PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Joseph Watene (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jun Arai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 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.

Watene
vs
Arai

170 cm
18
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

171 cm
18
146 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Joseph Watene!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jun Arai!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Daniel Bishop and Phil Schofield.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Arai fails with the takedown.
Watene turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Arai avoids a kick to the body.
Arai is trying hard to land a takedown here. Watene sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Nice takedown defense from Watene. No joy for Arai on that attempt.
Joseph Watene has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jun Arai.
Watene swats away the attempt to clinch by Arai.
Watene tries a low kick but Arai avoids it.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Arai.
Watene tries to score with a low kick but Arai moves his leg out of the way.
Watene moves out of range of the leg kick from Arai.
Arai closes this distance looking for a takedown but Watene circles away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Arai is defended easily by Watene.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arai blocks a head kick by Watene.
Arai tries to clinch but Watene is having none of it.
Watene throws a solid leg kick but Arai takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Watene.
Arai checks a leg kick.
Watene throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A combination from Arai does no damage.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Watene.
Arai avoids the head kick by Watene.
Watene stuffs the takedown.
Arai shoots in but no luck this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watene tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Arai moves out of range of the body kick.
Arai lands a nice looking body kick.
Watene tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Watene throws a wild body kick that Arai sees coming a mile off.
Arai tries to clinch but Watene is having none of it.
Watene tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Arai blocks the body kick.

Arai clinches up against the cage.

Arai jumps into guard, dragging Watene to the mat.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Watene preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watene forces his way into half guard.
Arai is trying to stand.
Arai looks winded!
Watene prevents Arai from improving his position.
Arai is trying to stand back up but Watene is controlling him
Arai misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Watene trying to control the action but Arai is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Joseph Watene wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Watene throws a half hearted mid kick.

Arai has taken the fight to the clinch.
Arai tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Watene wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Arai tries to land knees in the clinch but Watene avoids the damage to the body.
A bit of stalling here from Arai.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Watene is trying to stall.
Watene looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Arai is struggling to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Jun Arai will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Watene misses with a low kick.
Watene throws a low kick but it's checked well by Arai.

Arai closes the distance and pushes Watene back into the cage.
Arai tries to score a body lock takedown but Watene shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Arai is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Watene pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Arai is working for takedown but Watene is calmly controlling the position for now.
Joseph Watene has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jun Arai.
A short uppercut from Arai.
Watene is trying to break free.
Watene looking to stall.
Watene wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Arai has him pressed against the cage.
Watene can't break the clinch.
Arai throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Arai has Watene pressed against the cage, preventing Watene from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arai lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Watene backwards.
Watene has Arai pushed against the cage.
Watene can't break the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Watene is trying to break the clinch but Arai has him pressed against the cage.

Watene escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Arai takes the fight into the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Arai trying to land knees to the body.
Watene is trying to break the clinch but Arai is controlling him.
Arai tries to work over Watene's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Arai pulls guard successfully.
Watene preventing the sweep.
Arai looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Watene puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Watene tries to pass the half guard into mount. Arai knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Arai is trying to stand.
Watene tries to pass to full mount but Arai defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watene wants to take a breather but Arai is having none of it.
Watene controlling the action here.

Joseph Watene has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Arai.
Watene throws a head kick that misses.
Watene throws a sloppy head kick and Arai moves out of range easily.
Arai fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arai takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Arai avoids the head kick by Watene.
Arai shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Watene defends it nicely.
Arai is breathing heavily.
Watene throws a sloppy head kick and Arai moves out of range easily.
Watene displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Arai.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Arai tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Watene paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Arai takes the fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Joseph Watene will probably get the nod.
That's time! Watene's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Watene keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Arai takes a swing at Watene's ribcage but misses.
Arai throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Watene's waist but Watene gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Arai off to one side.
Joseph Watene is winning the standup battle so far.
Watene throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Jun Arai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Watene throws a head kick that misses.
Arai avoids a kick to the body.
Watene throws a head kick that misses.
Watene throws a head kick but Arai moves out of range.
Arai shoots in looking for a takedown. Watene tries to sprawl out of it but Arai keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Watene manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Joseph Watene has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jun Arai.
Arai blocks a head kick by Watene.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watene misses with a kick to the body.
Watene throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Arai takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Arai shoots in looking for a takedown. Watene tries to sprawl out of it but Arai keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Watene manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Arai takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A head kick by Watene misses
and Arai counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Watene stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Watene wants it to stay on the feet.
Watene avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Watene throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Watene throws a leg kick but Arai sees it coming and checks it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watene misses with a kick to the body.
Watene throws a nice head kick!
Arai fails with the takedown.
Arai is looking to clinch but Watene is avoiding it.
Joseph Watene is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Arai moves in looking to clinch but Watene pushes him off.
Watene lands a head kick. Arai smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Arai misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Arai blocks a head kick by Watene.
Jun Arai is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Arai blocks a head kick by Watene.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watene throws a lazy head kick
and Arai counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Watene uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Arai.
Watene misses with a head kick.
Arai throws a head kick that misses.
Arai takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Watene circles away from the clinch attempt.
Watene misses with an attempted mid kick.
Arai shoots in but Watene avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Arai throws a jab but it's blocked by Watene.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arai blocks a head kick by Watene.
Arai throws a solid leg kick but Watene takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Arai.
A lazy body kick from Watene
and Arai counters with a body kick that stops Watene in his tracks momentarily.
Watene throws a head kick that misses.
Watene looks to land a body kick but Arai moved away.
A head kick misses from Watene.
Arai looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Arai doesn't manage to clinch there - Watene circles away.
Watene throws a wild body kick that Arai sees coming a mile off.
Watene pulls out of a head kick attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joseph Watene showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Watene 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 Paul Tew scores the fight for Joseph Watene!
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight for Joseph Watene!
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight for Jun Arai!

Joseph Watene wins by split decision!