PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Anthony Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Santino Marella (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Johnson
vs
Marella

188 cm
27
199 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

182 cm
27
194 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

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 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Anthony Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Santino Marella!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.

Marella has Johnson up against the cage in a clinch.
Johnson wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Johnson tightens his grip and picks Marella up, before dumping him to the ground. Marella manages to land in guard.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Marella is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Johnson slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Marella looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Johnson keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Marella's head.
Johnson is stalling in the full guard.
Johnson is looking to advance position but Marella has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Marella landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson is bucking up trying to escape but Marella cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Marella avoids the attempt from Johnson to control.
Johnson is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Marella tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Johnson is looking to improve his position but Marella isn't that keen on the idea.
Marella punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marella controlling the pace for now.
Johnson is in all sorts of trouble here.
Johnson is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Marella avoids the attempt from Johnson to control.
Marella controlling from the full mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marella landing punches.
Marella can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Johnson is looking to escape.
Marella controlling from mount.
Johnson slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson wants to control but Marella is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Marella wants to pass to mount but Johnson is defending the position.
Marella seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Johnson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Santino Marella has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Marella shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Johnson but Johnson pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Johnson fails to land the takedown.
Sloppy strikes from Johnson. Those never looked like landing.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Marella tries to clinch but Johnson is having none of it.
Anthony Johnson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch but Marella swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch but Marella swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Santino Marella will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Marella misses with a takedown attempt

and Johnson holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Marella gets underhooks to prevent Johnson's takedown attempt.

Marella has hold of one of Johnson's legs. Johnson is fighting the takedown attempt but Marella gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Johnson wants to stand but Marella is controlling the position.
Johnson working a defensive guard here.
Marella slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Johnson keeping moving, preventing Marella from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Santino Marella hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Marella fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Johnson tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Johnson misses with a two punch combination.
Johnson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Marella moves away.
Johnson tries to clinch up.

Marella forces Johnson back against the cage and clinches.
Johnson keeps control of Marella as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Johnson gets control of Marella's arms and successfully pulls guard. Johnson will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Marella stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Johnson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Marella's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Santino Marella has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson looking for a sweep. Not yet Johnson, not yet.
Marella prevents Johnson from getting back to his feet.
Marella tries to free his leg and advance position but Johnson is retaining full guard.
Johnson trying to control the position.
Marella trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Marella is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Santino Marella.

Marella looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
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 get to full guard but Marella has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marella performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Johnson is looking to improve his position.

Marella stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Johnson shoots in but no luck this time.
Horrible takedown by Johnson or perhaps it was just good defense by Marella which made him look bad.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anthony Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Marella moves into the clinch successfully.
Johnson is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Marella is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Johnson to keep the fight standing.
Johnson has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Marella landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Marella dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Marella wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Marella wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Johnson has him pressed against the cage.
Marella prevents Johnson from breaking the clinch.
Marella tries to throw a body punch but Johnson avoids it by throwing Marella back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Santino Marella showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Marella fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Johnson avoids it really well and circles away.
Johnson pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Marella swats away the attempt to clinch by Johnson.

Johnson tries to keep at a distance but Marella has taken the fight into the clinch.
Marella tries to pull guard but Johnson won't allow it.
Marella is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Marella blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Johnson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Marella closes this distance looking for a takedown but Johnson circles away.
Anthony Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Santino Marella.

Marella moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Marella manages to pull guard.
Johnson works over Marella with some ground and pound from guard.
Johnson throws a big elbow that misses.
Marella looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Marella preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Johnson won't allow Marella to sweep him here.
Johnson advances to half guard.
Marella trying to hold on to Johnson's head to control him but Johnson postures up.

Johnson stands up out of the half guard.
Johnson fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Marella avoids it really well and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Marella.
Johnson blocks a head kick by Marella.
This has been an exciting period of action!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Johnson enables Marella to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Johnson manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Marella stands up and waves to Johnson to follow him.
Marella takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Johnson fails in his attempt to clinch.
Johnson throws a series of punches but Marella avoids them all with ease.
Marella shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnson tries to sprawl out of it but Marella 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.
Johnson lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

It looks like Santino Marella has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Johnson manages to break the clinch.
Johnson misses with a wild body shot.
The fight stays on the outside here - Johnson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Marella pushes Johnson up against the cage in a clinch.

Marella breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Johnson.
Marella can't do much from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson controls the position from side control.
Marella stuck in half guard on the bottom here.
Johnson trying to control the position but Marella is working away.

Johnson thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Johnson working away.

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 Anthony Johnson.
I think Marella has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Santino Marella!