PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Derrick Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Craig Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thomas comes to the cage accompanied by Shinedown - "State Of My Head". Johnson is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Blood of Heroes!. Craig Johnson is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Thomas
vs
Johnson

191 cm
24
193 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

168 cm
43
200 lbs
25 - 25 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Derrick Thomas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 25 - 0, fighting out of New York, Craig Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Ian Loll and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thomas swings for the body but Johnson moves out of range.
Thomas connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
A left lands for Thomas.
Johnson keeps the fight on the outside.
Johnson steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Thomas.
Johnson with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Thomas avoids the body shot from Johnson.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Thomas swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Johnson will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Thomas.
Johnson lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Thomas circles away quickly and effectively.
Thomas dips to his left and cracks Johnson with an uppercut!
Thomas lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Thomas is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Johnson misses with a shot to the body
and Thomas counters with a low kick, right behind Johnson 's knee.
Johnson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Thomas manages to avoid it.
Johnson connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Johnson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A little jabbing left from Johnson on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Johnson lands a nice shot that snaps Thomas's head back.
Craig Johnson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A slapping leg kick lands for Thomas.
Johnson throws a predictable looking body shot
and Thomas counters with a good low kick that Johnson was not able to check.
Thomas tries to close the distance and clinch but Johnson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Johnson blocks the body kick.
Thomas lands a head kick. Johnson smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like Craig Johnson has been cut.
Thomas lands with a hook. Johnson tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Thomas is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Thomas connects with a nice looking jab.
Johnson swings for the body but Thomas moves out of range.
Johnson throws a body shot but no joy.
Johnson with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Thomas throws a leg kick which misses Johnson's front leg but catches the back leg as Johnson tries to avoid it.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Johnson misses with a jab to the body

and Thomas moves into the clinch.
Johnson with a knee to the head.
Thomas misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Thomas can't find room to land a body shot as Johnson controls the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Johnson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Thomas lands a body shot.
Thomas connects with a body shot that sends Johnson's belly button to the back.
Johnson closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Johnson blocks a head kick by Thomas.
Thomas getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Johnson has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Thomas.
Thomas lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Johnson is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Thomas rather than just go for the knockout.
Good leg kick by Thomas there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Thomas lands a body shot.
We've been told by Thomas's head coaches at River's Edge Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Johnson misses with a looping right.
Johnson on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Johnson tries to clinch but Thomas is having none of it.
Thomas is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Johnson.
Thomas swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Johnson.
Thomas showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Johnson.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Thomas on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Thomas slips a jab and a cross from Johnson.
A big right from Johnson misses.
Thomas is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Johnson tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Thomas was well out of range. Poor timing from Johnson.
Thomas with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Thomas thuds a left hand into Johnson's body.
Johnson's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Johnson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Thomas manages to avoid it.
Johnson misses with a left hand
and Thomas counters with a left to the body.
Crunch! Thomas slams his shin into Johnson's torso.
Johnson looks winded!
Thomas checks a leg kick.
Good exchange - Thomas coming out on top.
Johnson blocks a head kick by Thomas.
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!
Thomas swats away the attempt to clinch by Johnson.
Thomas tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Johnson manages to circle out of the way.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thomas throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Johnson swings away with a body shot that misses
and Thomas counters with a leg kick.
Thomas dodges the punch combination from Johnson.
Johnson throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Thomas sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Thomas lands a leg kick that knocks Johnson off balance momentarily.
Johnson attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Johnson on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Johnson with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Thomas to score with a decent uppercut.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Thomas checks a leg kick.
Johnson looks to land a left hand but Thomas moved out of range nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Thomas dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Johnson. That did some damage!
Johnson misses the shot to the body.
Thomas connects with a nice looking jab.
Johnson waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Thomas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derrick Thomas dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Craig Johnson's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Thomas dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Johnson. That did some damage!
Johnson misses with a wild body shot.
Thomas scores with a hook to the body. Johnson takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Johnson clobbers Thomas with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Thomas lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
A punch combination from Johnson misses.
Thomas thinks about countering with a body kick.
Derrick Thomas is winning the standup battle so far.
Johnson throws a left and a right that both miss

and Thomas counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Thomas lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

Thomas breaks from the clinch.
Johnson throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Thomas lands a really nice looking cross but Johnson seems unphased.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Johnson misses with a body shot
and Thomas counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Thomas throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Thomas tests Johnson's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Thomas explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

Thomas moves into the clinch successfully.
Johnson is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thomas manages to break the clinch.
Thomas is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Johnson can do to turn this around?

Thomas moves into the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Thomas trying to land knees to the body.
Thomas works on Johnson's body with a couple of short punches.
Thomas doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Thomas pressing his opponent against the cage.
Johnson's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Thomas escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Johnson misses the shot to the body.
Thomas comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Johnson tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Thomas was well out of range. Poor timing from Johnson.
Thomas seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Good leg kick by Thomas there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Johnson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Johnson throws out a loose jab but Thomas uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson tries a low kick but Thomas avoids it.
Thomas connects with a solid leg kick.
Thomas fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Thomas lands a jab.

That has opened up Craig Johnson's cut even more.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Thomas closes the distance and clinches.
Thomas digs a right hand into Johnson's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Johnson's gas tank.
Thomas working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Thomas lands with a left to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Thomas.
Johnson tries to circle away but Thomas has him pinned against the cage.
Thomas pushes Johnson back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Johnson breaks the clinch.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Thomas - that will leave a mark!
Johnson throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Thomas lands a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Thomas finds it's way through Johnson's defenses.
Johnson swings away with a body shot that misses
and Thomas counters with a thumping low kick.
Thomas lands with a shot to the body.
Johnson throws a right hand that Thomas ducks under and follows up with a left that Thomas also avoids with ease.
Thomas's jab looks to have found its range, popping Johnson under the eye.
Thomas throws out a powerful jab.

The cut above Craig Johnson's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Thomas connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Johnson has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Thomas.
Thomas cracks Johnson with a right hand to the side of the head.
Thomas throws out a powerful jab.

Johnson is rocked!
Johnson has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Thomas finds it's way round the side to connect with Johnson's head.
Johnson is still on wobbly legs! Can Thomas finish him?
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Johnson swings away with a body shot that misses
and Thomas counters with a powerful cross that connects right on the chin and the lights go out! A massive one punch knock out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:44 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Derrick Thomas!
Our winner, Derrick Thomas, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.