PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Steven Nero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shane Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Nero
vs
Watson

168 cm
23
180 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

183 cm
25
175 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Gilop®

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Steven Nero!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shane Watson!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Shirou Masuda and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watson lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Watson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Watson is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Nero.
Nero tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Watson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A swing and a miss from Watson.
A head kick misses from Nero.
Nero is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Watson throws an off balance right hand

and Nero counters by clinching up.
Nero using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Watson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Nero looking to throw knees to the head but Watson is blocking nicely.
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 Nero walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Nero closes the distance and clinches.
Nero tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Nero tries to land a knee to the head but Watson blocks with his arms.
Nero scores a nice knee to the body.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nero just stands there and leans against the cage.
Steven Nero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shane Watson.
Nero throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Watson blocks it with crossed arms.
Nero throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Watson blocks it with crossed arms.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nero just stands there and leans against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson jumps guard but Nero stands there with Watson around his waist. Watson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Nero tries to land a knee to the head but Watson blocks with his arms.
Watson jumps guard but Nero stands there with Watson around his waist. Watson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Watson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Nero lands a knee to the head.
Knees in the clinch landing for Nero.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Nero landing knees to the head.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Nero lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Knees to the body from Nero.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nero just stands there and leans against the cage.
Watson jumps guard but Nero stands there with Watson around his waist. Watson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero won't allow it.
Watson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Nero smiles and moves away.
Watson digs a good hook to Nero's body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson missing with a left hand there. Nero was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Nero tries to clinch up.
Watson throws an off balance right hand

and Nero counters by moving into the clinch.
Nero working Watson over with knees to the body.
Watson jumps guard but Nero stands there with Watson around his waist. Watson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Watson fails to pull guard.
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 Nero walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Watson stalks Nero and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Nero's face. Nero staggers backwards, shaken.
Watson misses with a straight right.

Nero instigates a clinch.
Watson jumps guard but Nero stands there with Watson around his waist. Watson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Nero landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nero with a knee to the head.

It looks like Shane Watson has been cut.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
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 Nero walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Watson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Nero moves away.
Watson scores with a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nero keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Watson.
Nero avoids the body shot from Watson.
Nero is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A big left from Watson misses.
Nero shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Nero tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Watson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A big right from Watson misses.
Watson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

Nero rushes Watson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Nero lands a good knee to the midsection. Watson won't want to take too many of those.
Nero throws a knee to the head but misses.
Watson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Watson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Watson jumps guard but Nero stands there with Watson around his waist. Watson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Knees in the clinch landing for Nero.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nero working Watson over with knees to the body.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero won't allow it.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
Nero tries to land a knee to the head but Watson blocks with his arms.
Watson jumps guard but Nero stands there with Watson around his waist. Watson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Nero throws a knee to the head but misses.
Watson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
Nero looking to throw knees to the head but Watson is blocking nicely.
Watson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Watson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Nero scores with a knee to the head.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
A knee to the head by Nero.
Nero tries to land a knee to the head but Watson blocks with his arms.
Nero crunches a lovely knee into Watson's ribcage.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Watson jumps guard but Nero stands there with Watson around his waist. Watson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Nero unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Nero lands a good knee to the midsection. Watson won't want to take too many of those.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nero just stands there and leans against the cage.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero won't allow it.
A knee to the head by Nero.
Nero misses with a knee strike.
Nero with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Nero with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Nero looking to throw knees to the head but Watson is blocking nicely.
Nero scores a nice knee to the body.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero won't allow it.
Nero crunches a lovely knee into Watson's ribcage.
Nero using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Watson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Nero utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
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 Nero walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Watson misses with a straight left.
Watson throws a sloppy body shot
and Nero counters with a head kick. That will keep Watson thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
A big left from Watson misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Nero looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Nero tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Watson manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Watson throws the left hand but Nero avoids the punch easily.
Nero tries to close the distance and clinch up but Watson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Nero is looking to clinch.
Watson lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

Nero has taken the fight to the clinch.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nero just stands there and leans against the cage.
Nero unloads a knee to the mid-section.
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 Nero walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Nero tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Nero tries to close the distance and clinch up but Watson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Nero bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Nero tries to clinch up but Watson circles away and keeps his distance.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Watson throws a hook to the side of Nero's head but Nero sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Nero wants to clinch up but Watson keeps it at a distance.
Nero is looking to clinch but Watson is avoiding it.
Watson waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Nero.
Nero throws a head kick but Watson moves out of range.
Watson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Watson throws a hook but Nero avoids it easily.
Watson throws a right hand that misses

and Nero counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Watson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Watson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Nero smiles and moves away.
Nero tries to clinch but Watson is having none of it.
Nero wants to clinch.
Nero displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Watson throws out the jab.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Nero drives through and clinches with Watson against the cage.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nero just stands there and leans against the cage.
Watson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Nero smiles and moves away.
Nero tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Nero moves in looking to clinch but Watson pushes him off.
Nero displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Watson throws out the jab.

Nero closes the distance and clinches.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
Nero with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Watson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Watson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Nero smiles and moves away.
Nero fakes the leg kick and cracks Watson in the body.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Watson avoids the head kick by Nero.
Nero fails in his attempt to clinch.
Steven Nero seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nero moves forwards but Watson connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Watson looks to land a right hand but Nero moved out of range.
Watson with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Nero lands a leg kick that knocks Watson off balance momentarily.
Watson throws a jab but it's blocked by Nero.
Watson pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Nero misses with a head kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Watson throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Nero stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Nero walks into a stiff left hand from Watson.
Nero tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Watson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steven Nero dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Shane Watson's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Watson misses with a straight right.
Watson misses with an uppercut.
Watson lands a right hook to the body.
Watson lunges at Nero with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Nero's hand.
Watson misses with a looping left.
Nero wants to clinch.
A swing and a miss from Watson.
Watson misses with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watson throws a big shot that misses.
Nero takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Watson is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Nero tries to close the distance and clinch but Watson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Steven Nero is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nero misses with a head kick.
Watson throws out a powerful jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nero tries to clinch up but Watson circles away and keeps his distance.
Watson scores with a nice right hand.
Watson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nero tries to clinch but Watson is having none of it.
Watson lands the left hand.
Watson misses with a lunging right hand

and Nero counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nero just stands there and leans against the cage.
Nero misses with a knee to the head.
Nero using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Watson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Watson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Steven Nero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shane Watson.
Nero tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Nero tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Watson avoids it.
Watson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Nero smiles and moves away.
Watson misses with the combination.
Nero tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Watson paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nero tries to close the distance and clinch but Watson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Nero gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nero just stands there and leans against the cage.
Nero tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Nero tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Watson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Nero looking to throw knees to the head but Watson is blocking nicely.
Watson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Watson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Nero looking to throw knees to the head but Watson is blocking nicely.
Nero tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Nero tries to land a knee to the head but Watson blocks with his arms.
Watson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
A knee to the head by Nero.
Nero looking to throw knees to the head but Watson is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Steven Nero has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Nero with a knee to the head.
Watson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Nero just stands there and leans against the cage.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
Nero working Watson over with knees to the body.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero won't allow it.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero won't allow it.
Nero lands a nice knee to the body.
Watson fails to pull guard.
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 Nero walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Nero moves in looking to clinch but Watson pushes him off.
Nero keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Watson.
Watson avoids the head kick by Nero.
Nero doesn't manage to clinch there - Watson circles away.
Watson takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Watson lands a right hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson just misses with a punch to the body.
A swing and a miss from Watson.
Nero tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Watson slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Shane Watson seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Nero tries to clinch up.
Watson keeps the fight on the outside.
Nero is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Watson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Watson clobbers Nero with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Nero tries to land a front kick but Watson steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Nero throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Watson cracks a nice hook into Nero's ribs.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Watson connects with a leg kick. Nero looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Nero fails in his attempt to clinch.
Watson catches Nero with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Watson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Watson throws a right hand that misses

and Nero counters by moving into the clinch.
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 Nero walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Watson looks to land a left hand but Nero moved out of range nicely.
Watson throws a low kick but Nero moves out of range easily.

Nero clinches with his opponent.
Nero scores a nice knee to the body.
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 Nero walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Watson lands a nice hook to Nero's body. Nero takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Watson lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Nero at a distance.
Nero scores with a head kick.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Watson circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Watson bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Nero's head backwards.
Nero throws a head kick that misses
and Watson counters with a right hand to the body.
Nero doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Nero avoids the body shot from Watson.
Watson bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Nero's head backwards.
Good standup being displayed there by Watson as he connects with a hook.
Nero doesn't manage to clinch there - Watson circles away.

Nero closes the distance and clinches.
Nero lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Watson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero won't allow it.
Watson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Watson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Nero smiles and moves away.
Nero closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Watson with a jab.
Nero takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Watson lands a right hook to the body.
Nice straight punches there by Watson. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Watson.
Watson connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Nero's hands.
Watson avoids the head kick by Nero.
Watson scores with a crisp jab that stopped Nero in his tracks.

Nero moves into the clinch successfully.
Watson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Nero misses with a knee strike.
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 Nero walks away with a smile on his face. Watson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Nero tries to clinch
and Watson counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Watson connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Nero momentarily.
Watson fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Nero looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Watson lands with an overhand left.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Watson feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Neros jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Nero tries to clinch but Watson moves out of range.
Nero takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Watson falls off balance throwing a combination

and Nero counters by moving into the clinch.
Watson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Watson tries to pull guard but Nero holds him up against the cage and eventually Watson drops back down to his feet.
Nero scores with a knee to the head.
Nero with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Watson fails to pull guard.
Nero tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Nero connects with a nasty looking knee right to Watson's face.
Watson jumps guard but Nero stands there with Watson around his waist. Watson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Nero using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Nero looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Watson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Nero smiles and moves away.
Watson scores with a nice strike.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Watson misses with a lunging right hand

and Nero moves into the clinch.
Nero tries to land a knee to the head but Watson blocks with his arms.
Nero with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Nero putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Watson in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Nero throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Watson blocks it with crossed arms.

Watson gets control of Nero's arms and successfully pulls guard. Watson will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Watson trying to keep a closed guard but Nero is proving a slippery customer.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Watson has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Nero wants to stand but Watson has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shane Watson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I have no idea who won that fight. Let's wait and see whether the judges are as confused as me! Time for a split decision perhaps?!. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight for Steven Nero!
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight for Steven Nero!
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight for Steven Nero!

Steven Nero wins by unanimous decision!