PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Navin Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ngolo Kante (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Johnson
vs
Kante

170 cm
25
146 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

162 cm
25
140 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Granite chin

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Navin Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ngolo Kante!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Aleksandr Martynov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kante is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Johnson uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Kante has time to react.
Kante swinging wildly here.
Kante with a poor takedown
and Johnson counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Kante gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Kante takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Johnson cracks Kante with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Johnson misses with a looping right.
Johnson lands with a cross.
Johnson's jab looks to have found its range, popping Kante under the eye.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson works Kante's body with a nice hook.
A telegraphed right hand from Johnson misses the target.
Johnson jabs Kante to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Kante's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Johnson connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Kante scrambles back to his feet.
Johnson scores with a nice right hand.
A cross from Johnson lands.
Kante walks into a jab.

Kante is rocked!
Johnson misses with a lunging right hand

and Kante counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Kante.
Kante looks winded!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Kante drops back, looking for a kneebar! Johnson looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Johnson looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Johnson!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kante parries the strikes from Johnson easily there. Johnson is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Kante to escape.
Johnson controls the position.
Kante sneaks back into half guard.
Kante trying to control from the bottom.
Kante moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Kante throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Johnson escapes and throws Kante's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Kante can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Kante is looking to reverse the position.
Kante being controlled for a moment.
Kante struggling a bit here.
Kante is being controlled here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Kante tries to improve position but can't.
Johnson slows the pace down.
Kante tries to improve position but can't.
Kante is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Johnson has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Johnson controlling from side mount.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Johnson is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Johnson misses with a double jab

and Kante counters with a single leg into guard. Johnson didn't expect that.

Kante drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Johnson manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Kante has Johnson in his guard.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Johnson paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Ngolo Kante is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A big right from Johnson misses.
Kante with the counter takedown but Johnson avoids it easily.
Some wild striking there from Johnson.
Kante with the counter takedown but Johnson avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kante doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Johnson counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Johnson slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Kante shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Johnson pinned against the cage. Johnson gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Kante takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Johnson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Kante can do to turn this around?
Johnson throws a lazy right hand but Kante sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson thuds a left hand into Kante's body.
Johnson paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Johnson scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Kante doesn't seem bothered though.
Kante is breathing heavily.
Johnson lands a jab to the head.
Johnson misses with a straight right.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kante has his takedown stuffed
and Kante takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Navin Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ngolo Kante.
Johnson takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Kante uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Johnson.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Kante shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnson tries to sprawl out of it but Kante 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.
Kante walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Johnson scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Kante doesn't seem bothered though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson cracks Kante with a good jab.
Johnson misses with a series of wild punches.
Johnson with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Johnson lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Johnson lands a jab to Kante's midsection.

Johnson cracks Kante with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Kante looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Johnson finish him?
Kante is still on wobbly legs! Can Johnson finish him?

It looks like Ngolo Kante has been cut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Johnson scores with a shot to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Navin Johnson dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ngolo Kante's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Johnson lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Kante seems to have recovered his senses.
Johnson wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Johnson is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Johnson closes the distance and lands a vicious right hand that drops Kante! Johnson dives in looking to finish! Kante is still trying to defend himself but he's taking too many shots and the referee has no choice but to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:26 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Navin Johnson!