PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hunter Akbar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gareth Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Smith's choice of entrance music: Kiss - Nowhere to run. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Akbar
vs
Smith

188 cm
22
199 lbs
9 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
199 lbs
10 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

STEEL PENN'S - STEEL TERROR: Video Proven 160Q
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hunter Akbar!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gareth Smith!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Akbar shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

It looks like Hunter Akbar has been cut.
Smith feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Akbar's calf.
Akbar slips a jab and a cross from Smith.
Akbar turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Smith throws a nice inside leg kick.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Smith goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Smith paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Akbar fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Smith manages to avoid it.
Akbar tries to clinch but Smith moves out of range.

Smith darts in and clinches Akbar up against the cage.
Akbar on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Smith gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Smith tries to stand but Akbar is controlling from the bottom.
Smith postures up.
Smith trying to control the position from guard on top but Akbar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith sitting in guard here, content to control.
Akbar is pulling down on Smith's head. It's preventing any offense from Smith, at least for the moment.

Gareth Smith has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Smith looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Smith got a little sloppy there for a moment and Akbar has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Smith has managed to get both his arms back between Akbar's legs - danger averted.

Akbar is looking for a triangle but Smith pushes his legs off easily.
Smith wanted to stand there but Akbar had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Akbar trying to control the position.
Akbar keeping moving, preventing Smith from controlling successfully.
Smith wants to stand but Akbar is controlling his posture from full guard.
Smith won't allow Akbar to sweep him here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Akbar is trying to control the position but Smith postures up.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Akbar misses with a leg kick
and Smith counters with a big head kick but Akbar shrugs it off.
Smith throws a right hand that Akbar ducks under and follows up with a left that Akbar also avoids with ease.

Smith takes the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Akbar pressing his opponent against the cage.
Akbar seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.

Smith has picked Akbar up - he's going for a ride! Smith dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Smith wants to stand but Akbar has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Akbar is positioning himself well to prevent Smith advancing to mount.
Akbar avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Smith.
Akbar is pressing down on Smith's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith trying to control but Akbar is working from the bottom.
Akbar looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Akbar working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Smith doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but Akbar is tightening it up a little... Smith has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Smith reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Smith taps out! Nice BJJ there by Akbar!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:33 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Hunter Akbar!
Hunter Akbar retains his middleweight title!
Post fight, an emotional Hunter Akbar said '10-0 baby. I'm the best there was and the best there ever will be. I'm not going to stop winning or improving. As Ali put it, "I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was." Thank you everybody. '.