PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Lance Rock (ranked 4496 p4p, 493 weight class) and Thomas Watson (ranked 9441 p4p, 776 weight class). Lance Rock has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rock
vs
Watson

172 cm
44
167 lbs
20 - 14 - 0

179 cm
50
175 lbs
32 - 22 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Urban Fighter

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 20 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lance Rock!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 32 - 22 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Thomas Watson!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rock misses with a wild body shot.
A shot to the liver by Rock. Beautiful body shot.
Watson throws an overhand right that lands on Rock's shoulder, as Rock tries to avoid the shot.
Watson misses with a left hand
and Rock makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Watson swings widly with a right hand
and Rock counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Watson thinking.
Watson swings widly with a right hand
and Rock counters with a straight right hand.
Watson throws a right hand that misses
and Rock counters with a right hand to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watson thows a leg kick but Rock checks it
and Rock makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

Watson throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Rock was covering up waiting for the punch and Watson finishes the takedown easily into guard.
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!
Rock is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Watson is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson stands up over Rock, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rock wants to stand and escape but Watson is having none of it.
Watson postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Rock is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Watson tries to clinch up
enabling Rock to counter with a crisp jab.
The fighters circling - Watson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Watson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rock throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Watsons head.
Rock blocks an uppercut.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rock.
Rock lands a body punch.
Rock is struggling to control the position.
Watson is struggling to control the position.
Rock lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Watson.

Rock manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rock paws at him with a jab and circles away.
It looked like Rock was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Watson.

Watson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Watson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Watson swings wildly with an uppercut but Rock uses good head movement to avoid it.
Watson can't find room to land a body shot as Rock controls the action.
A short uppercut from Rock.
Watson blocks a body shot from Rock.
Watson tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Rock prevents a takedown attempt there.
Watson lands a nice uppercut.

Rock pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Good exchange - Rock coming out on top.
Rock circles away from the clinch attempt
letting Rock counter with a right hand.
Watson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
It looked like Rock was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Watson.
Rock keeps the fight on the outside.
Watson tries to land a body kick
enabling Rock to counter with a crisp jab.
Rock ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Watson is looking to clinch but Rock is avoiding it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lance Rock dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Watson throws an off balance right hand
and Rock counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Watson misses with a straight left.
Rock is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Watson can do to turn this around?
Watson darts in trying to clinch
and Rock counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Watson thinking.
Watson is looking to clinch but Rock is avoiding it.
Rock catches Watson with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watson moves to clinch but Rock breaks away
and Rock counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Watson thinking.
Rock is looking to wear down Watson with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Rock slips under a jab from Watson.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson misses with a leg kick.
It looked like Rock was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Watson.
Rock jabs Watson to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Lance Rock is winning the standup battle so far.
Watson closes the distance looking to clinch
and Rock counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Watson thinking.
Thomas Watson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Watson misses with a leg kick.
Rock was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Rock circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rock makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson darts in trying to clinch
and Rock counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Watson pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rock feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Watsons jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Rock pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Watson misses the shot to the body.
Rock misses with a body punch
and Watson counters with a straight right hand.
Rock's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Rock duly obliges.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson moves forwards but Rock connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Rock defending well as Watson loads up on a big left hand.
Rock connects with a body shot.
Watson closes the distance looking to clinch
and Rock counters with a right hand to the body.
Watson tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Watson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Watson tries to clinch but Rock is having none of it.
Rock is looking to counter punch.
Rock throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson throws a lazy right hand but Rock sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Rock throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Watson on the side of the head.
Some bone on bone action there as Rock checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Rock misses with a jab to the body
and Watson cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Watson looks to clinch
and Rock counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rock blocks a jab.
Watson misses the body punch
and Rock counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Watson moves to clinch but Rock breaks away
and Watson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lance Rock dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Watson takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Watson throws a right hand that misses
and Rock counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Watson thinking.

Watson has Rock up against the cage in a clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Watson - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Watson prevents a body shot from Rock.
Watson swings away with an uppercut that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watson fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Rock lands a right hand that snaps the head of Watson backwards.
Watson misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A right handed body shot lands from Rock.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rock blocking some punches.
Watson throws a head punch that misses.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Watson throws a head punch that misses.
Watson misses with a punch on the inside.
Rock has Watson pressed against the cage.
Watson misses with the head strike.
Watson tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Thomas Watson seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
A head punch on the inside from Watson fails to land.
Watson is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Rock is keeping busy.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rock.
Lance Rock is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rock's elbow.

Rock pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rock connects with a jab.
Watson tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Rock counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Watson thinking.
Rock walks into a straight right hand from Watson.
Rock throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Watson on the side of the head.
Watson misses with a combination
and Rock counters with a stiff right hand.
Jab, jab by Watson - just one landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson is looking to clinch but Rock is avoiding it.

Watson clinches.
Watson prevents Rock from breaking the clinch.
Watson is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Rock pulls him back up using the underhooks.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Watson wants to take the fight to the mat but Rock manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Rock blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Watson is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Watson misses with a hook from the clinch.
Watson tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rock's elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson tries to work over Rock's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Rock pushes Watson back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Watson throws a head punch that misses.
Watson prevents a body shot from Rock.
Watson misses with a punch to the body.
Watson misses with a hook from the clinch.
Rock blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Watson working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Watson lands with a short shot to the head.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Watson.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Watson.
Thomas Watson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Watson misses with some punches.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Thomas Watson.
I think Rock 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lance Rock!
An out of breath Lance Rock thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.