PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between TJ Crawford (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Takeshi Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Crawford might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to John Legend - Who Do We Think We Are . Watanabe has chosen The Handsome Family - Far From Any Road as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Crawford
vs
Watanabe

179 cm
36
155 lbs
19 - 21 - 0

175 cm
32
135 lbs
14 - 15 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
World class boxer
Granite chin

GREEN!160

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 19 - 21 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, TJ Crawford!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Takeshi Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watanabe throws a right and a left that Crawford avoids nicely.
Watanabe throws a right and a left that Crawford avoids nicely.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Watanabe is looking to break free of the clinch but Crawford has double underhooks.
Crawford misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Watanabe.
Watanabe is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Watanabe escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Crawford tries to clinch but Watanabe moves out of range.

Crawford drives through and clinches with Watanabe against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Watanabe's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Crawford misses with a knee to the head.
Watanabe is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but Crawford is controlling him.
Crawford has Watanabe pressed against the cage, preventing Watanabe from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Crawford misses with a knee to the head.
Crawford missing with knees to the body.
Watanabe working hard to break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crawford prevents Watanabe from breaking the clinch.
Watanabe is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Watanabe swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Watanabe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Watanabe misses with a jab, cross combination.
Crawford is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Crawford wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Crawford fails in his attempt to clinch.
Watanabe throws a right and a left that Crawford avoids nicely.
Watanabe has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Watanabe misses with a jab, cross combination.
Crawford moves in looking to clinch but Watanabe pushes him off.
Watanabe throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Crawford rushes Watanabe and presses him up against the cage.
Crawford has Watanabe pressed against the cage, preventing Watanabe from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but Crawford is controlling him.
Crawford with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Watanabe tries to break the clinch but Crawford is controlling the position.
Crawford tries a knee to the head but Watanabe blocks it.
Watanabe avoiding damage as Crawford throws knees to the body.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Crawford throws a knee to the head but misses.
Watanabe misses with a hook from the clinch.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Crawford working Watanabe over with knees to the body.
Watanabe working hard to break the clinch.

Watanabe manages to break the clinch.

Crawford has Watanabe up against the cage in a clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Crawford tries a knee to the head but Watanabe blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Crawford obliges.
Crawford tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Crawford misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Watanabe.
Watanabe tries to break the clinch but Crawford is controlling the position.
Crawford looking to throw knees to the head but Watanabe is blocking nicely.
Crawford misses with a knee strike.
Crawford trying to land knees to the body.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Watanabe tries to circle away but Crawford has him pinned against the cage.
Watanabe is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Watanabe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Watanabe looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Crawford tries to counter by clinching up but Watanabe breaks away and moves out of range.
Crawford tries to clinch up but Watanabe circles away and keeps his distance.
Watanabe misses with a wild combination.
Crawford tries to close the distance and clinch but Watanabe swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Watanabe pushes Crawford away with a front kick.
Crawford tries to close the distance and clinch up but Watanabe swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Crawford clinches with his opponent.
Watanabe takes a knee to the side of the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Watanabe breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Crawford is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Crawford clinches with his opponent.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but Crawford has him pressed against the cage.
Crawford lands a knee to the head.
Watanabe wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Crawford has him pressed against the cage.
Watanabe tries to break free but Crawford pushes him back against the cage.
Watanabe is looking to break free of the clinch but Crawford has double underhooks.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but Crawford is controlling him.
Crawford looking to throw knees to the head but Watanabe is blocking nicely.
Crawford throws a knee to the head but misses.
Watanabe working hard to break the clinch.
Watanabe has had enough of the clinch but Crawford keeps him there for the moment.
Watanabe is trying to break free.
Knees in the clinch landing for Crawford.
Watanabe tries to break the clinch but Crawford is controlling the position.

Watanabe breaks the clinch.
No joy there for Watanabe, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Crawford takes the fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crawford looking to throw knees to the head but Watanabe is blocking nicely.
Watanabe wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Watanabe is looking to break free of the clinch but Crawford has double underhooks.
Crawford misses with a knee to the head.
Watanabe lands with a right to the head.
Crawford keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Watanabe's efforts to push away.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but Watanabe blocks with his arms.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A frustrated look appears on Watanabe's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Watanabe's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Watanabe throws a right and a left that both miss.
Watanabe lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like TJ Crawford has been cut.
Watanabe misses with the combination.
Crawford tries to clinch there but Watanabe circles away.
Crawford fails with an attempt to clinch.
Some wild striking there from Watanabe.
Crawford is looking to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Takeshi Watanabe will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on TJ Crawford's cut.
That's time! Crawford's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Crawford fails in his attempt to clinch.
A left and a right from Watanabe both land. Nice combination.
Watanabe lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Crawford circles away quickly and effectively.
Crawford tries to clinch there but Watanabe circles away.
Watanabe misses with a combination

and Crawford counters by clinching up.
Watanabe blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Crawford misses with a knee strike.
Watanabe on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Crawford putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Watanabe in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Watanabe is trying to push Crawford away but Crawford has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Watanabe takes a knee to the side of the body.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Crawford obliges.
Crawford lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Crawford obliges.
Crawford with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Crawford using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Watanabe has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Crawford landing knees to the head.
Crawford trying to land knees to the body.
Crawford with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Crawford misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Watanabe.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Watanabe tries to circle away but Crawford has him pinned against the cage.
Crawford looking to throw knees to the head but Watanabe is blocking nicely.
Watanabe looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Watanabe pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
No joy there for Watanabe, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Crawford tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Watanabe manages to circle out of the way.
Watanabe avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Crawford is looking to clinch but Watanabe is avoiding it.
Crawford tries to close the distance and clinch up but Watanabe swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Crawford tries to close the distance and clinch but Watanabe swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Crawford tries to clinch up.
Watanabe tries to bum rush Crawford with a series of wild strikes but Crawford uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Crawford is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Watanabe swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Crawford showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Watanabe.

Crawford rushes Watanabe and presses him up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Watanabe breaks the clinch.
Crawford showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Watanabe.
Watanabe rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Crawford moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Crawford clinches up against the cage.
Watanabe wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Crawford has him pressed against the cage.
Watanabe working hard to break the clinch.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but Crawford has him pressed against the cage.
Crawford throws a knee to the head but misses.
Crawford with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Watanabe blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Crawford lands a good knee to the midsection. Watanabe won't want to take too many of those.
Crawford throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Watanabe blocks it with crossed arms.
Crawford throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Watanabe blocks it with crossed arms.
Crawford trying to land knees to the body.
Watanabe lands an uppercut.
Watanabe lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Crawford tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe tries to circle away but Crawford has him pinned against the cage.
Watanabe is trying to push Crawford away but Crawford has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Watanabe is trying to force a seperation but Crawford has the dominant position.
Watanabe can't break the clinch.
Crawford misses with a knee strike.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Watanabe avoids it.
Crawford prevents Watanabe from breaking the clinch.
Watanabe wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Watanabe wants to break free but Crawford has control.
Watanabe avoiding damage as Crawford throws knees to the body.

Watanabe breaks from the clinch.
Crawford tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Crawford tries to clinch but Watanabe is having none of it.
Crawford tries to close the distance and clinch up but Watanabe swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Watanabe swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Crawford moves in looking to clinch but Watanabe pushes him off.

Crawford has closed the distance and engaged Watanabe in a clinch.
Crawford is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Watanabe is defending well for now.
Watanabe takes a knee right on the jaw!
Crawford keeps control of Watanabe as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe has had enough of the clinch but Crawford keeps him there for the moment.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but Crawford has him pressed against the cage.

Watanabe breaks from the clinch.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Crawford dodges the punch combination from Watanabe.
As Watanabe tries to get set, Crawford tries to push him back and clinch up but Watanabe manages to avoid the attempt.
Watanabe circles away from the clinch attempt.
Watanabe will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Watanabe tries to bum rush Crawford with a series of wild strikes but Crawford uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Watanabe looks to land a body kick but Crawford moved away.
Crawford avoids a kick to the body.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Crawford throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Watanabe blocks it with crossed arms.
A knee to the head by Crawford.
Watanabe is trying to force a seperation but Crawford has the dominant position.
Crawford throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Watanabe blocks it with crossed arms.
Watanabe can't break the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Watanabe's face as he tries to break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

TJ Crawford dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on TJ Crawford's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Watanabe fails to land with a series of punches.
Sloppy strikes from Watanabe. Those never looked like landing.
Crawford tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Watanabe paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Watanabe misses with a few strikes there.
Watanabe looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Crawford closes the distance and pushes Watanabe back into the cage.
Watanabe on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Crawford throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Watanabe blocks it with crossed arms.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Watanabe pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Crawford tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Watanabe manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Watanabe misses with a two punch combination.
Watanabe keeps the fight on the outside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watanabe keeps the fight on the outside.
A punch combination from Watanabe misses.
Watanabe goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Watanabe takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Watanabe throws a nice looking combination but Crawford bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Crawford doesn't manage to clinch there - Watanabe circles away.
Crawford tries to close the distance and clinch but Watanabe swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Watanabe changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Crawford doesn't manage to clinch there - Watanabe circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crawford slips a jab and a cross from Watanabe.
Crawford is looking to counter the offense by Watanabe and move into the clinch.
No joy there for Watanabe, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Crawford moves in looking to clinch but Watanabe pushes him off.

Crawford gets a clinch.
Crawford keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Watanabe's efforts to push away.
Crawford lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
TJ Crawford has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but Watanabe blocks with his arms.
Watanabe blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Crawford throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Watanabe blocks it with crossed arms.
Crawford prevents Watanabe from breaking the clinch.
Crawford with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Crawford throws a knee to the head but misses.
Watanabe is trying to break the clinch but Crawford has him pressed against the cage.
Watanabe tries to break free but Crawford pushes him back against the cage.
Watanabe wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Crawford tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Watanabe on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Watanabe manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe throws a series of punches but Crawford moves out of range.
As Watanabe tries to get set, Crawford tries to push him back and clinch up but Watanabe manages to avoid the attempt.
Takeshi Watanabe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Watanabe stalks Crawford and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Crawford's face. Crawford staggers backwards, shaken.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Watanabe throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Watanabe misses with a double jab.
Crawford moves out of range of the body kick from Watanabe.
Crawford wants to clinch.
Watanabe misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Crawford wants to clinch.
Crawford tries to clinch up.
Watanabe keeps the fight on the outside.
Crawford tries to clinch up.
Crawford tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Watanabe manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Watanabe is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Watanabe throws a right hand that Crawford ducks under and follows up with a left that Crawford also avoids with ease.
Crawford tries to clinch up but Watanabe circles away and keeps his distance.
Watanabe throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crawford dodges the punch combination from Watanabe.
Crawford is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Watanabe.
Watanabe will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Watanabe misses with the combination.
Takeshi Watanabe seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Crawford closes the distance and clinches.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Crawford obliges.
Crawford throws a knee to the head but misses.
Crawford prevents Watanabe from breaking the clinch.
Crawford lands a nice knee to the body.
Knees to the body from Crawford.
Crawford with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Watanabe looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Crawford has Watanabe pressed against the cage, preventing Watanabe from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Watanabe is trying to break free.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but Watanabe blocks with his arms.
Watanabe blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Watanabe looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Crawford blocks an uppercut.

Watanabe breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Watanabe works over Crawford's head and body with a nice combination.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Watanabe fails to land with a series of punches.
A left and a right from Watanabe both land. Nice combination.
Crawford tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And Watanabe tries to counter it with a takedown but Crawford pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Watanabe swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
As Watanabe tries to get set, Crawford tries to push him back and clinch up but Watanabe manages to avoid the attempt.
Watanabe keeps the fight on the outside.
Watanabe misses with a two punch combination.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Watanabe. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.

Crawford has Watanabe up against the cage in a clinch.
Watanabe avoiding damage as Crawford throws knees to the body.
Watanabe working hard to break the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Watanabe's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Watanabe tries to break the clinch but Crawford is controlling the position.
Watanabe wants to break the clinch but can't.

And that's the end of the fight!
Takeshi Watanabe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight as a draw!
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight for Takeshi Watanabe!
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight as a draw!

The fight ends as a draw!