PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gazik Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Adil Ek (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ek has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Johnson
vs
Ek

185 cm
19
202 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
23
205 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Intelligent

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Gazik Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Adil Ek!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Ivan Kurochkin and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Johnson.
Ek wants to clinch up but Johnson keeps it at a distance.
Ek shoots in and drives through. Johnson sprawls well.
Johnson tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Ek shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnson tries to sprawl out of it but Ek keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Johnson manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ek looks gassed!
Johnson is looking to clinch.
Johnson tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Ek manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Johnson tries to clinch up.
Johnson tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Ek swivels and escapes.
Johnson shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ek pinned against the cage. Ek gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gazik Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Johnson closes the distance and clinches up with Ek, looking for a takedown. Johnson pushes Ek against the cage but Ek circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Ek is defended easily by Johnson.
Johnson fails with a takedown attempt.
Ek rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Johnson moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Johnson clinches with his opponent.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Johnson.
Ek tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Johnson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Ek just stands there and leans against the cage.

Johnson breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown but Ek shows good takedown defense.
Johnson doesn't manage to clinch there - Ek circles away.
Johnson misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Ek keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ek avoids the head kick by Johnson.
Johnson shoots for a double leg takedown but Ek sprawls well. He's pushed Johnson's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Johnson avoids a punch combination nicely.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson moves forwards but Ek connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Ek sprawls well. Ek wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Johnson gets slowly back to his feet.
Johnson defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Ek.
Ek stuffs the takedown.
Ek tries to score a power double leg takedown but Johnson sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Ek somewhat.
Johnson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Johnson has a takedown stuffed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ek forces Johnson back against the cage and clinches.
Ek lands with a right to the head.
Johnson is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Ek to keep the fight standing.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Ek.
Ek is looking for a takedown.

Johnson breaks the clinch.
Ek shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Johnson defends it nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ek displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Johnson.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Gazik Johnson will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Johnson gets tackled into the cage by Ek. Ek maintains the clinch.

Johnson manages to break the clinch.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Ek as he jumps to the side.
A head kick misses from Johnson.
Ek stuffs the takedown attempt from Johnson. Johnson gets slowly back to his feet.
Johnson shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ek pinned against the cage. Ek gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gazik Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ek shoots in for a takedown but Johnson shows good takedown defense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson misses with a head kick.
Johnson shoots in but no luck this time.
Ek pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Ek moves into the clinch successfully.
Johnson trying to stall but Ek improves his position.

Ek ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Ek no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Johnson has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Johnson looking to sit in guard and control but Ek gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Ek trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ek won't allow Johnson to sweep him here.

Johnson is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Ek is aware though and is defending well.
Johnson trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Johnson wants to sweep here but Ek controlling him for the moment.
Ek slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Johnson working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ek decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Ek tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ek shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Ek avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Johnson darts in and clinches Ek up against the cage.
Johnson trying to control the position but instead, Ek has worked for underhooks and has pushed Johnson into the cage.
Johnson tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ek is looking to take this one to the mat.
Ek is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Johnson breaks from the clinch.
Johnson fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Ek avoids it really well and circles away.
Johnson dives in and grabs Ek's left leg, looking for a takedown. Ek pushes down on Johnson's head and hops out.
Ek goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ek shoots in for a double leg but Johnson sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Both fighters circling a little - Johnson finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Gazik Johnson will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Johnson goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Gazik Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Johnson closes the distance and clinches.
Ek is looking for a takedown.

Johnson breaks the clinch.
Ek misses with a takedown attempt - Johnson sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Johnson looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Ek is fending him off so far but Johnson persists. Nope, Ek circles away and we're back to standing.
Ek moves out of range of the body kick.
Ek throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.

Johnson has taken the fight to the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Stalling in the clinch from Johnson.
Johnson with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson breaks the clinch.
Johnson fails to land the takedown.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Ek has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Johnson avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Gazik Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Adil Ek.
Johnson fails to pull guard.
Johnson landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Ek wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Johnson has him pressed against the cage.

Johnson breaks the clinch.
Ek moves to clinch but Johnson breaks away
and Johnson counters with a good low kick that Ek was not able to check.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson fails with a takedown attempt.
Johnson shoots in but no luck this time.
Ek leaves Johnson with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Ek fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Ek throws a sloppy head kick
and Johnson counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Johnson throws an off balance right hand
and Ek cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice shot lands for Ek.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Johnson, right into the meat.
Ek moves away from the strike by Johnson.
Johnson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
A head kick misses from Johnson.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Ek sprawls well. Ek wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Johnson gets slowly back to his feet.
Ek displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Johnson.
Johnson fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Ek avoids it really well and circles away.
Ek looks for the body kick but Johnson saw that one coming.
Ek wants to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nice takedown defense from Johnson. No joy for Ek on that attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gazik Johnson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Johnson, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:28
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Gazik Johnson!