PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Xavier Bishop (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tarik Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bishop's entrance music is Pimps Around The World. A fine choice. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bishop
vs
Johnson

175 cm
30
152 lbs
14 - 7 - 0

184 cm
34
155 lbs
25 - 18 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Fast

Zenith Nutrition (160q/225$)

Humanoid Nutrition (160Q for 160$)
Voodoo Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Xavier Bishop!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 18 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Tarik Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson looks to throw the jab but Bishop is out of range.
Johnson throws a leg kick which misses Bishop's front leg but catches the back leg as Bishop tries to avoid it.
Bishop throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Johnson.
Bishop throws a nice inside leg kick.
Bishop scores with a jab to the head.

Johnson manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Bishop on his heels. He'll look to pass Bishop's guard now, I'm sure.
Johnson throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Johnson postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Johnson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Johnson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Johnson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Johnson accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Bishop preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Johnson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Johnson wants to pass the guard but Bishop is keeping the position.
Johnson loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Johnson's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Bishop is controlling Johnson's posture.
Johnson loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Johnson throws a big right hand that misses.
Bishop has his hands on Johnson's head, controlling the position.
Johnson in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Johnson working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Johnson is looking to work some ground and pound but Bishop has wrist control.
Bishop controls Johnson momentarily but Johnson frees himself.
Johnson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Johnson stands up over Bishop, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Johnson throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Johnson throws a big elbow that misses.
Bishop preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Johnson lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Bishop looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Johnson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Bishop seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Johnson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Johnson scoring with punches to the head and body.
Johnson in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Johnson accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Johnson postures up in Bishop's guard and throws a big left but Bishop blocks it.
Bishop working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Johnson.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Johnson postures up in Bishop's guard and throws a big left but Bishop blocks it.
Johnson trying to control but Bishop is working from the bottom.
Bishop working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Johnson.
Johnson trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Johnson throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is stalling in the full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Tarik Johnson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bishop misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Johnson takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Johnson needs to keep his hands up - Bishop had a free shot at his head there.
Johnson takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Johnson fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Bishop scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Johnson lands with an overhand left.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Bishop takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Johnson throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Johnson's coach down at LOD-Guts & Glory Gym 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.
Bishop lands a nice leg kick that just misses Johnson's sensitive parts.
Johnson scores with a hook to the body. Bishop takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Bishop ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tarik Johnson dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Johnson feints a jab promting Bishop to slip. Johnson then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Bishop slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Johnson throws out a loose jab but Bishop uses good head movement to avoid it.
Johnson moves out of range of the body kick from Bishop.
Bishop cracks a nice hook into Johnson's ribs.
Bishop scores with a jab to the head.
Bishop lands with an overhand left.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Bishop.
Bishop moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Bishop swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Johnson swinging wildly here.
Xavier Bishop is winning the standup battle so far.
Johnson's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Bishop connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Johnson scrambles back to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bishop throws a sloppy head kick and Johnson moves out of range easily.
Johnson scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Bishop throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
A head kick misses from Bishop.
Sloppy strikes from Johnson. Those never looked like landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bishop misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Johnson.
Johnson misses with an uppercut
letting Bishop counter with a right hand.
Johnson looks to land a right hand but Bishop moved out of range.
Johnson bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Bishop's head backwards.
Bishop lands with a good body shot.
Johnson fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Bishop misses with a wild body shot.
Johnson looks to land a left hand but Bishop moved out of range nicely.
Johnson punishes Bishop's body with a nice straight punch.
Bishop fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Johnson looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Bishop lands a nice hook to Johnson's body. Johnson takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Bishop throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Bishop throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Bishop throws a nice outside leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bishop goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A shot to the liver by Bishop. Beautiful body shot.
Bishop moves forwards but Johnson connects with a nice, crisp jab.
A swing and a miss from Johnson.
Bishop throws a head kick but Johnson moves out of range.
Johnson might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Bishop throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Johnson takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Johnson with a lazy takedown attempt
letting Bishop counter with a right hand.
Bishop moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Johnson throws a hook to the side of Bishop's head but Bishop sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
It looked like Bishop wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Bishop fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Johnson manages to avoid it.
Johnson takes a kick to the side of the head.
Xavier Bishop is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Johnson throws a hook but Bishop avoids it easily.
Bishop fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Johnson manages to avoid it.
Johnson drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Johnson scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

Bishop is rocked!

It looks like Xavier Bishop has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bishop backs away from a small jab... but Johnson lunges forward with a huge superman punch! Bishop crumples to the ground as his mouth piece is sent flying! Johnson with a spectacular finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:06 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Superman Punch). Tarik Johnson!
Tarik Johnson gave a mention to Humanoid Nutrition (160Q for 160$) in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).
Xavier Bishop spoke after the fight, saying 'Ogun will punish me severely for this loss!'.