PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Dennis Willwerth (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Masato Saeba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Saeba is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Easy Action. Dennis Willwerth had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Willwerth
vs
Saeba

178 cm
22
181 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

179 cm
19
179 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Canadian Fighter Clothing
FUEL

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dennis Willwerth!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Masato Saeba!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Robert Twigg and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Saeba takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Willwerth is looking to clinch.
Willwerth misses with a series of wild punches.
Willwerth lands an overhand right.
Saeba getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Willwerth swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Saeba turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Willwerth throws a nice looking combination but Saeba bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Willwerth shoots in and bounces Saeba off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Willwerth trying to control but Saeba is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saeba looking for a sweep. Not yet Saeba, not yet.
Saeba trying to keep a closed guard but Willwerth is proving a slippery customer.

Saeba throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Saeba looking to hit a scissor sweep but Willwerth is one step ahead there.
Saeba avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Willwerth avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Willwerth wants to control from the top but Saeba keeps moving.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Willwerth moves out of range of the body kick.
Willwerth scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Willwerth misses with a hook.
Willwerth uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Saeba.

Willwerth shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Saeba is in a horrible position here. Willwerth smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Saeba tries to hold on but Willwerth pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saeba is looking to improve his position but Willwerth isn't that keen on the idea.

Willwerth jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Saeba is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Saeba and Willwerth has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Saeba is not content to let Willwerth control the position.
Saeba sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Saeba wants to improve his position but Willwerth is controlling well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Saeba slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Saeba keeping moving, preventing Willwerth from controlling successfully.
Willwerth missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Saeba wants to sweep but no luck.
Willwerth trying to control but Saeba is working from the bottom.
Saeba pulls Willwerth in close to his closed guard and prevents Willwerth from doing any damage or advancing position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Masato Saeba will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Saeba misses with a straight right.
Saeba swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
enabling Willwerth to counter with a crisp jab.
Willwerth throws a right hand that Saeba ducks under and follows up with a left that Saeba also avoids with ease.
Willwerth shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Saeba but Saeba pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Saeba slips a jab from Willwerth.
Dennis Willwerth is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Saeba works the jab nicely.
Saeba avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Willwerth misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Saeba.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saeba checks a low kick from Willwerth.
Willwerth defending well as Saeba loads up on a big left hand.
Saeba has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Willwerth fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Willwerth staying out of range there.
A punch combination from Willwerth misses.
Willwerth thuds his shin into the meat of Saeba's side.
Willwerth tries to clinch but Saeba is having none of it.
Saeba has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Saeba there as he acknowledges the shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Willwerth will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dennis Willwerth. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Saeba slips a straight right by Willwerth.
Willwerth shoots in for a takedown but Saeba shows good takedown defense.
Saeba throws a big shot that misses.
Willwerth bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Willwerth throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Saeba throws a combination that misses
and Willwerth counters with a thumping low kick.
Saeba doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Saeba blocks a jab.
A jab from Willwerth misses.
Saeba misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Willwerth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Willwerth blocks a jab.
Willwerth throws a head kick that misses.
Saeba throws a combination that misses
and Willwerth connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Saeba misses with a low kick.
Willwerth takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Dennis Willwerth seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Saeba throws a sloppy head kick and Willwerth moves out of range easily.
Saeba slips a jab and a cross from Willwerth.
Willwerth misses with a straight right.
Saeba on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Willwerth throws a lazy head kick
and Saeba connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Dennis Willwerth is winning the standup battle so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Willwerth drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Saeba tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Saeba is not content to let Willwerth control the position.
Willwerth creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Saeba sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Willwerth working away.
Saeba tries to bench press Willwerth off him but Willwerth keeps the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dennis Willwerth dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Willwerth on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Willwerth connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Willwerth looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Saeba is fending him off so far but Willwerth persists. Nope, Saeba circles away and we're back to standing.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Willwerth.
Willwerth cracks Saeba with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Nice sprawl there from Saeba as Willwerth shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dennis Willwerth. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Saeba goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Willwerth missing with a left hand there. Saeba was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
An inside leg kick lands from Saeba.
Saeba pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Willwerth shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Saeba but Saeba pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Willwerth misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Saeba scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Saeba showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Willwerth.
Saeba misses with the combination.
Willwerth cracks Saeba with a good jab.
Willwerth walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Willwerth throws a front kick aimed at Saeba's knee but Saeba avoids it well.
Willwerth misses with the combination.
Saeba misses with a low kick.
Saeba misses with a looping left.
Willwerth connects with a body shot.
Nice sprawl there from Saeba as Willwerth shoots in.
Willwerth tries to close the distance and clinch up but Saeba swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Saeba tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Willwerth is looking to score with low kicks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saeba throws a sloppy head kick

so Willwerth counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Willwerth won't allow Saeba to sweep him here.
Saeba is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Willwerth with a flurry of punches that miss.
Saeba utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Saeba keeping moving, preventing Willwerth from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saeba is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Willwerth passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Saeba taking a bit of punishment here - Willwerth scoring with strikes.

Willwerth working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Willwerth scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Saeba to see if he's OK.

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 Dennis Willwerth.
I think Willwerth has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight for Dennis Willwerth!
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight for Dennis Willwerth!
Judge George Francis scores the fight for Dennis Willwerth!

Dennis Willwerth wins by unanimous decision!