PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Brian Stann (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anthony Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Anthony Johnson is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Stann
vs
Johnson

185 cm
26
196 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

195 cm
26
185 lbs
4 - 8 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

GR Design - Top quality, from $10 to $150 !

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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Brian Stann!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Anthony Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Anthony Taglia and Reed Andrews.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson blocks a low kick nicely.
Johnson slips under a jab from Stann.
Stann tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Johnson was well out of range. Poor timing from Stann.
Stann misses with a low kick.
Stann will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Stann throws a sloppy head kick and Johnson moves out of range easily.
Stann misses with a jab, cross combination.
Stann throws a right hand that Johnson ducks under and follows up with a left that Johnson also avoids with ease.
Stann throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Johnson.
Stann will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Johnson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Stann manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Stann escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Stann throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Stann shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Stann fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Johnson manages to avoid it.
Johnson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Stann fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Stann swinging wildly here.
Johnson feints and then cracks Stann's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Stann down.
Stann is breathing heavily.
Stann throws a combination that misses

and Johnson counters with a single leg into guard. Stann didn't expect that.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Johnson gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stann throws a shot from downtown. Johnson moves away and avoids it.
Brian Stann is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Johnson is looking to clinch.
Stann circles away from the clinch attempt.
Johnson moves in looking to clinch but Stann pushes him off.
Stann looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Johnson doesn't manage to clinch there - Stann circles away.
Stann misses with a wild body shot.
Stann misses the jab.
Stann misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch but Stann swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Stann motions for Johnson to come forward. Stann throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Stann throws a front kick aimed at Johnson's knee but Johnson avoids it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stann throws a right hand that Johnson ducks under and follows up with a left that Johnson also avoids with ease.
Stann swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Stann throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Johnson counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Stann throws a right hand that Johnson ducks under and follows up with a left that Johnson also avoids with ease.

Johnson fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Stann, pushing him back against the cage.

Johnson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Stann misses with a kick to the body.
A head kick by Stann misses
and Johnson counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Johnson tries to clinch up.
Stann on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Johnson shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Stann pinned against the cage. Stann gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stann throws a right hand that Johnson ducks under and follows up with a left that Johnson also avoids with ease.
Stann dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Stann throws a push kick but Johnson slaps the foot to one side.
Stann looks to land a combination. Johnson sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Stann throws a head kick but Johnson moves out of range.
Stann misses with a wild combination.
Stann misses with the combination.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Some wild striking there from Stann.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Anthony Johnson will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Stann defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Johnson.
Johnson has a takedown stuffed.
Johnson attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Stann thuds a left hand into Johnson's body.
Johnson takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Johnson.
Brian Stann has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anthony Johnson.
Stann misses with an uppercut. Johnson saw that one coming.
Johnson is breathing heavily.
Stann closes the distance and lands a one-two.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Johnson closes the distance but Stann moves to the side
and Stann counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stann comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Stann will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Stann fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Johnson on the side of the head.
Stann throws a one two combo.
Stann defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Johnson.
Stann will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Stann smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Stann lands a head shot.
Stann will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stann scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Stann lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Johnson blocks a head kick by Stann.
Stann misses with a double jab.
Stann misses with a double jab
and Johnson counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Brian Stann is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Stann throws the kick towards the body but Johnson avoids it.
Johnson drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Stann throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stann swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Stann lands a body shot.
Stann tries to land a leg kick but Johnson saw it coming and moves away.
Brian Stann seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Stann misses with the combination.
Stann looks to score with a jab to the body but Johnson is just out of range.
Stann tries a head kick but it misses.
Stann misses with a combination

so Johnson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Johnson prevents Stann from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Johnson 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.
Johnson trying to control but Stann is working from the bottom.
Stann on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Stann tries to get out of the position.
Stann wants to stand and escape but Johnson is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Stann dominated that second round.
That's time! Stann's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Stann connects with a solid leg kick.
Stann walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Johnson checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Johnson dodges the punch combination from Stann.
Stann misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Johnson.
A lull in the action here as Johnson stalls from top position.
Let's hope that Johnson has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Johnson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Stann can't do much from the bottom here.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Stann throws a low kick but it's checked well by Johnson.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Stann misses with a double jab.
Stann throws a sloppy head kick and Johnson moves out of range easily.
Stann throws a leg kick that misses.
Stann throws a nice looking combination but Johnson bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Stann misses with a leg kick.
Stann throws a low kick but it's checked well by Johnson.

Johnson moves into range and clinches up with Stann.
Stann tries to score a body lock takedown but Johnson shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Johnson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Stann just stands there and leans against the cage.
Johnson keeps control of Stann as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Stann as Johnson tries to tie him up.
Johnson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Brian Stann has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anthony Johnson.
Stann misses with a punch to the body.
Johnson tries a knee to the head but Stann blocks it.
Stann manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Stann swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson tries a knee to the head but Stann blocks it.
Stann looking to slow down the pace here.
Stann misses with a punch on the inside.
A left hand lands to the body for Stann.
Johnson is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Stann is keeping busy.
Stann makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Johnson jumps guard but Stann stands there with Johnson around his waist. Johnson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Brian Stann.
I think Stann has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Steve Montenegro scores the fight 29:28
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:28
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brian Stann!
Jumping up and down and very excited, Brian Stann waved his t-shirt featuring GR Design - Top quality, from $10 to $150 !'s logo in front of the cameras.