PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Matt Mylly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sakari Watts (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Mylly
vs
Watts

173 cm
26
160 lbs
12 - 15 - 0

169 cm
26
169 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Perkele!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Matt Mylly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sakari Watts!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Marco Blurström and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mylly misses the shot to the body.
The fighters circling - Mylly throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Mylly.
Watts thows a left - swing and a miss!
Mylly with a hook.
Watts thows a body shot but no joy.
A chopping leg kick lands by Watts.
Mylly avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Mylly digs a good body shot into Watts's ribs.
Watts lands a jab to Mylly's midsection.
Mylly fails with a takedown attempt.
Watts walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Watts looks to land a left hand but Mylly moved out of range nicely.
Watts steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Mylly.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watts pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Mylly shoots for a takedown but Watts saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Mylly. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Watts is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Mylly.
Mylly takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Watts misses with a two punch combination.
Mylly dodges the punch combination from Watts.
A looping hook to the body misses from Mylly. Watts does a little dance to reset his feet.
Watts takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Watts throws a jab but it's blocked by Mylly.
Mylly swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Watts.
Watts with a jab.
Watts throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Mylly lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Watts tries to bum rush Mylly with a series of wild strikes but Mylly uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mylly lands a jab to the nose.

Mylly drives through with a takedown into Watts's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
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!
Watts avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Mylly sitting in guard here, content to control.
Mylly trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Mylly throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Watts works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Mylly has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Watts is proving hard to escape from.
Mylly working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Mylly trying to control but Watts is working from the bottom.
Mylly with a nice head shot there.
Mylly being controlled here momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mylly wants to control from the top but Watts keeps moving.
Watts is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Mylly is looking to work some ground and pound but Watts has wrist control.
Watts working a defensive guard here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Mylly swinging wildly here.
Mylly bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Watts's head.
Watts misses with a hook. Mylly ducked under it nicely.
Mylly shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Watts but Watts pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mylly takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Watts stalks Mylly and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Mylly's face. Mylly staggers backwards, shaken.
Watts stuffs the takedown attempt from Mylly. Mylly gets slowly back to his feet.
Watts moves away from the strike by Mylly.
Mylly shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Watts as he avoids it easily.
Watts throws out a loose jab but Mylly uses good head movement to avoid it.
Watts jabs Mylly to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Mylly shoots in for a takedown but Watts shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A left lands for Watts.
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!
Mylly uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Watts.
Watts looks to throw the jab but Mylly is out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Watts tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Mylly was well out of range. Poor timing from Watts.
Watts just misses with a punch to the body.
Nice takedown defense from Watts. No joy for Mylly on that attempt.
Watts leaves Mylly with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Watts takes one to the chin there.
Mylly just misses with a punch to the body.
Mylly swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Watts counters with a low kick, right behind Mylly 's knee.
Mylly takes a swing at Watts's ribcage but misses.

Mylly closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Mylly is thwarting Watts's attempts to control the position.
Watts tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Mylly manages to move to mount!
Mylly throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Watts because Mylly loaded up on that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watts is looking to improve his position but Mylly isn't that keen on the idea.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mylly lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Mylly wants to control the pace but Watts is squirming around nicely.
Mylly is stalling here but it's allowed Watts to get half guard.
Mylly tries to stand but can't do so whilst Watts controls his leg.
Mylly seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watts trying to control but Mylly postures up.

Watts has one foot on Mylly's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
A looping hook to the body misses from Mylly. Watts does a little dance to reset his feet.
Watts lands a leg kick that knocks Mylly off balance momentarily.
Mylly rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Watts moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Watts takes one to the side of the head.
Mylly lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
No joy there for Mylly, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Matt Mylly is winning the standup battle so far.
Watts throws a head kick that half lands.
Mylly will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Mylly misses with a jab, cross combination.
Mylly fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Watts manages to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mylly throws an overhand right that lands on Watts's shoulder, as Watts tries to avoid the shot.
Mylly misses with a few strikes there.
A telegraphed right hand from Mylly misses the target.
Jab by Watts.
Mylly shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Watts as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Mylly. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Watts scores with a body shot.
Watts pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Watts turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Mylly throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Watts pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Mylly fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
A decent looking cross lands there for Watts.
Mylly takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A big right from Mylly misses.
Watts lands a jab to the nose.
Mylly connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Watts throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Mylly thows a body shot but no joy.
Mylly with a jab.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Watts, right into the meat.
Mylly throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Mylly misses with a lunging right hand
and Mylly takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mylly keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Watts.
Mylly uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Watts.
Watts connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Mylly's hands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Matt Mylly will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Watts scores with a head kick.
Watts misses with a wild body shot.
Watts drops his hands momentarily and Mylly takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Watts connects with a solid leg kick.
Mylly needs to keep his hands up - Watts had a free shot at his head there.
Mylly ducks under a wild hook from Watts.
Watts misses with a straight right.
Watts cracks Mylly with an open hand slap.
Watts throws a looping overhand right but Mylly ducks down to avoid it.
Mylly gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Watts counters with a stiff right hand.

Mylly feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Watts keeping moving, preventing Mylly from controlling successfully.

Mylly decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watts swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Watts throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Mylly punishes Watts's body with a nice straight punch.
Watts defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Mylly.
A shot to the liver by Mylly. Beautiful body shot.
Watts displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Mylly.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Mylly. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Watts misses with a body shot.
Watts swings for the body but Mylly moves out of range.
Watts throws a looping overhand right but Mylly ducks down to avoid it.
Sakari Watts is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watts turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Mylly throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Mylly looks to score with a jab to the body but Watts is just out of range.
Watts throws a looping overhand right but Mylly ducks down to avoid it.
Mylly throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mylly misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Watts.
Watts scores with a shot to the body.
Watts throws a head kick that misses.
Mylly takes a jab right on the kisser.
Mylly misses the shot to the body.
Watts keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Mylly misses with a right hand
and Watts counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Watts slips under a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mylly misses with a straight right.
A nice leg kick lands there from Watts.
Watts misses with a straight left.
Watts misses with a double jab.
Watts leaves Mylly with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Mylly avoids the head kick by Watts.
Watts tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Mylly was well out of range. Poor timing from Watts.
Watts throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Mylly.
A telegraphed right hand from Watts misses the target.
Mylly scores with a punch to the head.
Watts takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Mylly takes a swing at Watts's ribcage but misses.
Mylly 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.
Mylly lands with a nice body punch.
Mylly misses with a straight right.
A combination from Mylly does no damage.
A swing and a miss from Mylly.
Mylly thows a body shot but no joy.
Watts throws an overhand right that lands on Mylly's shoulder, as Mylly tries to avoid the shot.
Mylly lands a right hook to the body.
Watts swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Mylly scores with a nice strike.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mylly takes a kick to the side of the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Watts is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Sakari Watts has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Matt Mylly is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Watts avoids a punch combination nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Matt Mylly.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Mylly, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:28
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matt Mylly!