PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Brian Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mel Gray (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnson comes to the cage accompanied by Revenge by Danger Mouse. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Johnson
vs
Gray

168 cm
24
157 lbs
12 - 4 - 0

170 cm
28
150 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

[JMFC] 160!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brian Johnson!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mel Gray!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Luis Engracia and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gray waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Johnson.
Gray misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Johnson misses the shot to the body.
Johnson moves away from the strike by Gray.
Johnson misses with a wild body shot.
Gray wants to land a leg kick but Johnson is out of range.
Gray fails to land with a series of punches.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Johnson.
Johnson throws a strike aimed at the side of Gray's head but Gray avoids it well.
Gray wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Gray is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Gray pushes Johnson away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Johnson gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Johnson sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Gray is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Gray tries to escape but Johnson is in control.
Johnson wants to control for a moment but Gray uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Gray blocking the ground and pound attempt from Johnson.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gray trying to control here.
Johnson thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Gray to regain full guard.
Gray working a defensive guard but Johnson manages to pass into side control anyway.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gray is working to avoid the ground and pound but Johnson connects with a decent elbow.
Johnson throws a strike aimed at the side of Gray's head but Gray avoids it well.
Gray parries the strikes from Johnson easily there. Johnson is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Gray to escape.
Gray is looking for a sweep.
Johnson trying to control the position but Gray is working away.
Gray on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Johnson working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Gray is trying to control Johnson's posture but Johnson avoids it.
Johnson tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Johnson has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Gray is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Johnson has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Gray struggling a bit here.
Gray is trying to buck Johnson off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gray defending against the ground and pound.
Johnson working away.

Johnson working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Sloppy strikes there by Johnson.
Johnson wants to control but Gray is keeping him busy.
Gray can't do much from the bottom here.
Gray is looking to reverse the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Johnson trying to control the position but Gray is working away.
Gray is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Johnson asserts his dominance and retains side control.
I wouldn't like to be where Gray is right now.
Johnson scores with punches from side control.
Gray taking a bit of punishment here - Johnson scoring with strikes.
Gray tries to buck Johnson off but Johnson is having none of it.

Johnson tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Gray wants to control but Johnson postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Johnson 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 jabs at Gray's body.
Gray misses with a body kick.
Nice body punch from Johnson.
Johnson throws a body punch but Gray moves out of range.
Johnson moves out of range of the strikes.
Gray looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Johnson walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Gray avoids the body shot from Johnson.
Johnson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Gray avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gray throws a hook to the side of Johnson's head but Johnson sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Johnson shoots in and bounces Gray off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Johnson wants to control from the top but Gray keeps moving.
Johnson cracks Gray with a solid left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson being controlled here momentarily.
Johnson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gray swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gray working a defensive guard here.
Gray is pulling down on Johnson's head. It's preventing any offense from Johnson, at least for the moment.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Mel Gray hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Gray throws a wild body kick that Johnson sees coming a mile off.
Johnson jabs at Gray's body.
Sloppy strikes from Gray. Those never looked like landing.
Johnson lands with a nice body punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson works the jab nicely.
Johnson moves out of range of the body kick.
Johnson takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

Johnson shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Johnson was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Johnson lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Johnson is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Johnson avoids the attempt from Gray to control.
Gray is squirming around, avoiding Johnson's attempts to control the action.
Brian Johnson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Johnson unloading with bombs!
Johnson postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Gray looks a forlorn figure.
Gray is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Gray is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Gray is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Johnson postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Gray looks a forlorn figure.

Johnson with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Gray is trying desperately to improve position.
Johnson looking to ground and pound but Gray is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gray is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Johnson cracks Gray with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Gray is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Gray wants to hold on but Johnson pushes him away.

Johnson working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Gray in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Gray looks a forlorn figure.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gray gets back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Johnson dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Gray walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Johnson checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Gray throws out a loose jab but Johnson uses good head movement to avoid it.
A combination from Gray does no damage.
Gray misses with a wild body shot.
Johnson keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
A combination from Gray does no damage.
Gray misses with a hook. Johnson ducked under it nicely.
Gray on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Mel Gray seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Johnson misses with a double jab.
Johnson slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Johnson moves out of range of the body kick.
Gray misses with a body punch

and Johnson counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Gray trying to control the position.
Gray looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Johnson puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Gray takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gray taking some punishment here, with Johnson in his half guard.

Johnson is trying for a kimura here. Gray looks like he's in a lot of pain... and he's tapping out! Johnson wins by kimura!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:26 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Brian Johnson!
Brian Johnson retains his featherweight title!