PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between EJ Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antti Tuisku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnson comes to the ring accompanied by Game: South Side . Tuisku is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Levoton. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Johnson
vs
Tuisku

173 cm
20
153 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

171 cm
21
145 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Inexperienced

Fighters Edge

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, EJ Johnson!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Antti Tuisku!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Marco Blurström and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Tuisku shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Tuisku landing punches.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Tuisku cracks Johnson with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Johnson is in all sorts of trouble here.
Tuisku with the ground and pound from mount.
Johnson is wriggling around trying to escape.
Johnson regains half guard.
Tuisku working the head and body with strikes.
Tuisku not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Tuisku is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Johnson defends it well.
Tuisku missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Tuisku tries to pass to full mount but Johnson defends it.
Ground and pound from Tuisku.
Johnson is looking for a sweep. Tuisku is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson gets full guard.
Tuisku throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Johnson works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Johnson working for a triangle but Tuisku defends it easily.
Tuisku wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.

Johnson is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Johnson looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Tuisku must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Tuisku postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Tuisku with a nice head shot there.

Johnson looking for a guillotine here but Tuisku defends easily.

Johnson had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Tuisku is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Johnson Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Tuisku's back instead.
Johnson is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson tries to keep control of the position but Tuisku is staying busy.

Tuisku defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Johnson's arms.
Tuisku trying to control the action but Johnson just sinks the hooks in.
Tuisku tries to escape the position.
Johnson is looking to control Tuisku but Tuisku is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Tuisku looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Johnson trying to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson avoiding Tuisku 's attempts to control his hands.
A lull in the action here.
Johnson doesn't have the hooks in and Tuisku manages to turn into his guard.
Tuisku wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Tuisku circles away from the clinch attempt.

Tuisku scores a takedown into full mount!
Johnson is wriggling around trying to escape.
Tuisku trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Tuisku has his opponent pinned against the ropes, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Johnson's face.
Tuisku can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Johnson is looking to escape.
Johnson gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Johnson actively working from the bottom here.
Tuisku is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Tuisku prevents Johnson from improving his position.
Tuisku is thwarting Johnson's attempts to control the position.
Tuisku landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Tuisku is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Johnson is trying to control but can't.
Tuisku takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Tuisku lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Johnson is trying to control but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Johnson wants to clinch up but Tuisku keeps it at a distance.
EJ Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Tuisku scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Tuisku landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Tuisku working over Johnson with some ground and pound. Johnson looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Johnson is trying to control but can't.
Johnson makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Johnson.
Tuisku working some strikes from top position.
Tuisku trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tuisku lands a couple of elbows.
Tuisku in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Tuisku avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Tuisku trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.

Johnson has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Tuisku can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Tuisku trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.

Johnson working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Tuisku doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Tuisku manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Johnson bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Tuisku's guard.
Tuisku striking from his own guard.
Tuisku keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Tuisku trying to control the position.

Tuisku throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Johnson throws a big right hand that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Johnson throws a big right hand that misses.
Johnson wants to control from the top but Tuisku keeps moving.
Tuisku looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

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

Johnson takes the fight into the clinch.
Johnson throws a knee to the head but misses.
Tuisku goes for a takedown in the clinch but Johnson prevents it.
Tuisku can't get the takedown.

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 Tuisku uses from the top position.
Johnson looking for a sweep. Not yet Johnson, not yet.

Johnson looking for a guillotine here but Tuisku defends easily.
Tuisku wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Tuisku can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Tuisku is working Johnson over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
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.
Tuisku preventing the sweep.
Tuisku is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Tuisku trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.
Tuisku is looking to work some ground and pound but Johnson has wrist control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Johnson shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Tuisku pinned against the cage. Tuisku gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Tuisku closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Johnson to the mat! Johnson manages to get full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tuisku working some strikes from top position.
Johnson wants to sweep here but Tuisku controlling him for the moment.
Johnson has momentary wrist control but Tuisku slips an elbow through the middle.

Johnson has his feet on Tuisku's thighs here. He's pushed Tuisku off and worked for a very quick armbar from the bottom! He's flipped onto his stomach and he's cranking hard on the arm! Tuisku screams in pain and taps out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:38 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). EJ Johnson!
EJ Johnson retains his featherweight title!