PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Yacob Nilsen (ranked 1399 p4p, 1825 weight class) and Paul Joseph Watson (ranked 184 p4p, 228 weight class). Nilsen comes to the cage accompanied by Lil Wayne - Right above it. Watson has chosen Anarchy in the UK as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Nilsen
vs
Watson

188 cm
35
207
22 - 15 - 0

190 cm
28
213
11 - 7 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter

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 22 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Yacob Nilsen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Paul Joseph Watson!
The judges for this bout are Roger Salmon, Paul Gruel and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A solid leg kick lands there for Nilsen.
Nilsen attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Nilsen thuds his right hand into Watson's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Nilsen throws a right hand that misses
enabling Watson to counter with a crisp jab.
Watson avoids the body shot from Nilsen.
Nilsen throws a leg kick

and Watson counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Nilsen!
Watson tries to advance to mount but can't.
Nilsen is looking for a sweep.
Nilsen struggling a bit here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nilsen is not content to let Watson control the position.
Nilsen looks to move to half guard but instead Watson has passed into mount! Damn!
Nilsen tries to hold on but Watson postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Nilsen wants to control but Watson is having none of it.
Watson tries to control but Nilsen wriggling away.

Watson working for a guillotine from mount but Nilsen is in no mood to give up.
Nilsen wants to hold on but Watson pushes him away.
Watson trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Watson is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Nilsen is surviving well by controlling Watson's body position as best he can.
Watson throws some wild stikes that Nilsen manages to avoid easily.
Watson avoids the attempt from Nilsen to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nilsen is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Watson looking to finish with strikes here!
Watson looking to ground and pound but Nilsen is blocking nicely.
Nilsen manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Nilsen tries to get to full guard but Watson has control of the leg.
Watson is looking to take a break and control but Nilsen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Nilsen tries to get to full guard but Watson has control of the leg.
Watson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Nilsen is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Watson pulls his head out easily.
Nilsen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Watson.
Nilsen moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson passes Nilsen's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Watson has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Nilsen is looking to get to half guard.
Nilsen has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.
Nilsen turns into Watson and is now in his guard.
Watson wants to sweep here but Nilsen controlling him for the moment.
Nilsen trying to control but Watson is working from the bottom.
Watson can't keep his opponent in guard - Nilsen advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Watson wants to improve his position but Nilsen is controlling well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nilsen looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Watson with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Watson wants to get back to full guard.
Watson trying to hold on to Nilsen's head to control him but Nilsen postures up.

Nilsen seems to be working for a kimura but Watson defends the submission attempt.
Watson trying to control here.

Nilsen is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Joseph Watson dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Nilsen shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Watson counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Watson fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Nilsen on the side of the head.
Nilsen finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Watson's corner calls for a 1-2. Watson obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Watson with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Nilsen misses with an uppercut.
Nilsen jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Nilsen rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Watson counters with a thumping low kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nilsen throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Watson uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Nilsen.
Nilsen misses with the body kick
and Watson counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Nilsen tries for a takedown but Watson sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson throws a low kick but it's checked well by Nilsen.
Nilsen throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Watson's head.
Nilsen rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Watson connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nilsen tries to work over Watson's front leg with a kick but Watson checks it.
Nilsen swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

Watson gets caught napping as Nilsen dives in and scores a takedown. Watson manages to retain guard.
Nilsen trying to control but Watson is working from the bottom.
Watson trying to control the position.
Paul Joseph Watson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Watson wants to sweep but no luck.
Watson controlling Nilsen's posture.
Watson controls Nilsen momentarily but Nilsen frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Nilsen with a flurry of punches that miss.
Nilsen won't allow Watson to sweep him here.
Nilsen connects with a couple of short punches.
Watson keeping moving, preventing Nilsen from controlling successfully.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Nilsen's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Nilsen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Nilsen stopping the sweep attempt from Watson.
Nilsen working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Watson's head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nilsen postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Watson is looking for a triangle but Nilsen pushes his legs off easily.
Nilsen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Watson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Nilsen working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Watson's head.
Watson wants to sweep but no luck.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Watson is on top in guard.

Nilsen is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Watson is controlling him.

Nilsen is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Nilsen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Watson slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Watson advances to full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Watson has control of Nilsen's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Nilsen regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Nilsen keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Watson sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!

Watson is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Nilsen has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Nilsen regains half guard.
Watson wants to pass the guard but Nilsen is defending well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Paul Joseph Watson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Nilsen misses with a wild body shot.
Watson swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Watson on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
A telegraphed right hand from Nilsen misses the target.
Nilsen shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Watson defends it nicely.
Nilsen throws a predictable looking body shot
and Watson counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Watson takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
A low kick lands for Nilsen.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watson uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Nilsen has time to react.
Nilsen lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Watson at a distance.
Nilsen swings widly with a right hand
and Watson counters with a low kick, right behind Nilsen 's knee.
Nilsen swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Watson counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Watson scores with a punch to the head.
A looping hook to the body misses from Nilsen. Watson does a little dance to reset his feet.
Watson drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Nilsen defends it well.
Nilsen gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Watson connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nilsen shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Watson as he avoids it easily.
Watson looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Watson ducks under a wild hook from Nilsen.
Nilsen is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Watson.
Watson pivots, looking for a leg kick but Nilsen is out of range and Watson settles back down.
Watson avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Nilsen looks to throw the jab but Watson is out of range.
Watson drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Nilsen defends it well.
Nilsen takes a swing at Watson's ribcage but misses.
Nilsen throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nilsen throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Nilsen throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Watson sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Nilsen moves out of range as Watson throws a body kick.
Nilsen works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Nilsen misses with a looping left.
Watson sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Nilsen swings widly with a right hand
letting Watson counter with a right hand.
Nilsen tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Watson defends well and Nilsen ends up having to push Watson into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yacob Nilsen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nilsen gets through Watson's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Watson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nilsen misses with a low kick.
Nilsen misses with a head kick.
Watson feints the counter takedown.
Nilsen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Yacob Nilsen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nilsen fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Yacob Nilsen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nilsen connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Nilsen attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Watson was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Watson avoids the head kick by Nilsen.
Watson takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Nilsen misses with a lunging right hand
and Nilsen takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Nilsen fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Watson has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Nilsen misses with a left hand
and Watson counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Nilsen thinking.
Nilsen catches Watson with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Watson chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Nilsen throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Watson counters with a good low kick that Nilsen was not able to check.
Nilsen lands with a slapping head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A clash of legs there as Watson blocks the low kick.
Watson misses with a double jab.
As Watson backs away, Nilsen returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Nilsen throws a head kick that misses
and Watson counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Nilsen throws a right hand that misses

and Watson counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Nilsen!
Nilsen seems a little lost for a moment, as Watson dominates the positioning.
Nilsen defending against the ground and pound.
Nilsen is not content to let Watson control the position.
Nilsen tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Paul Joseph Watson is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Watson is looking to take a break and control but Nilsen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
You can see the frustration on Nilsen's face as Watson controls the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Paul Joseph Watson.
I've got Watson winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Roger Salmon scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 28:30
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paul Joseph Watson!
Paul Joseph Watson was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.