PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Dwayne Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Miesha Tate (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Johnson
vs
Tate

167 cm
25
140 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

165 cm
19
140 lbs
2 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

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 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Dwayne Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Miesha Tate!
The judges for this bout are , Frank Antenori and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson looks to clinch
and Tate counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Johnson blocks a low kick nicely.
Johnson displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Tate.
Johnson checks a leg kick nicely.
Johnson fails with the takedown.
Tate shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Tate slaps away a takedown attempt from Johnson, before circling back to the center of the mat.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Johnson is defended easily by Tate.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dwayne Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tate is trying hard to land a takedown here. Johnson sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson is trying hard to land a takedown here. Tate sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Johnson just misses with a punch to the body.
Tate looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Tate keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Tate stalks Johnson and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Johnson's face. Johnson staggers backwards, shaken.
Tate fails with the takedown.
Tate shoots in looking for a takedown but Johnson manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Tate's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Nice sprawl there from Tate as Johnson shoots in.
Tate goes for a double leg but Johnson avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Johnson continues to drive forward.

Johnson breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tate tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Johnson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
No luck for Tate with that takedown attempt.
Tate tries to close the distance and clinch but Johnson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown but Tate shows good takedown defense.
Tate shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Johnson pinned against the cage. Johnson gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Johnson shoots in but Tate avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Johnson tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Tate swivels and escapes.
Tate misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson stuffs the takedown attempt from Tate. Tate gets slowly back to his feet.
No luck for Johnson with that takedown attempt.
Tate throws a half hearted mid kick.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Tate misses with a hook from the clinch.

Johnson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Johnson darts in and clinches Tate up against the cage.
Johnson pressing his opponent against the cage.
Tate lands a right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tate is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Johnson is keeping busy.
Tate tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Johnson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Johnson blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Tate tries to break the clinch but Johnson is controlling the position.

Johnson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Johnson misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A punch combination from Tate misses.

Johnson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Tate ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Tate no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Miesha Tate will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Tate misses with a hook
and Johnson counters with a stiff right hand.
Johnson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Johnson shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Tate pinned against the cage. Tate gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Johnson is defended easily by Tate.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dwayne Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tate doesn't manage to clinch there - Johnson circles away.

Tate drives through and clinches with Johnson against the cage.
Johnson throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Tate blocks it with crossed arms.
A shot in the inside from Johnson.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Tate throws a low kick, looking for Johnson's leg but Johnson calmly moves out of range.
Johnson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Tate.
Tate fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tate tries to land a leg kick but Johnson saw it coming and moves away.
Tate shoots in but Johnson avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Dwayne Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Johnson defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Tate.
Nice takedown defense from Johnson. No joy for Tate on that attempt.
Tate tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Johnson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Tate darts in trying to clinch
letting Johnson counter with a right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Tate misses.
Johnson closes the distance looking to clinch

and Tate holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Tate can't break the clinch.
Johnson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Tate smiles and moves away.
Johnson displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Tate.
Horrible takedown attempt by Johnson or perhaps it was just good defense by Tate, which made it look bad.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tate throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Johnson's waist but Johnson gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Tate off to one side.
Tate tries a low kick but Johnson avoids it.
Tate looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Johnson is fending him off so far but Tate persists. Nope, Johnson circles away and we're back to standing.
Tate is breathing heavily.
A looping hook to the body misses from Tate. Johnson does a little dance to reset his feet.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Johnson.
Johnson tries to clinch there but Tate circles away.

Johnson has closed the distance and engaged Tate in a clinch.
Tate holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Johnson has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Tate avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson can't get the takedown.
Tate gets underhooks to prevent Johnson's takedown attempt.
Tate jumps guard but Johnson stands there with Tate around his waist. Tate gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Tate is pushing Johnson up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson prevents a body shot from Tate.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Miesha Tate will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Johnson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Tate sprawls well. Tate wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Johnson gets slowly back to his feet.
Johnson tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Tate defends well and Johnson ends up having to push Tate into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Johnson changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Tate fights it off and pushes away nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dwayne Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tate shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnson tries to sprawl out of it but Tate 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.
Tate defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Johnson.
Tate looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Tate changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Johnson tries to avoid it but Tate manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Johnson to the ground. Johnson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tate throws out a leg kick but Johnson moves out of range and Tate only half commits.
Tate blocks a head kick by Johnson.
Johnson tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Johnson misses with a takedown attempt - Tate sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Tate has managed to clinch.
Johnson is pressed up against the cage. Tate has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Johnson down to the mat. Johnson avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Tate shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Johnson but Johnson pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Tate fails to land the takedown.
Tate slaps away a takedown attempt from Johnson, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Johnson.
Tate rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Johnson moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Miesha Tate seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Tate tries a head kick but it misses.
Tate throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Johnson's waist but Johnson gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Tate off to one side.
Johnson avoids the body shot from Tate.
Tate blocks a head kick by Johnson.
Johnson blocks a head kick by Tate.
Tate keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Tate as he avoids it easily.
Tate tries to clinch up but Johnson circles away and keeps his distance.
Tate shoots in for a double leg but Johnson sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Johnson is defended easily by Tate.
Johnson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tate fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Johnson shoots in but Tate avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Tate shoots in but Johnson avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tate looks for a takedown but Johnson sprawls well.
Johnson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Tate doesn't manage to clinch there - Johnson circles away.
Johnson shoots in and drives through. Tate sprawls well.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Tate paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson misses with an attempted mid kick.
Dwayne Johnson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Miesha Tate is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Tate shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Miesha Tate.
Well Tate 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Miesha Tate!