PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kenji Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Ellis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ellis has chosen Dude looks like a lady! as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Watanabe
vs
Ellis

172 cm
21
145 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

158 cm
23
138 lbs
10 - 9 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Knockout power

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Kenji Watanabe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Chris Ellis!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ellis throws a combination that misses
and Watanabe counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Watanabe uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Watanabe throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Watanabe lands with a hook. Ellis tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Watanabe scores with a kick to the midsection.
Watanabe throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Ellis's head.

Ellis closes the distance and clinches.
Watanabe pushes Ellis back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Watanabe.

Watanabe pulls guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Watanabe is on top in guard.

Ellis had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Watanabe defends it easily.
Watanabe is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Ellis looking for subs off his back but Watanabe has passed one foot through into half guard.
Watanabe seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ellis is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Watanabe perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Watanabe is working for a kimura but Ellis is defending it quite comfortably.
Watanabe takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

Watanabe is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Ellis is just riding it out for now. Watanabe eventually gives up the hold.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Ellis tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Ellis is trying to get back to full guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Watanabe is controlling the pace.
Watanabe will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ellis trying to control here.

Watanabe seems to be looking for submissions.
Watanabe is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Watanabe is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Ellis has managed to free his arm - good work.

Watanabe is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's four 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.
Watanabe trying to control the pace.
Ellis wants to control but Watanabe is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Ellis wants to improve his position but Watanabe is controlling well.
Ellis gets back to full guard.
Watanabe is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

Ellis looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kenji Watanabe dominated that round.
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.

Ellis has a takedown stuffed.
Ellis tries to score a power double leg takedown but Watanabe sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Ellis somewhat.
Watanabe lands a really nice looking cross but Ellis seems unphased.
Watanabe is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
A solid leg kick lands there for Watanabe.
Ellis on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Chris Ellis is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Watanabe lands a head kick. Ellis smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Watanabe.
Good standup being displayed there by Watanabe as he connects with a hook.
Ellis takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Watanabe scoring well with a low kick there.
Ellis has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Watanabe.
Watanabe connects with a high kick.
Crunch! Watanabe slams his shin into Ellis's torso.
Ellis is breathing heavily.
Watanabe lands a leg kick that knocks Ellis off balance momentarily.
Ellis lands a body shot.
Watanabe lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Ellis backs up against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Watanabe connects with a high kick.

Ellis is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ellis finds himself stumbling back on wobbly legs after being clipped by a right hand. He's up against the cage, ducking and weaving under Watanabe's strikes but an uppercut finds it's way through and Ellis falls! - He's completely out of it and the ref jumps in to save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:08 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kenji Watanabe!