PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bogie McGill (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Takeshi Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Watanabe's choice of entrance music: The Handsome Family - Far From Any Road. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

McGill
vs
Watanabe

173 cm
29
142 lbs
12 - 12 - 0

175 cm
32
135 lbs
14 - 17 - 1

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Insanely flexible

Decent wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bogie McGill!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 17 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Takeshi Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
McGill avoids a punch combination nicely.
McGill attempts a counter takedown but Watanabe avoids it well and moves away.
Watanabe swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Takeshi Watanabe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Watanabe misses with a double jab

and McGill decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Watanabe's guard.
Watanabe is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
McGill works a leg free and moves into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
McGill looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Watanabe taking some punishment here, with McGill in his half guard.

McGill is working for a submission of some sort.
Watanabe is refusing to be controlled, as McGill sits in half guard.
Watanabe tries to get to full guard but McGill has control of the leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.

McGill is looking for a kimura here.
Watanabe wants to improve his position but McGill is controlling well.

McGill is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

McGill is looking for a kimura but Watanabe is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for McGill to get the leverage.
McGill is looking to take a break and control but Watanabe is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Watanabe really doesn't want to stay on the ground with McGill. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Watanabe gets full guard.
McGill content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Watanabe keeping moving, preventing McGill from controlling successfully.
McGill sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Watanabe's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe tries to regain full guard. Instead though, McGill has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
McGill postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Watanabe looks a forlorn figure.
McGill breaks from Watanabe's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Watanabe is working to get back to half guard.

McGill looking to secure an arm triangle but Watanabe defends it well.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

McGill looking for a guillotine from mount but Watanabe is having none of it.
McGill dominating with strikes here.

McGill looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McGill fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Watanabe regains half guard.

McGill is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Watanabe is looking for a sweep. McGill is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
McGill slips a nice elbow through Watanabe's hands, connecting with Watanabe's forehead.
Watanabe tries to regain full guard. Instead though, McGill has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Watanabe is desperately trying to improve his position but McGill has a good base and remains in mount.
McGill working the ground and pound effectively.
BOOM! McGill connects with a massive shot to the dome!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McGill can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Watanabe is looking to escape.
Watanabe is looking to improve his position but McGill isn't that keen on the idea.
McGill scores with a couple of good head shots there.
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!
McGill lands a couple of good shots and Watanabe has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Watanabe tries to roll but McGill sticks to his back.
McGill connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Watanabe to escape the position.
McGill is landing with strikes. Watanabe can't take much more of this.
McGill has the hooks in. Watanabe is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.

McGill has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Watanabe has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
McGill keeps control of the position easily here as Watanabe tries to buck him off.
McGill gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

McGill fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Oooooh!!! Watanabe has knocked McGill down with a huge combo! Watanabe steps away and waves a wobbly McGill back to his feet! This one might not go much longer!

It looks like Bogie McGill has been cut.
Watanabe throws a left and a right that both miss
and McGill counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Watanabe misses with a two punch combination.

Watanabe drops McGill with a beautiful combination! McGill stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Watanabe is looking for the KO!

McGill is rocked!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Watanabe throws a series of punches but McGill moves out of range.
Oh McGill is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Watanabe fails to land with a series of punches.
Watanabe throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and McGill cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Watanabe tries to keep at a distance but McGill has taken the fight into the clinch.
McGill seems to have got his legs back now.
McGill is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Watanabe can do to turn this around?
McGill lands a knee to the body.
McGill wants a takedown.
McGill keeps control of Watanabe as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Watanabe can't break the clinch.
Watanabe wants to break free but McGill has control.
McGill gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
McGill tries for a takedown. No joy.
Our sources have told us that McGill has been working on his elbows in the gym.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bogie McGill. That's going to take a lot out of him.
McGill tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Watanabe is trying to break free.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but McGill is controlling him.
Watanabe is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but McGill is controlling him.
Watanabe managing to block the knees to the body from McGill.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but McGill has him pressed against the cage.

Watanabe breaks the clinch.
McGill looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Watanabe is fending him off so far but McGill persists. Nope, Watanabe circles away and we're back to standing.
Watanabe's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Watanabe duly obliges.
Takeshi Watanabe is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
McGill has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Watanabe throws a right and a left that McGill avoids nicely.
No joy there for Watanabe, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
McGill slips a jab and a cross from Watanabe.
No joy there for Watanabe, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
McGill appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Takeshi Watanabe seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Watanabe is breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

McGill rushes Watanabe and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

McGill has Watanabe pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. McGill pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Watanabe tumbling to the mat - McGill dives into Watanabe's guard.
McGill trying to control but Watanabe is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but McGill puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Watanabe is in trouble now - McGill has advanced to mount!
McGill landing strikes, looking to finish!
McGill controlling the position easily from mount.
McGill landing strikes, looking to finish!
McGill has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Watanabe in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Watanabe keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
McGill lands a big elbow.
Watanabe is trying desperately to improve position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McGill working the ground and pound effectively.
McGill with shots to the head and body - Watanabe looks very uncomfortable down there.
McGill scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Watanabe?
Watanabe gets back to half guard.
McGill takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
McGill landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
McGill uses his free foot to push down on Watanabe's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Watanabe.
McGill with good strikes from the mount here!
McGill fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The referee warns Watanabe that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
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!
McGill lands with some strikes.
McGill trying to control but Watanabe is having none of it.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, McGill cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Watanabe can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe is bucking up trying to escape but McGill cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
McGill unloading with bombs!
Watanabe is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
McGill trying to control but Watanabe is having none of it.
McGill lands a big shot there that rocks Watanabe but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Watanabe tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Watanabe tries to improve his position but McGill has taken his back! McGill has a choke - it's sunk in pretty tight... Will Watanabe tap? No... maybe... yes! He's tapped! McGill pushes Watanabe away and gets up to celebrate with his corner!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Bogie McGill!