PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between kiboL Legia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Legia
vs
Johnson

180 cm
24
180 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

185 cm
25
176 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good knees
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Dampf-Punk Chemicals

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, kiboL Legia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Daniel Cesar and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Johnson looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Legia!
Legia bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Legia content to stall in guard here.
Johnson trying to control the position.
Johnson keeping moving, preventing Legia from controlling successfully.
Legia with a flurry of punches that miss.
Johnson manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Legia manages to get himself to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson is stalling in the full guard.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Legia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Johnson controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by John Johnson.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Legia.
Legia closes the distance but Johnson moves to the side
and Legia takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Legia tries to clinch up
and Johnson counters with a thumping low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson throws a nice head kick!

Johnson moves into the clinch successfully.

Johnson manages to pull guard.

Legia got a little sloppy there for a moment and Johnson has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Legia has managed to get both his arms back between Johnson's legs - danger averted.
Johnson is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Johnson manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Johnson shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Johnson missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Legia wants to get back to his feet.
Legia is positioning himself well to prevent Johnson advancing to mount.
Johnson tries to pass the half guard into mount. Legia knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Johnson perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Legia tries to get to full guard but Johnson has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Johnson is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

OK we're going to have a standup here. John Johnson hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Johnson closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Legia is looking to reverse the position.
Johnson cracks Legia with a big right hand but Legia just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Legia tries to contro but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Legia is breathing heavily.
Legia tries to hold on but Johnson pushes him away.
Johnson takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Johnson is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Legia has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Legia!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Johnson dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Johnson wants to clinch.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses

and Legia counters with a takedown into side control.
Johnson manages to get back to half guard.
Legia blocks the strikes from Johnson.
Johnson moves into full guard.
Legia lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Johnson manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Legia manages to get himself to full guard.
Johnson would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Johnson is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson won't allow Legia to get back to his feet.
Legia is trying to control the position but Johnson postures up.
Johnson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Legia is keeping the position for now.

Legia has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Johnson off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Johnson takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Legia throws a sloppy head kick

so Johnson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Legia has a closed guard, preventing Johnson from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Legia trying to control the position.
Johnson wants to control from the top but Legia keeps moving.

Legia looking for a guillotine here but Johnson defends easily.
John Johnson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Johnson is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson controls from within his opponent's guard.
Johnson advances to half guard.
Johnson is taking a breather. Legia says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Johnson is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Legia tries to get to full guard but Johnson has control of the leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson passes to full mount!
Johnson putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Johnson has hold of Legia's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Legia manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Johnson controlling the position easily from mount.
Johnson looking to control but Legia is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Johnson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Legia closes the distance and clinches.

Johnson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Legia closes the distance and pushes Johnson back into the cage.
Johnson lands a knee to the head.

Legia is fighting off a takedown attempt but Johnson is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Legia to the mat. Legia regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Johnson postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Johnson tries to free his leg and advance position but Legia is retaining full guard.
Johnson wants to control from the top but Legia keeps moving.

Legia uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Legia throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Legia is trying to stand but he's just given Johnson his back.

Johnson looking for the RNC.
Johnson keeps control of the position as Legia tries to break free.
Will Johnson go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Johnson working for a choke but Legia is defending well.
Johnson doesn't have the hooks in and Legia manages to turn into his guard.

Johnson escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Legia gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Legia postures up and lands a big shot to Johnson's brow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Legia trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Johnson manages to escape and get back to his feet.
kiboL Legia is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Johnson clinches with his opponent.

Johnson pulls guard successfully.
Johnson managing to control the position.
Legia controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Legia has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Johnson is proving hard to escape from.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Johnson holds on and takes a little breather.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Legia closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Johnson quickly recovers to half guard.
Legia slows the pace down in half guard.

Legia is looking for a kimura here.
kiboL Legia has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Legia is thwarting Johnson's attempts to control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Johnson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Johnson has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Johnson!