PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Simon Cole (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Luigi Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Watanabe has chosen Run This Town Tonight as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Cole
vs
Watanabe

179 cm
26
152 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

175 cm
20
149 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Intelligent

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Simon Cole!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Luigi Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Ian Loll and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watanabe throws a big shot that misses.
Horrible takedown by Cole or perhaps it was just good defense by Watanabe which made him look bad.
Watanabe misses with a hook.

Cole shoots in and bounces Watanabe off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Cole stops Watanabe from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cole looking to pass the guard.
Cole is standing up over Watanabe. Watanabe looks to escape but Cole dives into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Watanabe wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Cole looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A jab from Watanabe misses.
Watanabe misses with an uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Simon Cole dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Watanabe swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cole looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Watanabe misses with a body kick.
Cole keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Watanabe.
Cole ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Cole dives in and grabs Watanabe's left leg, looking for a takedown. Watanabe pushes down on Cole's head and hops out.

Cole scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Watanabe is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

Cole swings around for an armbar but Watanabe sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Cole's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe won't allow Cole to sweep him here.
Watanabe with a flurry of punches that miss.
Watanabe throwing strikes but missing.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Watanabe stands and throws Cole's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Watanabe tries to advance to mount but Cole denies him.
Watanabe landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

That's two 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.
Watanabe working the ground and pound from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cole wants to control but Watanabe postures up.
Cole tries to improve position but can't.
Watanabe scoring with punches and elbows.
Cole throws a couple of strikes even though he's not really in a good position to do so.
Watanabe has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Watanabe wants to control the pace but Cole is squirming around nicely.
Watanabe scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Cole really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Watanabe lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Watanabe trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cole tries to lock up and control but Watanabe gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe working Cole over with strikes here.
Watanabe prevents Cole from getting the reversal.
Cole is working hard here to advance position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Watanabe scoring with strikes but Cole is staying in there.
Watanabe landing punches.
Cole wants to hold on but Watanabe pushes him away.
Watanabe is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Cole can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Watanabe unloading with bombs!
Watanabe landing strikes from the mount and Cole is in trouble!
Cole wants to hold on but Watanabe pushes him away.
Cole bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Cole trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cole won't allow Watanabe to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luigi Watanabe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Watanabe tries to score with a low kick but Cole moves his leg out of the way.
Watanabe shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Watanabe looks to land a left hand but Cole moved out of range nicely.

Cole shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Watanabe manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Watanabe keeping full guard, as Cole tries to pass.
Watanabe wants to get back to his feet but Cole passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cole missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Cole stops Watanabe from getting back to his feet.

Cole stands up and beckons Watanabe to join him on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cole doesn't manage to clinch there - Watanabe circles away.
Luigi Watanabe is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Watanabe jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Cole ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Cole takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Watanabe throws a body punch but Cole moves out of range.
Cole lands with a nice body punch.
Cole steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Watanabe.
Watanabe pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Cole listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Luigi Watanabe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cole tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Watanabe swivels and escapes.
Watanabe missing with a left hand there. Cole was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Cole fails to land the takedown.
Watanabe looks to land a right hand but Cole moved out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe throws a hook to the side of Cole's head but Cole sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Watanabe tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Cole is able to avoid easily.
Watanabe misses with a straight left.
A telegraphed right hand from Watanabe misses the target.

Cole closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Cole is trying to move to mount but Watanabe reverses beautifully and ends up in Cole's guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Watanabe slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Cole prevents Watanabe from moving into mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Simon Cole showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Cole 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Simon Cole!