PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jason Rogers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joseph Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Watson has chosen El Distorto De Melodica by Everclear as his entrance music. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Rogers
vs
Watson

183 cm
22
192 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

188 cm
25
192 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

5th Round
Deadly Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jason Rogers!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Joseph Watson!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Alyssa Summers and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rogers decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Rogers throwing shots but Watson is blocking nicely.
Rogers sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Watson defending well though.
Watson tries to roll over but Rogers keeps him under control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rogers missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Watson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Watson is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Rogers not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rogers wants to free his trapped foot but Watson is holding on for dear life with his legs.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Rogers takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Watson throws a head kick that half lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rogers throws a leg kick but Watson sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Rogers walks into a left hand.
Watson keeps the fight on the outside.
Rogers fails to land with a series of punches.
Rogers checks a low kick from Watson.
Rogers tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rogers.
Watson throws a head kick that misses.
An inside leg kick lands from Watson.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rogers shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Watson defends it nicely.
Rogers is breathing heavily.
Nice sprawl there from Rogers as Watson shoots in.
Watson scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Rogers dives in and grabs Watson's left leg, looking for a takedown. Watson pushes down on Rogers's head and hops out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jason Rogers. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Watson scores with a push kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rogers keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Watson.

Watson darts in and clinches Rogers up against the cage.
Watson lands a knee to the body.
Watson tries to land knees in the clinch but Rogers avoids the damage to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson misses with an elbow strike.
Watson tries to land a knee to the head but Rogers blocks with his arms.
Watson scores with a knee to the head.
Watson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rogers avoids it.
Watson gets underhooks to prevent Rogers's takedown attempt.

Watson breaks the clinch.
Watson throws a good cross that connects.
Rogers avoids the body shot from Watson.
Watson thumps Rogers with a low kick.

Watson clinches with his opponent.

Watson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Watson shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Rogers is trying to defend but Watson finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Watson thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rogers's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rogers's head.
Rogers blocking the ground and pound attempt from Watson.
Rogers has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Watson is working away from the top position though.
Watson is pressing down on Rogers's thigh, looking to free his foot. Rogers is holding on for now.
Watson throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Watson works his way into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rogers will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Rogers tries for a takedown but Watson circles away easily

and Watson holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Watson has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Watson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rogers misses with a jab to the body
and Watson counters with a flying knee. Nice.

Watson clinches.
Watson landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Watson prevents the takedown attempt.
Watson looking to slow down the pace here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Watson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rogers avoids it.
Watson using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rogers has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rogers can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jason Rogers. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Watson tries to land a knee to the head but Rogers blocks with his arms.
Watson misses with a punch on the inside.
Watson throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Watson tries to land a knee to the head but Rogers blocks with his arms.
Watson misses with a knee to the head.
Watson is pressed up against the cage. Rogers has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Watson down to the mat. Watson avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Watson throws a head kick that Rogers semi-blocks.
Rogers swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Watson counters with an outside leg kick.
Watson blocks the body kick.
Jason Rogers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Watson turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Rogers avoids a punch combination nicely.
Watson takes a swing at Rogers's ribcage but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson thumps Rogers with a low kick.
Watson jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Rogers has his takedown stuffed
and Watson counters with a big head kick but Rogers shrugs it off.
Rogers doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Watson counters with a nice body kick.
Watson keeps Rogers at a distance using the push kick.
Rogers circles away from the clinch attempt.
Watson bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Watson closes the distance and clinches.
Watson looking to throw knees to the head but Rogers is blocking nicely.
Watson trying to land knees to the body.

Watson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Rogers.
Watson is looking to slow Rogers down with leg kicks.
A head kick from Watson lands but Rogers takes it in his stride.
Rogers tries to clinch but Watson moves away

and Watson counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Watson lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Jason Rogers has been cut.
Rogers avoids the elbow strike from Watson, against the cage.
Rogers is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Watson's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Watson breaks the clinch.
Rogers throws a nice looking combination but Watson bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Rogers looks to clinch

and Watson holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rogers.
Rogers avoids the elbow strike from Watson, against the cage.
Watson using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rogers has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Watson with a knee to the head.
Watson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

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

Rogers scores with a takedown into Watson's guard.
Watson looking for a sweep. Not yet Watson, not yet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rogers throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Watson works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Watson is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joseph Watson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jason Rogers's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Rogers has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Watson.
Watson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Rogers misses with a takedown
and Watson counters with a nice body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watson throws a sloppy head kick and Rogers moves out of range easily.
Watson scores with a kick to the body.
Watson tries to close the distance and clinch but Rogers swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson misses with a low kick.

Watson drives through and clinches with Rogers against the cage.
Watson misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rogers.
Watson throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Rogers doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Watson wants to break free but Rogers has control.
Watson prevents the takedown attempt.
Rogers throws an elbow that misses.

Rogers gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Rogers seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Watson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Watson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rogers stalling away here and it's allowed Watson to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Watson is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson keeping full guard, as Rogers tries to pass.
Rogers trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Watson wants to sweep here but Rogers controlling him for the moment.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rogers tries to clinch up
and Watson counters with a body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rogers tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Watson tries to clinch but Rogers is having none of it.

Watson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Watson misses with a knee to the head.
Watson tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Watson lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Watson has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rogers blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Watson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rogers avoids it.
Watson tries to land a knee to the head but Rogers blocks with his arms.
Watson is trying to break free.
Watson throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Watson with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Watson misses with a knee strike.
Watson is pressed up against the cage. Rogers has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Watson down to the mat. Watson avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jason Rogers. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rogers closes the distance looking to clinch
and Watson counters with a nice body shot.
Jason Rogers has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Watson.
Rogers tries to clinch there but Watson circles away.
Jason Rogers is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rogers fails in his attempt to clinch.
Joseph Watson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Watson rushes Rogers and presses him up against the cage.
Watson misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rogers.
Rogers blocks an elbow strike.
Rogers lands a nice shot to the body.
Watson prevents the takedown attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joseph Watson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
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 John Kavanagh scores the fight for Joseph Watson!
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight for Joseph Watson!
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight for Joseph Watson!

Joseph Watson wins by unanimous decision!