PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Anthony Johnson (ranked 1696 p4p, 223 weight class) and Johnny Lydon (ranked 2494 p4p, 313 weight class). Anthony Johnson had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Johnson
vs
Lydon

189 cm
28
216 lbs
16 - 15 - 1

183 cm
27
203 lbs
10 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
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 16 - 15 - 1, fighting out of New York, Anthony Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Johnny Lydon!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Aafke Stam and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson avoids the body shot from Lydon.
Lydon misses with a double jab.
Good shot there by Johnson.
Lydon misses with a body kick.
Lydon throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Johnson avoids a punch combination nicely.
Lydon moves into range and connects with a jab.
Lydon pushes Johnson away with a front kick.
Lydon throws a leg kick
and Johnson counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Johnson misses the jab.
Johnson takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Lydon lands a nice hook to Johnson's body. Johnson takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Lydon displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Lydon tries to clinch but fails miserably
enabling Johnson to counter with a crisp jab.
Johnson fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lydon catches Johnson with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Lydon's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Johnson connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Lydon scrambles back to his feet.
Johnson throws a jab but it's blocked by Lydon.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lydon chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Johnson swings for the body but Lydon moves out of range.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Lydon has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Johnson showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Lydon.

Lydon lands a left and a right that send Johnson crashing to the mat, dazed. Lydon thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
Lydon tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Lydon pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Lydon misses with a head kick.
Johnson moves out of range of the body kick from Lydon.
Lydon misses with a series of wild punches.
Johnson swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Lydon instigates a clinch.
Still in the clinch, Johnson scores with a nice short uppercut.
Lydon tries to break free but Johnson pushes him back against the cage.
Lydon misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Johnson.
A short left from Johnson.
I was talking to Johnson's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

Lydon escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Lydon looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Lydon is trying to counter with his kicks.
Lydon swings widly with a right hand
and Johnson counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Lydon lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Johnson circles away quickly and effectively.
Lydon feints a jab promting Johnson to slip. Lydon then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Johnson slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Lydon slips a straight right by Johnson.

Johnson clinches up with Lydon and pushes him back against the cage.
Lydon misses with a hook to the ribs.
Johnson misses with a punch to the body.
Lydon wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Johnson misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Lydon blocks a body shot from Johnson.
Lydon tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Johnson avoids it.
Johnson gets through Lydon's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Lydon misses with a punch to the body.
Johnson lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Lydon backwards.
Lydon tries a body shot but Johnson blocks it.
Johnson goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Johnson swings wildly with an uppercut but Lydon uses good head movement to avoid it.
A nice right hand lands inside from Johnson.
Johnson struggles to land a body shot inside as Lydon controls his hands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Lydons head.
Lydon struggles to land a body shot inside as Johnson controls his hands.
Johnson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Lydon misses with a punch to the body.

Lydon manages to break the clinch.
Johnson connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Lydon takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Johnson lands a nice hook to Lydon's body. Lydon takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Lydon throws a sloppy head kick and Johnson moves out of range easily.
Lydon throws a right and a left that both miss.
Lydon throws a leg kick
and Johnson counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Lydon cracks the inside of Johnson's front leg.
Lydon tries to close the distance and clinch up but Johnson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Johnson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Lydon moves away.
Johnson lands a really nice looking cross but Lydon seems unphased.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lydon tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
The fighters circling - Johnson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Johnson misses with a wild body shot.
Lydon tries to clinch up.
Johnson is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Lydon misses with a double jab.
Johnson is looking to counter punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lydon wants to slow Johnson down by chopping away at his legs.
Lydon lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Lydon throws a lazy head kick
and Johnson counters with a straight right hand.
Lydon dodges the punch combination from Johnson.
Johnson checks a leg kick nicely.
Johnson on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Lydon swinging wildly here.
A quick step to the side and Johnson tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Lydon misses with a lunging right hand
and Johnson counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Lydon keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Lydon throws a head kick that misses.

Johnson has closed the distance and engaged Lydon in a clinch.
Johnson tries to work over Lydon's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Johnson can't find room to land a body shot as Lydon controls the action.
Lydon scores with a nice hook to the head.
A frustrated look appears on Lydon's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Lydon blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Johnson scores with a nice hook to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Johnny Lydon will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Lydon moves in looking to clinch but Johnson pushes him off.
Johnson scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Lydon pushes Johnson away with a front kick.
Lydon throws a front kick that sends Johnson stumbling back into the cage.
Johnson dodges the punch combination from Lydon.
Lydon throws a sloppy body shot
and Johnson counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Lydon looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Lydon fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lydon misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Johnson drops Lydon with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Lydon looks back up at him and smiles so Johnson waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed.

Lydon is rocked!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Lydon gets clipped by a big right hand and goes down spinning to the canvas! Johnson gets the back mount and begins to drop bombs on his rocked foe! Lydon is too out of it to defend against the strikes and the referee jumps in to save him from the beatdown!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:42 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Anthony Johnson!
An out of breath Anthony Johnson thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.