PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kieth Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ricardo Pavin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Johnson
vs
Pavin

217 cm
24
159 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
25
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kieth Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Pavin!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Daniel Cesar and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson tries to clinch but Pavin is having none of it.

Johnson is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Pavin's half guard.

Pavin looking for submissions off his back.
Johnson is looking to advance position but Pavin won't allow it.
Johnson with the ground and pound but Pavin uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Pavin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Johnson is one step ahead there.
Johnson working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Pavin wants to stand but Johnson is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pavin not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Pavin has a closed guard, preventing Johnson from standing up.
Pavin is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Johnson is controlling him.
Johnson has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Johnson postures up and lands a big shot to Pavin's brow.
Johnson would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pavin being controlled here, momentarily.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Pavin scores with a spinning back kick!

Johnson gets a clinch.
Johnson prevents Pavin from breaking the clinch.

Pavin manages to break the clinch.
Pavin shoots and misses

so Johnson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Johnson trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Pavin wants to stand up but Johnson is controlling him.
Johnson really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson passes into half guard.
Johnson will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Johnson is controlling the pace.
Johnson tries to stand and escape but Pavin is controlling the position.
Pavin wants to get back to his feet.

Johnson is looking for a kimura here.

Johnson is trying to work for a kimura but Pavin is defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson wants to get back to his feet.
Johnson prevents Pavin from standing back up.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Pavin.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Johnson lands a nice short elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kieth Johnson dominated that round.
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.

Pavin shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Johnson decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Pavin's guard.
Pavin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Johnson would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Johnson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pavin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Pavin trying to keep a closed guard but Johnson is proving a slippery customer.
Pavin can't keep his opponent in guard - Johnson advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Pavin is looking for a sweep. Johnson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson content to control rather than advance.
Johnson is looking to advance position but Pavin won't allow it.
Johnson wants to stand up but Pavin has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Johnson works his foot free and advances to mount.
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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pavin is looking to get to half guard.
Johnson postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Pavin looks a forlorn figure.
Johnson blocks Pavin's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Johnson trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pavin is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Johnson wants to control but instead Pavin manages to regain half guard.
Johnson working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Kieth Johnson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Pavin actively working from the bottom here.

Johnson is looking for a kimura here.
Johnson is controlling the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson trying to mount his opponent but Pavin defends it.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson passes to side control.
Pavin is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kieth Johnson dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Johnson swats away the attempt to clinch by Pavin.
Pavin tries to clinch up but Johnson circles away and keeps his distance.
Johnson will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Johnson throws a right hand that Pavin ducks under and follows up with a left that Pavin also avoids with ease.
Pavin misses with a takedown attempt

and Johnson counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Johnson.
Johnson tries to pull guard but Pavin holds him up against the cage and eventually Johnson drops back down to his feet.
Pavin looking to stall.
Pavin wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kieth Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pavin is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Johnson gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Johnson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Pavin just stands there and leans against the cage.
Pavin has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Johnson after a bit of a struggle.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Pavin.
Johnson wants to get back to striking at distance but Pavin won't allow it.
Pavin fails to pull guard.
Pavin tries to break the clinch but Johnson is controlling the position.
Pavin is pressed up against the cage. Johnson has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Pavin down to the mat. Pavin avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Pavin slaps away a takedown attempt from Johnson, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Pavin shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Johnson pinned against the cage. Johnson gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson dodges the punch combination from Pavin.
Pavin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Pavin shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Johnson as he jumps to the side.
Pavin moves to clinch but Johnson breaks away

and Johnson counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Pavin!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Pavin is trying to escape the position but Johnson is controlling the position.
Johnson has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Pavin's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Pavin gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Pavin wants to get back to full guard.
Johnson wants to pass the guard but Pavin is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pavin has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Johnson is working away from the top position though.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Johnson has Pavin up against the cage in a clinch.
Pavin tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Pavin has Johnson pressed against the cage, preventing Johnson from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Johnson successfully pulls guard.
Johnson trying to control the position.
Johnson on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Johnson tries to get out of the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pavin passes into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kieth 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27

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