PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Banito Gianni (ranked 3208 p4p, 4253 weight class) and Anton Smirnov (ranked 437 p4p, 538 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Gianni
vs
Smirnov

188 cm
25
195
2 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
195
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Island Boys Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Banito Gianni!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Anton Smirnov!
The judges for this bout are Winston Alpacca, Michael Johnstone and Sandra Marshall.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gianni slips under a jab from Smirnov.

Gianni rushes Smirnov and presses him up against the cage.
Gianni has Smirnov pressed against the cage, preventing Smirnov from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Gianni misses with a hook from the clinch.
Gianni definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Smirnov wants to break the clinch but can't.
Gianni misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gianni tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Smirnov swings wildly with an uppercut but Gianni uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gianni working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Smirnov is trying to break the clinch but Gianni is controlling him.
Smirnov is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Gianni scores with a shot to the side of Smirnov's head.
Smirnov looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smirnov wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Gianni has him pressed against the cage.
Gianni has Smirnov pressed against the cage, preventing Smirnov from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A right hand to the body from Gianni.
Smirnov working hard to break the clinch.
Gianni lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Smirnov backwards.
Gianni works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Gianni lands a left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smirnov is trying to push Gianni away but Gianni has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
A head punch on the inside from Gianni fails to land.
Smirnov tries to break free but Gianni pushes him back against the cage.
Smirnov blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Gianni misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Smirnov working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Smirnov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Gianni keeps control of Smirnov as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gianni lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Smirnov backwards.
Gianni lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Smirnov backwards.
A nice right hand lands inside from Gianni.
Smirnov looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Smirnov wants to get back to striking at distance but Gianni won't allow it.
Gianni misses with the head strike.
Gianni throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Smirnovs head.
Gianni lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Gianni lands a hook to the side of the head.
A body shot lands from Gianni.
Gianni lands an uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Smirnov blocking some punches.
Smirnov working aggressively here.
Gianni struggles to land a body shot inside as Smirnov controls his hands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smirnov wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Gianni lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A short uppercut from Gianni.
Smirnov prevents a body shot from Gianni.
Gianni lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Gianni can't find room to land a body shot as Smirnov controls the action.
A shot in the inside from Gianni.
Smirnov blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Gianni tries to throw a body punch but Smirnov avoids it by throwing Gianni back against the cage.
Gianni lands a hook that snaps the head of Smirnov backwards.

It looks like Anton Smirnov has been cut.
Gianni scores with a shot to the side of Smirnov's head.
Smirnov lands a left hand.
Smirnov's coach down at Fogwell's Gym was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Smirnov's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Gianni tries to work over Smirnov's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Smirnov blocks an uppercut.
Gianni works on Smirnov's body with a couple of short punches.
Smirnov looks winded!
Gianni tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Smirnov's elbow.
Gianni lands with a left to the head.
Gianni lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Smirnov blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Gianni lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice right hand lands inside from Gianni.
Gianni lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Smirnov.
Gianni working aggressively here.
Gianni throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Smirnovs head.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Gianni creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Gianni lands with a left to the head.
Gianni misses with a punch on the inside.
Gianni throws a head punch that misses.
Gianni lands with a left to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Smirnov.

Smirnov escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Gianni throws a body shot but no joy.
Smirnov throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Smirnov throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Gianni counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Smirnov is rocked!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Smirnov ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Gianni tries to clinch but Smirnov moves away
and Smirnov counters with a straight right hand.
Smirnov is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gianni.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gianni slips under a jab.
Smirnov throws a series of punches but Gianni avoids them all with ease.
Smirnov just misses with a punch to the body.
Smirnov ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Gianni wants to clinch up but Smirnov keeps it at a distance.
Smirnov swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Gianni tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Smirnov paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Smirnov fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Gianni looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Smirnov throws a body shot but no joy.
Smirnov misses with a double jab.
Gianni just misses with a punch to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Smirnov throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Gianni on the side of the head.
Nice body punch from Smirnov.
Gianni connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Banito Gianni dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Anton Smirnov'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.

Gianni moves out of range as Smirnov strikes.
Gianni connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Smirnov is still on wobbly legs! Can Gianni finish him?
Gianni is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Smirnov can do to turn this around?

Gianni closes the distance and clinches.
Smirnov blocks an uppercut.
Smirnov seems to have recovered his senses.
Smirnov misses with a punch to the body.
Smirnov lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gianni backwards.
A head punch on the inside from Gianni fails to land.
Smirnov tries to circle away but Gianni has him pinned against the cage.
Smirnov is trying to push Gianni away but Gianni has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Smirnov wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Gianni has him pressed against the cage.
Smirnov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Smirnov takes a shot to the head.
Smirnov blocks an uppercut.
Gianni lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Smirnov.
Gianni pushes Smirnov back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Gianni lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Smirnov.
Gianni throws a head punch that misses.
Gianni lands with a short head shot on the inside.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Smirnov tries to break the clinch but Gianni is controlling the position.
Smirnov tries to circle away but Gianni has him pinned against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smirnov is trying to push Gianni away but Gianni has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Gianni swings wildly with an uppercut but Smirnov uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gianni lands a nice uppercut.
Gianni lands a nice uppercut.
Smirnov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Smirnov tries to circle away but Gianni has him pinned against the cage.
A right handed body shot lands from Gianni.
A body shot lands from Gianni.
Smirnov is breathing heavily.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Gianni.
Gianni lands a body shot in the clinch.
Gianni has a couple of punches blocked by Smirnov.
A short right from Gianni.
Smirnov is trying to break the clinch but Gianni has him pressed against the cage.
Gianni keeps control of Smirnov as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Smirnov's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Gianni cracks Smirnov with a nice body shot.
Gianni creates some distance for himself and unleashes a massive uppercut that sends Smirnov's eyes rolling into the back of his head! Smirnov drops to his knees and Gianni pours it on with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Banito Gianni!
Banito Gianni seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.