PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between EJ Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jack Rendler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnson kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Game: South Side . Jack Rendler looks lathargic as he enters the arena. Wake up son, you're about to have a fight!

Johnson
vs
Rendler

173 cm
21
153 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

169 cm
24
145 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, EJ Johnson!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jack Rendler!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Marco Blurström and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rendler takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

It looks like Jack Rendler has been cut.
Johnson is looking to clinch.
Johnson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Johnson swats away the attempt to clinch by Rendler.
Rendler waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Johnson.
Johnson blocks a jab.
Rendler shoots in but Johnson avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Johnson clinches with his opponent.
Johnson makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Johnson working Rendler over with knees to the body.
Rendler looks gassed!
Johnson is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rendler is defending well for now.
Johnson lands an uppercut.
A knee to the head by Johnson.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Johnson obliges.
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!
Rendler takes a knee to the side of the body.
Johnson landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Knees to the body from Johnson.
Johnson landing knees to the body.
Johnson tries to land a knee to the head but Rendler blocks with his arms.
Rendler takes a knee to the side of the body.
Johnson is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rendler is defending well for now.
Johnson crunches a lovely knee into Rendler's ribcage.
Johnson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rendler avoids it.
Knees to the body from Johnson.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Rendler regains guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Johnson's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Johnson looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Rendler looking to hit a scissor sweep but Johnson is one step ahead there.
Johnson in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Rendler is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Johnson stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Johnson works over Rendler's head and body with a nice combination.
Johnson cracks Rendler with a right hand to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Johnson clinches with his opponent.
Johnson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rendler avoids it.

Johnson has hold of one of Rendler's legs. Rendler is fighting the takedown attempt but Johnson gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Rendler has his foot on Johnson's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Johnson works his way back into a safe position though.
Rendler keeping full guard, as Johnson tries to pass.

Rendler looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Johnson forces his way into half guard.
Johnson is nestled in close to Rendler, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Rendler tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Johnson is looking to take a break and control but Rendler is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Johnson is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Rendler sees it coming and defends easily.
Rendler is looking for a sweep. Johnson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson uses his free foot to push down on Rendler's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Rendler.
Johnson is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Rendler can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Rendler is squirming around, avoiding Johnson's attempts to control the action.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Rendler is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Rendler is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Johnson is staying active.
Johnson with good strikes from the mount here!
Johnson lands a big shot there that rocks Rendler but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Johnson sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Rendler working to try and regain half guard.

Johnson looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.

Johnson is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Rendler has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Rendler!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rendler tries to free his leg and advance position but Johnson is retaining full guard.
Johnson controlling the position.

Rendler drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Rendler jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Johnson looking for a sweep. Not yet Johnson, not yet.
Johnson striking from his own guard.
Johnson trying to control the position.

Johnson throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Johnson looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

EJ Johnson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jack Rendler's cut.
That's time! Johnson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Rendler lands a jab to the nose.

Johnson forces Rendler back against the cage and clinches.
Rendler drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Knees to the body from Johnson.

Johnson wants the takedown. Rendler is fighting it off but Johnson persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Rendler's guard against the cage.

Rendler is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Rendler wants to sweep here but Johnson controlling him for the moment.

Johnson stands and steps away. Rendler gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Johnson stalks Rendler and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Rendler's face. Rendler staggers backwards, shaken.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rendler stuffs the takedown.
Johnson fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Johnson will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Johnson tries to bum rush Rendler with a series of wild strikes but Rendler uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Johnson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Johnson tries to clinch there but Rendler circles away.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Rendler shoots in but Johnson avoids the takedown attempt easily.
EJ Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rendler has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Rendler there as he acknowledges the shot.
Johnson lands a lovely overhand right.

Johnson fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Rendler, pushing him back against the cage.
Johnson putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Rendler in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Rendler managing to block the knees to the body from Johnson.
Johnson with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Johnson tries to land knees in the clinch but Rendler avoids the damage to the body.
Johnson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rendler avoids it.
Rendler wants a takedown.
EJ Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jack Rendler.
Johnson with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
EJ Johnson has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Johnson with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Johnson tries to land knees in the clinch but Rendler avoids the damage to the body.
Johnson lands a knee to the body.
Johnson throws a knee to the head but misses.

Rendler works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Rendler looking to pass the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson punching from the bottom.

Rendler thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Rendler missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Rendler is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Rendler preventing the sweep.
Johnson lands a decent punch to the body there.

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

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Johnson shoots in and bounces Rendler off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Johnson postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson gets to his feet - Rendler follows without any prompting.
Johnson shoots in looking for a takedown. Rendler tries to sprawl out of it but Johnson keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rendler manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Johnson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rendler can do to turn this around?
Rendler lands a glancing blow to the side of Johnson's head.

Johnson closes the distance and clinches.
Knees to the body from Johnson.
Johnson putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Rendler in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Rendler is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Johnson working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Johnson unloads a knee to the mid-section. Rendler lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Johnson with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rendler tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Johnson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Johnson obliges.

Johnson pulls guard effortlessly.
Rendler cracks Johnson with a solid left hand.

Johnson pushes a forearm under Rendler's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Rendler is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:03 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). EJ Johnson!
EJ Johnson retains his featherweight title!