PBP Commentary

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

Lindell
vs
Johnson

187 cm
18
182 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

165 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Chuck Lindell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Christian Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, John Roberts and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson scores with a hook to the body. Lindell takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

Lindell drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Lindell pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Johnson is keeping the position for now.
Johnson controlling the position.
Lindell wants to pass the guard but Johnson is keeping the position.
Lindell wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.
Lindell knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Johnson on the ground.
Lindell trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Lindell has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Johnson has a closed guard, preventing Lindell from standing up.
Lindell trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Johnson tries to clinch but Lindell moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson tries to clinch up but Lindell circles away and keeps his distance.
Johnson moves out of range as Lindell throws a body kick.
Lindell is breathing heavily.
Lindell misses with a few strikes there.
Johnson lands a body shot.
Lindell shoots in for a takedown but Johnson shows good takedown defense.

Johnson closes the distance and clinches.

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

Johnson darts in and clinches Lindell up against the cage.

Johnson has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Lindell uses from the top position.
Johnson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lindell is one step ahead there.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Johnson is on top in guard.
Johnson controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson advances to half guard.
Johnson missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Lindell trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Johnson raining down shots from the mount!
Johnson looking to control but Lindell is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Lindell on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Lindell tries to get out of the position.
Johnson tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Johnson avoids the attempt from Lindell to control.
Johnson lands a nice shot to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson unloading with bombs!
Johnson is in the full mount, landing strikes.

Johnson looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Johnson working the ground and pound effectively.
Johnson blocks Lindell's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Johnson looking to control but Lindell is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Johnson controlling from mount.
Lindell is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Lindell tries to hold on but Johnson postures up.
Lindell is trying to stand up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
BOOM! Johnson connects with a massive shot to the dome!
You get the feeling that Lindell really doesn't like being in this position too much.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Johnson trying to control but he's not successful this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

A solid leg kick lands there for Johnson.
Johnson uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Lindell.

Johnson feints and as Lindell raises his hands in defense, Johnson changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Lindell keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Lindell looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Johnson puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Lindell is looking for a sweep. Johnson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Johnson not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Lindell is trying to get back to full guard.

Lindell actively working from the bottom here.
Johnson is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lindell is trying to get back to full guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Johnson forces Lindell back against the cage and clinches.
Johnson avoiding damage.
Lindell can't break the clinch.
Lindell wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Lindell prevents the takedown attempt.
Lindell tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Johnson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Johnson prevents Lindell from breaking the clinch.
Johnson is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Lindell wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Lindell is looking to break free of the clinch but Johnson has double underhooks.
Lindell is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Johnson unloads a knee to the mid-section. Lindell lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Lindell wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Lindell is looking to break free of the clinch but Johnson has double underhooks.

Johnson breaks the clinch.
Lindell fails to land the takedown.
Lindell fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lindell misses with a head kick.
Johnson misses with a wild body shot.
Johnson shoots for a double leg takedown but Lindell sprawls well. He's pushed Johnson's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Johnson is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Lindell.
Lindell keeps the fight on the outside.
Lindell throws a right and a left that both miss.
Lindell throws a sloppy head kick and Johnson moves out of range easily.
Chuck Lindell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lindell misses with a low kick as Johnson jumps back.
Johnson pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Lindell throws a nice looking combination but Johnson bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Johnson walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Johnson tries to clinch but Lindell moves out of range.
No joy there for Lindell, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Johnson lands a jab-cross combination.
Lindell throws a lazy head kick
and Johnson counters with a solid body kick.

Johnson scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Lindell is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Lindell is trying to stand back up but Johnson is controlling him

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is trying to control the action in half guard but Lindell is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Lindell keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Lindell is looking for a sweep. Johnson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Lindell trying to control but Johnson postures up.
Lindell wants to improve his position but Johnson is controlling well.
Lindell wants to control but Johnson is keeping busy.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Lindell shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Lindell showed some decent athleticism there.
Johnson is doing well to control the position and prevent Lindell from advancing to side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christian 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! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Lindell has his takedown stuffed

and Johnson counters with a shoot takedown. Lindell fights it but they end up in guard.
Johnson works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Lindell is defending against the submission attempts here by Johnson.

Johnson decides to return to a standing position.
Johnson moves forwards but Lindell connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Lindell shoots in and drives through. Johnson sprawls well.
Johnson stuffs the takedown attempt from Lindell. Lindell gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chuck Lindell. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Johnson moves into the clinch successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lindell is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Lindell takes a knee right on the jaw!
Johnson wants a takedown but no success here.
Lindell tries to break the clinch but Johnson is controlling the position.
Lindell wants to get back to striking at distance but Johnson won't allow it.
A short uppercut from Lindell.
Lindell wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Johnson goes for a takedown attempt but Lindell pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Lindell closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Lindell lands in his opponent's guard.
Johnson keeping moving, preventing Lindell from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lindell has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Johnson is proving hard to escape from.
Lindell is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Lindell won't allow Johnson to get back to his feet.
Johnson is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Lindell tries to stand but Johnson is controlling from the bottom.
Lindell slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Johnson throws a head kick that half lands.
Johnson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Lindell counters with a shoot takedown. Johnson fights it but they end up in guard.
Lindell wants to stand but Johnson has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Lindell wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lindell would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Chuck Lindell has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lindell trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.
Lindell stops Johnson from standing up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Johnson wants to clinch but Lindell slips to the side
and Lindell counters with a three punch combo that has Johnson backing up. Johnson nods at Lindell to acknowledge the strikes.
Lindell swings for the body but Johnson moves out of range.

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 Chuck Lindell.
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 Chad Campbell scores the fight 28:29
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 28:29

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