PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Liam Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marc Gitarre (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Liam Smith had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Smith
vs
Gitarre

175 cm
22
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

182 cm
22
178 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Liam Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Marc Gitarre!
The judges for this bout are , Jack Bonds and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gitarre blocks a head kick by Smith.

Gitarre closes the distance and clinches.
Smith is trying to break free.
Smith tries to break the clinch but Gitarre is controlling the position.
Smith can't break the clinch.
Smith wants to break the clinch but can't.
Gitarre dodges an elbow strike from Smith.
Smith wants to get back to striking at distance but Gitarre won't allow it.
Gitarre has Smith pushed against the cage.
Smith misses with a knee strike.
Smith tries to break the clinch but Gitarre is controlling the position.
Smith throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Gitarre blocks it with crossed arms.
Gitarre blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Smith's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Smith scores with a kick to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gitarre looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Gitarre gets a clinch.
Gitarre is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Smith is keeping busy.
Smith is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee calls for Gitarre to work.

Gitarre has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Smith is trying to keep an underhook but Gitarre manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Gitarre is working for a submission of some sort.

Gitarre is looking for a kimura but Smith is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Gitarre to get the leverage.
Smith is looking to control Gitarre's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Smith avoid being mounted?

Gitarre looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Gitarre trying to control from half guard but Smith is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gitarre not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Smith knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gitarre on the ground.
Gitarre stalling.

Gitarre is trying to work for a kimura but Smith is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gitarre trying to control the action but Smith is working from the bottom.
Smith has a hand on Gitarre's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Gitarre takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Smith tries to improve his position but instead Gitarre has taken his back!
Gitarre gets his hands free as Smith looks to control.
Gitarre struggling to land strikes to the head as Smith covers up.

Gitarre working for a choke but Smith is defending well.

Gitarre patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gitarre is trying to stick to Smith's back but Smith is turning into Gitarre. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Gitarre's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Smith.
Gitarre has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Smith trying to stand up but can't free himself from Gitarre's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Gitarre shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Gitarre showed some decent athleticism there.
Gitarre is trying to control the action in half guard but Smith is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Gitarre is looking for a kimura but Smith is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Gitarre to get the leverage.
Gitarre tries to pass to full mount but Smith defends it.
Smith trying to control but Gitarre postures up.

Gitarre is looking for a kimura but Smith is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Gitarre to get the leverage.
Smith is looking to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith is refusing to be controlled, as Gitarre sits in half guard.
Smith tries to roll over but Gitarre keeps him under control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Smith's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Smith duly obliges.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gitarre circles away from the clinch attempt

and Gitarre counters with a nice double leg into side control. Smith won't be happy with that.
Smith is being controlled here.
Gitarre trying to control the action but Smith is working from the bottom.
Smith bucks up and tries to throw Gitarre off but instead Gitarre has got his back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gitarre is working hard for the rear naked choke here.

Gitarre is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Smith is defending well though. Gitarre let's go of the attempt for now.
Smith prevents Gitarre from getting a body triangle.
Gitarre just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gitarre looking to break Smith's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Smith remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Gitarre will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!

Gitarre is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Smith knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Smith for a finish.
Smith is really stuck here.
Gitarre struggling to keep hold of the position.
Smith trying to control but not successfully.
Smith manages to reverse the position and now he's in Gitarre's guard. Nice work there by Smith.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gitarre is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Smith wants to control from the top but Gitarre keeps moving.
Gitarre looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Marc Gitarre has got the better of the ground game so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marc Gitarre showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Gitarre moves in looking to clinch but Smith pushes him off.
Smith misses with a straight right.

Smith closes the distance and clinches.
Smith wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Smith letting Gitarre take a breather here.
Smith looking to throw knees to the head but Gitarre is blocking nicely.

Smith breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Smith misses with a head kick.
Smith misses with a wild body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gitarre tries to clinch up
and Smith counters with a series of strikes. Gitarre will be more careful next time no doubt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nice body kick from Smith.
Smith throws a right and a left that Gitarre avoids nicely.
Marc Gitarre seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Gitarre has Smith up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith tries to land a knee to the head but Gitarre blocks with his arms.
Gitarre 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 can't break the clinch.
Gitarre struggles to land a body shot inside as Smith controls his hands.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Gitarre.
Gitarre continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Smith wants to get back to striking at distance but Gitarre won't allow it.
Smith tries to break the clinch but Gitarre is controlling the position.
Gitarre effectively controlling the action here.

Gitarre gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Smith regains guard.

Gitarre drops back looking for a leg! Smith is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Smith manages to kick Gitarre off! Gitarre jumps back into Smith's guard.

Gitarre thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith keeping moving, preventing Gitarre from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gitarre advances position into side control!
Smith is not in a great position here, taking some shots.

Gitarre thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Gitarre looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Smith's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Gitarre is looking to take a break and control but Smith is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Gitarre with the ground and pound but Smith regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

That's four 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.
Gitarre moves nicely into side control.

Gitarre wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Smith, who protects the arm well.

Gitarre has an Americana. Smith didn't react quickly enough there and he's in big trouble now! He tries to squirm out but is forced to tap! Gitarre is delighted and gyrates infront of the ring girls. They seem to like the attention - it'll be interesting to see if Gitarre hooks up with any of them at the after show party.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:52 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Marc Gitarre!