PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Anthony Johnson (ranked 1315 p4p, 206 weight class) and Nikos Giannopoulos (ranked 803 p4p, 134 weight class). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the prize buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Johnson
vs
Giannopoulos

189 cm
25
216 lbs
12 - 9 - 0

184 cm
26
207 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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 12 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Anthony Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nikos Giannopoulos!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Ivan Kurochkin and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Giannopoulos wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Johnson stuns Giannopoulos with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Johnson shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Giannopoulos connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Giannopoulos misses with a takedown attempt - Johnson sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Giannopoulos misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Johnson wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Johnson throws a one two combo.

It looks like Nikos Giannopoulos has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Giannopoulos takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Johnson misses with a two punch combination.
Giannopoulos swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Johnson tries to work over Giannopoulos's front leg with a kick but Giannopoulos checks it.
Johnson looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Johnson tries to bum rush Giannopoulos with a series of wild strikes but Giannopoulos uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson throws a nice looking combination but Giannopoulos bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Anthony Johnson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Johnson keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Giannopoulos ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Giannopoulos ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Johnson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Giannopoulos manages to avoid it.
Giannopoulos bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Giannopoulos only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Johnson connects with a nice looking jab.
Johnson misses with a shot to the body
and Giannopoulos counters with a nice low kick that buckles Johnson's knee momentarily.
Johnson tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Johnson misses with a wild body shot.
Giannopoulos feints and then cracks Johnson's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Johnson down.
A looping hook to the body misses from Giannopoulos. Johnson does a little dance to reset his feet.
Johnson misses with a hook. Giannopoulos ducked under it nicely.
And Giannopoulos tries to counter it with a takedown but Johnson pushes his down on his head and steps out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giannopoulos getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Giannopoulos avoids the body shot from Johnson.
Johnson tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Giannopoulos was well out of range. Poor timing from Johnson.
Giannopoulos looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Johnson misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Johnson appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Johnson swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Giannopoulos counters with a nice low kick that buckles Johnson's knee momentarily.
No joy there for Johnson, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Giannopoulos pulls out of a head kick attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Giannopoulos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Giannopoulos attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Giannopoulos lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Giannopoulos darts in looking for a takedown but Johnson gets double underhooks and turns Giannopoulos into the cage.
Anthony Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nikos Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Johnson checks it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson misses with a body shot.
Johnson is looking to wear down Giannopoulos with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Johnson misses the body punch

and Giannopoulos counters with a shoot takedown. Johnson fights it but they end up in guard.
Giannopoulos trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Giannopoulos prevents Johnson from getting back to his feet.
Giannopoulos's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Giannopoulos trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Giannopoulos slips nicely into half guard.
Giannopoulos wants to lay and pray for a moment but Johnson keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is trying to stand.

Giannopoulos seems to be looking for submissions.
Johnson is trying to stand.
Giannopoulos with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Johnson is staying active underneath Giannopoulos, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Giannopoulos thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Johnson if he has to take too many more of those.
Johnson misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos avoids a punch combination nicely.
Johnson backing away here, and Giannopoulos unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nikos Giannopoulos will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Nikos Giannopoulos's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Johnson connects with a looping right hand.
Giannopoulos misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Johnson.
A lazy left from Johnson finds it's target.
Giannopoulos shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Johnson as he avoids it easily.
It looked like Johnson wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Johnson throws a combination that misses
and Giannopoulos counters with a thumping low kick.
Johnson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Giannopoulos moves away.
Giannopoulos connects with a solid leg kick.
Johnson shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice shot by Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Johnson.
Johnson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Giannopoulos manages to avoid it.
Giannopoulos is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Johnson with a body shot.
Giannopoulos lands a nice looking kick to the body. Johnson takes a step back to recover.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Johnson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Giannopoulos moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
A nice combination there by Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos lands a front kick.
Johnson swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
enabling Giannopoulos to counter with a crisp jab.
Johnson stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Johnson throws a looping overhand right but Giannopoulos ducks down to avoid it.
Johnson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

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

Johnson is rocked!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Johnson throws a sloppy body shot
and Giannopoulos counters with a solid body kick.
Oh Johnson is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Johnson misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Giannopoulos counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Johnson scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Giannopoulos manages to mount him!
Giannopoulos controlling the position easily from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is controlling an arm, preventing Giannopoulos from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.
Johnson seems to have got his legs back now.

Giannopoulos is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Johnson can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Giannopoulos controlling the position easily from mount.
Johnson squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Giannopoulos pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.
Giannopoulos looking to control but Johnson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Giannopoulos tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson really wants to buck Giannopoulos off and get back to his feet.
Giannopoulos sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Johnson bucks Giannopoulos off and manages to get back to his feet!
Giannopoulos throws an off balance right hand
and Johnson counters with a left to the body.
Giannopoulos gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Johnson.
Johnson misses with a hook to the body
enabling Giannopoulos to counter with a crisp jab.
Giannopoulos throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Johnson swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Giannopoulos.
Johnson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Giannopoulos manages to avoid it.
Good leg kick by Giannopoulos there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giannopoulos scores with a push kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Johnson will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
A little jabbing left from Giannopoulos on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Johnson misses with a double jab
and Giannopoulos counters with a left to the body.
Johnson is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Giannopoulos ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Giannopoulos cracks the inside of Johnson's front leg.
Both fighters circling a little - Giannopoulos finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Johnson. Giannopoulos does a little dance to reset his feet.
Giannopoulos let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.

Giannopoulos drops Johnson with a beautiful combination! Johnson stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Giannopoulos is looking for the KO!
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Giannopoulos lands with a nice body kick.
Giannopoulos closes the distance and lands a vicious right hand that drops Johnson! Giannopoulos dives in looking to finish! Johnson 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 4:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Nikos Giannopoulos!
In his post fight interview, Nikos Giannopoulos started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.