PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Erris Watts (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and TAKA Michinoku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Michinoku comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Yamato Suite Pt. 4 kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Watts
vs
Michinoku

150 cm
26
155 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

178 cm
25
150 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

BJJ Blue 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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Erris Watts!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, TAKA Michinoku!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Shigeki Fujiwara and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Michinoku cracks Watts with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
A big right from Watts misses.
Watts moves away from the strike by Michinoku.
Michinoku throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Watts.
Watts looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Michinoku is avoiding damage well.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Michinoku can do anything to dispel that myth.
Watts is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Watts wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Michinoku, who protects the arm well.
Watts controls the position from side control.
Michinoku struggling a bit here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watts happy to just control the position for now.
Michinoku is looking for a sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Michinoku is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
A lull in the action here as Watts stalls from top position.
Michinoku avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Watts.
Michinoku is looking for a sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Watts is staying tight to Michinoku's torso, preventing him from escaping.

Watts working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Watts goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Michinoku rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Watts's guard! Nice work there by Michinoku!
Michinoku must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Michinoku stands and throws Watts's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watts tries to buck Michinoku off but Michinoku is having none of it.
Michinoku is looking to take a break and control but Watts is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Michinoku controlling the position.

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.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Watts is trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Erris Watts dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Michinoku paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Michinoku slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Michinoku punishes Watts's body with a nice straight punch.
A swing and a miss from Michinoku.
Watts swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Michinoku scores with a jab. Watts acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Michinoku just misses with a punch to the body.
Watts throws a head kick but Michinoku moves out of range.
Michinoku throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Watts.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Michinoku throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Watts sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Watts shoots in but Michinoku avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Watts missing with a left hand there. Michinoku was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michinoku scores with a nice right hand.
Michinoku throws a looping overhand right but Watts ducks down to avoid it.
Watts takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Watts tries to close the distance and clinch up but Michinoku swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Michinoku throws a hook to the side of Watts's head but Watts sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Michinoku scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Watts doesn't seem bothered though.
Michinoku slips a jab from Watts.
Michinoku is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Watts swings for the body but Michinoku moves out of range.
Some wild striking there from Michinoku.
Michinoku lands with a nice body punch.
Michinoku scores with a nice right hand.
Michinoku stuffs the takedown.
A looping hook to the body misses from Watts. Michinoku does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watts tries for a takedown but Michinoku sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Erris Watts. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Michinoku cracks Watts with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Michinoku slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Michinoku loads up on a big right hand but Watts slips the punch.

Watts scores with a takedown into Michinoku's guard.
Watts tries to free his leg and advance position but Michinoku is retaining full guard.
Michinoku can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Watts controls the pace.
Michinoku looking to control.
Michinoku looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Michinoku controls Watts momentarily but Watts frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watts loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Watts postures up in Michinoku's guard and throws a big left but Michinoku blocks it.
Watts not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Michinoku looking to control.
Watts wants to stand but Michinoku has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A shot to the body from Watts misses
and Michinoku counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Watts steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Michinoku.
Michinoku connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Watts's hands.
Michinoku takes a swing at Watts's ribcage but misses.
A big left from Michinoku misses.
Michinoku throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Watts stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Michinoku misses with a wild body shot.

Watts moves into the clinch successfully.
Michinoku is looking to break free of the clinch but Watts has double underhooks.
A bit of stalling here from Watts.
Michinoku lands with a left to the head.
Stalling in the clinch from Watts.
Watts is working for takedown but Michinoku is calmly controlling the position for now.
Watts drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Still in the clinch, Michinoku scores with a nice short uppercut.
Watts slowing the pace effectively.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Watts controlling the action here for a moment.
Michinoku misses with a punch to the body.

Watts breaks from the clinch.
Michinoku thuds his right hand into Watts's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Michinoku swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Watts lands a jab to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

TAKA Michinoku 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! This is the final round!

Watts wants to clinch.
Michinoku slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Michinoku digs a good body shot into Watts's ribs.
Michinoku throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Watts sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Michinoku dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Watts. That did some damage!
Michinoku fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Watts on the side of the head.
Michinoku throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Michinoku dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Watts throws a hook to the side of Michinoku's head but Michinoku sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Michinoku has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Nice defenses there by Michinoku.
Watts avoids the body shot from Michinoku.
Watts misses with a leg kick
and Michinoku makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michinoku misses with a few strikes there.
Watts takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Watts keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Michinoku throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Michinoku looks to land a right hand but Watts moved out of range.
Watts doesn't manage to clinch there - Michinoku circles away.
Michinoku attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Michinoku takes a swing at Watts's ribcage but misses.
Watts misses the body punch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Michinoku uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Watts.
Nice uppercut there from Michinoku.

Watts clinches with his opponent.

Watts has hold of one of Michinoku's legs. Michinoku is fighting the takedown attempt but Watts gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watts postures up.
Watts trying to control the position from guard on top but Michinoku is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Michinoku trying to control the position.
Watts looking to pass the guard.
Watts wants to control from the top but Michinoku keeps moving.
Watts controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Watts looking to pass the guard.
Watts controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Watts doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Watts swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Watts bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
A lull in the action here as Watts stalls from top position.
Watts has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watts seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Michinoku for as long as he can get away with.
Michinoku regains half guard, as Watts was trying to land strikes.
Michinoku wants to control but Watts is keeping busy.
Michinoku might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Watts kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Watts is taking a breather. Michinoku says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

And that's the end of the fight!
Erris Watts showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Watts 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Erris Watts!