PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Gary Day (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jay Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Day comes to the cage accompanied by Last minute - Great day to choke you out. Gary Day has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Day
vs
Smith

178 cm
22
160 lbs
8 - 4 - 1

167 cm
23
155 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Good kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Gary Day!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jay Smith!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Roosa Järviläinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Day shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Smith misses with a looping left.
Smith throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Day sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Smith lands with an uppercut that bounces Day off the cage and back into range.
Smith tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Day was well out of range. Poor timing from Smith.
Day fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Smith avoids it really well and circles away.

Day gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Smith to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Day wriggles free and stands up.
Smith throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A big left from Day misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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.
Day wants to get back to his feet but Smith passes into half guard.

Smith prevents Day from improving his position.
Smith wants to take a breather but Day is having none of it.
Day keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Day is trying to get back to full guard.
Day keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Day wants to control but Smith is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Smith gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Smith looks to land a right hand but Day moved out of range.
Day throws a sloppy head kick and Smith moves out of range easily.
Day slips under a jab.
Smith lands a nice hook to Day's body. Day takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Smith is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Smith loads up on a big right hand but Day slips the punch.
Smith slips a jab and a cross from Day.

Day moves into the clinch successfully.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Day wants the takedown. Smith is fighting it off but Day persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Smith's guard against the cage.

Smith throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Day escapes and throws Smith's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Smith has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Day trying to control the position but Smith is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Day looking to control but instead Smith has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Smith tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Day scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Day tries to stand and escape but Smith is controlling the position.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Smith actively working from the bottom here.
Smith is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Day scores with a couple of nice shots.

Smith looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Day is thwarting Smith's attempts to control the position.
Day content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith is trying to get back to full guard.
Day blocks the strikes from Smith.

Smith looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Well, if Day 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 trying to hold on to Day's head to control him but Day postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Gary Day will probably get the nod.
That's time! Day's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Day gets caught napping as Smith dives in and scores a takedown. Day manages to retain guard.
Smith throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Day wants to get back to his feet but Smith is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Day seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
Day is pulling down on Smith's head to control his posture.
Day bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Smith's guard.

Smith looking for subs off his back but Day has passed one foot through into half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Day keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Day takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Smith looking for submissions off his back.
Day working over Smith with some ground and pound. Smith looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Smith works his way to full guard. Good work.
Day preventing the sweep.
Day working some strikes from top position.
Day is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Day distracts Smith with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
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 looking for a sweep. Not yet Smith, not yet.
Day stays in close to Smith's body and controls the position.
Smith has a closed guard, preventing Day from standing up.
Day content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Smith looking to control.
Smith wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Day is now in half guard.
Day is controlling the pace.

Smith looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Day tries to stand and escape but Smith is controlling the position.
Smith misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Smith trying to control but Day postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Smith throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Day shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Smith misses the shot to the body.
Day takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Day tries to close the distance and clinch but Smith swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Smith let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Day misses with a double jab.
Day is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith avoids a punch combination nicely.

Day has closed the distance and engaged Smith in a clinch.
Smith throws a punch but it's blocked by Day.
Smith has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Day tries to pull guard but Smith won't allow it.
Day stalling the fight.

Day breaks the clinch.
Smith digs a good hook to Day's body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Day looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gary Day. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Day gets a double leg takedown into Smith's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gary Day dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Day tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Smith swivels and escapes.
Day tries to clinch up but Smith circles away and keeps his distance.
Smith takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Smith paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Day moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Gary Day is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Smith fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

Day has taken the fight to the clinch.
Day jumps guard but Smith turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Smith wants to get back to striking at distance but Day won't allow it.

Day pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Day takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

Smith closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Day wants to control but Smith is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Day is staying active underneath Smith, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Day is doing well to control the position and prevent Smith from advancing to side control.
Day'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.
Smith takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Day wants to improve his position but Smith is controlling well.
Smith missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Smith is working for a kimura but Day is defending it quite comfortably.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Smith missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Smith sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Day defending well though.
Smith throwing shots but Day is blocking nicely.
Day slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Day trying to keep a closed guard but Smith is proving a slippery customer.
Day keeping moving, preventing Smith from controlling successfully.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A lazy left from Smith finds it's target.
Nice uppercut there from Smith.
Smith throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Day looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Jay Smith seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Day throws a series of punches but Smith avoids them all with ease.

Day moves into range and clinches up with Smith.

Day manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Smith wants to control from the top but Day keeps moving.
Day will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Smith looking to sit in guard and control but Day gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Smith trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Smith working for submissions but it's allowed Day to get to half guard.
Day is thwarting Smith's attempts to control the position.
Day is pressing down on Smith's thigh, looking to free his foot. Smith is holding on for now.
Smith tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Day is looking for a kimura but Smith is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Day to get the leverage.
Jay Smith has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Smith looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jay Smith comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Day 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:29
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!