PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jens Pulver (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Peter Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pulver
vs
Johnson

167 cm
19
147 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

175 cm
22
145 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jens Pulver!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Peter Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Dmitry Maklakov and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pulver moves in looking to clinch but Johnson pushes him off.

Pulver rushes Johnson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Pulver lands a knee to the body.
Johnson misses with a punch on the inside.
Pulver using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Pulver is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Johnson is working for takedown but Pulver is calmly controlling the position for now.
Pulver is pressed up against the cage. Johnson has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Pulver down to the mat. Pulver avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Johnson shoots in looking for a takedown. Pulver tries to sprawl out of it but Johnson keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Pulver manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Jens Pulver has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Peter Johnson.
Johnson takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

Pulver has managed to clinch.
Pulver makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Pulver blocks an uppercut.
Johnson swings wildly with an uppercut but Pulver uses good head movement to avoid it.
Johnson looks gassed!
Johnson changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Pulver fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Pulver tries to clinch but Johnson moves out of range.
Peter Johnson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Pulver moves into range and clinches up with Johnson.
Pulver with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Pulver looking to slow down the pace here.

Pulver breaks from the clinch.

Johnson tries to keep at a distance but Pulver has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pulver lands with a light punch inside.
Johnson goes for a takedown attempt but Pulver pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Johnson throws out a loose jab but Pulver uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pulver moves in looking to clinch but Johnson pushes him off.

Pulver drives through and clinches with Johnson against the cage.
A right hook to the body lands for Johnson.
Johnson tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Johnson drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Pulver gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Johnson working aggressively here.
Pulver scores with a knee to the head.
Johnson jumps guard but Pulver stands there with Johnson around his waist. Johnson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Pulver landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Pulver tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Pulver with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Knees to the body from Pulver.
Pulver lands a nice elbow.
Pulver tries to land a knee to the head but Johnson blocks with his arms.
Pulver gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Pulver misses with a knee to the head.
Pulver stalling the fight.
Pulver landing some nice looking knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pulver connects with a nasty looking knee right to Johnson's face.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Johnson.
Pulver using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Johnson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Pulver misses with a knee to the head.
Johnson looking for a takedown.

Pulver breaks from the clinch.
Johnson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

Pulver moves into the clinch.
A short body shot lands from Johnson as the two fighters clinch.
Pulver with a knee to the head.

Johnson decides to pull guard.

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

Johnson throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Pulver escapes and throws Johnson's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Johnson is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Pulver is one step ahead and moves to full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Johnson is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Pulver trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Johnson sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Johnson looking to force a kimura from the bottom here. He's concentrating on that move too much though and Pulver pushes past his half guard into mount!
Johnson keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jens Pulver dominated that round.
That's time! Pulver's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Johnson shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Johnson works his foot free and advances to mount.

Johnson moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Pulver has worked his arm free - good work by Pulver!
Pulver is trying to buck Johnson off.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson advances nicely into full mount.
Pulver really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Johnson wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pulver can't escape the position.

Johnson jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Pulver is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Pulver and Johnson has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pulver prevents Johnson from moving into mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Johnson tries to move to full mount but Pulver actually manages to regain half guard.
Pulver pushes Johnson off looking to stand but Johnson dives back in and keeps control.

Johnson seems to be looking for submissions.
Johnson tries to pass to full mount but Pulver defends it.
Pulver knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Johnson on the ground.

Johnson is looking for a kimura but Pulver is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Johnson to get the leverage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is looking to advance position but Pulver won't allow it.
Pulver is trying to maintain the position but Johnson is very close to passing his half guard.

Johnson is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Pulver is just riding it out for now. Johnson eventually gives up the hold.
Johnson is looking to advance position but Pulver won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Johnson is working for a kimura but Pulver is defending it quite comfortably.
Johnson tries to pass the half guard into mount. Pulver knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Pulver tries to clinch up but Johnson circles away and keeps his distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter 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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Pulver darts in and clinches Johnson up against the cage.
Pulver is leaning against Johnson and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Johnson misses with a hook from the clinch.
Pulver lands with a right to the head.
Pulver tries to land a knee to the head but Johnson blocks with his arms.
Johnson pushes Pulver back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Pulver with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Johnson lands a body punch.

Pulver manages to break the clinch.

Pulver drives through and clinches with Johnson against the cage.
Johnson jumps guard but Pulver stands there with Johnson around his waist. Johnson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Johnson lands a nice shot to the body.
Johnson lands with a left to the head.
Johnson is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Pulver pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Pulver lands a knee to the head.
Pulver gets underhooks to prevent Johnson's takedown attempt.
Jens Pulver has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Peter Johnson.
Pulver tries a knee to the head but Johnson blocks it.
Pulver tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
A short left from Johnson.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Johnson has Pulver pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Pulver manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

Johnson drags the fight down to the ground.

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

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

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Pulver doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Pulver manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Johnson looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Pulver passes into side control.
Johnson is looking for a sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Johnson manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Pulver keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Pulver is in trouble now - Johnson has advanced to mount!

Johnson is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Pulver has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Pulver!

Johnson is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is looking to sweep but instead, Pulver has passed into half guard.
Johnson wants to get back to full guard but Pulver has mounted him!
Johnson is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

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.
Pulver looking to control but Johnson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Johnson manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Pulver wants to stand but Johnson has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Peter Johnson.
I think Johnson 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 28:29

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