PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Alex Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Peter Pepper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Peter Pepper has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Johnson
vs
Pepper

175 cm
20
145 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

185 cm
25
145 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Alex Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Peter Pepper!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Daniel Franklin and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson stuffs the takedown.
Johnson looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Pepper scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Pepper closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Pepper prevents a takedown attempt there.

Pepper jumps into guard, dragging Johnson to the mat.
Johnson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pepper is keeping the position for now.
Johnson preventing the sweep.
Johnson throwing strikes but missing.
Johnson tries to free his leg and advance position but Pepper is retaining full guard.

Pepper throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Pepper has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pepper keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Pepper is controlling Johnson's posture.
Pepper looking to hit a scissor sweep but Johnson is one step ahead there.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pepper throws a series of strikes that have Johnson backpedaling.
Pepper scores with a shot to the body.

Johnson clinches up against the cage.
Johnson keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Pepper's efforts to push away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pepper stalling.
Pepper scores with a shoulder strike.
Pepper stalling in the clinch.

Pepper manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Pepper looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Johnson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pepper is keeping the position for now.
Pepper controlling Johnson's posture.
Pepper manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Johnson manages to get himself to full guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Pepper postures up in Johnson's guard and throws a big left but Johnson blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson working for a triangle but Pepper defends it easily.
Pepper trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pepper thows a big elbow that misses.
Pepper must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Johnson is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Pepper passes into half guard.

Pepper stands up from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pepper shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Johnson eats them both and turns towards Pepper to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Pepper shoots in and drives through. Johnson sprawls well.
A head kick misses from Pepper.
Pepper digs a good hook to Johnson's body.
Pepper changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Johnson tries to avoid it but Pepper manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Johnson to the ground. Johnson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Alex Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Peter Pepper.
Pepper lands a nice hook to Johnson's body. Johnson takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Johnson blocks a head kick by Pepper.
Johnson displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Pepper.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Johnson shoots for a double leg takedown but Pepper sprawls well. He's pushed Johnson's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Peter Pepper seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pepper defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Johnson.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Pepper dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Pepper with a nice cross.

Pepper darts in and clinches Johnson up against the cage.
Johnson misses with a knee strike.

Pepper's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A punch combination from Pepper misses.

Pepper gets a clinch.

Pepper gets control of Johnson's arms and successfully pulls guard. Pepper will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Johnson looking to pass the guard.
Johnson stopping the sweep attempt from Pepper.
Pepper pulls Johnson in close to prevent any damage.
Johnson throws a strike but Pepper rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pepper postures up in Johnson's guard and throws a big left but Johnson blocks it.
Pepper wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Johnson not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Pepper trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Pepper with a flurry of punches that miss.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Johnson is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Pepper moves into full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pepper controlling Johnson's posture.

Pepper looking for a guillotine here but Johnson defends easily.
Johnson is looking to work some ground and pound but Pepper has wrist control.
Pepper keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Peter Pepper has got the better of the ground game so far.

Johnson avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Pepper manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Johnson has Pepper in his guard.
Pepper thows a big elbow that misses.
Pepper controlling from the top position.
Pepper stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Johnson swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pepper throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Johnson avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Johnson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Pepper stands up from Johnson's guard - Pepper perhaps looking for a knockout.
Pepper shoots in for a double leg but Johnson sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Pepper shoots in for a takedown but Johnson shows good takedown defense.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pepper is looking to land body kicks.
Pepper's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Pepper duly obliges.
Johnson shoots for a double leg takedown but Pepper sprawls well. He's pushed Johnson's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Pepper showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Johnson showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Pepper.
Pepper misses with a body kick.

Pepper rushes Johnson and presses him up against the cage.
Johnson tries for a takedown but Pepper manages to get underhooks.
Pepper is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Johnson blocks an elbow strike from Pepper.
Pepper lands a hook to the side of the head.
Pepper leaning against his opponent.
Pepper is trying to break the clinch but Johnson is controlling him.
Johnson's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Pepper is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Pepper tries to land a knee to the head but Johnson blocks with his arms.
Pepper will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Johnson up against the cage.
Pepper lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Pepper just misses with a elbow thrown towards Johnson's brow.

Pepper drags the fight down to the ground.
Pepper looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Pepper has control of Johnson's left arm, preventing Johnson from doing any damage.
Pepper keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Pepper working a defensive guard here.
Johnson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pepper is keeping the position for now.
Pepper is adopting a defensive guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Peter Pepper hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Johnson tries a head kick but it misses.
Pepper shoots in and drives through. Johnson sprawls well.
Pepper tries to bum rush Johnson with a series of wild strikes but Johnson uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Pepper tries a head kick but it misses.

Pepper closes the distance and clinches.

Pepper has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Johnson uses from the top position.
Pepper keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson looking to pass the guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Johnson accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Pepper uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Johnson takes a jab right on the kisser.
Pepper looks for a takedown but Johnson sprawls well.
No luck for Johnson with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Johnson takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Pepper closes the distance and pushes Johnson back into the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pepper is pressed up against the cage. Johnson has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Pepper down to the mat. Pepper avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Pepper pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Johnson back to the cage. Pepper follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

Pepper clinches up with Johnson and pushes him back against the cage.
Pepper lands a left hand.
Johnson goes for a takedown in the clinch but Pepper prevents it.
Pepper using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Johnson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Pepper is trying to push Johnson away but Johnson has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Johnson is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Pepper to keep the fight standing.
Pepper prevents the takedown attempt.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Pepper.
A bit of stalling here from Pepper.
Alex Johnson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Peter Pepper is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Johnson lands a knee to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Peter Pepper comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Pepper 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Peter Pepper!