PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dante Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Staal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Staal has chosen We built this city as his entrance music. This should be a great matchup!

Smith
vs
Staal

193 cm
36
260 lbs
20 - 14 - 0

195 cm
34
230 lbs
36 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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Bad Man Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 14 - 0, fighting out of London, Dante Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 36 - 13 - 0, fighting out of New York, John Staal!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Smith pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Some bone on bone action there as Staal checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Smith throws a hook but Staal avoids it easily.

Staal rushes Smith and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Staal landing knees to the body.
Smith tries to throw a body punch but Staal avoids it by throwing Smith back against the cage.
Smith stalling against the cage.
Staal slowing the pace effectively.
Smith tries to break the clinch but Staal is controlling the position.
Staal struggles to land a body shot inside as Smith controls his hands.
Staal swings wildly with an uppercut but Smith uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Staal is stalling here.
Smith stalling in the clinch but Staal improves position.
A bit of stalling here from Staal.
Smith wants to stall.
Smith being controlled against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by John Staal.
Staal misses with a low kick.
Smith avoids a low kick by using good footwork.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Staal pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
A good leg kick by Smith.
Smith misses with the combination.
Staal has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Smith looks to land a combination but Staal avoids it well.
Smith misses with a series of wild punches.
Staal moves in looking to clinch but Smith pushes him off.
Smith seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Smith on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Staal attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Smith swings for the body but Staal moves out of range.
Smith throws a sloppy head kick and Staal moves out of range easily.
Smith looks for the body kick but Staal saw that one coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Staal misses with a looping left.
Smith tries to land a leg kick but Staal saw it coming and moves away.
Smith throws the left hand but Staal avoids the punch easily.
Staal tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Smith was well out of range. Poor timing from Staal.
Staal is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Staal misses with the combination.
Staal thows a left - swing and a miss!
Smith has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Staal finds it's way round the side to connect with Smith's head.
Smith takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
A nice leg kick lands there from Staal.
Dante Smith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Staal slips a jab and a cross from Smith.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith is looking to land body kicks.
Staal takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
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 moves out of range of the body kick from Staal.
Staal cracks a nice hook into Smith's ribs.
Smith moves out of range of the strikes.
Staal lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

It looks like Dante Smith has been cut.
Staal lands a head shot.
Smith swinging wildly here.
Staal tries to clinch up.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Smith fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Staal manages to avoid it.
Staal showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Smith.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Staal dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Dante Smith's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Donk. Staal catches Smith right on the button with a cross.
A solid body kick from Smith.
Staal jabbing away but nothing is landing.
John Staal seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Staal throws a nice outside leg kick.
Smith chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Staal can pounce on him.
Staal misses with a body kick.
Staal takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Staal.
Staal misses the shot to the body.
Smith swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Smith misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Staal jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith throws a sloppy body shot

and Staal counters by moving into the clinch.
Staal unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Staal tries to land a knee to the head but Smith blocks with his arms.
Staal slowing the pace effectively.
Staal tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Staal stalling against the cage.
Smith is looking to break free of the clinch but Staal has double underhooks.
Staal will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Smith up against the cage.
Staal letting Smith take a breather here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Staal just leaning against Smith, taking a breather.

Smith manages to break the clinch.
A good leg kick by Staal.
Smith misses with the combination.
Smith tries a low kick but Staal avoids it.
Staal fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Smith manages to avoid it.
Staal scores with a hook.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Staal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Staal. Staal obviously looking to wear him down.
Staal will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Staal with a nice cross.
Smith avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Smith thows a left - swing and a miss!
Smith looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Smith misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Staal.
Staal scores with a spinning back kick!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Staal lands a nice leg kick that just misses Smith's sensitive parts.
Smith misses with a double jab.
Staal punishes Smith's body with a nice straight punch.
Staal lands with an uppercut that bounces Smith off the cage and back into range.

Dante Smith's cut is getting worse.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Staal punishes Smith's body with a nice straight punch.
Smith tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Staal moves into range and connects with a jab.
Staal tries to close the distance and clinch up but Smith swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Staal rushes Smith and presses him up against the cage.
Staal works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Staal presses Smith against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Staal unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Staal will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Smith up against the cage.
Smith is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Staal showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Dante Smith's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Smith rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Staal moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Staal pivots, looking for a leg kick but Smith is out of range and Staal settles back down.
Smith fails to land with a series of punches.
Staal scores with a jab to the head.
Smith connects with a solid leg kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Smith, right into the meat.
Smith tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Staal was well out of range. Poor timing from Smith.
Staal defending well as Smith loads up on a big left hand.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Smith checks a leg kick.
Smith tries a head kick but it misses.
No joy there for Staal, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Staal fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Smith manages to avoid it.
Staal throws a body punch but Smith moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith throws a leg kick but Staal sees it coming and moves out of range.
A solid leg kick lands there for Staal.
Smith throws a right and a left that both miss.
Staal steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Smith. That one must have hurt.
Dante Smith is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Staal stuns Smith with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Smith throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Staal jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
That kick from Staal tenderised Smith's leg. Smith is trying to keep his angry face on.
Smith connects with a body shot that sends Staal's belly button to the back.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Staal turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
A nice leg kick lands there from Staal.
Staal has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Staal closes the distance and lands a one-two.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Staal. Staal obviously looking to wear him down.
Smith takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Staal jabs Smith to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Staal lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Staal cracks a nice hook into Smith's ribs.

Staal clinches.
John Staal seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Staal has Smith pressed against the cage.
Staal working Smith over with knees to the body.
Staal pressing his opponent against the cage.
Staal presses Smith against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Staal misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Smith tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Staal's elbow.
Staal missing with knees to the body.
Smith swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Staal is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Smith is defending well for now.
Staal misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Smith.
Staal lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Dante Smith's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Dante Smith's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). John Staal!
During a confident post fight interview, John Staal thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.