PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Norris Travis (ranked 24685 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Johnson (ranked 6120 p4p, 0 weight class). Norris Travis has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Travis
vs
Johnson

178 cm
19
177 lbs
0 - 6 - 0

180 cm
18
170 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Norris Travis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Alex Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, William Gold and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Travis gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Travis pushes Johnson off and scrambles back to his feet.

Johnson moves into the clinch.

Travis pulls guard.
Travis lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Johnson looking for a sweep. Not yet Johnson, not yet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Johnson is controlling Travis's posture.
Johnson can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Travis controls the pace.
Johnson thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Travis lands a couple of digs.
Johnson looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Travis puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Johnson tries to roll over but Travis keeps him under control.
Johnson wants to control but Travis is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Well, if Travis is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Travis throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Johnson trying to control from the bottom.
Johnson tries to roll over but Travis keeps him under control.

Travis is working for a submission of some sort.
Travis not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Travis is thwarting Johnson's attempts to control the position.
Travis stops Johnson from getting back to his feet.
Johnson has his hands clasped together around Travis's back. He's all about the action.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Johnson shoots in but Travis avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Johnson looks winded!

Travis drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Travis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Johnson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Travis sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Travis trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Johnson wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Travis is now in half guard.
Johnson is trying to get back to full guard.
Travis is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Travis has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Johnson is trying to get back to full guard.

Johnson has one foot on Travis's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Horrible takedown attempt by Travis or perhaps it was just good defense by Johnson, which made it look bad.

Johnson gets a double leg takedown into Travis's guard.
Johnson won't allow Travis to get back to his feet.
Travis keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Travis working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Johnson doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Johnson manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Travis can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Johnson controls the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Norris Travis dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Johnson doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Travis counters with a head kick.

Travis has closed the distance and engaged Johnson in a clinch.
Johnson tries to break free but Travis pushes him back against the cage.
Johnson fails to pull guard.
Travis is stalling here.
Travis stalling in the clinch but Johnson improves position.

Johnson jumps into guard, dragging Travis to the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Travis landing with the ground and pound.
Travis stays in close to Johnson's body and controls the position.
Johnson is trying to keep Travis in close.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Travis content to stall in guard here.
Johnson is breathing heavily.
Johnson is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Johnson is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Travis got a little sloppy there for a moment and Johnson has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Travis has managed to get both his arms back between Johnson's legs - danger averted.
Johnson is trying to control the position but Travis postures up.
Travis slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

Johnson is looking for a triangle here but Travis uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Travis working the head with strikes.
Travis working the ground and pound.
Travis is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Johnson can do to turn this around?
Travis is chipping away with strikes.
Travis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Johnson keeps working.
Travis is really struggling to control Johnson but he's trying to hold on to the position.
A lull in the action here as Travis stalls from top position.
Travis wants to control but Johnson is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here.
Johnson tries to get back to half guard but can't.
You can see the frustration on Johnson's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Travis takes a little break here. Johnson wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Travis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Johnson keeps working.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Travis landing strikes.
Travis scoring with punches and elbows.
Travis taking a breather here.
Johnson manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Travis lands strikes from half guard.
Travis is thwarting Johnson's attempts to control the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Johnson wants to get back to full guard.
Travis lands with a punch from half guard.
Johnson trying to control here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Norris Travis dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Travis lands a nice hook to Johnson's body. Johnson takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Alex Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Travis is looking to clinch but Johnson is avoiding it.
Johnson goes for a double leg but Travis avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Travis continues to drive forward.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Travis.
Johnson is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.

Johnson instigates a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Travis's efforts to push away.
Travis gets through Johnson's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Johnson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Still in the clinch, Travis scores with a nice short uppercut.
Johnson stalling in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Travis breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Travis forces Johnson back against the cage and clinches.
Travis doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Travis tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Johnson smiles and moves away.
Johnson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
A little feinted left hand from Travis on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Travis lands a head kick. Johnson smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

Johnson forces Travis back against the cage and clinches.
Travis unloads a knee to the mid-section. Johnson lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Travis with a knee to the head.

Travis pulls guard effortlessly.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Travis is pulling down on Johnson's head to control his posture.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Johnson working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Travis wants to stand up but Johnson is controlling him.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Travis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Travis not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Johnson content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Johnson won't allow Travis to get back to his feet.
Travis looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

Travis throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Johnson escapes and throws Travis's legs to the side, diving into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson decides to stand back up.

Johnson has taken the fight to the clinch.

Johnson pulls guard effortlessly.
Travis throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Johnson is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Johnson trying to control the position.
Travis looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Travis throwing strikes from guard but Johnson blocks nicely.
Travis has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Travis slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Norris Travis overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Johnson tries to strike from the bottom.
Johnson keeping moving, preventing Travis from controlling successfully.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nice sprawl there from Johnson as Travis shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Norris Travis. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Johnson misses the shot to the body.
Alex Johnson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Norris Travis is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Travis digs a good hook to Johnson's body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Norris Travis showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Travis has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Gold scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Glass scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Norris Travis!