PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Daquan Bowman (ranked 3024 p4p, 336 weight class) and Craig Wius (ranked 2510 p4p, 284 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Bowman
vs
Wius

172 cm
19
163 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

185 cm
25
162 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

Blue Moon

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Daquan Bowman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Craig Wius!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wius falls off balance throwing a combination
and Bowman counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Wius tries for a takedown but Bowman circles away easily
and Bowman counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Wius has Bowman up against the cage in a clinch.
Wius missing with knees to the body.
Bowman lands with a short head shot on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bowman lands with a short shot to the head.
Still in the clinch, Bowman scores with a nice short uppercut.
Bowman lands with a short shot to the head.
Wius tries a body shot but Bowman blocks it.
Bowman throws a head punch that misses.
Bowman lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bowman lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Bowman pushes Wius back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Bowman pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Craig Wius seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bowman throws an off balance right hand
and Wius counters with a series of strikes. Bowman will be more careful next time no doubt.
Wius moves in looking to clinch but Bowman pushes him off.
Bowman is looking to counter with a shot to the body.

Wius shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Wius was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Bowman might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Wius content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Wius throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Wius throws a strike aimed at the side of Bowman's head but Bowman avoids it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Wius with the ground and pound but Bowman regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Bowman looks like he's trying to stand up.
Bowman avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Wius.
Bowman is staying active underneath Wius, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Wius throws a strike but Bowman avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Wius engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Bowman is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Wius is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wius throws an elbow that misses. Bowman uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Wius's guard. Nice move by Bowman!

Wius is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Wius looking for a sweep. Not yet Wius, not yet.
Wius trying to control the position here.
Wius is trying to control the position but Bowman postures up.
Wius has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

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.
Bowman won't allow Wius to sweep him here.
Wius looking to control but Bowman passes into half guard.
Wius is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Wius makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Wius.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wius bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Bowman's guard.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daquan Bowman dominated that round.
That's time! Bowman's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Wius throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Bowman counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Wius gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Bowman.
Bowman throws a right hand that misses

and Wius counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Bowman trying to hold on to Wius's head to control him but Wius postures up.
Wius throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Bowman is looking to escape.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bowman is looking to control Wius's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Bowman avoid being mounted?
Still in half guard, Wius seems content to control.
Bowman is not content to let Wius control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bowman won't allow Wius to pass to mount.

Bowman is defending against the submission attempts here by Wius.
Bowman keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Wius has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
A cross from Bowman lands.
Wius tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bowman swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A combination from Bowman does no damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Wius fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Bowman to the ground. Wius is now in Bowman's guard.
Wius postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Wius wants to control from the top but Bowman keeps moving.
Wius looking to sit in guard and control but Bowman gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Wius controls Bowman momentarily but Bowman frees himself.

Wius working for a triangle but Bowman defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Wius has his foot on Bowman's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bowman works his way back into a safe position though.
Wius is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Wius has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Bowman is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Wius.
Wius is looking to regain half guard here but Bowman keeps moving and retains side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Wius sneaks back into half guard.
Wius trying to hold on to Bowman's head to control him but Bowman postures up.
Wius is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Wius trying to control but Bowman postures up.
Wius is trying to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Daquan Bowman will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Wius closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Bowman dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Bowman waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Wius.
Bowman misses with a head kick.
And Wius responds with a good body kick, but Bowman manages to step out the way in time.
Bowman getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bowman lands an overhand right.

Wius closes the distance and pushes Bowman back into the cage.
Bowman lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bowman pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Wius feints and as Bowman raises his hands in defense, Wius changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Wius postures up.
Wius distracts Bowman with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Bowman keeping moving, preventing Wius from controlling successfully.
Wius throws an elbow that misses. Bowman uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Wius's guard. Nice move by Bowman!

Wius wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Bowman is now in half guard.
Wius slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bowman is fighting to break Wius's control of his arms but Wius is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Bowman preventing the sweep.
Wius controlling Bowman's posture.
Wius trying to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wius managing to control the position.
Wius not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Craig Wius has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bowman is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Bowman throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Wius darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Both fighters circling a little - Bowman finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Bowman throws an overhand right that lands on Wius's shoulder, as Wius tries to avoid the shot.
Wius blocks a head kick by Bowman.
Wius listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Wius misses with a body shot
and Bowman connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Wius tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Bowman cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Wius is rocked!
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Bowman. Wius shrugs it off though.
Wius is still on wobbly legs! Can Bowman finish him?
Wius swings and misses with a shot to the body
letting Bowman counter with a right hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Daquan Bowman showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bowman, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Daquan Bowman!
Daquan Bowman really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Blue Moon logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.