PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kenji Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kid Kamakazi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Watanabe comes to the cage accompanied by Love Hate Love. The crowd seem to be enjoying Kamakazi's choice of entrance music: Cooking by the book. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Watanabe
vs
Kamakazi

172 cm
30
145 lbs
18 - 8 - 1

155 cm
28
130 lbs
17 - 9 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Kenji Watanabe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Kid Kamakazi!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Anni Minnemäki and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watanabe with a jab.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Kamakazi.
Watanabe looks to land a right hand but Kamakazi moved out of range.
Watanabe tests Kamakazi's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Kamakazi tries to clinch up but Watanabe circles away and keeps his distance.
Donk. Watanabe catches Kamakazi right on the button with a cross.
Kamakazi takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Kamakazi defending well as Watanabe loads up on a big left hand.
Watanabe bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Kamakazi's head.

Watanabe clinches with his opponent.
Watanabe tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kamakazi doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Kamakazi creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Watanabe's defenses.

It looks like Kenji Watanabe has been cut.
Watanabe scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Kamakazi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kamakazi tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Watanabe avoids it.
Watanabe on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Watanabe landing knees to the head.
Kamakazi misses with a body punch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Watanabe.
Kamakazi comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Kamakazi has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Watanabe avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Kamakazi throws a knee to the head but misses.
Watanabe lands a right hand that snaps the head of Kamakazi backwards.
A shot in the inside from Watanabe.
Watanabe lands a knee to the head.
Watanabe throws a punch but it's blocked by Kamakazi.
Watanabe lands a right hand.
Watanabe gets through Kamakazi's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Watanabe throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kamakazis head.
Watanabe blocks an elbow strike from Kamakazi.
Watanabe trying to control the position but instead, Kamakazi has worked for underhooks and has pushed Watanabe into the cage.
Kamakazi blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe throws a head punch that misses.
Watanabe swings wildly with an uppercut but Kamakazi uses good head movement to avoid it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A right handed body shot lands from Watanabe.
Watanabe lands a left hand.
Watanabe wants to stall.
Kamakazi looking to throw knees to the head but Watanabe is blocking nicely.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Watanabe.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Watanabe.
Kamakazi trying to land knees to the body.
Kamakazi lands an elbow just above Watanabe 's eye.
Watanabe swings wildly with an uppercut but Kamakazi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kamakazi scores with a shot to the side of Watanabe's head.
Kamakazi tries to land knees in the clinch but Watanabe avoids the damage to the body.
Watanabe managing to block the knees to the body from Kamakazi.
Kamakazi digs a right hand underneath Watanabe's ribcage. Watanabe let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Kamakazi missing with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kamakazi blocks an uppercut.
Watanabe prevents a body shot from Kamakazi.
Knees in the clinch landing for Kamakazi.
Watanabe misses with the head strike.
Watanabe lands a body shot in the clinch.
Watanabe on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Kamakazi with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Watanabe has a couple of punches blocked by Kamakazi.
Watanabe throws a punch but it's blocked by Kamakazi.
Watanabe's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Watanabe lands with a left to the head.
Watanabe misses with some punches.
Kamakazi landing knees to the head.
Kamakazi lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Watanabe lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kamakazi lands a nice elbow.
Kamakazi trying to land knees to the body.
Watanabe misses with some punches.
Kamakazi misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Watanabe.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kamakazi tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Kamakazi misses with a short punch on the inside.
Kamakazi trying to land knees to the body.
Still in the clinch, Watanabe scores with a nice short uppercut.
Kamakazi tries to work over Watanabe's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Watanabe working aggressively here.
Kamakazi creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Watanabe tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kamakazi's elbow.
Good body shot from Watanabe.
Kamakazi is working for takedown but Watanabe is calmly controlling the position for now.
Watanabe lands an elbow that stopped Kamakazi in his tracks for a moment.
Watanabe is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Watanabe avoiding damage as Kamakazi throws knees to the body.
Watanabe misses with the head strike.
Watanabe throws a head punch that misses.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Watanabe dodges an elbow strike from Kamakazi.
Kamakazi with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Watanabe avoiding damage as Kamakazi throws knees to the body.
Kamakazi blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kenji Watanabe dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Kenji Watanabe's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Kamakazi misses with a head kick.
Watanabe connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Watanabe lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kamakazi circles away quickly and effectively.
Watanabe throws a big shot that misses.
Kid Kamakazi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Watanabe moves into range and connects with a jab.
Watanabe throws a poor cross that misses

and Kamakazi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Watanabe gets back to full guard.

Kamakazi drops back, looking for a kneebar! Watanabe looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Watanabe looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Watanabe!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Watanabe is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Kamakazi knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kamakazi tries to bench press Watanabe off him but Watanabe keeps the position.
Watanabe will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe is looking to take a break and control but Kamakazi is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Kamakazi tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Watanabe trying to control the action but Kamakazi is working from the bottom.
Kamakazi is looking for a sweep.

Watanabe looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Kamakazi tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kamakazi is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Watanabe in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Kamakazi is looking to reverse the position.
Kamakazi is not content to let Watanabe control the position.

Watanabe is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Kamakazi is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Kamakazi is looking to regain half guard here but Watanabe keeps moving and retains side control.

Watanabe thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Watanabe wants to control but Kamakazi is keeping him busy.
A lull in the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Watanabe is working for what looks like an arm triangle here. Kamakazi is trying to escape and Watanabe transitions quickly into an armbar! He's slapped it on tight and Kamakazi is forced to tap! Nice work there by Watanabe! Very nice indeed!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:23 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Kenji Watanabe!
A victorious Kenji Watanabe thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.