PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Raphael Bowie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Calvin Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnson has chosen The Longest Day by Iron Maiden as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bowie
vs
Johnson

195 cm
24
210 lbs
9 - 1 - 0

185 cm
24
217 lbs
11 - 5 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Sydney BEAST Clothing *NEW DESIGNS*

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Raphael Bowie!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Calvin Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Steve Erwin and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson is looking to clinch but Bowie is avoiding it.
Johnson scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Bowie drops his hands momentarily and Johnson takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Johnson misses with a straight right.
Johnson tries to clinch up.
Johnson jabs Bowie to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Bowie slips a straight right by Johnson.
Johnson misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Some bone on bone action there as Bowie checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Bowie throws out a loose jab but Johnson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Bowie defending well as Johnson loads up on a big left hand.
Johnson misses with an uppercut.
Johnson throws a nice looking combination but Bowie bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch but Bowie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Johnson punishes Bowie's body with a nice straight punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bowie uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Johnson.
Calvin Johnson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A cross from Johnson lands.
Johnson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Johnson smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Bowie scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Bowie getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Johnson throws a shot to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Johnson cracks a nice hook into Bowie's ribs.
Johnson fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Johnson throws a series of punches but Bowie moves out of range.
Johnson darts in trying to clinch
and Bowie counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson scores with a jab. Bowie acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Bowie lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Bowie.
Bowie takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
A swing and a miss from Bowie.
Johnson throws a nice looking combination but Bowie bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Jab from Johnson.
Johnson walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Calvin Johnson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bowie shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnson tries to sprawl out of it but Bowie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Johnson manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Bowie changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Johnson tries to avoid it but Bowie manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Johnson to the ground. Johnson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
No joy there for Bowie, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson jabs at Bowie's body.
Bowie is breathing heavily.
Johnson stuns Bowie with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Johnson is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Bowie.
Johnson cracks Bowie with a good jab.
Johnson throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Bowie shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Raphael Bowie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bowie avoids a punch combination nicely.
Bowie on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Johnson just misses with a punch to the body.
Bowie looks to land a right hand but Johnson moved out of range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Johnson tries to clinch but Bowie is having none of it.
Bowie looks to throw the jab but Johnson is out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Johnson throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Bowie takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Johnson lands a leg kick that knocks Bowie off balance momentarily.
Bowie doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Bowie on the wrong end of a nice hook.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Bowie. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Johnson misses with a right hand

and Bowie counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Johnson looking for a sweep. Not yet Johnson, not yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Johnson controlling Bowie's posture.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Bowie trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Some wild striking there from Johnson.
Bowie on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Johnson. Johnson obviously looking to wear him down.
Johnson misses with a looping left.
Johnson jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Johnson thows a left - swing and a miss!
Bowie slips under a jab.
Johnson tries to clinch but Bowie moves out of range.
Johnson swings for the body but Bowie moves out of range.
Bowie fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Johnson on the side of the head.
Calvin Johnson seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Johnson throws a poor cross that misses
and Bowie counters with a stiff right hand.
Johnson misses with a straight left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Bowie counters with a stiff right hand.
Bowie keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Bowie takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Bowie missing with a left hand there. Johnson was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Bowie avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Bowie cracks Johnson with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Johnson smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Bowie moves out of range of the strikes.
Johnson ducks right into an uppercut from Bowie.
Bowie misses with a wild body shot.
A clash of legs there as Bowie blocks the low kick.
Bowie blocks a jab.
Bowie looks for a takedown but Johnson sprawls well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Johnson throws a lazy head kick
and Bowie counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Johnson, right into the meat.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch but Bowie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Johnson throws a nice outside leg kick.
Johnson slips a jab from Bowie.
Bowie throws out a powerful jab.
Johnson misses with a looping right.
Johnson lands with a thumping leg kick.

Johnson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Bowie lands a knee to the head.
Johnson lands a left hand.
Johnson swings wildly with an uppercut but Bowie uses good head movement to avoid it.
Johnson is pushing Bowie up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Johnson throws a punch but it's blocked by Bowie.

Bowie lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.

Bowie is working for a kimura but Johnson is defending it quite comfortably.
Bowie passes the guard and advances to mount!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Johnson is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Johnson is desperately trying to improve his position but Bowie has a good base and remains in mount.
Bowie throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Bowie tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Johnson is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Bowie with the ground and pound from mount.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Johnson tries to hold on but Bowie postures up.
Bowie throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Johnson because Bowie loaded up on that one.
Johnson is in all sorts of trouble here.

Bowie swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Johnson is now in Bowie's guard. A big mistake from Bowie there, giving up the dominant position!
Johnson sitting in guard here, content to control.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Calvin Johnson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Johnson throws a hook but Bowie blocks it.
Bowie slips a jab and a cross from Johnson.
Johnson catches Bowie with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Johnson is looking to clinch.
Bowie keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Bowie throws a combination. Johnson tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Johnson feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Bowies jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!

Johnson rushes Bowie and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Johnson is working Bowie over against the cage.
Johnson working aggressively here.
Johnson throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Johnson is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Bowie tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Johnson just stands there and leans against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Johnson lands a hook to the side of the head.
Johnson lands with a short shot to the head.
Johnson pushes Bowie back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Johnson looking to stall.
Johnson works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Johnson working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Johnson lands with a short shot to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Johnson scores with a nice hook to the head.

Bowie is rocked!
Johnson creates some distance for himselfand unleashes a massive uppercut that sends Bowie's eyes rolling into the back of his head! Bowie drops to his knees and Johnson pours it on with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:42 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Calvin Johnson!
Calvin Johnson is the new light heavyweight champion!
An out of breath Calvin Johnson thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.