PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Corwin Anstey (ranked 1784 p4p, 3248 weight class) and Rob Smith (ranked 242 p4p, 405 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Anstey
vs
Smith

183 cm
23
197
11 - 5 - 0

185 cm
21
220
3 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
KO power

Good wrestler
Good kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Corwin Anstey!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rob Smith!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Yves DeLean and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Anstey looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Smith is fending him off so far but Anstey persists. Nope, Smith circles away and we're back to standing.
Anstey fails to land the takedown.
Anstey looks to score with a jab to the body but Smith is just out of range.
Smith misses with a takedown attempt - Anstey sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Anstey seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Anstey scores with a punch to the head.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Smith has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Smith tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Anstey defends well and Smith ends up having to push Anstey into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Smith throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Anstey ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Smith lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Anstey at a distance.
Smith avoids a punch combination nicely.
Anstey throws a body shot but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Smith fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Anstey, pushing him back against the cage.

Smith has hold of one of Anstey's legs. Anstey is fighting the takedown attempt but Smith gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Anstey utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Smith won't allow Anstey to get back to his feet.
Anstey looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Smith with a nice head shot there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Smith trying to control but Anstey is working from the bottom.
Smith is fighting to break Anstey's control of his arms but Anstey is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith postures up in Anstey's guard and throws a big left but Anstey blocks it.
Anstey is pulling down on Smith's head to control his posture.
Smith throwing strikes from guard but Anstey blocks nicely.
Smith postures up in Anstey's guard and throws a big left but Anstey blocks it.
Smith wants to control from the top but Anstey keeps moving.
Anstey looking to hit a scissor sweep but Smith is one step ahead there.
Smith throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anstey has control of Smith's left arm, preventing Smith from doing any damage.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Anstey with a poor takedown
and Smith counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Corwin Anstey. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch up but Anstey swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Smith rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Anstey counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Smith throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Smith trying to control the position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Smith keeping moving, preventing Anstey from controlling successfully.
Smith wants to sweep here but Anstey controlling him for the moment.
Smith punching from the bottom.
Anstey with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith lands a decent shot there.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Smith can do anything to dispel that myth.
Anstey trying to control but Smith is working from the bottom.
Smith throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Smith holds on and takes a little breather.
Smith is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Smith avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Smith throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Smith throws a body shot but no joy.
Anstey appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Smith takes a swing at Anstey's ribcage but misses.
Smith looks to score with a jab to the body but Anstey is just out of range.
Anstey keeps the fight on the outside.
Anstey seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Smith is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Anstey rather than just go for the knockout.
Smith throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Anstey feinted with a counter takedown.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rob Smith will probably get the nod.
That's time! Anstey's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Anstey tries to keep at a distance but Smith has taken the fight into the clinch.
Smith misses with a hook to the ribs.
Smith is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Anstey is defending well.

Smith is fighting off a takedown attempt but Anstey is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Smith to the mat. Smith regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Smith lands some strikes from the bottom.
Anstey in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Anstey sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Smith thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith trying to control the position.
Anstey stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Smith swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Anstey trying to control the position from guard on top but Smith is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Anstey wants to control from the top but Smith keeps moving.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Anstey moves away from the strike by Smith.
Smith throws a big shot that misses.
Smith avoids a punch combination nicely.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch but Anstey swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Anstey dives in for a single leg takedown but Smith sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Smith pushes Anstey back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith lands a left hand.
Anstey wants a takedown.

Smith is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Anstey can't fight it off and eventually Smith manages to take the fight to the floor. Anstey looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Anstey tries to strike from the bottom.
Smith is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Smith is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Anstey is on top in guard.

Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Smith manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Anstey manages to get himself to full guard.

Smith won't allow Anstey to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Smith landing some decent shots from guard.
Anstey is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Anstey is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Smith lands a couple of sideways elbows.
Smith misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Anstey takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Smith has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Anstey is working away from the top position though.
Smith won't allow Anstey to pass to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Anstey lands strikes from half guard.
Smith has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Anstey is working away from the top position though.
Anstey content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Anstey working Smith over with strikes.
Smith tries to get to full guard but Anstey has control of the leg.
Anstey is thwarting Smith's attempts to control the position.
Anstey thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Smith's head.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Smith trying to control here.
Anstey lands with a punch from half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Corwin Anstey will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Anstey fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Smith moves into the clinch.

Smith has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Anstey regains guard immediately.
Anstey trying to control the position here.
Smith throwing strikes but missing.
Anstey trying to keep a closed guard but Smith is proving a slippery customer.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Smith with a flurry of punches that miss.
Anstey preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith preventing the sweep.
Smith keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Anstey's head.

It looks like Corwin Anstey has been cut.
Corwin Anstey overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Smith throws a big right hand that misses.
Smith won't allow Anstey to get back to his feet.
Smith loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Smith chips away with some ground and pound.

Anstey is rocked!
Smith slips nicely into half guard.
Oh Anstey is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Smith is sitting in half guard. He's postured up and lands a nice elbow. Oh, Anstey is hurt! He's hurt bad - Smith fires away with more strikes and the referee jumps in to save Anstey from any more punishment! Congratulations to Smith! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:51 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Rob Smith!
Rob Smith is the new light heavyweight champion!