PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Julian Rourke (ranked 5691 p4p, 5273 weight class) and Bill Watson (ranked 584 p4p, 557 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Rourke
vs
Watson

195 cm
19
205
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
215
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Julian Rourke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bill Watson!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Johanna Lukiainen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Rourke counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Rourke keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Watson.
Rourke is looking to counter punch.
Watson throws a sloppy body shot
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Watson lands a slapping body shot.
The fighters circling - Watson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Watson tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Watson swings widly with a right hand
letting Rourke counter with a right hand.

It looks like Bill Watson has been cut.
Watson takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watson rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Rourke counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
A chopping leg kick lands by Rourke.
Watson throws an off balance right hand
and Rourke cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Watson is rocked!
Watson looks winded!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rourke fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson throws a lazy uppercut
and Rourke counters with a leg kick.
Bill Watson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Watson tries to clinch but Rourke moves away
and Rourke counters with a good, hard body kick but Watson shrugs it off.
Rourke connects with an inside leg kick.
Rourke connects with a jab.
Rourke fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Watson has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Watson's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Rourke connects with the punch.
Watson is still on wobbly legs! Can Rourke finish him?
Watson has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Rourke.
Watson seems to have recovered his senses.
Watson stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Rourke.
Watson misses with a lunging right hand
and Rourke counters with a leg kick.
Rourke connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

That has opened up Bill Watson's cut even more.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nice body punch from Rourke.
Rourke with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Rourke connects with a solid leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Watson ducks straight into an uppercut from Rourke and tumbles to the canvas! It’s a flash knockdown though - Watson manages to regain guard straight away.
Rourke controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Rourke pushes down on Watson's leg and manages to get into half guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Watson can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Rourke's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Watson has his takedown stuffed
and Rourke counters with a stiff right hand.
Rourke lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Watson at a distance.
Watson takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Rourke connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.

The cut above Bill Watson's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Rourke throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Watson stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

Rourke catches Watson napping and connects with a big right hand that sends Watson to the canvas!
Rourke has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rourke is stalling in the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Watson stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Rourke.
Rourke is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Watson can do to turn this around?
Watson throws a right hand that misses
and Rourke counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rourke comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Rourke connects with a right hand. Watson shakes it off.
Watson is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Watson throws an ugly left hook that misses
letting Rourke counter with a right hand.
Watson stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Rourke.
Rourke cracks Watson with a nasty uppercut that draws ooohs from the crowd and sends Watson tumbling backwards onto the mat. He tries to recover but Rourke pounces and lands a hail of unanswered strikes that forces the referee to step in to end the fight! Watson is not happy but he gave the referee no choice!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:34 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Julian Rourke!