PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between David Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Heiko Pander (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Watson
vs
Pander

172 cm
20
145 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

170 cm
22
145 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, David Watson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Heiko Pander!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Marco Blurström and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pander ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Watson has a takedown stuffed.
Pander dives in and grabs Watson's left leg, looking for a takedown. Watson pushes down on Pander's head and hops out.
Watson misses the shot to the body.
Pander tries to clinch there but Watson circles away.
Pander goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

Watson shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Pander manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Watson prevents Pander from getting back to his feet.
Pander really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Watson. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Pander isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Watson stacks Pander on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Watson!
Watson trying to control the action but Pander is working from the bottom.
Watson creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson cracks Pander with a big elbow.
Watson has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Watson cracks Pander with a big right hand but Pander just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

Watson has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Watson misses with a takedown attempt
enabling Pander to counter with a crisp jab.

Pander takes the fight into the clinch.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Pander just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for David Watson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Pander softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Pander manages to break the clinch.
Pander fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Nice shot by Pander.
Watson takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Watson is rocked!
Watson is breathing heavily.
Pander wants to clinch up but Watson keeps it at a distance.
Watson drops his hands momentarily and Pander takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Oh Watson is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Watson fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Pander sprawls well initially but Watson persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Watson wants to stand up but Pander is controlling the position.
Watson seems to have got his legs back now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pander is trying to stand up here but Watson is controlling him well.
Watson is thwarting Pander's attempts to control the position.
Pander is looking to escape.
Pander missing with punches from the bottom.
Pander is trying to maintain the position but Watson is very close to passing his half guard.
Pander is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Pander throws a nice looking combination but Watson bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Watson moves forwards but Pander connects with a nice, crisp jab.

Pander drops Watson with a beautiful combination! Watson stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Pander is looking for the KO!
Pander tries to clinch there but Watson circles away.

Pander gets a clinch.

Pander breaks the clinch.
Pander throws a sloppy head kick and Watson moves out of range easily.
Pander tries to close the distance and clinch but Watson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Pander darts in and clinches Watson up against the cage.

Pander successfully pulls guard.

Pander pushes Watson off and scrambles back to his feet.
Nice straight punches there by Pander. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Pander.
Pander is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Pander.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pander moves into range and clinches up with Watson.
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!
Pander lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
The referee calls for Pander to work.
The crowd are getting on Pander's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.
Pander lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Watson backwards.
A short right from Pander on the inside.
Pander with a knee to the head.
Pander lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Pander digs a right hand underneath Watson's ribcage. Watson let out a lung full of air as it connected.
A short right from Pander.
Pander using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Watson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pander is leaning against Watson and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.

Pander's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Pander wants to clinch up but Watson keeps it at a distance.
Pander works over Watson's head and body with a nice combination.
Pander tries to clinch but Watson is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Heiko Pander dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Pander lands a two punch combo.
Heiko Pander seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Watson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Good body shot from Pander.

Watson pulls guard successfully.
Pander trying to control but Watson is working from the bottom.
Watson looking for a sweep. Not yet Watson, not yet.
Pander wants to control from the top but Watson keeps moving.

Watson is working an open guard so Pander takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Pander moves into the clinch.

Pander escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Heiko Pander seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Watson moves out of range of the body kick.
Watson wants to clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Watson tries a head kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pander rushes Watson and presses him up against the cage.
Pander lands a shot to the body.
Pander cracks Watson with a nice body shot.
Pander will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Watson up against the cage.

Pander breaks the clinch.
Pander lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Pander with a poor takedown

and Watson moves into the clinch.
Pander has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Watson avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Watson takes a shot to the head.
Pander lands a damaging elbow.
A short right from Pander on the inside.
Nice body punch from Pander.
Pander stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Pander.
Pander lands a hook that snaps the head of Watson backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pander works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

Pander pulls Watson into guard.
Pander wants to sweep but no luck.
Watson trying to control the position from guard on top but Pander is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Watson wants to stand but Pander has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Pander wants to get back to his feet but Watson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Pander has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Watson off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

Pander has managed to clinch.
Watson wants a takedown but no success here.

Watson is fighting off a takedown attempt but Pander is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Watson to the mat. Watson regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pander decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Pander fails to land the takedown.
David Watson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Heiko Pander.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Pander!
Pander swinging wilding here.
Pander fails with an attempt to clinch.
Watson takes a shot right to the bread basket.
David Watson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Watson keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Watson throws a sloppy head kick and Pander moves out of range easily.
Pander tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Pander darts in and clinches Watson up against the cage.

Pander manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pander tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Watson won't allow Pander to get back to his feet.
Watson trying to control the position from guard on top but Pander is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pander wants to get back to his feet but Watson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Pander is trying to control the position but Watson postures up.

Pander is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Watson stands and steps away. Pander gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Pander shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Watson sprawls well. Watson wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Pander gets slowly back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Heiko Pander showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Watson fails with a takedown attempt.
Pander throws a series of punches but Watson avoids them all with ease.

Pander closes the distance and clinches.
Pander makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Pander lands a left hand.
Pander scores with a hook to the body.
Watson is trying to force a seperation but Pander has the dominant position.
Pander is stalling here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A right hand to the body from Pander.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Pander breaks from the clinch.

Pander has Watson up against the cage in a clinch.
Pander has Watson pressed against the cage.

Pander breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pander is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Watson tries to keep at a distance but Pander has taken the fight into the clinch.
A hook to the body from Pander.
A short right from Pander.
Watson being controlled against the cage.

Pander escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Pander looks to land a combination. Watson sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Pander scores with a jab.
Pander lands a jab-cross combination.

Pander moves into the clinch.
Pander lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Watson jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Pander walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Pander takes the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pander stalling the fight.
Pander scores with a shot to the side of Watson's head.
Pander presses Watson against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Pander with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Pander prevents a takedown attempt there.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for David Watson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pander lands a shoulder strike.
Pander stalling.
Watson taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Pander pushes Watson back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Watson drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Pander gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Pander lands with a short punch from the clinch.

Pander breaks the clinch.
Watson leaves Pander with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Pander tries to clinch up but Watson circles away and keeps his distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pander stuffs the takedown.
Pander wants to clinch but Watson slips to the side

and Watson counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Pander!
Watson controlling from the full mount.
Pander looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Watson tries to keep control of the position but Pander is staying busy.
Pander looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Pander avoids the strikes from Watson.
Pander looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson struggling to keep hold of the position.

Watson is persistently looking for the submission but Pander is defending it well.
Pander trying to control the action but Watson just sinks the hooks in.
Pander tries to break free.

Pander showing good submission defense here.

Watson working for a choke but Pander is defending well.
David Watson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Heiko Pander is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Watson is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Pander defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

And that's the end of the fight!
Heiko Pander comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Pander winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 27:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Heiko Pander!