PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ricky Dale Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Henderson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnson comes to the cage accompanied by The Village People - Macho Man. Dan Henderson will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Dale Johnson
vs
Henderson

190 cm
24
200 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

180 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Very quick

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Intelligent

SPARTA FIGHTWARE-GTI

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ricky Dale Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Dan Henderson!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Johnson drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Johnson working the body and head with strikes.
Henderson is working to avoid the ground and pound but Johnson connects with a decent elbow.
Johnson creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Henderson sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Johnson scoring with punches from side control.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Henderson can do anything to dispel that myth.
Henderson is trying to get back to his feet.
Johnson throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Johnson sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Henderson is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Johnson landing strikes.
Henderson takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Henderson parries the strikes from Johnson easily there. Johnson is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Henderson to escape.
Henderson really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Johnson. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Henderson is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Johnson tries to score with some ground and pound. Henderson controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Johnson has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson landing strikes.
Johnson postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Johnson in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Johnson lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Johnson misses with the ground and pound.
Johnson throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Johnson creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Henderson parries the strikes from Johnson easily there. Johnson is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Henderson to escape.
Johnson postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Johnson lands a nice forearm strike.
Henderson taking a bit of punishment here - Johnson scoring with strikes.
Johnson controlling from side mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henderson dodges the ground and pound from Johnson.
Johnson lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Henderson down.
Johnson throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Johnson fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Henderson looks gassed!
Johnson looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Henderson is avoiding damage well.
Johnson scoring with punches from side control.
Johnson trying to control the action but Henderson is working from the bottom.
The referee asks Johnson politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Johnson prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson working the ground and pound from side control.
Check out the look on Johnson's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Johnson in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Johnson working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Henderson takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Johnson tries to score with some ground and pound. Henderson controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Johnson in side control lands a decent elbow.
Johnson advances nicely into full mount.
Johnson connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Johnson raining down hammerfists from mount.
Johnson lands a heavy elbow.
Johnson dominating with strikes here.
Johnson lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Johnson lands a heavy elbow.
Johnson landing strikes, looking to finish!
Henderson takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Johnson working Henderson over with strikes here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Johnson lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Johnson is in the full mount, landing strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricky Dale Johnson dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Johnson gets a takedown into half guard.
Henderson wants to control but Johnson is keeping busy.
Johnson controlling the action here.
Johnson landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Johnson throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Henderson is breathing heavily.
Henderson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson content to control rather than advance.
Henderson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Johnson slips a nice elbow through Henderson's hands, connecting with Henderson's forehead.
Johnson with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Johnson seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Henderson is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Johnson scores with a couple of nice shots.
Johnson takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Henderson on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Johnson in particular looking to stall.
Johnson is nestled in close to Henderson, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Johnson winds up and cracks Henderson with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Johnson throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Ground and pound from Johnson.
Johnson is keen to just control but Henderson is a slippery customer.
Johnson thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Henderson's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henderson trying to hold on to Johnson's head to control him but Johnson postures up.
Johnson sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Henderson defending well though.
Johnson lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Johnson landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Johnson is trying to control the action in half guard but Henderson is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Johnson looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Henderson with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Johnson working Henderson over with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Nice strikes from Johnson there.
Johnson prevents Henderson from improving his position.
Ricky Dale Johnson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Johnson throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Johnson throwing shots but Henderson is blocking nicely.
Johnson drops an elbow to the side of Henderson's head.
Johnson thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Henderson's head.
Johnson scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Well, if Johnson is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Johnson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Henderson can do to turn this around?
Johnson thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricky Dale Johnson dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Johnson fails with a takedown attempt.

Johnson decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Henderson tries to roll over but Johnson keeps him under control.
Henderson taking some punishment here, with Johnson in his half guard.
Johnson lands strikes from half guard.
Henderson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Johnson works his way into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson is chipping away with strikes.
Johnson in side control lands a decent elbow.
Henderson is pushing Johnson's head away, looking to escape. Johnson manages to hold on to the position though.
Henderson seems a little lost for a moment, as Johnson dominates the positioning.
Johnson in side control, throwing shots but Henderson defends.
Johnson lands a decent elbow from side control.
Johnson lands a nice forearm strike.
Henderson taking punishment in the form of punches.
Henderson taking punishment in the form of punches.
Johnson scores with punches from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henderson takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Johnson working the head and body with strikes.
Johnson creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Johnson in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Johnson connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Henderson some visible discomfort.
Johnson landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Henderson takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Henderson wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Johnson landing a few strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henderson is looking for a sweep.
Johnson cracks Henderson with a big elbow.
Johnson scoring with punches from side control.
Johnson grinds an elbow into Henderson's temple.
Henderson takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Johnson is looking to take a break and control but Henderson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Johnson scoring with punches and elbows.
Dan Henderson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson lands a decent elbow from side control.
Henderson tries to improve position but can't.
Johnson in side control lands a decent elbow.
Johnson remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Johnson lands some shots froms side control.
Johnson lands an elbow.
Johnson cracks Henderson with a big elbow.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ricky Dale Johnson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Johnson, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:26
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:25
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:26

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