PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Hannibal King (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jerome Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

King
vs
Johnson

180 cm
31
182 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

180 cm
18
180 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Hannibal King!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jerome Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Dean Styles and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
King misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Johnson throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

King shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than King was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Johnson really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Johnson has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.
King doesn't have the hooks in and Johnson manages to turn into his guard.
Johnson is looking to advance position but King has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Johnson really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

King is working for a guillotine from mount but Johnson frees his head quite easily.

King has hold of Johnson's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Johnson manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson is desperately trying to improve his position but King has a good base and remains in mount.

King working for a guillotine from mount but Johnson is in no mood to give up.
Johnson wants to hold on but King pushes him away.

King working for a submission but Johnson is keeping him at bay.

King jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Johnson manages to avoid the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is looking to reverse the position.

King tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no King has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

King is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Johnson knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Johnson wants to control but King postures up.
This has been an exciting period of action!

King looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

King tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no King has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

King looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Johnson is trying to control King's posture but King avoids it.

King tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no King has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Johnson regains half guard.

Johnson is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but King pulls his head out easily.

King is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson moves into full guard.

King drops back, looking for a kneebar! Johnson looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Johnson looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Johnson!

Johnson goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, King has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Johnson but great work by King.

King thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

King tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

King working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hannibal King dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

A looping hook to the body misses from Johnson. King does a little dance to reset his feet.
King lands with an uppercut that bounces Johnson off the cage and back into range.
Hannibal King is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Johnson looks to land a right hand but King moved out of range.
King connects with a body shot that sends Johnson's belly button to the back.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Johnson scores with the left hand. King knows he should have avoided that one.
A big left from Johnson misses.
Johnson lands with a right hand.
Johnson will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Johnson connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
King looks for the body kick but Johnson saw that one coming.
King showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Johnson.
Johnson avoids the head kick by King.
Johnson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Johnson fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson tries to bum rush King with a series of wild strikes but King uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Johnson misses with an uppercut. King saw that one coming.

Johnson gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in 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.

King is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

King postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Johnson is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of King, into his guard.
Johnson trying to control but King is working from the bottom.
Hannibal King overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
King working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Johnson.
Johnson working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Johnson passes King's left leg - he's now in half guard.

King looking for submissions off his back.
King is trying to stand back up but Johnson is controlling him
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

King looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson is working for a submission of some sort.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

King looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Johnson is looking to take a break and control but King is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

King looking for submissions off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Johnson seems to be trying to get a kimura but instead King has recovered full guard.
King keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Johnson throws a big right hand that misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson looking to pass the guard.
Johnson looking to sit in guard and control but King gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jerome Johnson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Johnson throws a nice looking combination but King bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Johnson lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

It looks like Hannibal King has been cut.
King's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and King duly obliges.
Johnson tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but King swivels and escapes.
Johnson rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and King counters with a stiff right hand.
Johnson has his takedown stuffed

and King counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

King is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
King stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Johnson swivels though and keeps the full guard.

King drops back looking for a leg! Johnson is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Johnson manages to kick King off! King jumps back into Johnson's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

King drops back looking for a leg! Johnson is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Johnson manages to kick King off! King jumps back into Johnson's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

King drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and King jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
King slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

King has hold of Johnson's arm. He's looking for a kimura. Johnson seems comfortable defending it but King has shifted his position slighty and is cranking on the arm! Johnson is real pain and he's forced to tap out! Johnson is disgusted with himself for not defending it better but King couldn't care less - he's delighted!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Hannibal King!