PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jake Coleman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steve Watson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Steve Watson has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Coleman
vs
Watson

183 cm
28
192 lbs
15 - 8 - 0

183 cm
27
185 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Experienced

Good takedowns
Brawler
Solid chin

GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jake Coleman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Steve Watson!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Stewart Dunkirk and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Coleman drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Watson looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Watson is trying to keep Coleman in close.
Coleman postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Coleman in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Watson looking for a sweep. Not yet Watson, not yet.
Watson is trying to keep Coleman in close.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Watson pulls Coleman in to control the position.
Watson is trying to control the position but Coleman postures up.

Watson has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Coleman can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watson is trying to keep Coleman in close.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Coleman scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watson tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Coleman knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Watson on the ground.
Coleman postures up in Watson's guard and throws a big left but Watson blocks it.
Coleman wants to control from the top but Watson keeps moving.
Coleman scoring with some ground and pound.
Coleman trying to control but Watson is working from the bottom.
Watson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Coleman is one step ahead there.

Coleman thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Coleman avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Watson can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Coleman controls the pace.
Watson has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Coleman trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Coleman pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Watson is keeping the position for now.
Watson keeping moving, preventing Coleman from controlling successfully.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Watson moves into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Coleman is looking for a takedown.
Watson misses with the head strike.
Coleman is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Watson is working Coleman over against the cage.

Watson has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Coleman is trying to keep an underhook but Watson manages to get the takedown into half guard.

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

Watson is trying to work for a kimura but Coleman is defending well.
Watson is thwarting Coleman's attempts to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coleman missing with punches from the bottom.

Watson is working for a kimura but Coleman is defending it quite comfortably.
Coleman trying to control here.

Watson looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Coleman trying to control but Watson postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Watson dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Watson has Coleman up against the cage in a clinch.

Watson gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.

Watson is trying to work for a kimura but Coleman is defending well.
Coleman wants to improve his position but Watson is controlling well.
Watson blocks the strikes from Coleman.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Watson is looking for a kimura here.

Watson wants to work for an arm triangle but Coleman is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Watson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Coleman does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Watson is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Coleman sees it coming and defends easily.
Coleman wants to improve his position but Watson is controlling well.
Coleman is looking to control Watson's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Coleman avoid being mounted?
Coleman is looking to improve his position.

Watson is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Coleman trying to control from the bottom.

Watson looking for a submission but Coleman manages to get full guard, putting an end to that submission attempt.
Coleman is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watson wants to control but Coleman is keeping busy.
Watson manages to get to full guard.
Coleman works over Watson with some ground and pound from guard.
Watson is trying to control the position but Coleman postures up.
Watson might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Coleman haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Watson looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Coleman lands a couple of digs.
Coleman postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Coleman in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Coleman wants to control from the top but Watson keeps moving.
Coleman with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Coleman tries to free his leg and advance position but Watson is retaining full guard.
Watson trying to keep a closed guard but Coleman is proving a slippery customer.
Watson looking for a sweep. Not yet Watson, not yet.
Watson looking to control.
Coleman trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Coleman lands a couple of digs.
Coleman controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Coleman pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Watson is keeping the position for now.

Watson isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Coleman stacks Watson on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Coleman!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coleman is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Watson is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Coleman's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Coleman is working for a submission of some sort.
Coleman throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
The fighters are battling for position here. Watson manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Watson is looking for a triangle but Coleman pushes his legs off easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Steve Watson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Watson fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Watson thuds a left hand into Coleman's body.
Watson tries to clinch up

and Coleman counters with a single leg into guard. Watson didn't expect that.
Coleman wants to control from the top but Watson keeps moving.
Watson lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Coleman trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Watson trying to control the position from guard on top but Coleman is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Coleman is looking to stand up but Watson isn't so interested in that idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Coleman is adopting a defensive guard.
Coleman on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Coleman tries to get out of the position.
Watson looking to pass the guard.
Watson postures up.

Watson drops back looking for a leg! Coleman is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Coleman manages to kick Watson off! Watson jumps back into Coleman's guard.
Watson passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Watson is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Coleman is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's two 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.
Coleman is trying to improve his position.
Coleman is not content to let Watson control the position.
Coleman can't do much from the bottom here.

Watson wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Coleman, who protects the arm well.

Watson tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Coleman holds on tight, trying to prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watson wants to control but Coleman is keeping him busy.
Coleman is trying to control Watson's posture but Watson avoids it.
Steve Watson is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Watson passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Coleman!
Watson has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Coleman throws some wild strikes from the bottom.
Watson trying to control but Coleman is having none of it.
Coleman is working to get back to half guard.
Steve Watson has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coleman tries to lock up and control but Watson gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Watson goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Coleman turns into him and now he's in Watson's guard.
Coleman postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Coleman's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Coleman postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Coleman postures up.
Coleman trying to control the position from guard on top but Watson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Watson manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Coleman manages to get himself to full guard.

Watson trying to control the position from guard on top but Coleman is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Steve Watson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Watson has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steve Watson!
An out of breath Steve Watson thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.