PBP Commentary

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

Bishop
vs
Johnson

172 cm
29
148 lbs
15 - 8 - 1

165 cm
37
147 lbs
23 - 20 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

TWGC Champion
World class boxer
Fast

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Kevin Bishop!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jack Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Anthony Taglia and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson moves out of range of the body kick.
Bishop tries to land a leg kick but Johnson saw it coming and moves away.
Johnson avoids a kick to the body.
Bishop misses the body punch
and Johnson counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Bishop goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Johnson shoots in for a double leg but Bishop sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Bishop slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
No joy there for Johnson, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Bishop misses with a straight right.
Johnson fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Bishop on the side of the head.
Johnson fails with an attempt to clinch.

Bishop looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Bishop controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bishop trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

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

Johnson has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Bishop is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Johnson.
Bishop creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Bishop tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is trying to control Bishop's posture but Bishop avoids it.
Bishop taking a breather here.
Johnson is looking for a sweep.
Bishop wants to lay and pray for a moment but Johnson keeps working.
Johnson strikes from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bishop lands some shots froms side control.
Bishop wants to lay and pray for a moment but Johnson keeps working.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Bishop throws a strike aimed at the side of Johnson's head but Johnson avoids it well.
Bishop content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Johnson tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Bishop slows the pace down.
Johnson sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bishop looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Johnson tries to get to full guard but Bishop has control of the leg.
Johnson is staying active underneath Bishop, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Bishop lands a nice short elbow.
Bishop is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Johnson trying to hold on to Bishop's head to control him but Bishop postures up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bishop stalling.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kevin Bishop dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Bishop connects with a leg kick. Johnson looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Johnson falls off balance throwing a combination
and Bishop counters with a solid body kick.
Johnson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bishop uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Johnson.
Bishop scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Johnson doesn't seem bothered though.
Johnson takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Bishop lands a leg kick that knocks Johnson off balance momentarily.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Johnson.
Bishop with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bishop swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Johnson is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson misses with a looping right.
Johnson loads up on a big right hand but Bishop slips the punch.
Bishop walks into a straight right hand from Johnson.
Bishop throws a leg kick which misses Johnson's front leg but catches the back leg as Johnson tries to avoid it.
Johnson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bishop scores with a push kick.
Johnson is trying hard to land a takedown here. Bishop sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Kevin Bishop is winning the standup battle so far.
Bishop throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Johnson's head.
Johnson will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Bishop shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Johnson looks to land a combination but Bishop avoids it well.
Bishop scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Good standup being displayed there by Bishop as he connects with a hook.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Johnson takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Bishop misses with a body shot.
Johnson dips to his left and cracks Bishop with an uppercut!
Johnson misses with a looping left.
Johnson fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Bishop scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Bishop winds up and cracks Johnson with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Johnson is not content to let Bishop control the position.
Bishop is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Bishop sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Johnson defending well though.
Johnson won't allow Bishop to pass to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bishop winds up and cracks Johnson with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Bishop content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Bishop slips a nice elbow through Johnson's hands, connecting with Johnson's forehead.
Johnson blocking the ground and pound attempt from Bishop.
Johnson avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Bishop.
Johnson blocking the ground and pound attempt from Bishop.
Bishop working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Johnson's thigh. Johnson counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Bishop is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bishop's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Johnson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Bishop.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bishop is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Johnson is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kevin Bishop dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Bishop misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Johnson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Nice sprawl there from Bishop as Johnson shoots in.
Bishop misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Johnson counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Jack Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Johnson takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Bishop throws a nice outside leg kick.
Bishop scores with a nice body kick.
A good leg kick by Bishop.
Bishop lands with an overhand left.
Bishop looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Bishop misses with a straight right.
Bishop works Johnson's body with a nice hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson shoots for a takedown but Bishop saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Bishop jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Bishop lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Johnson takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?

Bishop shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Johnson manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Johnson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bishop is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Bishop trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bishop's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Bishop's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bishop trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.
Bishop scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bishop controls from within his opponent's guard.
Bishop postures up in Johnson's guard and throws a big left but Johnson blocks it.
Johnson can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Bishop controls the pace.
Bishop wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.
Jack Johnson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kevin Bishop is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Kevin Bishop wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Johnson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Bishop fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Johnson manages to avoid it.
Johnson misses with a hook.
Johnson will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Bishop avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Bishop takes one to the chin there.
Johnson fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Bishop on the side of the head.
An inside leg kick lands from Bishop.
Johnson misses with a combination
and Bishop counters with a straight right hand.
Johnson slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson throws out a loose jab but Bishop uses good head movement to avoid it.
Johnson wants to clinch.
Johnson rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Bishop moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Johnson misses with a lunging right hand
and Bishop counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Johnson thinking.
Bishop lands a body shot.
Johnson fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Bishop throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Johnson.
Bishop is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Johnson can do to turn this around?
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nice defenses there by Bishop.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bishop darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Bishop delivers a nice body kick.
Bishop slips a jab from Johnson.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kevin Bishop showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Bishop has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Russell Pearce scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kevin Bishop!
Kevin Bishop seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.