PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tom Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ma Lina (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Watson
vs
Lina

185 cm
26
185 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

184 cm
20
193 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Heavy handed

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Tom Watson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Ma Lina!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, James Ackerman and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watson throws a poor cross that misses
letting Lina counter with a right hand.
Watson paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Watson throws an off balance right hand
and Lina counters with a stiff right hand.

Watson gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Lina to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Watson wants to stand but Lina is controlling the position.
Lina trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lina is fighting to break Watson's control of his arms but Watson is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Lina fails with a takedown attempt.
Watson misses with a left hand

and Lina counters with a single leg into guard. Watson didn't expect that.
Lina's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Watson keeping moving, preventing Lina from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lina stopping the sweep attempt from Watson.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Lina stops Watson from standing up.
Watson is breathing heavily.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Ma Lina wasn't active enough on the ground.
Watson throws a right hand that misses

and Lina counters with a shoot takedown. Watson fights it but they end up in guard.
Lina won't allow Watson to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lina content to stall in guard here.
Watson keeping moving, preventing Lina from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Ma Lina wasn't active enough on the ground.
Watson swings widly with a right hand

and Lina counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Lina.
Watson can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Lina controls the pace.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
It looks like Lina might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Lina stops Watson from standing up.
Lina looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ma Lina dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Lina throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Watson was covering up waiting for the punch and Lina finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Lina sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Lina looking to sit in guard and control but Watson gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Watson prevents Lina from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Watson decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Lina, up you get!
Lina loads up on a big right hand but Watson slips the punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Watson misses with a lunging right hand

and Lina counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Lina is looking to stall here but Watson recovers full guard.
Lina trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Watson working a defensive guard here.
Lina wants to control from the top but Watson keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lina looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Ma Lina hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Lina shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Lina content to control rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that Lina has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Watson is staying active underneath Lina, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Lina content to control rather than advance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ma Lina showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Watson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Watson cracks Lina with a right hand to the side of the head.
Watson throws an off balance right hand

and Lina counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Lina.
Watson keeping moving, preventing Lina from controlling successfully.
Watson wants to stand and escape but Lina is having none of it.
Lina must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Lina controls from within his opponent's guard.
Lina trying to control but Watson is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Lina showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Ma Lina hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Watson misses with a left hand

and Lina counters with a shoot takedown. Watson fights it but they end up in guard.
Lina controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Lina won't allow Watson to get back to his feet.
Lina sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ma Lina was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Lina shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Watson is trying to defend but Lina finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Lina performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Watson trying to control from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lina sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Lina tries to pass to full mount but Watson defends it.
Watson has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Lina is working away from the top position though.
Tom Watson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Tom Watson.

Lina closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Watson trying to remain calm as Lina controls from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lina tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Lina advances nicely into full mount.
Lina trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Lina controlling from the full mount.
Ma Lina is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
You get the feeling that Watson really doesn't like being in this position too much.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ma Lina comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Lina 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ma Lina!