PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Lucas Buck (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leonard Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Leonard Johnson has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Buck
vs
Johnson

177 cm
21
155 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

175 cm
18
165 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Improved boxing
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

FIGHT19: FIGHTWEAR

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Lucas Buck!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Leonard Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Eddie Farnsworth and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson scoring well with a low kick there.
Johnson throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Johnson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Johnson tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Buck wants to clinch up but Johnson keeps it at a distance.
Nice sprawl there from Johnson as Buck shoots in.
A head kick misses from Johnson.

Johnson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Buck manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Johnson lands a nice elbow.

Buck successfully pulls guard.
Johnson wants to control from the top but Buck keeps moving.
Johnson content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Johnson with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Johnson postures up.
Johnson preventing the sweep.
Buck keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Johnson controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson advances position into side control!
Johnson in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Buck can't do much from the bottom here.
Johnson controlling the position from side mount.
Buck struggling a bit here.

Johnson thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Buck is not content to let Johnson control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Buck stops Johnson from passing to mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Buck is trying to get back to half guard.

Johnson wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Buck, who protects the arm well.
Buck is breathing heavily.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Johnson rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Buck moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Johnson throws a shot to the body.
Buck darts in trying to clinch
and Johnson counters with an inside leg kick.
Buck avoids the head kick by Johnson.
Buck connects with a jab.
Buck closes the distance looking to clinch
and Johnson counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Johnson lands an elbow just above Buck 's eye.
Johnson lands a nice elbow.

Johnson breaks the clinch.
Both fighters circling a little - Johnson finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Johnson looks to land a combination but Buck avoids it well.
Buck tries to clinch but Johnson moves away
and Johnson counters with a leg kick.
Johnson lands a nice leg kick that just misses Buck's sensitive parts.
Buck shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Johnson counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Johnson.
Johnson tries to land knees in the clinch but Buck avoids the damage to the body.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Johnson goes for a takedown in the clinch but Buck prevents it.
Johnson misses with a punch on the inside.
Johnson gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Buck.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lucas Buck. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Buck looking to slow down the pace here.
Buck pushes Johnson back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Buck can't break the clinch.

Johnson breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson slips under a jab from Buck.
Johnson on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Buck wants to clinch
and Johnson counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Buck tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Johnson counters by moving into the clinch.
Buck blocks an uppercut.
Johnson throws an elbow that misses.
Buck softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Buck wants a takedown but no success here.
Johnson stops a takedown attempt from Buck.
Johnson gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Buck.

Johnson is trying to trip Buck. He has hold of a leg but Buck is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Johnson persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Johnson sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Buck is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson is stalling in the full guard.
Buck wants to get back to his feet but Johnson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Buck will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Johnson misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Buck tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Johnson counters by clinching up.
Buck is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Johnson pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Johnson tries to land a knee to the head but Buck blocks with his arms.
Buck wants to get back to striking at distance but Johnson won't allow it.
Buck on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Johnson tries for a takedown. No joy.

Johnson works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Buck will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Johnson lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Buck trying to control the position.
Johnson advances position into side control!
A lull in the action here as Johnson stalls from top position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Johnson trying to control the action but Buck is working from the bottom.
Buck wants to get back to his feet but Johnson is dominant here and he's now got Buck's back!
Johnson lands a big shot there that rocks Buck but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Buck trying desperately to get to his feet.
Buck is in all sorts of trouble here.

Johnson looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Buck is working to get back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Johnson trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Johnson controlling his opponent.
Buck flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Johnson wants to control the pace but Buck is squirming around nicely.
Buck tries to lock up and control but Johnson gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Johnson takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Buck is trying desperately to improve position.
Johnson unloading with bombs!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Buck is looking to escape.
Buck is working to get back to half guard.
Johnson is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Johnson controlling from mount.
Johnson landing strikes, looking to finish!
Buck is trying desperately to improve position.

Johnson is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Buck is surviving well by controlling Johnson's body position as best he can.
Johnson fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

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.
Johnson with the ground and pound from mount.
Buck looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Johnson controlling from the back.

Johnson is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Johnson is working the ground and pound. Can Buck escape?
Johnson is trying to stick to Buck's back but Buck is turning into Johnson. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Johnson's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Buck.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Buck pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Johnson is keeping the position for now.
Johnson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leonard Johnson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Buck connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Johnson momentarily.
Buck closes the distance but Johnson moves to the side
and Johnson finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Johnson plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Buck takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

Buck is rocked!
Johnson throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
A head kick misses from Johnson.
Buck scores with the left hand. Johnson knows he should have avoided that one.
No joy there for Buck, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses.
Buck shoots in and drives through. Johnson sprawls well.
Buck avoids a kick to the body.
Buck closes the distance and clinches up with Johnson, looking for a takedown. Buck pushes Johnson against the cage but Johnson circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Johnson lands a head kick. Buck smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Buck shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Johnson counters with a leg kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lucas Buck. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Buck has Johnson up against the cage in a clinch.

Johnson manages to break the clinch.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Buck but Buck pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Buck is looking to clinch but Johnson is avoiding it.
Buck fails with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A slapping leg kick lands for Johnson.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Buck fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Johnson throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Johnson plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Buck fails in his attempt to clinch.
Johnson moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Buck misses with a head kick.
Johnson throws a front kick that sends Buck stumbling back into the cage.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Johnson chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Buck tries to clinch up.
Johnson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Buck gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Johnson counters with a nice kick to the body.
Buck misses with a two punch combination.
Buck fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Johnson.
Johnson throws a head kick but Buck moves out of range.

Johnson moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Johnson turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Johnson manages to end up in side control.
Buck knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Johnson on the ground.
Buck is looking to reverse the position.
Johnson trying to control the position but Buck is working away.
Johnson gets to mount! Buck was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Buck can't escape the position.
Johnson looking to control and managing it successfully.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Johnson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Buck throwing hammer fists to the chest of Johnson. What's that going to do exactly?
Buck is trying desperately to improve position.
Johnson tries to control but Buck wriggling away.
Buck really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Buck is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Johnson takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Buck working to try and regain half guard.
Johnson avoids the attempt from Buck to control.
Johnson tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

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.
Buck keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Johnson trying to control but Buck is having none of it.
Johnson scoring with strikes but Buck is staying in there.

Johnson goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Buck is on top in guard.
Johnson tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Lucas Buck has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Johnson manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Buck manages to get himself to full guard.
Johnson not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leonard Johnson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Johnson has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 27:30

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