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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between The Maan (ranked 667 p4p, 1868 weight class) and Akira Watanabe (ranked 84 p4p, 219 weight class). The Maan has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?
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| 210 cm
29
280
8 - 3 - 0 |
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192 cm
28
271
8 - 0 - 0 |
Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Very strong |
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BJJ White Belt
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank |
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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 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, The Maan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Akira Watanabe !
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Igor Prikhodko and Konstantin Menshow.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watanabe takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Maan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Watanabe was well out of range. Poor timing from Maan.
Watanabe is looking to clinch.
Maan scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Watanabe fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Maan, pushing him back against the cage.
Maan stalling the fight.
Maan wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Watanabe with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Watanabe scores with a knee to the head.
It looks like The Maan has been cut.
Watanabe is trying to maintain a safe position but Maan gets an underhook and turns Watanabe into the cage.
Maan on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Maan lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Maan slowing the pace effectively.
Watanabe tries a knee to the head but Maan blocks it.
Maan will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Watanabe up against the cage.
Maan misses with the head strike.
Watanabe using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Maan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Maan on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Maan wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Maan lands with a right to the head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Maan.
Maan content to slow the pace in the clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Maan takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Watanabe connects with a nasty looking knee right to Maan's face.
Watanabe working Maan over with knees to the body.
Maan is breathing heavily.
Watanabe unloads a knee to the mid-section. Maan lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Watanabe scores with a knee to the head.
Watanabe using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Maan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Knees in the clinch landing for Watanabe .
Watanabe has Maan pressed against the cage.
Watanabe misses with a knee to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Knees to the body from Watanabe .
Watanabe stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe throws a knee to the head but misses.
Watanabe trying to land knees to the body.
Watanabe working Maan over with knees to the body.
Watanabe with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Maan takes a knee right on the jaw!
Watanabe scores with a knee to the head.
Watanabe tries to land a knee to the head but Maan blocks with his arms.
Maan avoiding damage as Watanabe throws knees to the body.
Watanabe utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Watanabe tries a knee to the head but Maan blocks it.
Watanabe using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Maan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Maan misses with a punch to the body.
Watanabe trying to land knees to the body.
Watanabe trying to land knees to the body.
Knees in the clinch landing for Watanabe .
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maan letting Watanabe take a breather here.
The referee is keeping an eye on Watanabe - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Watanabe lands a good knee to the midsection. Maan won't want to take too many of those.
Watanabe lands a knee to the head.
We've been informed that Watanabe has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Watanabe landing knees to the body.
Watanabe leaning his opponent against the cage.
Watanabe with a knee to the head.
Watanabe with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Watanabe blocks a body shot from Maan.
Watanabe lands a nice knee to the body.
Watanabe looking to throw knees to the head but Maan is blocking nicely.
Watanabe using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Maan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Maan is trying to break the clinch but Watanabe has him pressed against the cage.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maan tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Maan has had enough of the clinch but Watanabe keeps him there for the moment.
Watanabe utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Watanabe using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Maan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Maan avoiding damage as Watanabe throws knees to the body.
Watanabe tries a knee to the head but Maan blocks it.
Maan managing to block the knees to the body from Watanabe .
Maan stalling in the clinch but Watanabe improves position.
Watanabe utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Watanabe utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Maan on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Watanabe with a knee to the head.
Maan throws a punch but it's blocked by Watanabe .
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Akira Watanabe dominated that round.
The cut man is working on The Maan's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!
Watanabe forces Maan back against the cage and clinches.
Akira Watanabe seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Watanabe blocking some punches.
Maan stalling the fight.
Maan trying to stall but Watanabe improves his position.
Watanabe landing knees to the body.
Watanabe crunches a lovely knee into Maan's ribcage.
Watanabe tries to land knees in the clinch but Maan avoids the damage to the body.
Maan takes a knee to the side of the body.
Watanabe unloads a knee to the mid-section. Maan lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Maan takes a knee right on the jaw!
Watanabe lands a good knee to the midsection. Maan won't want to take too many of those.
Watanabe tries to land a knee to the head but Maan blocks with his arms.
Watanabe with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Maan takes a knee to the side of the body.
Watanabe misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Maan.
Maan avoiding damage as Watanabe throws knees to the body.
Watanabe is looking to control Maan's arms but Maan gets an underhook and turns him. Now Watanabe has his back to the cage.
Watanabe is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Maan is defending well for now.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Maan has a couple of punches blocked by Watanabe .
Maan wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Watanabe using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Watanabe lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Watanabe using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Watanabe throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Maan blocks it with crossed arms.
Watanabe landing knees to the body.
Watanabe lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Watanabe lands a nice knee to the body.
Watanabe stalling in the clinch but Maan improves position.
Maan can't break the clinch.
Watanabe tries to land knees in the clinch but Maan avoids the damage to the body.
Watanabe connects with a nasty looking knee right to Maan's face.
Watanabe trying to land knees to the body.
Watanabe throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Maan blocks it with crossed arms.
Watanabe connects with a nasty looking knee right to Maan's face.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Watanabe crunches a lovely knee into Maan's ribcage.
Watanabe stalls.
Watanabe utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Watanabe manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Watanabe scores with a knee to the head.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Watanabe throws a knee to the head but misses.
Watanabe with a knee to the head.
Watanabe looking to throw knees to the head but Maan is blocking nicely.
Watanabe trying to stall but Maan improves his position.
Watanabe tries to land knees in the clinch but Maan avoids the damage to the body.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maan working hard to break the clinch.
Maan misses with a punch to the body.
Watanabe throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Maan blocks it with crossed arms.
A hook to the body from Maan.
Watanabe misses with a knee strike.
Maan displaying some good clinch control by pressing Watanabe up against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Maan.
Watanabe with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Watanabe trying to land knees to the body.
Watanabe with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Watanabe tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Maan manages to break the clinch.
We've been told by Maan's head coaches at BKC Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Watanabe is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Maan appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Maan scores with a nice right hand.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Maan.
Maan lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Watanabe tries to clinch
and Maan counters with a nice uppercut.
Good shot there by Maan.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Watanabe is looking to clinch but Maan is avoiding it.
Watanabe tries to clinch there but Maan circles away.
Maan appears to be looking for a big counter.
Maan is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Watanabe moves into the clinch.
Maan's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Watanabe misses with a knee to the head.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Watanabe as Maan tries to tie him up.
Watanabe throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Maan blocks it with crossed arms.
Maan misses with a body punch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Akira Watanabe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on The Maan's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!
Maan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Maan dips to his left and cracks Watanabe with an uppercut!
A left lands for Maan.
Watanabe tries to close the distance and clinch but Maan swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Watanabe tries to clinch but Maan moves out of range.
Watanabe closes the distance and pushes Maan back into the cage.
Watanabe misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Maan.
Stalling in the clinch from Maan.
A frustrated look appears on Maan's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Maan avoiding damage as Watanabe throws knees to the body.
Maan is pushing Watanabe up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Watanabe tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Maan avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maan tries a body shot but Watanabe blocks it.
Maan is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Watanabe is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Maan is defending well for now.
Watanabe landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Watanabe tries to land knees in the clinch but Maan avoids the damage to the body.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe is trying to stall.
Maan lands a hook that snaps the head of Watanabe backwards.
Watanabe takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Maan pressing his opponent against the cage.
Maan misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Maan lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Watanabe backwards.
Watanabe has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Watanabe misses with a knee strike.
Knees to the body from Watanabe .
Watanabe lands a knee to the body.
Watanabe looking to throw knees to the head but Maan is blocking nicely.
Watanabe scores with a knee to the head.
Maan doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Watanabe with a knee to the head.
Maan takes a knee right on the jaw!
The Maan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
That's two minutes gone in the round.
A knee to the head by Watanabe .
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Watanabe landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Maan managing to block the knees to the body from Watanabe .
Maan misses with a punch on the inside.
Maan takes a knee right on the jaw!
Watanabe using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Maan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Maan avoiding damage.
Maan tries to stall but Watanabe uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Maan is leaning against Watanabe and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Nice body punch from Maan.
A nice right hand lands inside from Maan.
Watanabe 's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Watanabe misses with a knee to the head.
Watanabe misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Maan.
Maan letting Watanabe take a breather here.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maan lands a body shot.
Watanabe misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Maan.
Maan blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Maan takes a knee right on the jaw!
Still in the clinch, Maan scores with a nice short uppercut.
A shot in the inside from Maan.
Maan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Maan bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Watanabe 's head.
Watanabe takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Nice body punch from Maan.
Maan digs a good hook to Watanabe 's body.
Maan stuns Watanabe with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Watanabe tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Maan manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Maan was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Watanabe doesn't manage to clinch there - Maan circles away.
Watanabe walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Maan connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Watanabe momentarily.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maan will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Watanabe has closed the distance and engaged Maan in a clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Maan.
Maan tries a body shot but Watanabe blocks it.
Maan managing to block the knees to the body from Watanabe .
A body shot lands from Maan.
Maan scores with a shot to the side of Watanabe 's head.
A short uppercut from Maan.
Maan lands a left hand that snaps the head of Watanabe backwards.
Watanabe with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Maan scores with a nice hook to the head.
Watanabe misses with a knee to the head.
Maan can't find room to land a body shot as Watanabe controls the action.
Maan misses with a punch to the body.
Maan throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
And that's the end of the fight!
The Maan showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Watanabe has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 28:29
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Akira Watanabe !
Akira Watanabe seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
68% |
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