PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Gary Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rork Conrad (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Johnson
vs
Conrad

170 cm
18
137 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

176 cm
25
134 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gary Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rork Conrad!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Frank Dennis and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Conrad closes the distance and clinches up with Johnson, looking for a takedown. Conrad pushes Johnson against the cage but Johnson circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Johnson stalks Conrad and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Conrad's face. Conrad staggers backwards, shaken.
Conrad throws a head kick but Johnson moves out of range.

Conrad closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Conrad cracks Johnson with a big right hand but Johnson just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Conrad is looking to take a break and control but Johnson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
You can see the frustration on Johnson's face as Conrad controls the position.
Conrad is chipping away with strikes.
Conrad landing a few strikes.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Conrad has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Johnson swats away the attempt to clinch by Conrad.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Good shot there by Johnson.
Rork Conrad seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Conrad looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Johnson is fending him off so far but Conrad persists. Nope, Johnson circles away and we're back to standing.
Johnson throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Conrad.
Conrad with a poor takedown
and Johnson counters with a low kick, right behind Conrad 's knee.
Gary Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rork Conrad.
Conrad changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Johnson tries to avoid it but Conrad manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Johnson to the ground. Johnson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Conrad tries to clinch up.
Conrad lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Johnson circles away quickly and effectively.
Conrad tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Johnson swivels and escapes.
Johnson went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Conrad takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Conrad shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnson tries to sprawl out of it but Conrad 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.
Johnson fires out a quick counter leg kick but Conrad just manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson scores with a nice body kick.

Johnson moves into the clinch.

Johnson breaks from the clinch.
Johnson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Conrad fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Johnson avoids it really well and circles away.
Johnson lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Johnson wants it to stay on the feet.
Conrad swats away the attempt to clinch by Johnson.
Conrad shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Johnson counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Conrad thinking.
Conrad is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Johnson has Conrad up against the cage in a clinch.
Conrad stalling in the clinch but Johnson improves position.

Conrad escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson slips under a jab from Conrad.
A head kick by Johnson misses

and Conrad decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Johnson's guard.
Conrad looking to pass the guard.
Conrad would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Johnson escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Conrad gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Conrad passes Johnson's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Johnson works his way to full guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gary Johnson dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Conrad shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Johnson is trying to defend but Conrad finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Conrad controlling the action here.
Johnson trying to hold on to Conrad's head to control him but Conrad postures up.
Johnson wants to improve his position but Conrad is controlling well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson is looking to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Conrad wants to pass the guard but Johnson is defending well.
Johnson is looking to control Conrad's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Johnson avoid being mounted?

That's one minute gone in the round.

Conrad postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Johnson to stand up.
Good leg kick by Johnson there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Conrad has his takedown stuffed
letting Johnson counter with a right hand.
Conrad fails with a takedown attempt.

Johnson has taken the fight to the clinch.

Conrad pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Conrad is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Conrad goes for a double leg but Johnson avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Johnson continues to drive forward.
It looked like Johnson was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Gary Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rork Conrad.
Johnson tries a head kick but it misses.
Conrad looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Johnson is fending him off so far but Conrad persists. Nope, Johnson circles away and we're back to standing.
Conrad tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Johnson connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Johnson tries to score a power double leg takedown but Conrad sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Johnson somewhat.

Conrad closes the distance and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson breaks the clinch.
Johnson fakes the leg kick and cracks Conrad in the body.
A combination from Conrad does no damage.
Johnson is looking to counter with head kicks.
Conrad with a poor takedown

and Johnson counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Johnson.
Still in the clinch, Johnson scores with a nice short uppercut.
Conrad tries to pull guard but Johnson won't allow it.
Conrad drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Johnson gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Johnson is trying to push Conrad away but Conrad has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Conrad jumps guard but Johnson stands there with Conrad around his waist. Conrad gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Conrad looking for a takedown.
Conrad has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Johnson is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Conrad is breathing heavily.
Johnson pushes Conrad back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Conrad fails to pull guard.
A right hook to the body lands for Conrad.
Conrad is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Johnson is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gary Johnson dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Ouch! a nice leg kick from Johnson, right into the meat.
Conrad is looking to clinch.
Gary Johnson is winning the standup battle so far.
Johnson pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Conrad stuffs the takedown attempt from Johnson. Johnson gets slowly back to his feet.

Johnson clinches.
Conrad jumps guard but Johnson stands there with Conrad around his waist. Conrad gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson wants to break the clinch but can't.
A frustrated look appears on Johnson's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Conrad pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Johnson wants to clinch.
Johnson throws a head kick that Conrad semi-blocks.
Johnson connects with the punch.
Johnson keeps the fight on the outside.
Conrad shoots in for a double leg but Johnson sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Johnson looks to land a combination. Conrad sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Johnson instigates a clinch.
Johnson gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Conrad.
Gary Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rork Conrad.
Johnson lands with a right to the head.
Conrad tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Johnson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Conrad tries to break free but Johnson pushes him back against the cage.
Conrad is trying to force a seperation but Johnson has the dominant position.
Johnson managing to block the knees to the body from Conrad.
Johnson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Conrad can do to turn this around?
Conrad misses with an elbow over the top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Johnson bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

Johnson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Johnson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Conrad looks for a takedown but Johnson sprawls well.
As Conrad looks to move away, Johnson throws a big counter combo but Conrad just gets out of the way.
Johnson scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Johnson misses with a double jab.

Johnson fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Conrad, pushing him back against the cage.
Conrad effectively controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Conrad tries to score a body lock takedown but Johnson shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Conrad decides to pull guard.
Johnson knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Conrad on the ground.
Johnson won't allow Conrad to sweep him here.
Conrad is still trying to improve position.
Rork Conrad has got the better of the ground game so far.
Conrad takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Johnson has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Conrad is proving hard to escape from.
Rork Conrad has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gary Johnson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Conrad is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Johnson defends well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gary Johnson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Johnson, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gary Johnson!