PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Takehiko Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cholo Van Gaal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cholo Van Gaal told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Watanabe
vs
Van Gaal

175 cm
25
160 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

177 cm
23
162 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

Sun-Tzu
Mohito Fightwear

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Takehiko Watanabe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Cholo Van Gaal!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, George Francis and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Van Gaal slips under a jab.
Van Gaal has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Watanabe is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Watanabe throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Van Gaal sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A looping hook to the body misses from Watanabe. Van Gaal does a little dance to reset his feet.
Watanabe looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Watanabe works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Watanabe throws a hook to the side of Van Gaal's head but Van Gaal sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Van Gaal clinches up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A nice left hand lands by Van Gaal.
Van Gaal tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Watanabe avoids it.
Watanabe can't break the clinch.
Watanabe is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Watanabe is trying to break free.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe blocking some punches.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Van Gaal takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but Van Gaal has him pressed against the cage.
Stalling in the clinch from Van Gaal.
Van Gaal struggles to land a body shot inside as Watanabe controls his hands.
Watanabe lands a hook that snaps the head of Van Gaal backwards.
Watanabe can't break the clinch.
Van Gaal working aggressively here.

Watanabe manages to break the clinch.
Watanabe throws a body shot but no joy.
A countering left hand to the body from Van Gaal misses.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

Watanabe gets tackled into the cage by Van Gaal. Van Gaal maintains the clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Van Gaal.
Van Gaal throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Watanabes head.
Van Gaal blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Watanabe is trying to maintain a safe position but Van Gaal gets an underhook and turns Watanabe into the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Van Gaal.
A bit of stalling here from Van Gaal.
Van Gaal throws a punch but it's blocked by Watanabe.
Van Gaal swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Watanabe stalling the fight.
Stalling in the clinch from Van Gaal.
Van Gaal is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Watanabe is defending well for now.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A right hand to the body from Van Gaal.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Van Gaal working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Van Gaal stalls.
Van Gaal misses with a body punch.
Van Gaal working aggressively here.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Van Gaal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Gaal has a couple of punches blocked by Watanabe.
Van Gaal swings wildly with an uppercut but Watanabe uses good head movement to avoid it.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Van Gaal.
Watanabe takes a shot to the head.
Van Gaal lands with a right to the head.

Watanabe is rocked!
Van Gaal is leaning against Watanabe and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Oh Watanabe is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Van Gaal misses with the head strike.
Watanabe seems to have got his legs back now.
Van Gaal lands a hook to the side of the head.
Van Gaal manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Watanabe swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Van Gaal effectively controlling the action here.
Van Gaal tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Watanabe avoids it.
Van Gaal misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Watanabe.
Watanabe working aggressively here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Gaal lands a nice uppercut.
A right handed body shot lands from Van Gaal.
Watanabe's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
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!
Van Gaal slowing the pace effectively.
Van Gaal misses with a hook from the clinch.
Van Gaal has Watanabe pushed against the cage.
Watanabe letting Van Gaal take a breather here.
Watanabe's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Van Gaal blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Van Gaal slows down the pace here.
Watanabe softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Van Gaal swings wildly with an uppercut but Watanabe uses good head movement to avoid it.
Van Gaal blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cholo Van Gaal dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Watanabe throws an off balance right hand
and Van Gaal counters with a stiff right hand.
Watanabe misses with a jab to the body
and Van Gaal counters with a straight right hand.
Van Gaal lands a glancing blow to the side of Watanabe's head.
Watanabe misses the shot to the body.
Watanabe misses with a body shot

and Van Gaal counters with a crisp one two that drops Watanabe! Van Gaal thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Watanabe to his feet! Watanabe is in big trouble!
Van Gaal misses with a wild body shot.
Van Gaal keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Van Gaal scores with a sloppy right hand. Watanabe should have avoided that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Van Gaal ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Van Gaal uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Watanabe.
Watanabe misses with a looping right.
Watanabe swings for the body but Van Gaal moves out of range.

Van Gaal rushes Watanabe and presses him up against the cage.
Watanabe taking a breather.
Watanabe takes a shot to the head.
Come on Van Gaal - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Come on Van Gaal - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Van Gaal lands a right hand.
Watanabe letting Van Gaal take a breather here.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Van Gaal.
Van Gaal effectively controlling the action here.
Van Gaal lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Van Gaal stalls.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Van Gaal.
Van Gaal swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Van Gaal lands a right hand that snaps the head of Watanabe backwards.
Watanabe swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A bit of stalling here from Van Gaal.
Van Gaal content to slow the pace in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Cholo Van Gaal.
Watanabe moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Watanabe digs a good body shot into Van Gaal's ribs.
Van Gaal tries to clinch up but Watanabe circles away and keeps his distance.
Van Gaal feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Watanabes jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Jab by Van Gaal.
Van Gaal wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Gaal's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Van Gaal duly obliges.
Van Gaal swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Watanabe throwing a counter right hand but Van Gaal manages to avoid it.

Van Gaal clinches up against the cage.
Van Gaal lands with a light punch inside.
Van Gaal keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Watanabe's efforts to push away.
Van Gaal throws a punch but it's blocked by Watanabe.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Van Gaal lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cholo Van Gaal showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Watanabe moves into range and connects with a jab.
Cholo Van Gaal seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Watanabe throws a leg kick that is checked
and Van Gaal counters with a left and a right... And another left! Watanabe is down! He's done! The ref dives in to save him and that's the end of the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:13 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Cholo Van Gaal!