PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sheer Rooj (ranked 3734 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bill Watson (ranked 4128 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Rooj
vs
Watson

183 cm
25
235 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

197 cm
25
265 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Sheer Rooj!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Bill Watson!
The judges for this bout are Ryoma Takatsuka, Micheangelo Fripello and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice takedown defense from Watson. No joy for Rooj on that attempt.

Rooj shoots in and bounces Watson off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rooj missing there with some ground and pound from the 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.
Rooj wants to control from the top but Watson keeps moving.
Rooj controls from within his opponent's guard.
Rooj loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rooj working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Watson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rooj trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rooj postures up in Watson's guard and throws a big left but Watson blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rooj wants to pass the guard but Watson is keeping the position.
Watson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rooj.
Rooj lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rooj distracts Watson with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Rooj throwing strikes but missing.
Rooj slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Rooj lands a couple of digs.
Watson avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rooj trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Watson keeping moving, preventing Rooj from controlling successfully.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Rooj 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.
Watson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Rooj will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Watson throws a series of punches but Rooj avoids them all with ease.
Watson looks to throw the jab but Rooj is out of range.

Rooj scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Rooj is keen to just control but Watson is a slippery customer.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rooj is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Rooj missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Watson really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rooj. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Watson is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Rooj scores with a couple of nice shots.
Rooj lands strikes from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rooj is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Rooj is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Rooj slips a nice elbow through Watson's hands, connecting with Watson's forehead.
Rooj thows a huge punch but Watson dodges it nicely.
Rooj working over Watson with some ground and pound. Watson looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Rooj throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Rooj working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Watson is trying to get back to full guard.
Rooj throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watson blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rooj.
Watson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Rooj thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Watson's head.
Rooj keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Rooj missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Rooj looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Watson with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Watson looks winded!
Rooj not landing any meaningful shots this time.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rooj thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Rooj content to control rather than advance.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Watson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nice takedown defense from Watson. No joy for Rooj on that attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Watson. No joy for Rooj on that attempt.
Rooj uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Watson.

Rooj closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Watson did well to prevent Rooj getting side control.
Watson is refusing to be controlled, as Rooj sits in half guard.
Rooj content to control rather than advance.
Rooj throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rooj throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Watson is staying active underneath Rooj, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Rooj not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Rooj lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rooj not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rooj seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Rooj lands a nice short elbow.
Rooj is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Rooj slows the pace down in half guard.
Rooj working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rooj thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Watson's head.
Rooj is nestled in close to Watson, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Still in half guard, Rooj seems content to control.
Rooj throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Watson on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Rooj lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Watson is breathing heavily.
Watson taking some punishment here, with Rooj in his half guard.
Rooj seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Watson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Rooj missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rooj lands strikes from half guard.
Rooj throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Watson blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rooj.
Rooj sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Watson defending well though.
Watson blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rooj.
Rooj seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Watson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Rooj thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Rooj takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Rooj shoots for a double leg takedown but Watson sprawls well. He's pushed Rooj's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sheer Rooj. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rooj with a lazy takedown attempt
and Watson counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Rooj closes this distance looking for a takedown but Watson circles away.
A little jabbing left from Watson on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Watson paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Watson moves into range and connects with a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rooj walks into a stiff left hand from Watson.
Watson scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Rooj shoots in looking for a takedown but Watson manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Rooj's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rooj tries to move into range but Watson moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Rooj is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Watson can do to turn this around?
Rooj takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Watson getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

Rooj is rocked!
Rooj on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Oh Rooj is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Watson has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

Watson cracks Rooj with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Rooj looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Watson finish him?
Rooj shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Watson as he avoids it easily.

Watson lands a big uppercut and Rooj crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Rooj looks OK. Watson waves Rooj back to his feet!
Watson drops Rooj with a straight left! Oh this is bad for Rooj! Watson dives in and starts dropping bombs - the referee has no choice but to step in and save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:45 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Bill Watson!