PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tadashi Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Asko Ilmarinen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Asko Ilmarinen has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Watanabe
vs
Ilmarinen

186 cm
23
216 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

178 cm
24
250 lbs
8 - 8 - 1

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Big heart

Good takedowns
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tadashi Watanabe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Asko Ilmarinen!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Yuuki Gou and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watanabe misses with a wild body shot.
A right-left combo lands from Watanabe.

Ilmarinen takes the fight into the clinch.
Watanabe tries for a takedown. No joy.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Watanabe.
Watanabe tries to throw a body punch but Ilmarinen avoids it by throwing Watanabe back against the cage.
Ilmarinen blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Ilmarinen turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Ilmarinen cracks Watanabe with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Watanabe wants to control but Ilmarinen postures up.
Watanabe definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Ilmarinen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Watanabe keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ilmarinen in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Watanabe is looking to reverse the position.
Watanabe gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Watanabe is trying to maintain the position but Ilmarinen is very close to passing his half guard.

Ilmarinen is looking for a kimura here.
Watanabe trying to control from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ilmarinen wants to take a breather but Watanabe is having none of it.
Ilmarinen thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Watanabe's head.
Ilmarinen is trying to control the action in half guard but Watanabe is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Watanabe tries to get to full guard but Ilmarinen has control of the leg.
Watanabe gets back to full guard.
Ilmarinen cracks Watanabe with a solid left hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ilmarinen trying to control but Watanabe is working from the bottom.
Watanabe on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Watanabe tries to get out of the position.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Ilmarinen preventing the sweep.
Ilmarinen being controlled here momentarily.
Watanabe is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Ilmarinen slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Watanabe tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Ilmarinen presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Watanabe is looking to improve his position but Ilmarinen isn't that keen on the idea.
Ilmarinen lands with some strikes.
Watanabe avoids a series of strikes thrown by Ilmarinen.
Ilmarinen looking to finish with strikes here!
Watanabe can't escape the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ilmarinen throwing strikes here but Watanabe is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

Ilmarinen gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

Ilmarinen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Asko Ilmarinen dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Watanabe misses with a body shot.
Watanabe stuffs the takedown attempt from Ilmarinen. Ilmarinen gets slowly back to his feet.
Watanabe lands a nice shot to the body.
Watanabe connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Ilmarinen momentarily.
Ilmarinen on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Watanabe lands a lovely overhand right.
Ilmarinen has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Watanabe gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Ilmarinen to score an easy takedown into full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ilmarinen decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Ilmarinen shoots in and drives through. Watanabe sprawls well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe works the jab nicely.
Watanabe misses the shot to the body.
Watanabe looks to score with a jab to the body but Ilmarinen is just out of range.
Watanabe looks to score with a jab to the body but Ilmarinen is just out of range.
Ilmarinen is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Ilmarinen misses with a series of wild punches.
Watanabe misses with a double jab.
Danga de danga de dang - Watanabe scores with a four punch combination!
Watanabe scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Watanabe rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Ilmarinen moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Ilmarinen drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Watanabe defends it well.
Watanabe misses the jab.
Watanabe is looking to wear down Ilmarinen with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Watanabe looks to score with a jab to the body but Ilmarinen is just out of range.
Ilmarinen takes a body punch but keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Watanabe tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ilmarinen was well out of range. Poor timing from Watanabe.

Ilmarinen 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.
Ilmarinen has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Watanabe is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Watanabe is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Ilmarinen showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Watanabe is working an open guard so Ilmarinen takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Ilmarinen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Watanabe as he jumps to the side.
Tadashi Watanabe has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Asko Ilmarinen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ilmarinen shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Watanabe sprawls well. Watanabe wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Ilmarinen gets slowly back to his feet.
Watanabe cracks Ilmarinen with a right hand to the side of the head.
Ilmarinen shoots in but Watanabe avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Watanabe lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Watanabe misses with a jab to the body

and Ilmarinen counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ilmarinen drags the fight down to the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Ilmarinen throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Watanabe trying to control the position from guard on top but Ilmarinen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Watanabe postures up and lands a big shot to Ilmarinen's brow.
Watanabe lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Ilmarinen pulls Watanabe in close to prevent any damage.
Watanabe throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tadashi Watanabe dominated that second round.
That's time! Watanabe's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Watanabe lands a jab to Ilmarinen's midsection.
Watanabe lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Ilmarinen circles away quickly and effectively.
Watanabe keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Asko Ilmarinen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ilmarinen fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
It looked like Watanabe was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Watanabe lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Watanabe checks a leg kick.
Watanabe tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ilmarinen was well out of range. Poor timing from Watanabe.
Watanabe misses the shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ilmarinen shoots in looking for a takedown. Watanabe tries to sprawl out of it but Ilmarinen keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Watanabe manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Watanabe throwing a counter right hand but Ilmarinen manages to avoid it.
Tadashi Watanabe has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Asko Ilmarinen.
Watanabe looks to score with a jab to the body but Ilmarinen is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ilmarinen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Watanabe swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Watanabe throws a body punch but Ilmarinen moves out of range.
Watanabe misses with a series of wild punches.
Watanabe throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Watanabe misses with a wild combination.
Watanabe lands an overhand right.
Ilmarinen tries to clinch there but Watanabe circles away.
Watanabe is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Ilmarinen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Watanabe.
Watanabe fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ilmarinen manages to avoid it.
Ilmarinen throws a counter combo.
The fighters circling - Watanabe throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe misses with a series of wild punches.
Ilmarinen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Watanabe.
Some wild striking there from Watanabe.
Ilmarinen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Watanabe as he jumps to the side.
Ilmarinen shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Watanabe counters with a nice uppercut.

Ilmarinen decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Watanabe is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Watanabe is trying to control but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe is looking for a sweep. Ilmarinen is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Ilmarinen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Watanabe keeps working.
Ilmarinen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Ilmarinen trying to control the action but Watanabe is working from the bottom.
Ilmarinen not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Ilmarinen seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Ilmarinen wants to take a breather but Watanabe is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Ilmarinen is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Watanabe is looking to control Ilmarinen's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Watanabe avoid being mounted?
Ilmarinen tries to pass the half guard into mount. Watanabe knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Watanabe has a hand on Ilmarinen's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Ilmarinen takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Watanabe tries to reverse the position but Ilmarinen maintains control.
Watanabe is just holding on here. Ilmarinen manages to take his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tadashi Watanabe showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Watanabe 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tadashi Watanabe!
After the fight, Tadashi Watanabe was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.