PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sander Loughlin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kai Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Loughlin comes to the cage accompanied by Metallica - No Remorse. Watanabe is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Insomnia by Tiësto. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Loughlin
vs
Watanabe

186 cm
23
183 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

183 cm
22
170 lbs
9 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Sander Loughlin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kai Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fighters circling - Watanabe throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Loughlin misses with an attempted mid kick.
Loughlin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Loughlin looks to land a right hand but Watanabe moved out of range.
Watanabe fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Watanabe throws the left hand but Loughlin avoids the punch easily.
Watanabe scores with a nice right hand.
Loughlin looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Watanabe tries to bum rush Loughlin with a series of wild strikes but Loughlin uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Watanabe drops his hands momentarily and Loughlin takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

Loughlin shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Watanabe manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Watanabe avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Watanabe looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Watanabe is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Loughlin wants to pass the guard but Watanabe is keeping the position.
Loughlin throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Loughlin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Watanabe is keeping the position for now.
Loughlin postures up in Watanabe's guard and throws a big left but Watanabe blocks it.
Watanabe is controlling Loughlin's posture.
Watanabe looking to hit a scissor sweep but Loughlin is one step ahead there.

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.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Loughlin closes this distance looking for a takedown but Watanabe circles away.
Watanabe throws a series of punches but Loughlin avoids them all with ease.
Loughlin misses with a two punch combination.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Loughlin.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sander Loughlin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Loughlin paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Nice body punch from Watanabe.
Watanabe lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Kai Watanabe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Loughlin is breathing heavily.

Oooh a lovely combination from Watanabe sends Loughlin down but not out. Watanabe dives into side control looking to finish.

Loughlin is rocked!

Watanabe wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Loughlin, who protects the arm well.
Oh Loughlin is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Watanabe thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Loughlin seems to have got his legs back now.
Loughlin is looking for a sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Watanabe trying to control the position but Loughlin is working away.

Watanabe tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Loughlin tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Watanabe wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Loughlin is not content to let Watanabe control the position.
Loughlin manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Watanabe uses his free foot to push down on Loughlin's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Loughlin.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Watanabe trying to control but he's not successful this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kai Watanabe dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Loughlin lands a lovely overhand right.
Watanabe just misses with a punch to the body.
Nice uppercut lands for Watanabe. That snapped Loughlin's head back.
Watanabe throws a lazy right hand but Loughlin sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Loughlin moves forwards but Watanabe connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Loughlin throws a chopping leg kick but Watanabe manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Loughlin looks to land a body kick but Watanabe moved away.
Watanabe lands with a nice combination. Loughlin backs away looking to recover.

It looks like Sander Loughlin has been cut.
Watanabe misses with a jab, cross combination.
Nice body punch from Watanabe.
Loughlin ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Watanabe misses with a wild body shot.
Loughlin walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe throws a combination that misses
and Watanabe takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Loughlin shoots in for a takedown but Watanabe shows good takedown defense.
Loughlin throws out a loose jab but Watanabe uses good head movement to avoid it.
Watanabe avoids the body shot from Loughlin.
Watanabe lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Watanabe misses with a jab, cross combination.
Watanabe connects with a nice looking jab.
Kai Watanabe seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Watanabe throws a sloppy body shot
and Loughlin counters with a left to the body.
Watanabe throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Watanabe ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Loughlin moves away.
Loughlin throws a lazy right hand but Watanabe sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A punch combination from Watanabe misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Watanabe.
Watanabe swinging wildly here.
Loughlin fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Watanabe on the side of the head.
Watanabe misses with a straight right.
Loughlin bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Loughlin misses with a wild body shot.
Watanabe throws a body punch but Loughlin moves out of range.
Watanabe showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Loughlin.
Watanabe uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Loughlin.
Loughlin just misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Watanabe takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Watanabe thows a body shot but no joy.
A big left from Watanabe misses.
Watanabe staying out of range there.
Loughlin cracks Watanabe with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Watanabe tests Loughlin's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Watanabe scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Watanabe uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Loughlin.
Watanabe fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Watanabe lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Loughlin at a distance.
Watanabe throws the left hand but Loughlin avoids the punch easily.
Watanabe lands a slapping body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
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!
A left lands for Watanabe.
Watanabe throws a right hand that Loughlin ducks under and follows up with a left that Loughlin also avoids with ease.
Watanabe works over Loughlin's head and body with a nice combination.
Kai Watanabe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A looping hook to the body misses from Watanabe. Loughlin does a little dance to reset his feet.
Watanabe throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Loughlin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Watanabe.
Watanabe throws a sloppy body shot
and Loughlin counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Loughlin looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Loughlin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Watanabe.
Watanabe looks to throw the jab but Loughlin is out of range.
Watanabe thows a left - swing and a miss!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kai Watanabe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Sander Loughlin's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Watanabe cracks Loughlin with a good jab.
Loughlin scores with a body shot.
Loughlin slips a jab and a cross from Watanabe.
Watanabe scores with a one two! Loughlin had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Loughlin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Loughlin dips to his left and cracks Watanabe with an uppercut!
Watanabe throws a jab when Loughlin was well out of range.
Watanabe throws a hook but Loughlin avoids it easily.
Watanabe scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Loughlin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A lazy left from Watanabe finds it's target.
Watanabe misses with a double jab.
Loughlin tries to move into range but Watanabe moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Loughlin misses with a jab to the body
enabling Watanabe to counter with a crisp jab.
Loughlin misses with a head kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Loughlin misses with a hook.
Watanabe lands with a right hand.
Watanabe throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Loughlin closes this distance looking for a takedown but Watanabe circles away.
Watanabe lands a nice hook to Loughlin's body. Loughlin takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Watanabe throws a hook but Loughlin blocks it.
Loughlin keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Watanabe.
Loughlin with a poor takedown
and Watanabe counters with a nice body shot.
Watanabe throws a combination that misses
and Loughlin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Watanabe lands a right hook to the body.
Sander Loughlin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Loughlin walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Watanabe drops Loughlin with a straight right hand, right on the button! Watanabe follows him down to the mat and pounds him out with hammerfists until the referee jumps in to end the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:12 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kai Watanabe!