PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Aj Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Austin Worner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Smith
vs
Worner

188 cm
32
145 lbs
17 - 16 - 1

170 cm
30
146 lbs
18 - 19 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

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 17 - 16 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Aj Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Austin Worner!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Tiny Johnson and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Worner drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Worner shoots and misses
and Smith counters with a straight right hand.
Worner tries for a takedown but Smith circles away easily

and Smith counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Worner!
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Smith moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
You can see the frustration on Worner's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Smith has knee on belly momentarily but Worner bucks him off and regains half guard.
Smith moves nicely into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Worner being controlled for a moment.
Smith sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Worner is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Smith working away.
Smith is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Smith working the ground and pound but Worner is defending the strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

Aj Smith has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Worner misses with a takedown

and Smith counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Smith.
Aj Smith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Austin Worner.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Smith pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Worner is keeping the position for now.
Smith controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Aj Smith.
Smith lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

Smith looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Smith postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Smith is stalling in the full guard.
Smith has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Smith lands a couple of decent looking shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aj Smith dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Smith looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Smith is taking a breather. Worner says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Smith's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Aj Smith wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Smith throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Worner tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Smith is in Worner's guard.
Smith throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Worner utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Worner really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Smith. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Smith throws a big right hand that misses.
Smith slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Smith is working Worner over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Smith looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

We're going to have a standup here because Aj Smith wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Smith connects with the punch.
Smith really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Worner enables Smith to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Worner manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Smith is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Worner can do to turn this around?
Worner can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Smith controls the pace.
Smith wants to pass the guard but Worner is keeping the position.
Smith will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Smith is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
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!

The ref stands the fighters back up because Aj Smith just wasn't active enough.
Worner fails with the takedown

and Smith counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Smith working over Worner with some ground and pound. Worner looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Worner blocking the ground and pound attempt from Smith.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Smith connects with a nice short shot to Worner's temple.
Smith throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Smith not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Smith connects with a nice short shot to Worner's temple.
Smith performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Smith wants to free his trapped foot but Worner is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith is taking a breather. Worner says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Aj Smith overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Smith not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Smith is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Worner defends it well.
Smith looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Worner with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Smith is figuring out what he wants to do next.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Worner trying to control but Smith postures up.
Still in half guard, Smith seems content to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aj Smith dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Nice cross by Smith.
Worner shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Smith counters with a nice uppercut.
Austin Worner is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Smith closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Worner quickly recovers to half guard.
Smith content to control rather than advance.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Aj Smith just wasn't active enough.
A cross from Smith lands.
Smith cracks Worner with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

Smith closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Worner quickly recovers to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith working over Worner with some ground and pound. Worner looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Smith not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Smith landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Smith throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Smith missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Smith throwing shots but Worner is blocking nicely.
Smith works his foot free and advances to mount.
Smith looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Smith landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith controlling his opponent.
Smith in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Smith putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Smith has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Worner's face.
Smith controlling from the full mount.
Smith lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Smith controlling the position easily from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Worner?
Smith controlling the position easily from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Smith with good strikes from the mount here!
Smith landing shots from mount.
Smith content just to control the position here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Austin Worner has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Smith seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Worner for as long as he can get away with.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aj Smith showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Smith 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:25
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:25
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:25

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