PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Paul Scholes (ranked 3844 p4p, 25623 weight class) and Devontae Smith (ranked 417 p4p, 535 weight class). Devontae Smith struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 187.7lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Scholes
vs
Smith

178 cm
23
185
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
23
195
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great elbows
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Very confident

BANZAI COMBAT NUTRITION

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Paul Scholes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Devontae Smith!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Yukihiro Shimada and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Scholes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
It looked like Scholes was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Smith.

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

Scholes explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!

Smith manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Scholes on his heels. He'll look to pass Scholes's guard now, I'm sure.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Smith throwing strikes but missing.
Smith working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Scholes knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Smith on the ground.
Scholes is trying to hold Smith in close to prevent damage but Smith has managed to pass into half guard.
Scholes keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Smith throwing shots but Scholes is blocking nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith throwing shots but Scholes is blocking nicely.
Smith missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Smith throwing shots but Scholes is blocking nicely.
Smith looks winded!
Scholes keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Scholes blocking the ground and pound attempt from Smith.
Scholes wants to control but Smith is keeping busy.
Smith lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Scholes keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Smith not landing any meaningful shots this time.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Smith tries to bum rush Scholes with a series of wild strikes but Scholes uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Smith throws a body punch but Scholes moves out of range.

Smith scores with a takedown into Scholes's guard.
Scholes wants to sweep here but Smith controlling him for the moment.
Smith throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Scholes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Scholes looking to hit a scissor sweep but Smith is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith wants to stand but Scholes is controlling his posture from full guard.
Smith stopping the sweep attempt from Scholes.
Smith wants to stand but Scholes has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Smith trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Scholes wants to sweep but no luck.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Smith is looking to land body kicks.
Scholes was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Smith displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Scholes avoids a kick to the body.

Smith scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
The strikes coming from Smith are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Smith tries to score with some ground and pound. Scholes controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Smith misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Scholes tries to buck Smith off but Smith is having none of it.
Scholes controls the position for a moment.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Devontae Smith dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Smith closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Smith displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Scholes throws out the jab.

Smith shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Scholes is trying to control but Smith passes into side control!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Smith is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Smith throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Devontae Smith has got the better of the ground game so far.
Scholes struggling a bit here.

Smith has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Smith closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Scholes on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Scholes tries to get out of the position.
Smith throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Smith throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Smith in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith lands a few punches from side control.
Smith has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Scholes avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Smith.
Scholes can't do much from the bottom here.
Scholes is trying to get back to half guard.
Smith throws an elbow but Scholes slips to the side and avoids it well.
Smith looks up at the clock and then as Scholes takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Smith smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Smith in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Scholes can't do much from the bottom here.
Scholes tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Smith presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Smith looking to ground and pound but Scholes is blocking nicely.
Poor strikes thrown by Smith there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Scholes taking shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Scholes because Smith loaded up on that one.
Smith punching from mount but Scholes doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Smith throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Scholes working to try and regain half guard.
Smith looking to finish with strikes here!
Smith thowing shots but they're missing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Smith looking to ground and pound but Scholes is blocking nicely.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Devontae Smith showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Smith throws a right hand that Scholes ducks under and follows up with a left that Scholes also avoids with ease.
Scholes is looking to counter punch.
Scholes slips a jab and a cross from Smith.
Smith misses with a jab, cross combination.
Scholes throwing a counter right hand but Smith manages to avoid it.
Smith throws a sloppy head kick and Scholes moves out of range easily.

Smith drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
The strikes coming from Smith are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Scholes tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Smith wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Smith misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Smith misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Smith misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Smith tries to stand but Scholes is controlling his head.
Smith tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Smith misses with the ground and pound.
Scholes managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Smith.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Smith shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Paul Scholes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Scholes's head.
Smith throwing shots but Scholes is blocking nicely.
Scholes blocking the ground and pound attempt from Smith.
Smith not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Smith not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Smith not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Scholes trying to control from the bottom.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith tries to clinch up.
Scholes avoids the head kick by Smith.
A little feinted left hand from Scholes on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.

Smith looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Smith has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Smith thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Smith seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Smith thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Scholes's head.
Scholes avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Smith.
Scholes keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Scholes keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Smith missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Smith closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Smith lands in his opponent's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Smith lands a couple of digs.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Smith throwing strikes from guard but Scholes blocks nicely.

Smith stands up from guard. Let's bang!

And that's the end of the fight!
Devontae Smith comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Smith has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 25:30
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 25:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 25:30

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