PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Lance Waters (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bruce Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Waters
vs
Smith

182 cm
21
180 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

180 cm
21
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lance Waters!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Bruce Smith!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Tiny Johnson and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Waters tries to work over Smith's front leg with a kick but Smith checks it.
Waters throws a head kick but Smith moves out of range.
Waters takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Smith buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Smith connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Waters momentarily.
Smith moves in looking to clinch but Waters pushes him off.
Smith has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Waters is landing a low percentage of strikes.
A combination from Smith does no damage.
Waters swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Smith tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Bruce Smith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Smith keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Smith throws a body kick that misses.
Smith throws a head kick that misses.
Smith misses with a leg kick.

Smith instigates a clinch.
Waters stalling in the clinch.

Smith escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Smith throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Crunch! Smith slams his shin into Waters's torso.
Smith goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Waters takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

Smith takes the fight into the clinch.
Waters misses with a hook from the clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Waters.
Waters swings wildly with an uppercut but Smith uses good head movement to avoid it.
Waters is trying to push Smith away but Smith has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Waters just leaning against Smith, taking a breather.
Waters tries to break the clinch but Smith is controlling the position.
Waters stalling in the clinch but Smith improves position.
Smith slowing the pace effectively.
Smith lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Waters or not.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Waters avoiding damage.
The referee is keeping an eye on Smith - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Waters effectively controlling the action here.
Waters misses with a hook to the ribs.
A head punch on the inside from Waters fails to land.

Waters breaks the clinch.
Smith cracks Waters with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Waters swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Smith is looking to slow Waters down with leg kicks.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Waters blocks the body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith pushes Waters up against the cage in a clinch.
Waters pressing his opponent against the cage.
Waters misses with a punch on the inside.
Waters tries to stall but Smith uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Smith is trying to force a seperation but Waters has the dominant position.
Smith keeps control of Waters as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Smith keeps control of Waters as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Waters is trying to break free.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Waters creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Smith holding his opponent close, against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith taking a breather.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Smith as Waters tries to tie him up.

Waters breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Smith checks a low kick from Waters.
Smith blocks a low kick nicely.
Smith misses with a low kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Waters avoids a kick to the body.
Waters misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Waters lands a leg kick that knocks Smith off balance momentarily.

Smith forces Waters back against the cage and clinches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Bruce Smith will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Smith looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Nice body kick there by Smith.
Smith uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Waters.

Smith gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Smith stalls.
Waters tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Smith breaks the clinch.
Smith moves to clinch but Waters breaks away
and Waters counters with a nice uppercut.
Smith wants to clinch.
Smith throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Waters takes a jab right on the kisser.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith moves out of range as Waters strikes.
Smith lands a nice looking body kick.
Smith tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Waters counters with a low kick, right behind Smith 's knee.
Smith lets loose with a powerful body kick. Waters will feel that in the morning.
Smith scores with a nice head shot.
Smith tries to clinch up but Waters circles away and keeps his distance.
Smith throws a front kick that sends Waters stumbling back into the cage.
Waters blocks a head kick by Smith.
Smith throws a right and a left that Waters avoids nicely.
Smith does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Smith blocks a low kick nicely.
Smith blocks a leg kick.
Waters swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Smith thows a body kick. Waters tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Waters paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Smith feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Waters's calf.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Waters fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Smith.
An inside leg kick lands from Waters.

Waters gets tackled into the cage by Smith. Smith maintains the clinch.
Waters controlling the action here for a moment.
Waters throws a head punch that misses.
Waters misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Smith breaks from the clinch.
Bruce Smith seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Smith lands a front kick.
Waters blocks a head kick by Smith.
Smith looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Smith throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Waters throws a front kick aimed at Smith's knee but Smith avoids it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Smith looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Waters on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Waters will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
The referee calls for Smith to work.
Waters misses with a body punch.
Waters tries a body shot but Smith blocks it.
Smith lands a body punch.
Smith's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

Smith breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A slapping leg kick lands for Smith.
Smith tries to clinch up.
Smith shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Smith misses with a body kick.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Waters lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Smith has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Smith and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Smith is looking to clinch but Waters is avoiding it.
Smith throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Waters.
Smith goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Smith throws a series of strikes that have Waters backpedaling.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Waters scores with a sloppy right hand. Smith should have avoided that one.
Smith connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Waters momentarily.
A solid body kick from Smith.
Smith cracks Waters with an open hand slap.
Smith throws a head kick that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruce Smith showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Smith pushes Waters away with a front kick.
Smith throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
The fighters circling - Waters throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Waters tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch but Waters swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Waters tries to keep at a distance but Smith has taken the fight into the clinch.
Waters stalling.
Waters swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Waters looking to slow down the pace here.
Smith leaning his opponent against the cage.
Waters dodges an elbow strike from Smith.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Waters lands a left hand that snaps the head of Smith backwards.

Smith manages to break the clinch.
Smith misses with a leg kick.
Waters misses with a low kick.
Waters on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Smith. Smith obviously looking to wear him down.
Smith paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Smith throws a head kick that misses.
Smith connects with a leg kick. Waters looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Waters throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Waters fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Smith has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Smith moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Waters chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Smith fails in his attempt to clinch.
Lance Waters has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith throws a nice outside leg kick.
Waters misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Waters keeps the fight on the outside.
Smith avoids the head kick by Waters.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Smith shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Smith lands with a thumping leg kick.
A slow jab from Waters misses its intended target.
Smith throws a quick inside leg kick.
Smith lands with a nice combination. Waters backs away looking to recover.

Waters is rocked!
Smith feints with a left and delivers a massive head kick! Waters collapses like a ragdoll! Game over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:40 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Bruce Smith!