PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Aaron Smith (ranked 1214 p4p, 1747 weight class) and Ricky Rawse (ranked 61 p4p, 89 weight class). Smith comes to the cage accompanied by Lonely Train by Black Stone Cherry. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Smith
vs
Rawse

195 cm
32
280
16 - 19 - 0

193 cm
28
269
10 - 7 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Altitude Clothing
Core Combat

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 16 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Aaron Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricky Rawse!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Anthony Taglia and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Smith closes the distance and clinches.
Rawse throws a punch but it's blocked by Smith.
Smith has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Rawse tries to work over Smith's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Rawse wants to stall.
Rawse tries to stall but Smith uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Smith leaning against his opponent.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Smith lands an uppercut.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Rawse.
Smith controlling the action here for a moment.
A right handed body shot lands from Smith.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith blocks an uppercut.
Smith is struggling to control the position.
Smith landing knees to the head.

It looks like Ricky Rawse has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith lands a hook that snaps the head of Rawse backwards.
Rawse misses with a punch on the inside.
Rawse blocks a body shot from Smith.
Rawse tries to stall but Smith uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Rawse has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Smith lands an elbow inside that Rawse shrugs off.
Smith pushes Rawse back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rawse is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
A short right from Smith on the inside.
Rawse throws a head punch that misses.
Smith pushes Rawse back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Smith gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Smith lands an elbow that stopped Rawse in his tracks for a moment.
Smith goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Smith is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Rawse gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Smith lands a body punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith presses Rawse against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Rawse looks winded!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A short uppercut from Smith.
Smith lands a nice elbow.
Smith misses with a knee strike.
Smith lands a nice elbow.
Stalling in the clinch from Smith.
Smith lands with a right to the head.
Rawse misses with a short punch on the inside.
Smith lands an uppercut.
Rawse misses with a body punch.
Rawse trying to control the position but instead, Smith has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rawse into the cage.

Smith breaks from the clinch.
Smith throws a lazy right hand but Rawse sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Rawse avoids the head kick by Smith.
Rawse now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Rawse slips a jab from Smith.
Smith throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Smith scores with the left hand. Rawse knows he should have avoided that one.
Rawse throws a hook but Smith avoids it easily.
Smith connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Rawse waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Smith.
An attempted straight right counter from Smith misses the target.
Smith with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Rawse to score with a decent uppercut.
Smith lands a nice shot that snaps Rawse's head back.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Smith, as that shot connected.

Smith has Rawse up against the cage in a clinch.
Rawse looking to slow down the pace here.
Smith is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith lands a knee to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rawse is struggling to control the position.
Smith is trying to drag Rawse to the mat but Rawse just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Aaron Smith. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Smith stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Smith taking a breather.
Smith tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Smith blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The referee calls for Smith to work.
Smith lands a hook that snaps the head of Rawse backwards.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Smith dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ricky Rawse'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.

Jab from Smith.
Rawse uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Smith.
Smith lands a glancing blow to the side of Rawse's head.
Rawse is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Smith.
As Rawse looks to move away, Smith throws a big counter combo but Rawse just gets out of the way.
Smith throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Rawse sees it coming and avoids it easily.

Smith has managed to clinch.
Smith blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A head punch on the inside from Rawse fails to land.
Rawse is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Smith gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
A nice right hand lands inside from Rawse.
A short right from Smith.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rawse pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Smith scoring well with a low kick there.
Rawse scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Rawse pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Smith throws an overhand right that lands on Rawse's shoulder, as Rawse tries to avoid the shot.
Aaron Smith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith with a hook.
Rawse swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Smith is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Rawse fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Smith is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Ricky Rawse is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Smith uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rawse.
A jab from Smith misses.
Smith gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Rawse counters with a straight right hand.
Rawse scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Smith throws a jab when Rawse was well out of range.
A big right from Rawse misses.
Rawse will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Smith throws out a loose jab but Rawse uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rawse looks to land a left hand but Smith moved out of range nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith connects with a jab.

Rawse gets caught flat footed, as Smith shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rawse manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Smith manages to get himself to full guard.

Rawse wants to control from the top but Smith keeps moving.
Rawse trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Smith looking for a sweep. Not yet Smith, not yet.
Smith working a defensive guard here.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Smith is on top in guard.

Rawse keeping moving, preventing Smith from controlling successfully.
Smith looking to pass the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith wants to control from the top but Rawse keeps moving.
Rawse controlling the position.
Rawse bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Smith's guard.

Rawse is sitting in close to Smith's body. Smith has gone for a guillotine from the bottom. Oh damn, that looks pretty tight! Rawse is panicking - it looks like this one could be all over! Yes, Rawse is tapping! That was a very nice submission by Smith.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:49 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Aaron Smith!
Our winner, Aaron Smith, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.