PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gianfranco Abruzzi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anthony Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Abruzzi
vs
Johnson

189 cm
25
210 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Gianfranco Abruzzi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Anthony Johnson!
The judges for this bout are David Hoff, Sandra Marshall and Michael Johnstone.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Abruzzi sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Abruzzi cracks Johnson with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Johnson scores with a body shot.
Johnson lands a head shot.
Abruzzi missing with a left hand there. Johnson was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Abruzzi throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Johnson sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Abruzzi bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Abruzzi throwing a counter right hand but Johnson manages to avoid it.
Johnson's coach down at Cozad The Island was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Johnson's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
A jab lands there for Johnson.
Abruzzi throws a hook but Johnson avoids it easily.
Abruzzi works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

It looks like Anthony Johnson has been cut.
A big right from Abruzzi misses.
Despite the aggression on Johnson's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Abruzzi misses with a looping left.
Johnson takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Johnson darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Abruzzi on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Johnson throws a looping overhand right but Abruzzi ducks down to avoid it.
Abruzzi takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A shot to the liver by Johnson. Beautiful body shot.
Johnson misses with an uppercut.
Abruzzi throws an off balance right hand
and Johnson counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Abruzzi slips under a jab.
Abruzzi throws a body punch but Johnson moves out of range.
Abruzzi doesn't manage to clinch there - Johnson circles away.
A nice side step and Johnson releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Johnson throws a jab when Abruzzi was well out of range.
Abruzzi throws the left hand but Johnson avoids the punch easily.
Johnson throws a poor cross that misses
and Johnson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Abruzzi misses with a looping right.
Johnson connects with a jab.
Abruzzi is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Johnson.

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

Johnson jumps guard and drags Abruzzi to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Johnson throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Johnson is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Abruzzi trying to stand up but can't free himself from Johnson's guard.
Johnson is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Abruzzi is controlling him.

Abruzzi gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Johnson moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Johnson connects with a crisp jab.
Abruzzi throws a lazy uppercut
and Johnson counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Johnson fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Johnson showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Abruzzi.
Abruzzi takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed right hand from Johnson misses the target.
Abruzzi swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Johnson scores with a sloppy right hand. Abruzzi should have avoided that one.
Abruzzi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Johnson steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Abruzzi.
Abruzzi misses with a hook. Johnson ducked under it nicely.
Abruzzi steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Johnson.
Johnson avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Johnson scores with a body shot.
Johnson lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Abruzzi is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Johnson looks to land a left hand but Abruzzi moved out of range nicely.
Johnson tests Abruzzi's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Abruzzi throws a body shot but no joy.
Abruzzi throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Johnson let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Johnson displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Abruzzi throws out the jab.
Johnson now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Abruzzi takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

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 digs a good body shot into Abruzzi's ribs.
Johnson misses with a straight left.
Abruzzi misses the shot to the body.
Abruzzi ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Johnson swings for the body but Abruzzi moves out of range.
Abruzzi just misses with a punch to the body.
Abruzzi is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Johnson slips a jab from Abruzzi.
Abruzzi avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Abruzzi lands a nice shot that snaps Johnson's head back.
Abruzzi throws a right hand that misses
and Johnson counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Abruzzi thinking.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Abruzzi moves away from the strike by Johnson.
An attempted straight right counter from Abruzzi misses the target.
Johnson connects with a right hand. Abruzzi shakes it off.
Johnson dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Johnson misses with a straight right.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anthony Johnson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Anthony Johnson's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Abruzzi takes a swing at Johnson's ribcage but misses.
Johnson throws a jab but it's blocked by Abruzzi.
Johnson scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Nice straight punches there by Johnson. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Johnson.
Johnson keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Johnson throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Abruzzi on the side of the head.
Abruzzi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Johnson appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Johnson is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Johnson ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Abruzzi lands with a cross.
Anthony Johnson seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Abruzzi rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Johnson counters with a three punch combo that has Abruzzi backing up. Abruzzi nods at Johnson to acknowledge the strikes.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Abruzzi has taken the fight to the clinch.
Abruzzi tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Johnson ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Johnson no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Abruzzi would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Abruzzi decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson avoids the body shot from Abruzzi.
Abruzzi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Johnson dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Good shot there by Johnson.
Johnson misses with an uppercut.
Abruzzi misses with a body shot.
Johnson looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Johnson throws a shot from downtown. Abruzzi moves away and avoids it.
Good exchange - Johnson coming out on top.
Johnson lands a lovely overhand right.
Abruzzi tries to clinch up but Johnson circles away and keeps his distance.
Abruzzi looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Abruzzi throws a body punch but Johnson moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Abruzzi looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Johnson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A slow jab from Johnson misses its intended target.
Abruzzi lands a nice looking body shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Johnson misses with an uppercut. Abruzzi saw that one coming.
Abruzzi misses with a wild body shot.
Johnson moves out of range of the strikes.
Johnson has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Abruzzi misses with a looping left.
Abruzzi throws a lazy uppercut
enabling Johnson to counter with a crisp jab.
Abruzzi dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Abruzzi moves into range and clinches up with Johnson.
Abruzzi works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Johnson is breathing heavily.
Abruzzi lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Johnson or not.
Abruzzi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Abruzzi stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Johnson tries to pull guard but Abruzzi won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Abruzzi lands a hook to the side of the head.
Abruzzi softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Still in the clinch, Abruzzi scores with a nice short uppercut.
Johnson's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
A short uppercut from Abruzzi.
Abruzzi makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Abruzzi gets through Johnson's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A nice right hand lands inside from Abruzzi.

Johnson is rocked!
A shot in the inside from Abruzzi.
Johnson is still on wobbly legs! Can Abruzzi finish him?
Abruzzi dips a shoulder and cracks Johnson with a mighty uppercut! Johnson falls back against the cage and Abruzzi unloads with a barrage of strikes! Johnson is completely out with his eyes open, only supported by the cage! Save him ref! Eventually the ref decides to do his job and jumps in - Abruzzi screams abuse at the incompetent official before going over to celebrate with his corner. Brutal stuff!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:40 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Gianfranco Abruzzi!
The defeated Anthony Johnson had this to say: 'Well, I did my best, but props to the other guy. He fought the better fight. Back to training as soon as I can.'.