PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Yuuji Hoshino (ranked 4548 p4p, 4460 weight class) and Joel Smith (ranked 287 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.

Hoshino
vs
Smith

168 cm
25
140
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
25
143
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
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 The Island, Yuuji Hoshino!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Joel Smith!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Santiago Holmes and Bart Greer.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Jab, jab by Hoshino - just one landing.
Smith scores with a nice strike.
Hoshino thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Smith if he has to take too many more of those.
Smith swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Smith tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Hoshino moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Smith dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Hoshino lands with a nice body kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hoshino lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Jab, jab by Hoshino - just one landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Smith throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Yuuji Hoshino seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Smith showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hoshino.
A nice leg kick from Hoshino, right into the meat of the thigh.
Smith misses with a wild body shot.
It looked like Hoshino was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Smith listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Hoshino thuds his shin into the meat of Smith's side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hoshino throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Hoshino lands with an uppercut that bounces Smith off the cage and back into range.
Hoshino misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Smith.
Smith swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Hoshino lands a jab to the head.
Hoshino connects with a solid 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 sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Smith has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Hoshino.
Smith on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Smith looks to land a left hand but Hoshino moved out of range nicely.
Smith takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Hoshino lands with a thumping leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hoshino throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Smith's head.
Smith stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Smith moves into range and connects with a jab.
Smith throws a big shot that misses.
A little feinted left hand from Hoshino on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Hoshino tries to clinch but Smith moves out of range.
Smith loads up on a big right hand but Hoshino slips the punch.
Nice body kick from Hoshino.
Hoshino lands with a straight right. Smith didn't see that one coming.
Hoshino dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Smith. That did some damage!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hoshino cracks Smith with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Smith misses with a hook. Hoshino ducked under it nicely.
Hoshino moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Smith lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Smith dips to his left and cracks Hoshino with an uppercut!
Hoshino feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Smiths jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Smith walks forward, straight into a front kick from Hoshino.
A swing and a miss from Hoshino.
A big right from Hoshino misses.
Hoshino looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Yuuji Hoshino dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Hoshino misses with a series of wild punches.
A slapping body kick lands there for Hoshino.
Hoshino lands the left hand.
Smith on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Hoshino is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with each other but Smith might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Hoshino has got the better of the exchanges.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hoshino thumps Smith with a low kick.
Hoshino is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Smith can do to turn this around?
Smith throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Hoshino sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Hoshino went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Hoshino throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hoshino has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Hoshino there as he acknowledges the shot.
A nice leg kick from Hoshino, right into the meat of the thigh.
Smith throws a body punch but Hoshino moves out of range.
Smith swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Hoshino.
Hoshino fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Smith looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Hoshino throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
A left and a right from Hoshino both land. Nice combination.
Hoshino scores with a punch to the head.
Smith stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Hoshino.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A shot to the liver by Smith. Beautiful body shot.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hoshino moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Hoshino. Smith shrugs it off though.
Smith scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Smith moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Hoshino buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Hoshino feints and then cracks Smith's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Smith down.
Smith cracks Hoshino with a good jab.
Smith avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Smith misses the jab.
Hoshino seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hoshino connects with a single shot there.
Smith's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Hoshino with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Hoshino throws a right hand that Smith ducks under and follows up with a left that Smith also avoids with ease.
No joy there for Hoshino, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
No joy there for Smith, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Smith throws a jab but it's blocked by Hoshino.
Smith stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Hoshino.
Yuuji Hoshino is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hoshino connects with a crisp jab.
Hoshino lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hoshino lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Smith circles away quickly and effectively.
Hoshino connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Hoshino - that will leave a mark!
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!
Hoshino connects with a nice looking jab.
Hoshino fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Smith.
Smith throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hoshino throws a one two combo.
Hoshino misses with a series of wild punches.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Yuuji Hoshino dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Hoshino lands a jab to the nose.
Smith slips a jab and a cross from Hoshino.
Smith throws out a counter right but Hoshino avoids it with no problem.
Hoshino walks into a straight right hand from Smith.
Hoshino throws a right and a left that both miss.
Smith throws out a counter right but Hoshino avoids it with no problem.
Hoshino misses with a combination
and Smith cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hoshino tries to bum rush Smith with a series of wild strikes but Smith uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
The fighters circling - Hoshino throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Smith! But no joy.
Smith misses with a hook
and Hoshino counters with a three punch combo that has Smith backing up. Smith nods at Hoshino to acknowledge the strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A jab from Smith misses.
Hoshino uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Smith.
Hoshino is looking to land body kicks.
Smith looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Hoshino fails to land with a series of punches.
Smith looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Hoshino uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Smith.
Smith lands with a shot to the body.
Smith uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Hoshino has time to react.
Smith darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Hoshino bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith throws a lazy uppercut
and Hoshino counters with a nice uppercut.
Hoshino throws a front kick that sends Smith stumbling back into the cage.
A lazy left from Smith finds it's target.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Smith on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Hoshino. Hoshino obviously looking to wear him down.
Smith steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hoshino.
Hoshino thumps Smith with a low kick.
No joy there for Hoshino, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Smith looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Hoshino misses with a wild combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith misses with an uppercut. Hoshino saw that one coming.
A nice inside leg kick there by Hoshino. That's going to slow Smith down.
Hoshino works the jab nicely.
Smith misses with a left hand
and Hoshino counters with a body kick that stops Smith in his tracks momentarily.
Hoshino looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hoshino throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Hoshino lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Hoshino connects with a nice looking jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hoshino uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Smith.
Hoshino thinks about countering with a body kick.
Smith avoids the body shot from Hoshino.
Hoshino throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
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!
Hoshino misses with the combination.
Hoshino walks into a stiff left hand from Smith.
Hoshino steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Smith.
Joel Smith has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yuuji Hoshino is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A nice leg kick from Hoshino, right into the meat of the thigh.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yuuji Hoshino showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Hoshino 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Santiago Holmes scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yuuji Hoshino!