PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jason Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jason Taylor (ranked 0 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.

Smith
vs
Taylor

190 cm
22
203 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
21
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jason Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jason Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taylor misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
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 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 pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Taylor is keeping the position for now.
Smith has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Smith looking to sit in guard and control but Taylor gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Taylor is stalling in the full guard.
Smith knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Taylor on the ground.
Smith looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith is working hard here to advance position.
Taylor wants to control from the top but Smith keeps moving.
Smith looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Smith wants to stand and escape but Taylor is having none of it.

Jason Taylor has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Smith keeps the fight on the outside.
Taylor shoots in looking for a takedown. Smith tries to sprawl out of it but Taylor keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Smith manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Taylor shoots in but Smith avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Jason Smith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jason Taylor.

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.
Taylor turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
A punch combination from Smith misses.

Smith fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Taylor sprawls well initially but Smith persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Smith prevents Taylor from standing back up.
Smith blocks the strikes from Taylor.
Smith looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Smith is breathing heavily.
Taylor is trying to stand.

Smith stands up and beckons Taylor to join him on the feet.
Smith moves in looking to clinch but Taylor pushes him off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith has taken the fight to the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Smith's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Smith has had enough of the clinch but Taylor keeps him there for the moment.
Taylor tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Taylor tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Smith just stands there and leans against the cage.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Taylor takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

Taylor has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Smith uses from the top position.
Taylor pulls Smith in close to prevent any damage.
Smith stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Taylor swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Taylor wants to stand and escape but Smith is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor keeping moving, preventing Smith from controlling successfully.
Smith works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Well, if Smith is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
The fighters are battling for position here. Taylor manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Smith with a nice head shot there.
Smith stopping the sweep attempt from Taylor.
Taylor keeping full guard, as Smith tries to pass.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jason Smith dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Smith has taken the fight to the clinch.
Smith tries to break the clinch but Taylor is controlling the position.
Taylor tries to break the clinch but Smith is controlling the position.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Smith breaks the clinch.
Smith misses with a body kick.
Smith shoots in looking for a takedown. Taylor tries to sprawl out of it but Smith keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Taylor manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Taylor fakes the leg kick and cracks Smith in the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Smith throws a combination that misses

and Taylor counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Smith!

Taylor has control of Smith's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Smith regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Taylor trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Smith's face.
Smith tries to hold on but Taylor pushes him away.
Taylor connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Taylor wants to control the pace but Smith is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Taylor takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Smith is squirming around, avoiding Taylor's attempts to control the action.
Taylor controlling the pace for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Smith on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Smith tries to get out of the position.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Jason Taylor hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Taylor tries to clinch there but Smith circles away.

Smith scores a takedown into full mount!
Jason Smith overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Taylor tries to reverse the position but Smith maintains control.
Taylor gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor is looking to escape.
Taylor trying to hold on to Smith's head to control him but Smith postures up.
Smith lands strikes from half guard.
Taylor trying to control from the bottom.
Taylor trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Smith manages to pass to mount!
Smith sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Smith with good strikes from the mount here!
Smith punishing his opponent with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jason Taylor showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Smith closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Taylor keeps control of Smith as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Taylor is looking to control Smith's arms but Smith gets an underhook and turns him. Now Taylor has his back to the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Smith's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Taylor is trying to drag Smith to the mat but Smith just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Smith breaks from the clinch.

Smith shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Smith showed some decent athleticism there.
Smith tries to pass to full mount but Taylor defends it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Smith in particular looking to stall.
Taylor is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Smith scores with a couple of nice shots.
Well, if Smith is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Smith wants to pass to mount but Taylor is defending the position.
Taylor is trying to get back to full guard.
Taylor is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Smith stops Taylor from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Smith looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Jason Smith just wasn't active enough.
Taylor misses with a head kick.
Taylor slips a jab and a cross from Smith.

Taylor has closed the distance and engaged Smith in a clinch.

Smith's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Smith throws a left and a right that both miss

and Taylor moves into the clinch.
Smith tries to circle away but Taylor has him pinned against the cage.

Smith pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Smith drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Taylor is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Smith trying to control the position from guard on top but Taylor is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Smith!
Smith tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Smith is squirming around, avoiding Taylor's attempts to control the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Smith wants to hold on but Taylor pushes him away.
Taylor looking to control but Smith is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Smith tries to hold on but Taylor postures up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jason Smith showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Smith has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 29:28

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