PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Silky Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Francisco Vargas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silky Johnson had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 146.6lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Francisco Vargas is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Johnson
vs
Vargas

173 cm
19
159 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

171 cm
26
135 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Good kicks
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Silky Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Francisco Vargas!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Konstantin Menshow and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vargas tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Francisco Vargas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vargas is looking to clinch.
Vargas staying out of range there.
Vargas shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Johnson as he jumps to the side.
Vargas shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Johnson eats them both and turns towards Vargas to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

Johnson drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Vargas is looking for a sweep.
Johnson looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Vargas is avoiding damage well.
Vargas pushes Johnson away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Johnson gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Johnson misses with the ground and pound.
Johnson postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Vargas is trying to get back to his feet.
Johnson throws a strike aimed at the side of Vargas's head but Vargas avoids it well.
Vargas wants to get back to his feet but Johnson drags him back down.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Johnson throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vargas is looking for a sweep.
Johnson has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Johnson tries to score with some ground and pound. Vargas controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Johnson in side control, throwing shots but Vargas defends.
Vargas really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Johnson. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Vargas managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Johnson.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Johnson creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Vargas sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Vargas is looking for a sweep.
Vargas can't do much from the bottom here.
Johnson working the body and head with strikes.
Johnson working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Vargas managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Johnson.
Johnson throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Johnson trying to control the position but Vargas is working away.
Vargas tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Johnson.
Johnson is looking to take a break and control but Vargas is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Johnson creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Vargas sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Vargas wants to control but Johnson postures up.
Johnson creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Vargas sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Johnson advances to full mount.
Vargas is in a horrible position here. Johnson smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Johnson throwing strikes here but Vargas is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Vargas wants to get back to his feet.
Vargas wants to hold on but Johnson pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vargas doing his best to control the position. Can he escape?
Johnson connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Vargas is wriggling around trying to escape.
Vargas in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Johnson thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Vargas is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Vargas takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Vargas wants to control but Johnson is having none of it.
Johnson lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Johnson thowing shots but they're missing.
Johnson is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Vargas can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Johnson landing shots from mount.
Johnson unloads with some shots from mount but Vargas bucks and avoids them well.
Vargas wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Johnson.
Johnson with a couple of short strikes.
Vargas wants to control but Johnson is having none of it.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Vargas is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Johnson is staying active.
Johnson looking to control but Vargas is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Johnson cracks Vargas with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Johnson landing punches.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Vargas swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Silky Johnson dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Johnson misses with an uppercut
letting Vargas counter with a right hand.
Johnson lands a jab.
Vargas takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Johnson tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Vargas defends well and Johnson ends up having to push Vargas into the ropes where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Johnson successfully pulls guard.
Vargas makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Vargas must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Vargas trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Vargas content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Johnson is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Johnson keeping moving, preventing Vargas from controlling successfully.
Vargas postures up and lands a big shot to Johnson's brow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vargas trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.

Johnson pushes a forearm under Vargas's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Vargas is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:27 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Silky Johnson!