PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tommy Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kamil Zygan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Watson
vs
Zygan

187 cm
22
195 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
20
198 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tommy Watson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kamil Zygan!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, George Francis and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Watson closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Watson lands in his opponent's guard.
Zygan wants to get back to his feet but Watson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Watson trying to move into half guard but instead Zygan has managed to sweep!
Watson wants to sweep but no luck.

Watson escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Zygan gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Watson striking from the bottom here.

Zygan avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Zygan decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Watson, up you get!

Watson shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Zygan napping and manages to drive through into side control!

That's one minute gone in the round.
An elbow from Watson crashes against the mat.
Zygan regains half guard there - taking advantage of Watson's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Zygan is trying to stand back up but Watson is controlling him
Zygan has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Watson is working away from the top position though.
Watson not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Watson is just content to waste time from the top position. Zygan takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Watson loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson wants to stand but Zygan has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Watsonis looking to pass into half guard but Zygan pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Zygan is in guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

Zygan avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Zygan trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Zygan tries to stand but Watson is controlling from the bottom.
Watson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Zygan trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Watson thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson wants to stand up but Zygan is controlling him.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Watson throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Watson is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Zygan trying to control but Watson is working from the bottom.
Watson pulls Zygan in close to his closed guard and prevents Zygan from doing any damage or advancing position.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Kamil Zygan wasn't active enough on the ground.

Watson bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Zygan is pushing Watson's head away, looking to escape. Watson manages to hold on to the position though.
Watson in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zygan prevents Watson from moving into mount.
Watson lands a few punches from side control.
Zygan is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Watson's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Watson lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Watson is stalling here. Zygan is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Watson seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Zygan has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Watson striking from the bottom but nothing landed.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Watson bucks up and tries to throw Zygan off but instead Zygan has got his back!
What can Watson do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tommy Watson dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Zygan gets caught flat footed, as Watson shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Watson throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Zygan works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Zygan is looking to stand up but Watson isn't so interested in that idea.
Watson lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Watson knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Zygan on the ground.
Watson looking to pass the guard.
Watson missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Watson looking to sit in guard and control but Zygan gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Watson is looking to stand back up but Zygan counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Watson.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson throws a strike from the bottom but Zygan passes into side control!
Watson tries to improve position but can't.
Watson wants to control but Zygan postures up.
Zygan scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Watson to see if he's OK.

Zygan stands up.

Watson looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Zygan!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zygan wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Watson.
Zygan is looking to improve his position but Watson isn't that keen on the idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson lands with some strikes.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Watson with shots to the head and body - Zygan looks very uncomfortable down there.
Zygan wants to control but Watson is having none of it.
Watson punishing his opponent with strikes.
Zygan is squirming around, avoiding Watson's attempts to control the action.
Watson scoring with strikes but Zygan is staying in there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zygan has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Watson's lack of action.
Zygan is trying to control but can't.
Watson working over Zygan with some ground and pound. Zygan looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Watson missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Watson thows a huge punch but Zygan dodges it nicely.
Watson is trying to control the action in half guard but Zygan is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Tommy Watson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Watson keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Zygan wants to control but Watson is keeping busy.
Watson is nestled in close to Zygan, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Zygan looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Watson content to control rather than advance.
Watson is just content to waste time from the top position. Zygan takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Zygan is looking for a triangle but Watson pushes his legs off easily.
Watson wants to control from the top but Zygan keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tommy Watson dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Watson darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Watson controlling the action here.

Zygan actively working from the bottom here.
Watson wants to stand up but Zygan is controlling the position.
Watson working Zygan over with strikes.
Watson is pressing down on Zygan's thigh, looking to free his foot. Zygan is holding on for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson thows a huge punch but Zygan dodges it nicely.
Watson is stalling here. Zygan is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Watson seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Zygan has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Watson pushes Zygan away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Zygan gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Zygan is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Watson has escaped the position, nice work there.
Watson tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Zygan looking for the choke from the back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.
Watson holding both Zygan 's hands and preventing any damage.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Watson trying to control but not successfully.
Zygan connects with a big shot to the side of Watson's head.

Zygan working for the choke.
Watson wants to escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson holding both Zygan 's hands and preventing any damage.
Zygan has the hooks in. Watson is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Watson rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Watson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Zygan is trying to control the action in half guard but Watson is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Zygan is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Watson has managed to free his arm - good work.
Watson is trying to stand back up but Zygan is controlling him

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson wants to get back to full guard but Zygan has mounted him!

Zygan is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Zygan wants to clinch up but Watson keeps it at a distance.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Zygan enables Watson to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Zygan manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Watson wants to control from the top but Zygan keeps moving.
Watson stops Zygan from standing up.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Zygan is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Watson defends well.
Kamil Zygan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tommy Watson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Watson looking to sit in guard and control but Zygan gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kamil Zygan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Watson has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28
Judge George Francis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tommy Watson!