PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Anthony Johnson (ranked 318 p4p, 47 weight class) and Bobby Wangler (ranked 513 p4p, 75 weight class). Wangler is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: The Pogues - Sally Maclennane. Anthony Johnson is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Johnson
vs
Wangler

189 cm
21
216 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

175 cm
21
205 lbs
9 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

THE END 32
RISE Nutrition

KOMBAT KLOTHING
Aspire Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Anthony Johnson!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bobby Wangler!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Gwen Towbar and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Wangler rushes Johnson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Wangler tries to land a knee to the head but Johnson blocks with his arms.
Wangler blocks a punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Johnson.
Wangler fails to pull guard.
Wangler tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Johnson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Wangler misses with a knee strike.
Nice body punch from Johnson.
Wangler is trying to pull guard but Johnson turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Anthony Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bobby Wangler.
Johnson tries to work over Wangler's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Johnson.

Wangler successfully pulls guard.
Wangler is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Wangler is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Johnson missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Wangler wants to sweep but no luck.

Johnson avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Johnson missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Johnson throwing strikes from guard but Wangler blocks nicely.
Wangler is pulling down on Johnson's head to control his posture.

Wangler is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Wangler working for a triangle but Johnson defends it easily.
Johnson tries to free his leg and advance position but Wangler is retaining full guard.
Wangler is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Wangler has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Wangler looking for a sweep. Not yet Wangler, not yet.
Johnson postures up in Wangler's guard and throws a big left but Wangler blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Johnson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Wangler swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Wangler 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.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Wangler trying to control the position.
Wangler tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Wangler is trying to keep Johnson in close.
Wangler avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Wangler looking to control.

Wangler looking for a guillotine here but Johnson defends easily.
Wangler is pulling down on Johnson's head. It's preventing any offense from Johnson, at least for the moment.
Johnson postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Wangler manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Johnson manages to get himself to full guard.

Johnson is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is trying to keep Wangler in close.
Wangler loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Wangler is looking to work some ground and pound but Johnson has wrist control.
Johnson can't keep his opponent in guard - Wangler advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Johnson moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Wangler trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Johnson wants to sweep here but Wangler controlling him for the moment.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Wangler working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Wangler advances to half guard.
Wangler thows a huge punch but Johnson dodges it nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson wants to control but Wangler is keeping busy.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Wangler lands a nice short elbow.
Wangler landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Wangler is keen to just control but Johnson is a slippery customer.
Johnson trying to control but Wangler postures up.
Johnson avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Wangler.
Wangler lands strikes from half guard.
Johnson knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Wangler on the ground.
Johnson is trying to control but can't.
Wangler looks to land a strike but Johnson avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Wangler is looking to work some ground and pound but Johnson has wrist control.
Wangler lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Wangler stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Johnson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Wangler trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Wangler 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.

Johnson goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Johnson looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Wangler takes a shot right to the bread basket.

Johnson moves into range and clinches up with Wangler.
Johnson tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Wangler throws a knee to the head but misses.
Wangler with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Johnson lands a left hand.
Nice body punch from Johnson - that landed with a thud.
Wangler throws a head punch that misses.
Johnson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Wangler avoids it.
Wangler throws a punch but it's blocked by Johnson.
Johnson scores with a nice hook to the head.
Knees in the clinch landing for Wangler.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Johnson throws a head punch that misses.
Johnson scores with a hook to the body.

Johnson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Johnson takes a swing at Wangler's ribcage but misses.
A nice side step and Wangler releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

Wangler shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Wangler is looking to take a break and control but Johnson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Wangler is looking for a kimura but Johnson is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Wangler to get the leverage.
Bobby Wangler has got the better of the ground game so far.
Johnson wants to improve his position but Wangler is controlling well.
Wangler thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Johnson is looking to improve his position.
Wangler throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Johnson to regain full guard.
Wangler trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Wangler throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Johnson works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Wangler trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Wangler has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wangler trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Wangler accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Wangler stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Johnson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Johnson will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Wangler postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Wangler throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Johnson pulls Wangler in close to prevent any damage.
Johnson continues to stall.
Wangler is in close to Johnson's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Wangler trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Johnson is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wangler trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Johnson is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Wangler dodges the punch combination from Johnson.
Wangler avoids a punch combination nicely.
Wangler is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Johnson with a body shot.
Wangler shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Johnson defends it nicely.
Johnson lands with a good body shot.
Wangler swings for the body but Johnson moves out of range.
Johnson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Wangler on the side of the head.
Anthony Johnson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Wangler jabs at Johnson's body.
Wangler throws a body shot but no joy.
Wangler lands a nice shot to the body.
Wangler avoids the body shot from Johnson.
Johnson dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Wangler doesn't manage to clinch there - Johnson circles away.
Wangler jabs at Johnson's body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A swing and a miss from Johnson.
Johnson throws a jab when Wangler was well out of range.
Wangler doesn't manage to clinch there - Johnson circles away.
Wangler walks into a straight right hand from Johnson.
Johnson uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Wangler.
Johnson throws a body shot but no joy.
Wangler appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anthony Johnson dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Wangler rushes Johnson and presses him up against the cage.
Wangler with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Wangler with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Wangler tries a knee to the head but Johnson blocks it.
Johnson can't find room to land a body shot as Wangler controls the action.
Johnson tries to work over Wangler's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Wangler looking to throw knees to the head but Johnson is blocking nicely.
Johnson tries to work over Wangler's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Johnson lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Johnson working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Johnson tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Wangler softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Wangler using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Johnson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Johnson lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Wangler lands a hook that snaps the head of Johnson backwards.
Johnson trying to land knees to the body.
Johnson blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson scores with a hook to the body.
Wangler takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Johnson misses with a punch on the inside.
Wangler tries to pull guard but Johnson holds him up against the cage and eventually Wangler drops back down to his feet.
Johnson misses with a hook to the ribs.
Johnson makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Wangler throws a knee to the head but misses.
Wangler jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Johnson walks away with a smile on his face. Wangler gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Anthony Johnson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Wangler shoots in but Johnson avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Anthony Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bobby Wangler.
Sloppy strikes from Johnson. Those never looked like landing.
Johnson thuds a left hand into Wangler's body.
Johnson lands with an overhand left.
Anthony Johnson is winning the standup battle so far.
Johnson is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

Wangler is rocked!
Johnson lands with a massive overhand right! Stick a fork in Wangler - he's out cold! Ermm... I think I just mixed my metaphors but yeah... That was a nice KO! Big win for Johnson!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Anthony Johnson!
Anthony Johnson retains his light heavyweight title!