitshup to the ground. Durst is now in Bitshup's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Durst working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Bitshup's head.
Bitshup is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Durst dives into side control.
Durst wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bitshup keeps working.
Bitshup is looking to get back to his feet here but Durst is keeping cool and he's managed to take Bitshup's back.

Durst working for the choke.
Bitshup really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Durst. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bitshup surviving as best he can, preventing damage.
Bitshup is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Durst's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Bitshup rolls, trying to escape but Durst keeps control of the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A lull in the action here.
Bitshup is really stuck here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Can Bitshup hold on?! Durst is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.
Christopher Durst has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Smackmy Bitshup is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Durst avoiding Bitshup 's attempts to control his hands.

And that's the end of the fight!
Christopher Durst showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Bitshup has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Smackmy Bitshup!