PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Adam Johnstone (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leo Soares (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Johnstone
vs
Soares

181 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
169 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Adam Johnstone!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Leo Soares!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Colin Fotheringham and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnstone moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

Soares drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Soares trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnstone is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Johnstone wants to sweep but no luck.
Soares controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Soares tries to free his leg and advance position but Johnstone is retaining full guard.
Johnstone managing to control the position.
Soares looking to sit in guard and control but Johnstone gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Johnstone controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnstone won't allow Soares to sweep him here.
Soares is trying to control the position but Johnstone postures up.
Johnstone showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Soares escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Johnstone gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Johnstone showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Soares has his foot on Johnstone's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Johnstone works his way back into a safe position though.

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.
Soares working a defensive guard here.
Johnstone not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Soares is trying to keep Johnstone in close.
Johnstone looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Johnstone 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.
Johnstone controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soares working a defensive guard here.
Soares controlling the position.
Johnstone stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Soares swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Johnstone content to stall in guard here.

Johnstone stands up and waves to Soares to follow him.
Johnstone is breathing heavily.
Soares throws a combination that misses
letting Johnstone counter with a right hand.
Johnstone misses with a double jab.

That's four 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.
Soares stuffs the takedown.
Soares fails to land with a series of punches.
A head kick misses from Soares.
Soares with a poor takedown

and Johnstone counters with a takedown into side control.
Soares is trying to get back to half guard.
Soares trying to remain calm as Johnstone controls from the top position.
Soares gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Johnstone content to control rather than advance.
Soares is trying is best to control the position here.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Johnstone in particular looking to stall.
Johnstone passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Soares!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Johnstone dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Soares is looking to clinch.
Soares tries for a takedown but Johnstone circles away easily

and Johnstone holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Johnstone wants to break the clinch but can't.
Johnstone is trying to break free.
Soares tries to score a body lock takedown but Johnstone shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Soares tries a body shot but Johnstone blocks it.

Johnstone manages to break the clinch.
Adam Johnstone is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Johnstone has closed the distance and engaged Soares in a clinch.
Johnstone is trying to break the clinch but Soares has him pressed against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Soares fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Adam Johnstone has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Leo Soares.
Soares keeps control of Johnstone as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Soares is breathing heavily.
Johnstone has had enough of the clinch but Soares keeps him there for the moment.
Soares tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Soares tries to pull guard but Johnstone won't allow it.
Soares stalling in the clinch but Johnstone improves position.
Johnstone is trying to break the clinch but Soares has him pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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

Johnstone looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Johnstone is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Soares trying to control here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Johnstone controlling the action here.
Soares is trying to get back to full guard.
Johnstone takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Johnstone has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Adam Johnstone just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Soares darts in trying to clinch

and Johnstone counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Soares's guard now.

Johnstone stands and steps away. Soares gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Soares moves out of range of the leg kick from Johnstone.

Johnstone shoots in and bounces Soares off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Johnstone gets to his feet. Soares looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnstone shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Johnstone controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Johnstone advances to half guard.
Johnstone perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Johnstone looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Soares wants to control but Johnstone is keeping busy.
Soares is looking to escape.
Johnstone trying to control the pace.
Soares tries to get to full guard but Johnstone has control of the leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soares wants to get back to his feet.
Soares is trying to get back to full guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Johnstone is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Soares.

Johnstone gets a takedown into half guard.
Soares trying to control but Johnstone postures up.

Johnstone seems to be looking for submissions.
Soares wants to control but Johnstone is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Johnstone in particular looking to stall.
Soares wants to control but Johnstone is keeping busy and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Johnstone dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Johnstone closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Soares to the mat! Soares manages to get full guard.
Soares is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Johnstone is controlling him.
Johnstone slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Johnstone wants to control from the top but Soares keeps moving.
Johnstone looking to pass the guard.
Soares controls Johnstone momentarily but Johnstone frees himself.
Soares manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Soares looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soares wants to control the pace but Johnstone is squirming around nicely.
Adam Johnstone overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Johnstone working to try and regain half guard.
Johnstone is squirming around, avoiding Soares's attempts to control the action.
Johnstone is desperately trying to improve his position but Soares has a good base and remains in mount.
Soares avoids the attempt from Johnstone to control.
Soares putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Johnstone is looking to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Johnstone sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Johnstone holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Soares throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Soares stops Johnstone from getting back to his feet.

Johnstone kicks Soares off and gets back to his feet.

Johnstone drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
A lull in the action here as Johnstone stalls from top position.
Soares struggling a bit here.
Soares is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Soares sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soares wants to get back to full guard.
Soares wants to control but Johnstone is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Johnstone is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Soares moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Johnstone won't allow Soares to get back to his feet.
Johnstone stopping the sweep attempt from Soares.

Soares is looking for a triangle but Johnstone pushes his legs off easily.

That's four 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.
Soares looking for a sweep. Not yet Soares, not yet.
Johnstone has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Johnstone passes Soares's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Johnstone prevents Soares from improving his position.
Johnstone controlling the pace.
Soares regains full guard. Nicely done.
Soares can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Johnstone controls the pace.
Soares is looking to stand up but Johnstone isn't so interested in that idea.

Soares throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Soares is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

And that's the end of the fight!
Adam Johnstone showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Johnstone has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Paul Tew scores the fight 30:26
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:26
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Adam Johnstone!