PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hero Watanabe (ranked 6497 p4p, 531 weight class) and Rizky Nanda (ranked 10007 p4p, 638 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Watanabe
vs
Nanda

178 cm
21
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

171 cm
22
149 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hero Watanabe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rizky Nanda!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Paul Aken and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nanda tries a head kick but it misses.
Watanabe fires out a quick counter leg kick but Nanda just manages to avoid it.
Watanabe circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nanda connects with a good right hand that stumbles Watanabe. Watanabe circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Watanabe fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Nanda sprawls well initially but Watanabe persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Watanabe working the head and body with strikes.
We've been hearing good reports from Watanabe's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Watanabe has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Watanabe looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Nanda is looking for a sweep. Watanabe is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nanda trying to control from the bottom.
Nanda taking some punishment here, with Watanabe in his half guard.
Nanda slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Nanda is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe won't allow Nanda to sweep him here.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Nanda is on top in guard.

Nanda trying to control but Watanabe is working from the bottom.
Watanabe bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Nanda's guard.

Nanda looking for a sweep. Not yet Nanda, not yet.

Watanabe stands up from Nanda's guard - Watanabe perhaps looking for a knockout.
Nanda lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe misses with a two punch combination.
Nanda lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

Watanabe fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Nanda sprawls well initially but Watanabe persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nanda is trying to stand.
Watanabe not doing much here.
Nanda tries to get to full guard but Watanabe has control of the leg.
Nanda looks winded!

Watanabe looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Nanda gets full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Nanda not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Watanabe stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Nanda swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Nanda can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Watanabe controls the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Watanabe is looking to work some ground and pound but Nanda has wrist control.
Nanda trying to keep a closed guard but Watanabe is proving a slippery customer.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Watanabe scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Nanda is trying to get back to half guard.
The referee asks Watanabe politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Watanabe prefers to stall for the moment though.
Nanda wants to get back to his feet but Watanabe drags him back down.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Watanabe tries for a kimura but Nanda is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Hero Watanabe will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Nanda misses with a takedown attempt - Watanabe sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Watanabe shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Nanda's guard.
Watanabe connects with a couple of short punches.
Nanda looking to control.
Watanabe stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Nanda swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Nanda can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Watanabe controls the pace.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nanda tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hero Watanabe overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Watanabe is looking to work some ground and pound but Nanda has wrist control.
Watanabe postures up.
Watanabe sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Nanda's guard.
Watanabe stops Nanda from getting back to his feet.
Nanda is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Nanda is breathing heavily.
Still in half guard, Watanabe seems content to control.
Nanda is looking to control Watanabe's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Nanda avoid being mounted?
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Watanabe is looking for a kimura here.
Nanda wants to control but Watanabe is keeping busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Watanabe passes to side control.
Nanda wants to get back to his feet but Watanabe drags him back down.
Watanabe tries to stand but Nanda controls the position and pulls Watanabe into his guard.
Watanabe content to stall in guard here.
Nanda looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Nanda works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Nanda is looking to stand up but Watanabe isn't so interested in that idea.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Nanda fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Watanabe manages to avoid it.

Watanabe shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Nanda is trying to defend but Watanabe finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Watanabe seems to be working for a kimura but Nanda defends the submission attempt.

Watanabe is trying to work for a kimura but Nanda is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Nanda's head.
Nanda wants to get back to his feet.
Nanda wants to control but Watanabe is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Nanda actively working from the bottom here.
Watanabe content to control rather than advance.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nanda trying to hold on to Watanabe's head to control him but Watanabe postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hero Watanabe dominated that second round.
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. And we move into the final round!

Watanabe manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Nanda on his heels. He'll look to pass Nanda's guard now, I'm sure.
Watanabe wants to pass the guard but Nanda is keeping the position.
Watanabe sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Nanda's guard.
Watanabe is taking a breather. Nanda 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 lands with a punch from half guard.
Nanda is trying to stand back up but Watanabe is controlling him
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nanda is trying to control but can't.
Watanabe sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Nanda defending well though.
Nanda looks like he's trying to stand up.

Watanabe is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Nanda defends it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nanda wants to control but Watanabe is keeping busy.
Watanabe wants to pass the guard but Nanda is defending well.
Nanda is trying to control but can't.
Watanabe is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Nanda can do to turn this around?
Watanabe tries to stand and escape but Nanda is controlling the position.
Watanabe scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Watanabe tries to pass the half guard into mount. Nanda knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Nanda is looking to improve his position.
Nanda takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Watanabe prevents Nanda from standing back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Watanabe feints and as Nanda raises his hands in defense, Watanabe changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Watanabe would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Nanda is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Nanda is on top in guard.

Watanabe pushes a forearm under Nanda's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Nanda is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Hero Watanabe!