PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Sinhjo Babalu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Luigi Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Watanabe's choice of entrance music: Bad Man A Step. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Babalu
vs
Watanabe

168 cm
27
166 lbs
13 - 7 - 1

175 cm
22
164 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Sinhjo Babalu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Luigi Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, Gregory Folan and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watanabe tries to move into range but Babalu moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Babalu keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Babalu swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Watanabe takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Watanabe takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Babalu shoots in but no luck this time.
Babalu tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Watanabe swivels and escapes.
Babalu fails in his attempt to clinch.
Babalu ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babalu throws a nice head kick!
Luigi Watanabe is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Babalu throws a sloppy head kick
and Babalu takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Babalu looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Babalu misses with an uppercut. Watanabe saw that one coming.
A lazy left from Watanabe finds it's target.
Babalu fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Watanabe.
Babalu thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Watanabe if he has to take too many more of those.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Babalu throws a leg kick
and Watanabe counters with a nice kick to the body.
Watanabe misses with a lunging right hand
and Babalu counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Babalu plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Babalu misses with a hook
and Watanabe counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Babalu pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Watanabe's jab looks to have found its range, popping Babalu under the eye.
Babalu misses with a lunging right hand
and Watanabe counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babalu throws a push kick but Watanabe slaps the foot to one side.
Watanabe has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Babalu moves out of range as Watanabe strikes.
Babalu throws a head kick that misses.
Babalu throws a chopping leg kick but Watanabe manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Watanabe circles away from the clinch attempt.
Babalu lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

Watanabe clinches with his opponent.

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.
Babalu trying to stall but Watanabe improves his position.

Watanabe manages to break the clinch.
Babalu throws a nice head kick!
Babalu tries to land a front kick but Watanabe steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Babalu scores with a nice body kick.
Watanabe swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Babalu tries to clinch up but Watanabe circles away and keeps his distance.
Watanabe swings widly with a right hand
enabling Babalu to counter with a crisp jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Sinhjo Babalu will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Babalu works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Watanabe staying out of range there.
Babalu looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sinhjo Babalu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Babalu misses with a low kick.
Watanabe throws a lazy uppercut
and Babalu counters with a good low kick that Watanabe was not able to check.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Babalu tries to work over Watanabe's front leg with a kick but Watanabe checks it.
Watanabe moves out of range as Babalu strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Babalu.
Babalu misses with a right hand
and Watanabe counters with a straight right hand.
Watanabe misses with an uppercut.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Babalu is defended easily by Watanabe.
Babalu throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Babalu.
Babalu throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Watanabe.
Babalu scores with a jab to the body.
Watanabe misses with a lunging right hand
and Babalu counters with a head kick. That will keep Watanabe thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Watanabe takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Babalu shoots in but Watanabe avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Babalu looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babalu fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Babalu connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Watanabe throws an off balance right hand

and Babalu counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Watanabe's guard now.
Babalu showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Babalu tries to free his leg and advance position but Watanabe is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Babalu trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Babalu missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Watanabe keeping full guard, as Babalu tries to pass.
Babalu slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Babalu trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Watanabe keeping moving, preventing Babalu from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sinhjo Babalu dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Babalu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Babalu cracks a nice hook into Watanabe's ribs.
Babalu throws a body kick the misses
and Babalu takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Watanabe slips a straight right by Babalu.
Watanabe with a nice cross.
Watanabe might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Babalu throws a sloppy head kick and Watanabe moves out of range easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Watanabe displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Babalu throws out the jab.
Babalu throws a head kick but Watanabe moves out of range.
Babalu keeps Watanabe at a distance using the push kick.
Watanabe lands with a hook. Babalu tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Watanabe throws a right hand that misses
and Babalu counters with a solid body kick.
Watanabe throws a left and a right that both miss
and Babalu counters with an inside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A chopping leg kick lands by Babalu.

Watanabe pushes Babalu up against the cage in a clinch.

Watanabe pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Babalu throws a lazy uppercut
and Watanabe counters with a nice kick to the body.
Watanabe on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

Watanabe has closed the distance and engaged Babalu in a clinch.

Watanabe breaks from the clinch.
Watanabe moves forwards but Babalu connects with a nice, crisp jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babalu lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Watanabe displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Babalu throws out the jab.
Babalu looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Babalu shoots for a takedown but Watanabe saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Babalu tries to clinch up.
Watanabe connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe misses with a left hand
and Babalu cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Watanabe throws a jab when Babalu was well out of range.
Babalu jabs Watanabe to the body, keeping him at a distance.

Babalu gets a double leg takedown into Watanabe's guard.
Sinhjo Babalu is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Babalu prevents Watanabe from getting back to his feet.
Babalu has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Babalu trying to control but Watanabe is working from the bottom.
Luigi Watanabe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Babalu showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Luigi Watanabe.
I think Babalu 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Luigi Watanabe!