PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Brendon Emerson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hellboy Johnson (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.

Emerson
vs
Johnson

208 cm
22
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

191 cm
23
203 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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, Brendon Emerson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Hellboy Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Viktor Lagutenko and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Emerson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Emerson breaks from the clinch.
Emerson tries for a takedown but Johnson sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Johnson looks to clinch
and Emerson counters with an outside leg kick.
Johnson doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Emerson will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Emerson really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Johnson fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Emerson, pushing him back against the cage.
Emerson tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brendon Emerson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Johnson is pressed up against the cage. Emerson has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Johnson down to the mat. Johnson avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Johnson looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Emerson lands a high kick!
Sloppy strikes from Emerson. Those never looked like landing.
That kick from Emerson tenderised Johnson's leg. Johnson is trying to keep his angry face on.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Johnson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Johnson fails with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Emerson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Johnson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Johnson tries to clinch up
and Emerson counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Johnson misses the shot to the body.
No luck for Emerson with that takedown attempt.
Emerson tries a head kick but it misses.
Johnson has a takedown stuffed.
Emerson shoots in but Johnson avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Emerson.
Emerson is breathing heavily.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Johnson.
Johnson tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Emerson manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Johnson gets a takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Emerson is staying active underneath Johnson, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is thwarting Emerson's attempts to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Emerson keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Emerson's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Johnson drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Johnson is looking to take a break and control but Emerson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Johnson stands up and beckons Emerson to his feet.
Emerson defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Johnson.
Emerson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Johnson manages to avoid it.
Emerson tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Johnson swivels and escapes.
Emerson keeps the fight on the outside.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Emerson clinches up with Johnson and pushes him back against the cage.

Johnson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Johnson dives in for a single leg takedown but Emerson sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Hellboy Johnson will probably get the nod.
That's time! Emerson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Johnson shoots in for a takedown but Emerson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Emerson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Johnson sprawls well. Johnson wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Emerson gets slowly back to his feet.
Emerson is looking to clinch but Johnson is avoiding it.
Johnson tries to clinch there but Emerson circles away.

Johnson shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Johnson was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

Johnson stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Emerson rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Johnson moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Johnson shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Emerson has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Johnson can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Johnson throws a big right hand that misses.

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

Johnson stands and steps away. Emerson gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown but Emerson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Brendon Emerson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Emerson moves in looking to clinch but Johnson pushes him off.

Johnson dives in and scores a takedown into Emerson's guard.
Emerson is trying to control the position but Johnson postures up.
Johnson trying to control but Emerson is working from the bottom.

Emerson looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Johnson passes into half guard.
Johnson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Emerson keeps working.

Johnson decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is looking to clinch.
Johnson shoots in and drives through. Emerson sprawls well.
Brendon Emerson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hellboy Johnson.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses

and Emerson counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Emerson slows down the pace here.

Emerson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Johnson shoots in looking for a takedown but Emerson manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Johnson's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Johnson closes this distance looking for a takedown but Emerson circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Emerson forces Johnson back against the cage and clinches.

Emerson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Emerson closes this distance looking for a takedown but Johnson circles away.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses.
Emerson tries to clinch up.
Emerson dives in and grabs Johnson's left leg, looking for a takedown. Johnson pushes down on Emerson's head and hops out.
Emerson slaps away a takedown attempt from Johnson, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Brendon Emerson is winning the standup battle so far.
Johnson throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Emerson's waist but Emerson gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Johnson off to one side.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Emerson thuds a left hand into Johnson's body.
Johnson tries a head kick but it misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hellboy Johnson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Emerson closes this distance looking for a takedown but Johnson circles away.

Emerson clinches up against the cage.
Johnson tries to pull guard but Emerson holds him up against the cage and eventually Johnson drops back down to his feet.
Johnson is trying to stall.
Johnson can't find room to land a body shot as Emerson controls the action.
Johnson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Emerson smiles and moves away.
Emerson closes the distance and clinches up with Johnson, looking for a takedown. Emerson pushes Johnson against the cage but Johnson circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Emerson will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brendon Emerson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Emerson tries to clinch there but Johnson circles away.
Emerson wants to clinch up but Johnson keeps it at a distance.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch but Emerson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Johnson closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Emerson did well to prevent Johnson getting side control.
Emerson trying to control here.
Emerson tries to roll over but Johnson keeps him under control.
Johnson not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Emerson defending well though.
Johnson wants to get back to his feet.
Emerson keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Emerson wants to control but Johnson is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Emerson is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Brendon Emerson.
Johnson throws a right and a left that Emerson avoids nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson fails with a takedown attempt.
Johnson throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Johnson avoids the head kick by Emerson.

Emerson pushes Johnson up against the cage in a clinch.
Johnson has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Emerson is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Emerson breaks the clinch.
Emerson buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Johnson is trying hard to land a takedown here. Emerson sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Emerson shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnson tries to sprawl out of it but Emerson 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Emerson lands a nice leg kick that just misses Johnson's sensitive parts.
A head kick misses from Emerson.
A slapping leg kick lands for Johnson.
Johnson changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Emerson tries to avoid it but Johnson manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Emerson to the ground. Emerson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Emerson as he jumps to the side.
Emerson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Johnson sprawls well. Johnson wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Emerson gets slowly back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Emerson leaves Johnson with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Brendon Emerson.
I think Johnson 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 27:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30

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