PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Matt Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nathan Hall (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hall is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Rock Star. Nathan Hall has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Johnson
vs
Hall

176 cm
19
168 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

180 cm
22
170 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
KO power

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Solid chin

MMA's Best Nutrition

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 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Matt Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Nathan Hall!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Alec Ball and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hall.

Johnson darts in and clinches Hall up against the cage.
Johnson is trying to break the clinch but Hall has him pressed against the cage.
Hall can't break the clinch.
Hall has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Johnson is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Johnson breaks the clinch.

Johnson forces Hall back against the cage and clinches.
Hall can't break the clinch.
Hall keeps control of Johnson as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Johnson manages to break the clinch.
Johnson drops Hall with a right and a left! Johnson comes rushing in but Hall regains his composure and manages to keep Johnson in guard.

It looks like Nathan Hall has been cut.
Hall trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Hall working a defensive guard here.
Johnson trying to control but Hall is working from the bottom.

Johnson gets to his feet - Hall follows without any prompting.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

Johnson clinches up against the cage.
Hall drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Johnson lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Hall.

Johnson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
The fight stays on the outside here - Johnson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Johnson tries to clinch but Hall moves out of range.
Johnson tries to clinch there but Hall circles away.
Johnson lands a nice leg kick that just misses Hall's sensitive parts.
Johnson tries a head kick but it misses.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hall swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Johnson scores with a nice body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson lands with a thumping leg kick.

Hall shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Hall was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Hall looks gassed!
Hall avoids the attempt from Johnson to control.
Johnson tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Johnson wants to hold on but Hall pushes him away.
Johnson really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Hall trying to control but Johnson is having none of it.
Johnson is looking to get to half guard.
Johnson avoids a series of strikes thrown by Hall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hall thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Johnson regains half guard.
Johnson looks like he's trying to stand up.
Hall seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Johnson is not content to let Hall control the position.
Hall lands strikes from half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Johnson pushes Hall off and gets back to his feet.
Johnson throws a series of punches but Hall moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hall shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Matt Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nathan Hall.
Johnson is looking to clinch but Hall is avoiding it.
A nice leg kick lands there from Johnson.
Johnson swinging wilding here.

Hall gets a takedown into half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Hall scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Hall tries to pass the half guard into mount. Johnson knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Hall thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Johnson's head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Johnson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Hall looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Johnson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Johnson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Nathan Hall's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Some wild striking there from Hall.
Hall fails with the takedown.
Johnson misses with a series of wild punches.

Johnson fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Hall, pushing him back against the cage.
Johnson is trying to break the clinch but Hall has him pressed against the cage.

Johnson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Nathan Hall seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Johnson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Johnson tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hall scores with a takedown into Johnson's guard.
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 from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hall working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Johnson's head.
Johnson keeping moving, preventing Hall from controlling successfully.
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.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Johnson is working hard here to advance position.
Hall trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.
Hall looking to pass the guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Hall misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Johnson.
Nice body punch from Johnson.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Johnson shoots in but no luck this time.
Hall swats away the attempt to clinch by Johnson.
Hall paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Hall misses with a takedown
and Johnson counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Johnson is looking to clinch.
Johnson misses with a looping right.
Hall misses with a wild combination.
Hall circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hall keeps the fight on the outside.

Hall shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Hall was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Hall misses with a head shot.
Johnson avoids a strike by Hall and manages to complete a very nice reversal in the process, to end up in Hall's guard! Fantastic escape!
Hall 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hall wants to control the position but Johnson says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Hall is looking for a sweep. Johnson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Hall misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Johnson prevents Hall from improving his position.
Hall makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Hall.
Hall wants to sweep here but Johnson controlling him for the moment.
Hall throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Hall throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Hall looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Johnson puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Johnson trying to control from half guard but Hall is working away.
Hall is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Johnson's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Johnson's back!
Can Johnson hold on?! Hall is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.
Johnson trying to get back to his feet but Hall is in full control for now.
Hall lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Johnson hold on?!
Hall scores with punches to the body.
Hall scores with punches from the back.
Hall gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Hall wants to control but Johnson manages to buck him off and is now in Hall's guard! Nice work there by Johnson!
Johnson slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Johnson tries to stand but Hall is controlling from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nathan Hall showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Nathan Hall's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

A jab from Hall misses.

Hall looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Johnson is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Johnson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hall.
Hall throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Johnson works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Johnson not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hall stops Johnson from standing up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hall looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Hall misses with a wild combination.
Johnson wants to clinch up but Hall keeps it at a distance.
Johnson tries to clinch up but Hall circles away and keeps his distance.
Johnson misses with a double jab

and Hall counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Hall throwing shots but Johnson is blocking nicely.

Johnson has one foot on Hall's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Good leg kick by Johnson there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Johnson lands a front kick.
Matt Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hall throws a combination that misses
and Johnson counters with a left and a right that stings Hall.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Johnson throws a right and a left that Hall avoids nicely.
Hall throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Johnson counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Johnson lands a right hook to the body.
Johnson misses with a straight left.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice uppercut lands for Hall. That snapped Johnson's head back.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch but Hall swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses.

Hall drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Johnson preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Johnson working a defensive guard here.
Hallis looking to pass into half guard but Johnson pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Johnson is in guard.
Hall is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Johnson looking to pass the guard.
Hall is controlling Johnson's posture.
Hall striking off his back but it's not causing Johnson any problems.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hall circles away from the clinch attempt.
Johnson wants to clinch up but Hall keeps it at a distance.
Johnson looks to clinch

and Hall decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Johnson's guard.
Johnson is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Hall is controlling him.
Hall sitting in guard here, content to control.
Hall stopping the sweep attempt from Johnson.
Hall wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.

Johnson working for a triangle but Hall defends it easily.
Hall looking to sit in guard and control but Johnson gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hall looking to hit a scissor sweep but Johnson is one step ahead there.
Johnson wants to control from the top but Hall keeps moving.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Hall throws a left and a right that both miss
and Johnson counters with an outside leg kick.
Johnson moves in looking to clinch but Hall pushes him off.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hall misses with a leg kick
and Johnson counters with a nice uppercut.
Hall avoids a punch combination nicely.
Hall falls off balance throwing a combination
and Johnson counters with a big head kick but Hall shrugs it off.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nathan Hall comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hall has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Trevor Gratis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nathan Hall!