PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Howard Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cruz Gomez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Watson comes to the cage accompanied by Eye of the tiger, Rocky III. Cruz Gomez has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Watson
vs
Gomez

173 cm
20
245 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

191 cm
23
245 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Howard Watson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Cruz Gomez!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Alec Ball and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gomez tries for a takedown but Watson sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Watson shoots in but no luck this time.

Watson closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Gomez quickly recovers to half guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Watson looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Gomez is trying to control but can't.
Watson knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gomez on the ground.
Watson working Gomez over with strikes.
Watson tries to pass the half guard into mount. Gomez knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gomez missing with punches from the bottom.
Gomez trying to control from the bottom.
Gomez is pressing down on Watson's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Watson really is a fat lump.
Gomez manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Watson wants to control but Gomez is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson holds on to Gomez around his waist, trying desperately to prevent any attacks.
Gomez misses with a head shot.
Gomez thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Gomez wants to control the pace but Watson is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Gomez there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Watson wants to hold on but Gomez pushes him away.
Watson is wriggling around trying to escape.
Gomez throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Watson because Gomez loaded up on that one.
Watson is looking to improve his position but Gomez isn't that keen on the idea.
Gomez looking to control but Watson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Gomez misses with a head shot.
Gomez controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson tries to hold on but Gomez postures up.
Gomez in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Gomez thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
A nice elbow there by Gomez.
Gomez wants to control the pace but Watson is squirming around nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gomez might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Watson kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Watson tries to control the position but Gomez now has his back.

Gomez tightening his grip on Watson, looking for the choke.
Gomez has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Gomez is looking for the choke from the back position but Watson is controlling his hands well.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Watson manages to reverse the position and now he's in Gomez's guard. Nice work there by Watson.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cruz Gomez dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Gomez shoots in for a takedown but Watson shows good takedown defense.
Watson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Watson blocks a head kick by Gomez.
Gomez shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Watson eats them both and turns towards Gomez to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Watson swats away the attempt to clinch by Gomez.
Howard Watson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Watson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Watson gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Gomez.

Watson pulls guard.
Gomez wants to control from the top but Watson keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gomez won't allow Watson to get back to his feet.
Cruz Gomez has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gomez would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gomez won't allow Watson to sweep him here.
Watson avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gomez wants to control from the top but Watson keeps moving.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Watson working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Gomez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Gomez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Watson will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gomez works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Gomez in particular looking to stall.
Gomez works his way into full mount!
Watson tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gomez throwing strikes here but Watson is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Watson is squirming around, avoiding Gomez's attempts to control the action.
Gomez controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gomez moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Watson has worked his arm free - good work by Watson!
Gomez trying to control the action but Watson is working from the bottom.
Watson tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Gomez trying to control the position but Watson is working away.
Watson is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Watson wants to control but Gomez postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cruz Gomez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Watson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Watson slaps away a takedown attempt from Gomez, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Gomez gets caught flat footed, as Watson shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Gomez looking for a sweep. Not yet Gomez, not yet.
Gomez trying to keep a closed guard but Watson is proving a slippery customer.
Gomez is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Gomez trying to control from half guard but Watson is working away.
Gomez works his foot free and advances to mount.
Watson might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson tries to control Gomez's body but Gomez pushes him off. Watson squirms to his side and now Gomez has his back!
Gomez doesn't have the hooks in and Watson manages to turn into his guard.
Watson looking to sit in guard and control but Gomez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Gomez wanted to stand there but Watson had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gomez 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 Gomez controlling him for the moment.
Gomez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Watson is keeping the position for now.
Gomez trying to control but Watson is working from the bottom.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Gomez throwing strikes from guard but Watson blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gomez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Watson is proving hard to escape from.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gomez accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gomez trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Cruz Gomez was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Watson keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
No luck for Watson with that takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Watson drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gomez is looking to clinch but Watson is avoiding it.
Watson stuffs the takedown.
Howard Watson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cruz Gomez.
Gomez shoots in looking for a takedown but Watson manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Gomez's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Watson has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Gomez uses from the top position.
Watson keeping moving, preventing Gomez from controlling successfully.
Gomez throws a big right hand that misses.
Howard Watson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cruz Gomez is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gomez controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cruz Gomez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Gomez 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cruz Gomez!