PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between David Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Richards (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Smith
vs
Richards

200 cm
23
240 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

190 cm
21
245 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, David Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Mike Richards!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Gregory Folan and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith misses with a wild combination.
Richards slips a jab and a cross from Smith.

Richards gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Smith breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Some wild striking there from Smith.
David Smith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Richards pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Smith rushes Richards and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Smith escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Richards scores a takedown into full mount!
Richards is landing with some decent strikes but Smith is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Richards lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Smith hang on?
Poor strikes thrown by Richards there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Smith is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith working to try and regain half guard.
Smith is trying to stand.
Smith working to try and regain half guard.
Richards tries to control but Smith wriggling away.
Richards has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Smith working to try and regain half guard.

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.

Richards stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.

Smith has taken the fight to the clinch.

Smith escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Smith swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Smith swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Smith thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Richards if he has to take too many more of those.
Smith throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Richards.
Richards avoids the head kick by Smith.
Smith is looking to clinch but Richards is avoiding it.
A punch combination from Smith misses.
Richards slips a jab and a cross from Smith.
Richards should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Horrible takedown by Richards or perhaps it was just good defense by Smith which made him look bad.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith misses with a double jab.
Smith will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
No joy there for Smith, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Smith tries to bum rush Richards with a series of wild strikes but Richards uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Smith tries for a takedown but Richards sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Richards dodges the punch combination from Smith.
Richards tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Smith counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Smith looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Smith throws a head kick but Richards moves out of range.
Smith stalks Richards and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Richards's face. Richards staggers backwards, shaken.
Richards slips a jab and a cross from Smith.
Smith tries to clinch but Richards is having none of it.
Smith will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
A head kick by Richards misses

and Smith counters with a single leg into guard. Richards didn't expect that.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Richards is on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richards stops Smith from standing up.
Richards is standing up over Smith. Smith looks to escape but Richards dives into side control.
Richards is trying to move to mount but Smith reverses beautifully and ends up in Richards's guard.
Smith tries to stand but Richards is controlling from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that David Smith will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Richards shoots in for a double leg but Smith sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Smith plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Smith throws a right and a left that both miss.
Richards takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Smith misses with a two punch combination.
Smith scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Smith throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Smith tries to bum rush Richards with a series of wild strikes but Richards uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Smith scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Richards desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Richards tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Richards slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Smith avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Richards looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Smith puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Smith tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Richards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Richards manages to get to full guard.
Richards looking for a sweep. Not yet Richards, not yet.

Smith decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Smith closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Smith lands a left hand that snaps the head of Richards backwards.
Smith fails to pull guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith manages to break the clinch.
Smith throws a series of strikes that have Richards backpedaling.
Smith avoids a punch combination nicely.
Richards is breathing heavily.
Smith throws a head kick that misses.
Richards shoots for a takedown but Smith saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch but Richards swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Smith throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Smith tests Richards's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Smith throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Richards counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Smith pushes Richards off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Smith throws a half hearted mid kick.
Smith has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Richards.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Smith has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Smith tries to clinch up.
Smith throws a series of punches but Richards avoids them all with ease.
Smith scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Smith swinging wilding here.
Richards swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Smith counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Richards's guard now.
Richards wants to control but Smith passes easily into half guard.
Richards is looking to control Smith's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Richards avoid being mounted?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

No luck for Richards with that takedown attempt.
Smith displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Richards gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
enabling Smith to counter with a crisp jab.
Smith tries a head kick but it misses.
Richards has his takedown stuffed
and Smith counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Richards is lucky that one didn't land flush.
David Smith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Richards.
Smith throws a right and a left that Richards avoids nicely.
Richards tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Smith counters with a left and a right that stings Richards.
Richards takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Smith uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
No luck for Smith with that takedown attempt.
David Smith is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Smith scores with a punch to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith throws a one two combo.
Richards dodges the punch combination from Smith.
Smith throws a right and a left that both miss.
Smith fails with an attempt to clinch.
Smith swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Richards counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Smith has one foot on Richards's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

Smith moves into the clinch successfully.
Smith holding his opponent close, against the cage.
A short right from Smith.

Smith breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Smith throws a series of punches but Richards avoids them all with ease.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Smith manages to break the clinch.
Smith rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Richards moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Smith misses with a wild combination.
Richards with a poor takedown

and Smith counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Richards's guard now.
Smith has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Smith trying to control but Richards is working from the bottom.
Smith lands a couple of elbows.
Richards looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Smith is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Smith lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Smith will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Smith fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Richards wants to clinch but Smith slips to the side
and Smith counters with a series of strikes. Richards will be more careful next time no doubt.
Smith throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Smith lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Smith will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Smith closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Richards stuffs the takedown.

Richards feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Smith trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richards tries to free his leg and advance position but Smith is retaining full guard.
David Smith overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Smith is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Richards dives into side control.
Richards working the head and body with strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Richards fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Mike Richards has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Richards works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
David 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 30:27

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