PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ragnar Wood (ranked 3768 p4p, 415 weight class) and Duke Johnson (ranked 4537 p4p, 475 weight class). Ragnar Wood has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Wood
vs
Johnson

178 cm
25
202 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
22
211 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ragnar Wood!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Duke Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Eddie Farnsworth and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wood scores with a jab to the jaw.
Wood misses with a head kick.
A punch combination from Wood misses.
Johnson is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Johnson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses.
Wood with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Johnson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Wood tries to counter with a takedown but Johnson is quick to defend against it.
Wood tries to bum rush Johnson with a series of wild strikes but Johnson uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Wood cracks a nice hook into Johnson's ribs.
Wood listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Johnson with a poor takedown
enabling Wood to counter with a crisp jab.
Johnson is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Wood shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Johnson napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Wood working the strikes but Johnson uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Johnson regains full guard. Nicely done.
Wood throws a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Johnson is on top in guard.

Wood utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Wood keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Johnson passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Johnson trying to control from half guard but Wood is working away.
Wood tries to roll over but Johnson keeps him under control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wood striking from half guard on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson throwing shots but Wood is blocking nicely.

Johnson looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Johnson sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Wood defending well though.
Johnson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Wood is defending against the submission attempts here by Johnson.
Wood has a hand on Johnson's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Johnson takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wood is squirming around, avoiding Johnson's attempts to control the action.
Johnson breaks from Wood's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Wood wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.

Johnson working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Wood is squirming around, avoiding Johnson's attempts to control the action.
Wood looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wood keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Johnson fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Johnson looking to control but Wood is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Wood tries to hold on but Johnson pushes him away.
Johnson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Wood is looking to escape.
Wood is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Duke Johnson will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Johnson takes one to the side of the head.
Wood lands with a hook. Johnson tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.

Wood shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Wood was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Wood knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Johnson on the ground.
Wood tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
You can see the frustration on Johnson's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Johnson regains half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson is looking to control Wood's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Johnson avoid being mounted?

Johnson looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Wood missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Wood is looking for a kimura but Johnson is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Wood to get the leverage.

Wood stands up and beckons Johnson to join him on the feet.
Johnson gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Duke Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Wood works over Johnson's head and body with a nice combination.
Wood misses with a few strikes there.
Johnson moves to clinch but Wood breaks away
and Wood counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Nice uppercut lands for Wood. That snapped Johnson's head back.
Johnson tries to clinch but Wood is having none of it.
Johnson tries to clinch but Wood moves out of range.
Wood lands a two punch combo.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nice shot by Wood.

Johnson is rocked!

Wood shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Wood showed some decent athleticism there.
Johnson is still in real trouble! Can Wood finish him?
Johnson keeping hold of Wood's head, controlling as best he can.
Johnson seems to have recovered his senses.
Wood lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Wood missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Wood stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Wood will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Wood dips to his left and cracks Johnson with an uppercut!
Johnson throws a head kick that misses

and Wood counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Johnson kicks Wood off and gets back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson takes one on the button.

Wood closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Johnson slows down the pace here.
Wood goes for a takedown in the clinch but Johnson prevents it.
Wood tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ragnar Wood. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Wood wants the takedown. Johnson is fighting it off but Wood persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Johnson's guard against the cage.

Johnson escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Wood gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Wood throws an elbow that misses. Johnson uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Wood's guard. Nice move by Johnson!

Duke Johnson has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Wood keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Wood pulls Johnson in to control the position.
Wood keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Wood on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Wood tries to get out of the position.
Wood is striking off his back. Johnson thinks nothing of it though and passes easily into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ragnar Wood dominated that second round.
That's time! Wood's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Wood with a hook.
A combination from Johnson does no damage.
Johnson's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Wood connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Johnson scrambles back to his feet.
Wood connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Jab by Wood.
Johnson dives in for a single leg takedown but Wood sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Wood keeps the fight on the outside.
Wood throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Wood feints and then winds up with a huge right hand that connects perfectly and sends Johnson sprawling to the canvas! Johnson rolls over backwards and springs off the cage and manages to regain his footing - how acrobatic! Oh, he's still wobbly - can Wood finish him?!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Wood drops Johnson with a straight right hand, right on the button! Wood follows him down to the mat and pounds him out with hammerfists until the referee jumps in to end the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:49 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ragnar Wood!