PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Joaquin Morales (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Songswat Watana (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Morales
vs
Watana

204 cm
24
151 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

173 cm
23
145 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Enjoys gardening

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 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Joaquin Morales!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Songswat Watana!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Kenichi Hosakawa and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Watana closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Watana lands in his opponent's guard.
Morales managing to control the position.
Morales is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Watana is trying to stand back up but Morales is controlling him
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Watana is pressing down on Morales's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Watana looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Watana is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Morales is controlling him.
Morales really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Watana keeping moving, preventing Morales from controlling successfully.

Morales decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Watana, up you get!

That's one minute gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Morales.
Morales lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Watana circles away quickly and effectively.

Watana scores with a takedown into Morales's guard.
Morales wants to sweep here but Watana controlling him for the moment.
Morales controlling Watana's posture.
Morales wants to sweep here but Watana controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Morales is on top in guard.

Morales landing with the ground and pound.
Watana working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Morales.
Watana being controlled here, momentarily.
Morales tries to free his leg and advance position but Watana is retaining full guard.
Morales slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morales trying to control the position from guard on top but Watana is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Morales postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Morales works over Watana with some ground and pound from guard.
Watana is looking to stand up but Morales isn't so interested in that idea.
Morales sitting in guard here, content to control.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Morales tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Watana defends well and Morales ends up having to push Watana into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Morales closes the distance and clinches.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Watana just misses with a elbow thrown towards Morales's brow.

Morales manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Morales pulls Watana in close to prevent any damage.
Morales looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Morales pulls Watana in close to prevent any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Morales wants to sweep but no luck.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joaquin Morales dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Watana walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

Morales gets caught flat footed, as Watana shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Morales is pulling down on Watana's head to control his posture.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morales looking to hit a scissor sweep but Watana is one step ahead there.
Watana has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Morales is proving hard to escape from.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morales is trying to keep Watana in close.
Morales wants to sweep but no luck.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Watana shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Morales napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Watana working away.
Songswat Watana has got the better of the ground game so far.
Watana wants to control but Morales is keeping him busy.
Morales tries to improve position but can't.
Morales is trying to work for a sweep but Watana has mounted him!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watana looking to control but Morales is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Morales keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Morales tries to hold on but Watana postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morales gets back to half guard.
Watana throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Morales keeping control of the position.

Watana decides to stand and escape the position.
Morales closes the distance and clinches up with Watana, looking for a takedown. Morales pushes Watana against the cage but Watana circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Watana misses with a low kick.
Watana looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Songswat Watana is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Watana dives in and scores a takedown into Morales's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Morales is on top in guard.

Morales is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Watana keeping moving, preventing Morales from controlling successfully.
Morales looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Morales trying to control but Watana is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Songswat Watana showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

A jab from Morales misses.
Morales throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Watana tries to close the distance and clinch up but Morales swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Watana moves forwards but Morales connects with a nice, crisp jab.

Watana scores with a takedown into Morales's guard.
Morales keeping full guard, as Watana tries to pass.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morales looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Morales is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Watana is staying active underneath Morales, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Watana is defending against the submission attempts here by Morales.
Morales controlling the pace.
Morales is trying to control the action in half guard but Watana is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Morales 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.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Morales controlling the action here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Watana blocking the ground and pound attempt from Morales.
Morales seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Morales is trying to work for a kimura but Watana is defending well.
Morales wants to take a breather but Watana is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morales is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Watana manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Morales keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
Watana crunches a lovely knee into Morales's ribcage.
Watana stalling.
Nice body punch from Watana - that landed with a thud.
Watana with a knee to the head.

It looks like Joaquin Morales has been cut.

Watana breaks from the clinch.

Watana bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Morales is rocked!
Watana working away.
Oh Morales is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Watana grinds an elbow into Morales's temple.
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!
Watana landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
You can see the frustration on Morales's face as Watana controls the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Watana decides to stand back up. Watana steps back and let's Morales get back to his feet.

Watana has managed to clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Watana.
Watana lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Watana lands a takedown into guard.
Morales wants to improve his position but instead Watana has moved into half guard.
Morales is controlling Watana's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Morales is looking for a sweep. Watana is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Watana slows the pace down in half guard.
Morales wants to improve his position but Watana is controlling well.
Morales is trying to control but Watana manages to pass to mount!
Watana sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Songswat Watana comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Watana 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 28:29
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Songswat Watana!