PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mike Watawat (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Awang Fernandez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mike Watawat has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Watawat
vs
Fernandez

175 cm
22
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
18
169 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mike Watawat!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Awang Fernandez!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Sosuke Kotani and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watawat bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Fernandez looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Watawat drives through with a takedown into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Watawat pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Fernandez is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Watawat landing some decent shots from guard.
Watawat looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Watawat wants to pass the guard but Fernandez is keeping the position.
Watawat trying to control but Fernandez is working from the bottom.
Watawat has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Watawat pushes down on Fernandez's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Watawat decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Watawat changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Fernandez looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Watawat scores with a couple of short elbows.
Watawat lands some shots froms side control.

Watawat is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Fernandez is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Fernandez is letting Watawat control him for a moment.
Fernandez on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Watawat has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
A slapping body kick lands there for Watawat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watawat lands a head kick. Fernandez smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

Watawat closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Fernandez to the mat! Fernandez manages to get full guard.

Watawat gets to his feet. Fernandez looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Fernandez shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Watawat counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Watawat thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Watawat trying to control the action but Fernandez is working from the bottom.
Watawat content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Watawat wants to take a breather but Fernandez is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watawat looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Fernandez works his way to full guard. Good work.
Watawat trying to control the position from guard on top but Fernandez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Fernandez looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Watawat puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Watawat wants to stand but Fernandez has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Watawat controlling the action here.

That's four 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.
Fernandez is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Watawat's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Watawat's back!

Fernandez is looking for the choke from the back position but Watawat is controlling his hands well.
Watawat trying to control the hands but Fernandez won't let him.
Watawat has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.

Watawat defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Fernandez's arms.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Watawat is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Fernandez.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Fernandez decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Watawat slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Watawat looking to hit a scissor sweep but Fernandez is one step ahead there.

Watawat uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Mike Watawat seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A nice combination there by Watawat.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Watawat shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Watawat in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watawat trying to control the position from guard on top but Fernandez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Fernandez is looking to sweep but instead, Watawat has passed into half guard.
Watawat content to control rather than advance.
Watawat is looking to take a break and control but Fernandez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Fernandez is trying to stand up here but Watawat is controlling him well.
Watawat uses his free foot to push down on Fernandez's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Fernandez.
Fernandez manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Mike Watawat overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fernandez is not content to let Watawat control the position.
Nice strikes from Watawat there.
Fernandez wants to improve his position but Watawat is controlling well.

Fernandez has one foot on Watawat's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Fernandez doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Watawat counters with a nice kick to the body.
Watawat misses with a takedown
and Fernandez counters with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watawat misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Fernandez doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Watawat counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Watawat controlling the action here.

Watawat is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Fernandez wants to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fernandez is looking to escape.
Watawat thows a huge punch but Fernandez dodges it nicely.
Fernandez has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Watawat is working away from the top position though.

Watawat stands up from half guard.
Fernandez tries for a takedown but Watawat circles away easily
and Watawat makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Mike Watawat has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Awang Fernandez.
Watawat with a lazy takedown attempt

and Fernandez counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Watawat!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Watawat dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Watawat's corner calls for a 1-2. Watawat obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

Watawat shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Watawat showed some decent athleticism there.
Watawat perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Watawat is looking to take a break and control but Fernandez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Watawat postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Fernandez to stand up.
Watawat has his takedown stuffed

and Fernandez counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Fernandez trying to control the position from guard on top but Watawat is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Fernandez postures up in Watawat's guard and throws a big left but Watawat blocks it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fernandez's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Fernandez trying to control but Watawat is working from the bottom.

Fernandez gets to his feet - Watawat follows without any prompting.
Fernandez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Watawat looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Fernandez!
Watawat trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Fernandez wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fernandez is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Watawat wants to control the pace but Fernandez is squirming around nicely.
Watawat controlling the pace for now.
Fernandez working to try and regain half guard.
Fernandez is in a horrible position here. Watawat smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fernandez is looking to get to half guard.
Watawat raining down shots from the mount!
Watawat wants to control the pace but Fernandez is squirming around nicely.
Fernandez is bucking up trying to escape but Watawat cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Fernandez is desperately trying to improve his position but Watawat has a good base and remains in mount.
Fernandez reaches up to try and control the position but Watawat seems to have an arm triangle now! Uh oh! Fernandez rolls and tries to escape and now Watawat has his back!
Watawat just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Watawat controlling well, preventing Fernandez from escaping the position.
Watawat wants to control the position but Fernandez frees himself and scrambles - Watawat manages to regain control in side control.
Watawat throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Fernandez wants to get back to his feet.
Fernandez is looking for a sweep.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Watawat tries to clinch up.
Watawat shoots and misses

and Fernandez counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Awang Fernandez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mike Watawat is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Fernandez throws a big right hand that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Awang Fernandez.
Well Watawat has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Watawat!