PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Teagan Riley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Paul Johnson struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 186.6lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Paul Johnson told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Riley
vs
Johnson

187 cm
18
188 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

185 cm
19
197 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

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 Amsterdam, Teagan Riley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Paul Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Paul Aken and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Riley clinches with his opponent.

Johnson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Johnson closes the distance and clinches.

Johnson manages to break the clinch.
A big right from Johnson misses.
Riley looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Johnson is fending him off so far but Riley persists. Nope, Johnson circles away and we're back to standing.
Riley shoots for a takedown but Johnson saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Riley misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Teagan Riley. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Johnson misses with a series of wild punches.
Riley throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Johnson stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

Riley fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Johnson, pushing him back against the cage.
Johnson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Riley is trying to stall.
Riley blocks an elbow strike.

Johnson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riley tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Johnson counters with a takedown into side control.
Riley is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Johnson is controlling him well.
Riley is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Riley is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Johnson's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Johnson's back!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Riley missing with strikes from the back.
Even with his hooks in, Riley manages to miss with strikes from the back.
Johnson looks gassed!
A lull in the action here.
Riley trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Johnson doesn't escape.
Riley missing with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riley tries to get the hooks in deep but Johnson pushed the leg off.
Johnson takes a big shot to the side of the head.
Riley controlling the position well here. Johnson rolled but Riley kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riley somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.

Johnson defends a prolonged rear naked choke attempt and turns nicely into his opponent's guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Riley is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Riley is trying to control the action in half guard but Johnson is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Riley is figuring out what he wants to do next.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Teagan Riley just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Riley sprawls well. Riley wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Johnson gets slowly back to his feet.
Johnson looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Johnson throws a body punch but Riley moves out of range.
A left and a right from Riley both land. Nice combination.
Good shot there by Riley.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The fight stays on the outside here - Riley looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Riley doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Johnson counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Paul Johnson will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Riley fails with the takedown.
Riley shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Johnson defends it nicely.
Riley closes this distance looking for a takedown but Johnson circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Teagan Riley. That's going to take a lot out of him.
No luck for Riley with that takedown attempt.

Johnson has managed to clinch.

Johnson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Riley sprawls well. Riley wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Johnson gets slowly back to his feet.
Riley shoots in for a takedown but Johnson shows good takedown defense.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Riley throws a nice outside leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson tries to clinch there but Riley circles away.

Johnson has taken the fight to the clinch.

Johnson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Johnson stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Johnson wants it to stay on the feet.
Johnson swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Riley counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Paul Johnson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Johnson checks a low kick from Riley.
Riley fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Johnson stuffs the takedown.

Johnson shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Riley is trying to defend but Johnson finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Riley is trying to stand.

Riley with the active half guard here but Johnson passes nicely into side control.

Johnson stands up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riley with a poor takedown
and Johnson counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Riley is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Johnson keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Riley paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Riley shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Johnson sprawls well. Johnson wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Riley gets slowly back to his feet.
Johnson loads up on a big right hand but Riley slips the punch.
Riley lands with a cross.
Riley tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Johnson swivels and escapes.
Riley shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Johnson but Johnson pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Johnson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Riley tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Johnson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Riley wants a takedown.
Johnson wants a takedown.

Riley decides to pull guard.
Johnson tries to stand but Riley is controlling from the bottom.
Riley manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Johnson manages to get himself to full guard.
Riley not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Johnson throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson keeping moving, preventing Riley from controlling successfully.
Johnson keeping full guard, as Riley tries to pass.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Johnson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Johnson tries a head kick but it misses.
Riley shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Johnson defends it nicely.
Riley tries to clinch up.
Riley goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Nice defenses there by Riley.
Riley shoots in for a double leg but Johnson sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Johnson slaps away a takedown attempt from Riley, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Teagan Riley. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Riley.

Johnson instigates a clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Johnson lands a nice shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Johnson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Teagan Riley is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Riley with a lazy takedown attempt

and Johnson counters with a takedown into side control.
Riley is looking for a sweep.
Johnson working the ground and pound from side control.
Riley tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Riley is working hard here to advance position.

Johnson stands up and beckons Riley to his feet.
Riley fails with the takedown

and Johnson counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
A nice left hand lands by Riley.
Riley is trying to drag Johnson to the mat but Johnson just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Johnson pulls guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riley pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Johnson is keeping the position for now.
Riley trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Riley postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Johnson is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Riley pushes down on Johnson's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Riley is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Johnson defends it well.
Riley trying to mount his opponent but Johnson defends it.
Riley stalling away here and it's allowed Johnson to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Riley sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Johnson's guard.

Riley stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Riley shoots in for a double leg but Johnson sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Johnson throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Riley counters with a two punch combo.
Riley fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Johnson misses with a series of wild punches.
Riley misses with a takedown attempt - Johnson sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Teagan Riley has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Paul Johnson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Johnson doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paul Johnson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Johnson winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Patrick Alders scores the fight 28:30
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 28:30
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 27:30

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