PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Johnny Crier (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dean Venture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Crier comes to the cage accompanied by Red Hot Chili Peppers - Get On Top. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Dean Venture was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Crier
vs
Venture

170 cm
24
155 lbs
10 - 4 - 0

179 cm
28
156 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Johnny Crier!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dean Venture!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Frank Dennis and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Venture connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Venture paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Venture misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Venture throws a predictable looking body shot
and Venture takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Crier closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Venture is looking to improve his position.
Crier lands strikes from half guard.
Venture tries to get to full guard but Crier has control of the leg.
Venture wants to control but Crier is keeping busy.
Crier throwing shots but Venture is blocking nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crier misses with a head shot. Venture uses the momentum to regain guard.
Crier throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Venture works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Venture bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Crier's guard.
Crier can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Venture controls the pace.
Venture trying to control but Crier is working from the bottom.
Venture might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Crier kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Crier looking for a sweep. Not yet Crier, not yet.
Crier is pulling down on Venture's head to control his posture.
Venture must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Crier looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Venture is trying to hold Crier in close to prevent damage but Crier has managed to pass into half guard.
Venture desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Crier stalling away here and it's allowed Venture to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crier is pushing down on Venture's leg trying to pass to half guard. Venture is fighting to maintain full guard but Crier has managed to sneak the leg through.
Venture is controlling Crier's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Crier throwing shots but Venture is blocking nicely.
Crier looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Venture with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Crier trying to advance position but Venture counters by regaining guard.
Venture looking for a sweep. Not yet Venture, not yet.
Venture avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Crier tries to free his leg and advance position but Venture is retaining full guard.
Crier wants to control from the top but Venture keeps moving.
Crier pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Venture is keeping the position for now.
Crier wants to control from the top but Venture keeps moving.
Crier 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.
Venture not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Johnny Crier wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Venture throws a combination that misses
and Crier cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Venture slips a straight right by Crier.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johnny Crier dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Venture misses with a double jab
and Crier counters with a straight right hand.
A shot to the body from Venture misses
and Crier counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Crier misses with a body shot.
Crier fails with an attempt to clinch.
Venture tries for a takedown but Crier circles away easily
and Crier cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Crier drops his hands momentarily and Venture takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crier rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Venture counters with a takedown into side control.
Venture looking to control but instead Crier has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Venture not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crier wants to get back to full guard.
Crier is not content to let Venture control the position.
Crier wants to control but Venture is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Venture wants to take a breather but Crier is having none of it.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Crier gets back to full guard.
Venture stopping the sweep attempt from Crier.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Venture sitting in guard here, content to control.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Crier holds on and takes a little breather.

Dean Venture has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Venture throws a combination that misses
and Venture takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Venture misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Crier counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Venture!
Venture is trying to escape the mount.
Crier with good strikes from the mount here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Venture tries to hold on but Crier postures up.
Venture bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Venture looking to sit in guard and control but Crier gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Crier throwing strikes from guard but Venture blocks nicely.
Crier keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Venture's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crier keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Venture's head.
Crier is working Venture over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Venture manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Crier manages to get himself to full guard.
Venture not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Crier is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Venture wants to get back to full guard.
Crier winds up and cracks Venture with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Venture wants to control but Crier is keeping busy and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johnny Crier dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Venture throws a left and a right that both miss
and Crier counters with a nice body shot.
Venture just misses with a punch to the body.
Crier takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Dean Venture is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Venture throws a left and a right that both miss

and Crier counters by moving into the clinch.

Crier breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Venture misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Crier counters with a nice uppercut.
Crier throws a jab when Venture was well out of range.
Crier swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crier changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Venture tries to avoid it but Crier manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Venture to the ground. Venture escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Venture gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Crier counters with a straight right hand.
Venture throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Crier counters with a stiff right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crier pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Venture misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Crier loads up on a big right hand but Venture slips the punch.
Venture throws a big shot that misses.
Venture misses with a hook

and Crier moves into the clinch.
The referee calls for Crier to work.
Crier swings wildly with an uppercut but Venture uses good head movement to avoid it.
Crier lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Venture or not.
Crier lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Venture backwards.
Crier is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Venture pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Crier gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Venture regains guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crier trying to control but Venture is working from the bottom.
Crier won't allow Venture to sweep him here.
Crier in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Venture is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Venture controls Crier momentarily but Crier frees himself.
Venture wants to sweep but no luck.
Venture takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crier engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Venture looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Johnny Crier wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Venture with a poor takedown

and Crier counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Crier is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Venture has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Crier is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Johnny Crier has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dean Venture.
Venture is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Crier is keeping busy.
Crier tries to throw a body punch but Venture avoids it by throwing Crier back against the cage.
Crier lands with a left to the head.
Crier lands a body shot.

Crier breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crier waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Venture.
Venture misses with a jab to the body
and Crier counters with a one-two to the body.
Venture falls off balance throwing a combination

so Crier counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Venture utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Crier trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Crier postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Crier working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Venture's head.
Crier wants to control from the top but Venture keeps moving.
Crier is looking to work some ground and pound but Venture has wrist control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Johnny Crier showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Crier 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Johnny Crier!