PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Lincoln Jones (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joseph Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Watson is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Walk Away by Five Finger Death Punch. 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.

Jones
vs
Watson

185 cm
26
193 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

188 cm
27
192 lbs
13 - 9 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent MT
Knockout power

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Lincoln Jones!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 9 - 0, fighting out of New York, Joseph Watson!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Jorge Garcia and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jones throws an off balance right hand
and Watson connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Watson lands a head kick. Jones smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Jones lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.

It looks like Joseph Watson has been cut.
Jones just misses with a punch to the body.
Jones misses with an uppercut
and Watson counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Jones crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Watson - the referee stops the clock and Jones gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Watson. Jones manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Jones misses with a body shot
and Watson counters with a good, hard body kick but Jones shrugs it off.
Jones throws a right hand that misses
and Watson counters with a good, hard body kick but Jones shrugs it off.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Jones swings widly with a right hand
and Watson counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

Jones looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Jones loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Jones throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Jones throws and elbow that misses. Watson uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Jones's guard. Nice move by Watson!
Watson trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Watson wants to control from the top but Jones keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Watson works over Jones with some ground and pound from guard.
Jones is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Jones sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Watson defending well though.
Jones throwing shots but Watson is blocking nicely.
Jones is trying to control. Watson wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Jones is stalling here. Watson is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Jones seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Watson has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Watson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Jones is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Watson tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson trying to control the action but Jones is working from the bottom.

Watson tries for a kimura but Jones is defending well.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Jones can't do much from the bottom here.
Watson advances nicely into full mount.
Jones tries to lock up and control but Watson gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Jones tries to reverse the position but Watson maintains control.
Watson trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Jones's face.
Jones is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Jones tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Watson landing strikes from the mount.

Watson is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Jones can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Watson looking to finish Jones with some ground and pound. This is bad for Jones!
Jones can't escape the position.
Watson lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Jones hang on?
Watson connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Watson working Jones over with strikes here.
Watson looking to finish Jones with some ground and pound. This is bad for Jones!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson scores with a couple of good head shots there.
A nice elbow there by Watson.

Watson is working for a guillotine from mount but Jones frees his head quite easily.
Jones taking shots to the head.
Jones is trying desperately to improve position.
Watson wants to control the pace but Jones is squirming around nicely.
Watson is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Jones can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Jones in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Jones is working to get back to half guard.
Watson dominating with strikes here.
Watson trying to control but Jones is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joseph Watson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Joseph Watson's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Watson misses with an attempted mid kick.

Jones gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Watson scores with a knee to the head.
Jones is trying to force a seperation but Watson has the dominant position.

Jones escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Watson gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Jones throws a strike but Watson rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Watson postures up.
Watson is working Jones over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Watson scoring with some ground and pound.
Watson looking to pass the guard.
Watson working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Watson stands and throws Jones's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Watson tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Watson is chipping away with strikes.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Jones manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Jones is looking to improve his position.
Watson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Jones does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Jones is looking for a sweep. Watson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Watson throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Watson thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Jones's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson thows a huge punch but Jones dodges it nicely.
Watson thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Jones makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Jones.
Jones seems keen to control Watson's posture.
Watson is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Jones is trying to control the position but Watson postures up.
Jones preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Jones is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Watson working some strikes from top position.
Jones manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Watson avoids a series of strikes thrown by Jones.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Watson working to try and regain half guard.
Jones sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Watson regains half guard.
Watson gets back to full guard.
Watson not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson looking for a sweep. Not yet Watson, not yet.
Jones has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Watson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Jones trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jones stopping the sweep attempt from Watson.
Watson is trying to keep Jones in close.
Jones is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Joseph Watson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Joseph Watson's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Jones dodges the punch combination from Watson.
Lincoln Jones seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Jones has Watson up against the cage in a clinch.
Jones lands with a light punch inside.
Jones using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Watson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Jones wants to get back to striking at distance but Watson won't allow it.
Jones is trying to break the clinch but Watson has him pressed against the cage.
A nice right hand lands inside from Watson.
Watson works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

Jones breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Jones moves into the clinch.
Watson blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Jones tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Watson avoids it.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Watson obliges.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Watson tries a knee to the head but Jones blocks it.
Knees in the clinch landing for 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!
Watson looking to throw knees to the head but Jones is blocking nicely.
Watson lands a nice elbow.

It looks like Lincoln Jones has been cut.
Watson landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Watson misses with a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Watson.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Jones is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Watson crunches a lovely knee into Jones's ribcage.
Watson lands a right hand that snaps the head of Jones backwards.
Watson stalling.
Watson landing knees to the head.
Watson lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Watson connects with a nasty looking knee right to Jones's face.
Watson tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
A frustrated look appears on Jones's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Jones wants to break free but Watson has control.
Watson lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Jones is trying to push Watson away but Watson has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Jones has had enough of the clinch but Watson keeps him there for the moment.
Watson lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
A knee to the head by Watson.
Jones wants to get back to striking at distance but Watson won't allow it.
Watson throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Watson throws a knee to the head but misses.
Jones is trying to force a seperation but Watson has the dominant position.
Jones is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Watson lands a shot to the body.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Jones wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jones managing to block the knees to the body from Watson.
Watson tries to land a knee to the head but Jones blocks with his arms.

Jones pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Watson.
Jones stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Watson.

Jones shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Watson manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Watson pulls Jones in close to prevent any damage.
Jones with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Jones pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Watson is keeping the position for now.
Jones trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Jones trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jones throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Jones connects with a couple of short punches.
Watson not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Jones loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Jones pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Watson is keeping the position for now.
Watson looking to control.

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.
Watson lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Jones!
Jones really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Lincoln Jones has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Joseph Watson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Jones is working hard here to advance position.
Watson looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Watson lands a big elbow.
Jones is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Watson landing strikes from the mount and Jones is in trouble!

And that's the end of the fight!
Joseph Watson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Watson has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight for Joseph Watson!
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight for Joseph Watson!
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight for Joseph Watson!

Joseph Watson wins by unanimous decision!