PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rob Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Samuel Ekoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ekoto has chosen Radioactive as his entrance music. Samuel Ekoto looks lathargic as he enters the arena. Wake up son, you're about to have a fight!

Watson
vs
Ekoto

199 cm
18
278 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

193 cm
18
225 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rob Watson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Samuel Ekoto!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ekoto gets the takedown into side control.
Watson wants to control but Ekoto postures up.
Ekoto in side control lands a decent elbow.
Ekoto landing strikes.
Watson takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Ekoto has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Ekoto staying calm.
Watson bucks up and tries to throw Ekoto off but instead Ekoto has got his back!
Watson is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Ekoto.
Watson looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
What can Watson do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
Ekoto doesn't have the hooks in and Watson manages to turn into his guard.
Ekoto is looking to stand up but Watson isn't so interested in that idea.
Watson connects with a couple of short punches.
Ekoto utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Watson postures up in Ekoto's guard and throws a big left but Ekoto blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ekoto wants to get back to his feet but Watson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Ekoto is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ekoto can do anything to dispel that myth.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson tries for a takedown but Ekoto sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Watson tries to score a power double leg takedown but Ekoto sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Watson somewhat.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Ekoto! But no joy.

Ekoto feints and as Watson raises his hands in defense, Ekoto changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ekoto looks winded!

Watson had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ekoto defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Ekoto controls the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ekoto scoring with some ground and pound.
Ekoto not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Ekoto has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Watson is proving hard to escape from.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Watson trying to keep a closed guard but Ekoto is proving a slippery customer.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Ekoto controlling from the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samuel Ekoto dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Ekoto's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Watson connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Ekoto scrambles back to his feet.

Ekoto moves into range and clinches up with Watson.

Ekoto's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ekoto misses with a head kick.

Ekoto moves into range and clinches up with Watson.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ekoto manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Ekoto is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ekoto is breathing heavily.
Ekoto working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Watson.
Watson has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Watson throws a big elbow that misses.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Watson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ekoto paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Watson tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Ekoto moves in looking to clinch but Watson pushes him off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Watson gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Watson wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

Watson is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Ekoto defends well.
Ekoto trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Ekoto is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Watson is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Ekoto stopping the sweep attempt from Watson.
Ekoto has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson scores with a couple of body punches from the bottom.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Watson can't keep his opponent in guard - Ekoto advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Ekoto tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Well, if Ekoto is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Ekoto seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Watson won't allow Ekoto to pass to mount.

That's four 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 wants to control but Ekoto is keeping busy.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Ekoto shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Watson manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Watson is pushing Ekoto up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Ekoto breaks from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samuel Ekoto showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Ekoto clinches with his opponent.
Ekoto leaning against his opponent.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Ekoto. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.

Ekoto lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Ekoto prevents Watson from standing back up.
Ekoto looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Watson is looking to escape.
Ekoto is controlling the pace.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Watson actively working from the bottom here.
Ekoto takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Watson is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson trying to control from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Watson throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Ekoto was covering up waiting for the punch and Watson finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Ekoto wants to stand up but Watson is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson is looking to work some ground and pound but Ekoto has wrist control.
Watson stops Ekoto from standing up.
Ekoto wants to get back to his feet but Watson passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson thows a huge punch but Ekoto dodges it nicely.
Watson winds up and cracks Ekoto with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Watson stops Ekoto from getting back to his feet.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Ekoto closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Watson quickly recovers to half guard.

Watson looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Ekoto trying to control from half guard but Watson is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ekoto missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Watson looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Watson trying to control here.
Ekoto is pressing down on Watson's thigh, looking to free his foot. Watson is holding on for now.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Ekoto passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Watson!
Rob Watson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Samuel Ekoto is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ekoto blocks Watson's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Samuel Ekoto comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Ekoto has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Samuel Ekoto!