PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Amali Yeboah (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Yeboah
vs
Johnson

210 cm
20
250 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

200 cm
20
262 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Amali Yeboah!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, James Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Paulsen Ambrosius, Aafke Stam and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Yeboah looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Johnson stuffs the takedown attempt from Yeboah. Yeboah gets slowly back to his feet.
Jab, jab by Johnson - just one landing.
Johnson lands with an overhand left.

Johnson shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Yeboah manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Yeboah is rocked!
Johnson trying to control but Yeboah is working from the bottom.
Johnson postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Johnson trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Johnson chips away with some ground and pound.
Johnson landing some decent shots from guard.
Johnson trying to control but Yeboah is working from the bottom.
Johnson is in close to Yeboah's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson is looking to work some ground and pound but Yeboah has wrist control.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Yeboah is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Yeboah looking to hit a scissor sweep but Johnson is one step ahead there.
Johnson stands up over Yeboah, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Johnson throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Yeboah works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Johnson working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Yeboah's head.
Johnson working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Johnson throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Yeboah looking for a sweep. Not yet Yeboah, not yet.
Yeboah striking off his back but it's not causing Johnson any problems.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Yeboah wants to get back to his feet but Johnson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Johnson postures up and lands a big shot to Yeboah's brow.
Yeboah trying to control the position here.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Yeboah is looking to stand up but Johnson isn't so interested in that idea.
Yeboah is breathing heavily.
Johnson postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Johnson postures up and lands a big shot to Yeboah's brow.
Johnson lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Johnson is looking to work some ground and pound but Yeboah has wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yeboah preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Johnson passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Johnson decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Johnson moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

Johnson decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Yeboah has hold of Johnson's hands but Johnson slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Johnson looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Yeboah with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Johnson scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Yeboah is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Johnson scores with a couple of nice shots.
Johnson working the head and body with strikes.
Yeboah on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson passes to side control.
Yeboah is looking for a sweep.
Johnson in side control lands a decent elbow.
Johnson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
You can see the frustration on Yeboah's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Johnson in side control lands a decent elbow.
Yeboah is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Johnson is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yeboah is trying to escape the mount.
Johnson in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Johnson dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Johnson shoots in but no luck this time.
Johnson tries to bum rush Yeboah with a series of wild strikes but Yeboah uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Yeboah gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Johnson counters with a left and a right that stings Yeboah.
Yeboah doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Johnson counters with a left to the body.

Johnson shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Johnson showed some decent athleticism there.
Johnson prevents Yeboah from standing back up.
Yeboah is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Yeboah has hold of Johnson's hands but Johnson slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Yeboah wants to improve his position but Johnson is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yeboah trying to hold on to Johnson's head to control him but Johnson postures up.
Johnson is nestled in close to Yeboah, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Johnson working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Yeboah has hold of Johnson's hands but Johnson slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Johnson landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Yeboah is looking to control Johnson's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Yeboah avoid being mounted?
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Johnson connects with a nice short shot to Yeboah's temple.
Johnson looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Yeboah with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Johnson scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Johnson drops an elbow to the side of Yeboah's head.
Johnson lands with a punch from half guard.
Yeboah keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Johnson thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Yeboah's head.

Johnson escapes and gets back to his feet.
Yeboah keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Amali Yeboah is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Yeboah throws a head kick that Johnson semi-blocks.
Yeboah doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Johnson shoots for a takedown but Yeboah saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Johnson darts in and clinches Yeboah up against the cage.
Yeboah is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Johnson gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Amali Yeboah. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Johnson is trying to trip Yeboah. He has hold of a leg but Yeboah is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Johnson persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Johnson is working Yeboah over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yeboah is looking to sweep but instead, Johnson has passed into half guard.
Johnson is nestled in close to Yeboah, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Yeboah trying to control but Johnson postures up.
Johnson lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Johnson wants to pass to mount but Yeboah is defending the position.
Yeboah is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Johnson uses his free foot to push down on Yeboah's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Yeboah.
Johnson connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Johnson lands a big shot there that rocks Yeboah but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Johnson fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Johnson punishing his opponent with strikes.
Yeboah on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Yeboah tries to get out of the position.
Yeboah can't escape the position.
Johnson with the ground and pound from mount.
Johnson connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Yeboah keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Johnson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Yeboah shoots in and drives through. Johnson sprawls well.
Yeboah gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Johnson.
Yeboah tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Johnson feints and as Yeboah raises his hands in defense, Johnson changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Johnson chips away with some ground and pound.
Yeboah has momentary wrist control but Johnson slips an elbow through the middle.
Yeboah looking for a sweep. Not yet Yeboah, not yet.
Johnson makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
James Johnson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Johnson with a nice head shot there.
Johnson has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Johnson working some strikes from top position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Yeboah working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Johnson's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Yeboah is looking for a triangle but Johnson pushes his legs off easily.

Johnson stands and steps away. Yeboah gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Johnson moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Johnson!

Yeboah gets the takedown into side control.

Johnson sneaks out the side door and pushes Yeboah away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.

Johnson clinches up with Yeboah and pushes him back against the cage.

Yeboah has Johnson pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Yeboah pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Johnson tumbling to the mat - Yeboah dives into Johnson's guard.
Johnson lands a couple of decent looking body shots there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson lands a decent shot there.
Yeboah has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Yeboah trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.
Johnson is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Johnson lands strikes from half guard.
Yeboah tries to roll over but Johnson keeps him under control.
Johnson has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yeboah bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Yeboah trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Johnson scrambles and gets back to his feet.

Johnson moves into range and clinches up with Yeboah.
Yeboah with an attempt at a knee that misses.
A nice left hand lands by Johnson.
Johnson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Johnson.

Johnson turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Johnson manages to end up in side control.
Johnson working the ground and pound from side control.
James Johnson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yeboah manages to work his way to half guard, despite Johnson's best efforts.

Johnson stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Yeboah to get to his feet.

Johnson feints and as Yeboah raises his hands in defense, Johnson changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Johnson not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Johnson's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Yeboah is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson landing some decent shots from guard.
Amali Yeboah has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Yeboah looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Johnson passes into side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Johnson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Johnson 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 Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 26:30
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 26:30
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Johnson!