PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between EJ Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antti Tuisku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnson comes to the cage accompanied by Game: South Side . Tuisku has chosen Levoton as his entrance music. EJ Johnson has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Johnson
vs
Tuisku

173 cm
19
153 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

171 cm
21
145 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Likes ground

Alpha-Omega
Fighters Edge

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, EJ Johnson!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Antti Tuisku!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Matti Vanhoillinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson swinging wilding here.
Tuisku avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Tuisku shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Tuisku was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
A nice elbow there by Tuisku.
Tuisku lands a big shot there that rocks Johnson but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

Tuisku working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Johnson tries to hold on but Tuisku pushes him away.
Johnson is wriggling around trying to escape.
Johnson sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tuisku with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Johnson wants to control but Tuisku is keeping busy.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Johnson tries to roll over but Tuisku keeps him under control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Tuisku wants to pass the guard but Johnson is defending well.
Tuisku prevents Johnson from improving his position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Johnson throws a series of punches but Tuisku moves out of range.
Tuisku moves out of range of the strikes.

Tuisku bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Johnson prevents Tuisku from moving into mount.
Tuisku lands a nice forearm strike.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tuisku working away.
Tuisku lands an elbow.
Tuisku advances to full mount.
Tuisku avoids the attempt from Johnson to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tuisku looking to finish Johnson with some ground and pound. This is bad for Johnson!
Tuisku lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Tuisku is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Johnson is working to get back to half guard.
A nice elbow there by Tuisku.
Johnson is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Johnson taking shots to the head.
Tuisku won't let Johnson get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Johnson is looking to get to half guard.
Tuisku lands a heavy elbow.
Johnson working to try and regain half guard.
Tuisku lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Johnson hang on?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tuisku wants to control the pace but Johnson is squirming around nicely.
Tuisku with good strikes from the mount here!
Tuisku working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Johnson tries to hold on but Tuisku postures up.
Johnson is working to get back to half guard.
A nice elbow there by Tuisku.

Tuisku with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Tuisku looks gassed!
Johnson is looking to get to half guard.
Tuisku avoids the attempt from Johnson to control.
Tuisku lands a heavy elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Johnson tries to hold on but Tuisku pushes him away.
Johnson is trying desperately to improve position.
Johnson sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Johnson looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
It looks like Tuisku is going to stand back up.
Tuisku looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Johnson with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Johnson is pressing down on Tuisku's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Tuisku trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.
Tuisku scoring with punches to the head and body.
Johnson looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Tuisku trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antti Tuisku dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Johnson lands a right hook to the body.
Johnson lands with a right hand.

Tuisku shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Tuisku showed some decent athleticism there.

Johnson looking for submissions off his back.
Tuisku sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Johnson defending well though.
Tuisku prevents Johnson from improving his position.
Johnson trying to control but Tuisku postures up.
Johnson manages to get to full guard.

Johnson looking for a guillotine here but Tuisku defends easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tuisku trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson is looking for a triangle but Tuisku pushes his legs off easily.
Tuisku pushing down on Johnson's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Johnson is looking to improve his position.
Johnson is looking to escape.
Johnson manages to get to full guard.
Johnson has momentary wrist control but Tuisku slips an elbow through the middle.
Johnson keeping full guard, as Tuisku tries to pass.

Johnson is looking for a triangle but Tuisku pushes his legs off easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tuisku wants to pass the guard but Johnson is keeping the position.

Johnson working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Tuisku has passed into half guard!
Johnson is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Tuisku scores with a couple of nice shots.
Tuisku trying to control the pace.
Tuisku trying to control from half guard but Johnson is working away.
Tuisku is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Johnson is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Tuisku's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Tuisku's back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Will Johnson go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Johnson lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
Johnson punches the canvas rather than the man.

Tuisku showing good submission defense here.
Johnson doesn't have the hooks in and Tuisku manages to turn into his guard.
Johnson looking for a sweep. Not yet Johnson, not yet.
Tuisku passes Johnson's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Johnson manages to get to full guard.
Tuisku trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Johnson working for a triangle but Tuisku defends it easily.
Tuisku stands and throws Johnson's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Johnson manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Johnson is looking to get back to full guard here but Tuisku has managed to pass to side control instead.
Johnson wants to hold on but Tuisku pushes him away.
Antti Tuisku has got the better of the ground game so far.
Tuisku pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Tuisku prevents Johnson from getting the reversal.
Tuisku working Johnson over with strikes here.
Johnson is looking to get to half guard.
Johnson is squirming around, avoiding Tuisku's attempts to control the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

EJ Johnson dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Tuisku looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Johnson moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Tuisku postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Johnson is looking to stand up but Tuisku isn't so interested in that idea.
Tuisku throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Johnson works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Johnson wants to sweep here but Tuisku controlling him for the moment.

Johnson throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Johnson working for a triangle but Tuisku defends it easily.
Johnson keeping moving, preventing Tuisku from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson is looking for a triangle but Tuisku pushes his legs off easily.

Tuisku 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 is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Tuisku is controlling him.

Johnson is looking for a triangle but Tuisku pushes his legs off easily.
Tuisku landing with the ground and pound.
Tuisku cracks Johnson with a solid left hand.

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.
Tuisku makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Tuisku in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Tuisku drops back looking for a leg! Johnson is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Johnson manages to kick Tuisku off! Tuisku jumps back into Johnson's guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Johnson swinging wilding here.
Johnson tests Tuisku's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Tuisku swats away the attempt to clinch by Johnson.
Tuisku takes a jab right on the kisser.

Tuisku closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Tuisku lands in his opponent's guard.

Johnson looking to try and escape his hips here, looking for a submission. It looks like he's going for a triangle but Tuisku is defending well. Johnson quickly switches to an armbar and extends the arm! Tuisku has no choice but to tap, to a very quick submission! Wow, that was lightning fast! Johnson celebrates on the cage, with the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:04 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). EJ Johnson!
EJ Johnson is the new featherweight champion!