PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Antonio Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hiro Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Watanabe has chosen Tan Dun- Night Flight as his entrance music. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Gracie
vs
Watanabe

175 cm
24
155 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

174 cm
31
160 lbs
7 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Antonio Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hiro Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watanabe tries for a takedown but Gracie circles away easily

and Gracie counters with a shoot takedown. Watanabe fights it but they end up in guard.
Gracie 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.

Watanabe had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Gracie defends it easily.
Watanabe has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

Watanabe is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Gracie is aware though and is defending well.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Watanabe wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Gracie is now in half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gracie thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Watanabe's head.
Watanabe keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe gets full guard.

Gracie drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Watanabe dives on top into guard.
Gracie wants to stand and escape but Watanabe is having none of it.
Watanabe pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gracie is keeping the position for now.
Watanabe won't allow Gracie to get back to his feet.
Watanabe looking to pass the guard.
Watanabe prevents Gracie from getting back to his feet.

Watanabe drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Gracie manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Watanabe has Gracie in his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gracie has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Gracie pushes down on Watanabe's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Watanabe wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Watanabe wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Watanabe trying to hold on to Gracie's head to control him but Gracie postures up.
Gracie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie stalling away here and it's allowed Watanabe to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

Watanabe has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.
Watanabe looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Gracie looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Gracie lands a couple of digs.
Watanabe trying to control the position here.

Gracie avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Gracie drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Watanabe manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Gracie has Watanabe in his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Watanabe from controlling successfully.
Watanabe looking to pass the guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Watanabe advances to half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Watanabe trying to pass the guard but Gracie defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Hiro Watanabe will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Gracie is looking to clinch.
Watanabe shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Gracie pinned against the cage. Gracie gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Watanabe circles away from the clinch attempt.

Gracie scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Sloppy strikes there by Gracie.
Gracie throws a strike aimed at the side of Watanabe's head but Watanabe avoids it well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie taking a break here but Watanabe is having none of it and regains half guard.
Gracie slips a nice elbow through Watanabe's hands, connecting with Watanabe's forehead.
Watanabe is trying to get back to full guard.
Watanabe is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Watanabe wants to get back to full guard.
Gracie not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Watanabe won't allow Gracie to pass to mount.
Gracie throwing shots but Watanabe is blocking nicely.
Watanabe tries to get to full guard but Gracie has control of the leg.

Watanabe is defending against the submission attempts here by Gracie.
Gracie seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Watanabe does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Watanabe looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Antonio Gracie overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Watanabe is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Gracie's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Gracie's back!
Watanabe punches the canvas rather than the man.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie is trying to get back to his feet but Watanabe has full control of the position and if anything, Gracie has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Watanabe trying to control momentarily.
Gracie looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

Watanabe is looking for the choke from the back position but Gracie is controlling his hands well.
Watanabe is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Watanabe is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Gracie is defending well though. Watanabe let's go of the attempt for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Watanabe is looking for a choke. Gracie gets to his feet with his opponent on his back and slams him to the mat. Gracie manages to squirm out of the attempted choke and turns into his opponent's guard.
Gracie won't allow Watanabe to sweep him here.
Gracie trying to control but Watanabe is working from the bottom.

Watanabe is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Gracie defends well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Watanabe is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Gracie is aware though and is defending well.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Watanabe keeps moving.

Watanabe is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Gracie with a nice head shot there.
Gracie scoring with some ground and pound.
Watanabe working a defensive guard here.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Gracie's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gracie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Gracie throws a big elbow that misses.
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 Antonio Gracie will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Gracie.
Gracie wants to take a breather but Watanabe manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Gracie.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Watanabe keeps moving.
Gracie postures up in Watanabe's guard and throws a big left but Watanabe blocks it.
Watanabe pulls Gracie in to control the position.
Watanabe wants to improve his position but instead Gracie has moved into half guard.
Watanabe is in trouble now - Gracie has advanced to mount!
Watanabe manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Watanabe is pressing down on Gracie's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Gracie trying to control but Watanabe is working from the bottom.

Watanabe escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gracie looking to sit in guard and control but Watanabe gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Watanabe trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Gracie wants to stand and escape but Watanabe is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gracie swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Watanabe throws a big right hand that misses.
Watanabe passes Gracie's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Watanabe is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Gracie has managed to free his arm - good work.
Gracie is trying to stand up here but Watanabe is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
Gracie is trying to stand up here but Watanabe is controlling him well.
Watanabe tries to pass the half guard into mount. Gracie knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Gracie is not content to let Watanabe control the position.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Gracie looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Watanabe trying to control from half guard but Gracie is working away.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Hiro Watanabe.
Watanabe misses with a body shot

and Gracie counters by clinching up.
Watanabe jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Gracie walks away with a smile on his face. Watanabe gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Watanabe closes the distance and clinches up with Gracie, looking for a takedown. Watanabe pushes Gracie against the cage but Gracie circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Watanabe shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Gracie's guard.
Gracie wants to stand but Watanabe is controlling the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Hiro Watanabe.
I think Watanabe 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Hiro Watanabe!
A relieved looking Hiro Watanabe thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.