PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mike Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cole Trickle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Trickle's choice of entrance music: Personal Jesus. Mike Johnson looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Johnson
vs
Trickle

176 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

183 cm
24
180 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mike Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Cole Trickle!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Fedor Mirinova and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Trickle misses with a takedown attempt - Johnson sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Trickle fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Johnson shoots and misses

and Trickle counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Trickle gets underhooks to prevent Johnson's takedown attempt.
Johnson is working for takedown but Trickle is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Johnson is breathing heavily.
Trickle lands a nice knee to the body.
Trickle lands a knee to the body.
A knee to the head by Trickle.

It looks like Mike Johnson has been cut.

Trickle gets a trip takedown into half guard.

Trickle is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Johnson is just riding it out for now. Trickle eventually gives up the hold.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Trickle is pressing down on Johnson's thigh, looking to free his foot. Johnson is holding on for now.
Johnson is staying active underneath Trickle, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Trickle is thwarting Johnson's attempts to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Trickle escapes and gets back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Trickle rushes Johnson and presses him up against the cage.
Johnson on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Trickle is fighting off a takedown attempt but Johnson is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Trickle to the mat. Trickle regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Johnson looking to sit in guard and control but Trickle gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Johnson keeping full guard, as Trickle tries to pass.

Johnson had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Trickle is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Johnson Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Trickle's back instead.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Trickle just trying to survive but Johnson is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Trickle is keeping busy.
Johnson missing with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cole Trickle dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Mike Johnson's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Trickle fails in his attempt to clinch.
Johnson misses with a double jab
and Trickle counters with a series of strikes. Johnson will be more careful next time no doubt.

Johnson drives through with a takedown into guard.
Trickle wants to sweep but no luck.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Johnson's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Trickle keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Trickle controlling the position.
Johnson is looking to work some ground and pound but Trickle has wrist control.
Johnson stops Trickle from standing up.
Trickle manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Johnson manages to get himself to full guard.

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.
Johnson is adopting a defensive guard.
Trickle wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.
Trickle is stalling in the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Trickle has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Johnson is proving hard to escape from.

Johnson has an active guard here but Trickle has managed to pass into half guard.

Johnson is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Trickle pulls his head out easily.

That's four 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.
Johnson wants to get back to full guard but Trickle has mounted him!

Trickle gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Johnson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Trickle counters with a takedown into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cole Trickle showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Mike Johnson's cut.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Trickle buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Trickle fails with an attempt to clinch.
Trickle misses with a head kick.
Mike Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Johnson shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Trickle counters with a series of strikes. Johnson will be more careful next time no doubt.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Trickle as he avoids it easily.
Cole Trickle seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Trickle closes the distance and clinches.
Johnson goes for a takedown in the clinch but Trickle prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Johnson has Trickle pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Trickle manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Trickle landing knees to the head.
Johnson tries for a takedown but Trickle manages to get underhooks.
Trickle manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Trickle trying to control from the bottom.
Cole Trickle has got the better of the ground game so far.
Johnson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Trickle does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Trickle is trying to control but can't.
Johnson blocks the strikes from Trickle.
Johnson is keen to just control but Trickle is a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Trickle is looking to escape.

Johnson wants to work for an arm triangle but Trickle is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Trickle is not content to let Johnson control the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Trickle gets a clinch.
Johnson tries for a takedown but Trickle manages to get underhooks.
Trickle tries to score a body lock takedown but Johnson shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Johnson jumps guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Trickle looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Johnson has a closed guard, preventing Trickle from standing up.

Johnson looking for a guillotine here but Trickle defends easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Trickle postures up.

Trickle gets to his feet. Johnson looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Johnson shoots and misses

and Trickle counters by clinching up.
Mike Johnson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cole Trickle is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Johnson has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Trickle avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cole Trickle comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Trickle 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cole Trickle!