PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Vang Poulsen (ranked 1260 p4p, 127 weight class) and Watsz Mawe (ranked 1581 p4p, 156 weight class). Watsz Mawe struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 146.2lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Poulsen
vs
Mawe

162 cm
23
152 lbs
9 - 1 - 0

170 cm
27
160 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

RAGS of a RONIN

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 9 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Vang Poulsen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Watsz Mawe!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, Eddie Farnsworth and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mawe closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The ground and pound from Mawe seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Poulsen dodges the ground and pound from Mawe.
Mawe trying to control the position but Poulsen is working away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Poulsen is looking to regain half guard here but Mawe keeps moving and retains side control.
Poulsen knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Mawe on the ground.
Mawe sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Poulsen is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Poulsen is trying to get back to half guard.
Mawe in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mawe throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Mawe is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Poulsen's shoulder. That is not cool.
Poulsen wants to control but Mawe postures up.
Mawe looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Mawe in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Poulsen is working to avoid the ground and pound but Mawe connects with a decent elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poulsen prevents Mawe from improving position.
Mawe landing a few strikes.
Poulsen has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Poulsen gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Poulsen trying to control here.
Nice strikes from Mawe there.
Poulsen is trying to control but Mawe passes into side control!
Poulsen tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Mawe wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Mawe taking a break here but Poulsen is having none of it and regains half guard.
Poulsen trying to control from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ground and pound from Mawe.
Poulsen regains full guard. Nicely done.
Mawe loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Mawe with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Poulsen trying to control the position.
Mawe wants to control from the top but Poulsen keeps moving.
Mawe's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Poulsen will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Mawe landing some decent shots from guard.
Poulsen is pulling down on Mawe's head. It's preventing any offense from Mawe, at least for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mawe postures up.
Mawe not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Mawe trying to control the position from guard on top but Poulsen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mawe lands a couple of digs.
Mawe wants to control from the top but Poulsen keeps moving.
Mawe working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Mawe is in close to Poulsen's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Poulsen keeping moving, preventing Mawe from controlling successfully.

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.
Mawe distracts Poulsen with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Poulsen is trying to keep Mawe in close.
Mawe lands a couple of elbows.
Mawe is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Mawe with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Poulsen is adopting a defensive guard.
Mawe forces his way into half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Poulsen is not content to let Mawe control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Watsz Mawe dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Poulsen takes one to the chin there.
Poulsen digs a good body shot into Mawe's ribs.
Mawe takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Mawe fails with the takedown
enabling Poulsen to counter with a crisp jab.
Mawe lands with a good body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mawe shoots in but no luck this time.
Mawe fails to land the takedown.
Vang Poulsen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Watsz Mawe.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jab by Poulsen.
Poulsen fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Mawe uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Poulsen.
Poulsen paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Mawe doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Poulsen counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Jab, jab by Poulsen - just one landing.
Mawe tries to score a power double leg takedown but Poulsen sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Mawe somewhat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Poulsen displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Mawe.
Vang Poulsen is winning the standup battle so far.
Poulsen avoids the body shot from Mawe.
Poulsen was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
A jab from Poulsen does it's job there.
Mawe doesn't manage to clinch there - Poulsen circles away.
Watsz Mawe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Poulsen misses the shot to the body.

Mawe closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
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!
Poulsen on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Mawe has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poulsen taking some punishment here, with Mawe in his half guard.
Mawe winds up and cracks Poulsen with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Ground and pound from Mawe.
Poulsen wants to get back to full guard.
Poulsen has hold of Mawe's hands but Mawe slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Poulsen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Mawe.
Mawe drops an elbow to the side of Poulsen's head.
Mawe is stalling here. Poulsen is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Mawe seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Poulsen has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Poulsen wants to control but Mawe is keeping him busy.
A control attempt from Mawe but he's now mounted!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mawe wants to hold on but Poulsen pushes him away.
Watsz Mawe has got the better of the ground game so far.
Mawe has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Poulsen looking to control and managing it successfully.
Mawe regains half guard.
Mawe slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Poulsen avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vang Poulsen dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! 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.

Poulsen throws a body punch but Mawe moves out of range.
Mawe doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Mawe fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Poulsen throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Mawe counters with a straight right hand.
Mawe misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Horrible takedown attempt by Mawe or perhaps it was just good defense by Poulsen, which made it look bad.
Vang Poulsen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Watsz Mawe.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mawe will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A shot to the liver by Poulsen. Beautiful body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poulsen swings for the body but Mawe moves out of range.
Poulsen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Mawe dives in for a single leg takedown but Poulsen sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Poulsen fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Mawe looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Poulsen is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Mawe.
Poulsen swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Mawe shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Mawe showed some decent athleticism there.
Poulsen is looking to control Mawe's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Poulsen avoid being mounted?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mawe tries to pass the half guard into mount. Poulsen knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Mawe missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Poulsen wants to improve his position but Mawe is controlling well.
Mawe lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Poulsen trying to control from the bottom.
Poulsen is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Mawe is thwarting Poulsen's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mawe sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Poulsen defending well though.
Mawe winds up and cracks Poulsen with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Mawe landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Poulsen wants to improve his position but Mawe is controlling well.
Poulsen has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Mawe is working away from the top position though.
Poulsen is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Mawe scores with a couple of nice shots.
Mawe is keen to just control but Poulsen is a slippery customer.
Poulsen won't allow Mawe to pass to mount.
Mawe working Poulsen over with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poulsen keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Mawe not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Mawe prevents Poulsen from improving his position.
Mawe slips a nice elbow through Poulsen's hands, connecting with Poulsen's forehead.
Poulsen manages to get to full guard.
Poulsen being controlled here, momentarily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Poulsen looking to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Watsz Mawe.
I think Mawe has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Anthony Taglia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 28:29
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Watsz Mawe!
Watsz Mawe looked relieved post fight as he said the following; 'Line em' up, I'll take them out. '.