PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sylvester Malone (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Watson
vs
Malone

182 cm
41
210 lbs
33 - 9 - 0

184 cm
33
192 lbs
13 - 9 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 33 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, John Watson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sylvester Malone!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yukihiro Shimada and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watson throws a solid leg kick but Malone takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Watson.
Watson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Watson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Malone tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Watson throws a body shot but no joy.
Sylvester Malone seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A looping hook to the body misses from Watson. Malone does a little dance to reset his feet.
Watson is looking to clinch.
Malone has his takedown stuffed
and Watson counters with a nice uppercut.

Malone fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Watson to the ground. Malone is now in Watson's guard.
Malone looking to sit in guard and control but Watson gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Watson sitting in guard here, content to control.

Malone has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Watson can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Malone looking for a guillotine here but Watson defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Malone 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.
Watson loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Malone is looking for a triangle but Watson pushes his legs off easily.
Watson has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Malone wants to sweep but no luck.
Watson tries to free his leg and advance position but Malone is retaining full guard.
Watson wants to control from the top but Malone keeps moving.
Malone avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Watson slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Watson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Malone swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Malone is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Watson regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Malone.
Watson keeping moving, preventing Malone from controlling successfully.
Malone chips away with some ground and pound.
Malone engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Malone cracks Watson with a solid left hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Malone pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Watson is keeping the position for now.
Watson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Malone.
Watson controls Malone momentarily but Malone frees himself.
Malone has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Malone drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Watson dives on top into guard.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Watson stopping the sweep attempt from Malone.
Malone looking to control.
Watson won't allow Malone to sweep him here.
Watson wants to control from the top but Malone keeps moving.
Watson is really struggling to control Malone but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Watson controlling from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Malone lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Watson wants to stand up but Malone is controlling him.
Malone working some strikes from top position.
Malone with a nice head shot there.
Malone stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Watson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Watson trying to control the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sylvester Malone dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Watson leaves Malone with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Watson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Malone manages to avoid it.
Malone shoots in but no luck this time.
Watson was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Watson connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Malone gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Watson makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
John Watson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sylvester Malone.
Malone shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Watson sprawls well. Watson wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Malone gets slowly back to his feet.
Watson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Malone closes the distance and clinches up with Watson, looking for a takedown. Malone pushes Watson against the cage but Watson circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watson misses with a head kick.
Malone is trying hard to land a takedown here. Watson sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Watson thinks about countering with a body kick.
Watson misses the shot to the body.
Malone closes this distance looking for a takedown but Watson circles away.
Malone shoots in but no luck this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson lands a jab to Malone's midsection.
Malone staying out of range there.
Malone moves out of range of the leg kick from Watson.
Watson tests Malone's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Malone shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Watson but Watson pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Watson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Malone manages to avoid it.
Malone shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Watson counters with a head kick. That will keep Malone thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Watson turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Malone slips under a jab from Watson.

Malone shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Watson wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Malone throws an elbow that misses. Watson uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Malone's guard. Nice move by Watson!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Malone is adopting a defensive guard.
Malone is continuing to stall.

Malone looking for subs off his back but Watson has passed one foot through into half guard.
Watson is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Malone works to full guard.
Malone 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.
Watson trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Malone throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Watson escapes and throws Malone's legs to the side, diving into side control!

Watson stands up and beckons Malone to his feet.

Malone changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Watson looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Watson throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Watson looks to land a left hand but Malone moved out of range nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Malone connects with a body shot.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Malone fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Watson sprawls well initially but Malone persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Sylvester Malone has got the better of the ground game so far.
Watson trying to control from the bottom.
Watson is doing well to control the position and prevent Malone from advancing to side control.
Malone thows a huge punch but Watson dodges it nicely.
Malone lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Watson wants to control but Malone is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Malone misses with a head shot. Watson uses the momentum to regain guard.
Malone cracks Watson with a solid left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Watson dominated that second round.
That's time! Watson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Malone blocks a jab.
Malone doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Watson counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Watson is looking to score with low kicks.
Watson throws a big shot that misses.
Watson walks into a straight right hand from Malone.
Watson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Malone can do to turn this around?
Watson chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Malone shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Watson throws a quick counter kick to the body but Malone avoids it.
Watson looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Malone keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Malone will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
John Watson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sylvester Malone.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Watson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Watson slows down the pace here.
Watson throws a punch but it's blocked by Malone.
Malone lands a right hand that snaps the head of Watson backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson misses with a body punch.
Watson lands a left hand.

Watson manages to break the clinch.

Malone feints and as Watson raises his hands in defense, Malone changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Watson manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Malone manages to get himself to full guard.

Watson wants to control from the top but Malone keeps moving.
Malone tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Malone is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Malone is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Watson is aware though and is defending well.
Watson would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson trying to control the position from guard on top but Malone is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Malone is trying to keep Watson in close.
Malone keeping moving, preventing Watson from controlling successfully.
Watson is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Malone is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

Malone has an active guard here but Watson has managed to pass into half guard.
Malone tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Watson has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Malone is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson wants to control but instead Malone manages to regain half guard.
Watson trying to control the pace.
Watson trying to control the action but Malone is working from the bottom.
Malone wants to improve his position but Watson is controlling well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Malone moves into full guard.
Watson trying to control the position from guard on top but Malone is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Watson's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Malone had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Watson defends it easily.

Malone had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Watson defends it easily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Malone is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Watson showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Watson 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Watson!
Our winner, John Watson, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.
In defeat, Sylvester Malone stepped up to the mic, saying 'Fuck off...I demand a rematch..'.