PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Lance Hardwood (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Takeshi Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hardwood comes into the arena with Stone Sour - Last Of The Real blaring out of the sound system. Watanabe has chosen The Handsome Family - Far From Any Road as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Takeshi Watanabe will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Hardwood
vs
Watanabe

175 cm
25
145 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

175 cm
35
135 lbs
15 - 23 - 2

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lance Hardwood!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 23 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Takeshi Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watanabe takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
We've been hearing reports that Hardwood has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Watanabe fails to land with a series of punches.

Hardwood changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Watanabe looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Watanabe can do anything to dispel that myth.
Hardwood controlling the position from side mount.
Watanabe tries to bench press Hardwood off him but Hardwood keeps the position.
Hardwood slows the pace down.
Watanabe is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Hardwood has just dragged him back down to the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Watanabe is looking to regain half guard here but Hardwood keeps moving and retains side control.
Hardwood staying calm.
Watanabe looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Hardwood is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Watanabe will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Watanabe is trying to get back to his feet.
Hardwood taking a breather here.
Hardwood has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Watanabe is looking to reverse the position.
Hardwood controlling from side mount.
Watanabe tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
A lull in the action here as Hardwood stalls from top position.
This is a sustained period of stalling by Hardwood.
Watanabe is looking to regain half guard here but Hardwood keeps moving and retains side control.
Hardwood taking a breather here.
Watanabe is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Hardwood is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Watanabe will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Watanabe is looking to reverse the position.
Watanabe is being controlled here.
Watanabe is looking to reverse the position.
Hardwood moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Hardwood is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Watanabe tries to bench press Hardwood off him but Hardwood keeps the position.
Watanabe is being controlled here.
Watanabe is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
A lull in the action here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Watanabe is trying to get back to half guard.
Watanabe is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Watanabe trying to remain calm as Hardwood controls from the top position.
Watanabe is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Hardwood's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Watanabe is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lance Hardwood dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Watanabe looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hardwood shoots for a takedown but Watanabe saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Watanabe misses with a series of wild punches.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Watanabe!
Watanabe misses with a series of wild punches.

Hardwood shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Watanabe napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Watanabe is looking for a sweep.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hardwood controlling the position.
Watanabe pushes Hardwood away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Hardwood gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Watanabe is looking for a sweep.
Hardwood in side control, just content to control the action for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Hardwood has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Hardwood just content to control the position.
Hardwood passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Watanabe!
Watanabe wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Hardwood controlling from the full mount.
Lance Hardwood overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Watanabe sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Hardwood content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe wants to get back to his feet.
Hardwood looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Watanabe is trying to get back to full guard.
Hardwood is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Watanabe can do to turn this around?
Hardwood content to control rather than advance.
Further stalling from Hardwood.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe wants to get back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hardwood fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Hardwood bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Watanabe's head backwards.
Takeshi Watanabe is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Watanabe throws a right and a left that Hardwood avoids nicely.
Watanabe swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Watanabe throws a series of punches but Hardwood avoids them all with ease.
Hardwood looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lance Hardwood. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hardwood feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Hardwood controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
If it seems like I'm not saying a lot, it's just because Hardwood is stinking the place up with his stalling.
Hardwood seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Watanabe for as long as he can get away with.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Takeshi Watanabe will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Hardwood changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Watanabe tries to avoid it but Hardwood manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Watanabe to the ground. Watanabe escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Watanabe rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Hardwood moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Hardwood has a takedown stuffed.
Watanabe misses with a jab, cross combination.
Watanabe throws a series of punches but Hardwood moves out of range.
Hardwood appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

Hardwood shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Watanabe manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Hardwood is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Hardwood continues to stall.
Hardwood pushes down on Watanabe's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Hardwood seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe looks like he's trying to stand up.
Hardwood takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Watanabe pushes Hardwood off looking to stand but Hardwood dives back in and keeps control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Hardwood is taking a breather. Watanabe says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Watanabe wants to improve his position but Hardwood is controlling well.
Hardwood content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Watanabe wants to get back to his feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Watanabe throws a series of punches but Hardwood moves out of range.

Hardwood dives in and scores a takedown into Watanabe's guard.

Watanabe pushes Hardwood off and scrambles back to his feet.
Watanabe lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Hardwood backs up against the cage.

It looks like Lance Hardwood has been cut.
Takeshi Watanabe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Watanabe will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Watanabe takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A combination from Watanabe does no damage.

Hardwood fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Watanabe to the ground. Hardwood is now in Watanabe's guard.
Hardwood content to stall in guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Hardwood looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Watanabe wants to get back to his feet but Hardwood is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Watanabe fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Hardwood scores with a takedown into Watanabe's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hardwood stops Watanabe from standing up.
Hardwood controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Watanabe lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Watanabe trying to stand up but can't free himself from Hardwood's guard.
Watanabe is fighting to break Hardwood's control of his arms but Hardwood is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Takeshi Watanabe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Watanabe has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Takeshi Watanabe!