PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Edward Tonu (ranked 6749 p4p, 485 weight class) and Mike Johnson (ranked 6058 p4p, 469 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Tonu
vs
Johnson

182 cm
24
185 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

185 cm
27
200 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

Dangerous GnP
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Edward Tonu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mike Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, Sam Margolis and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tonu lands a jab-cross combination.
Johnson showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Tonu.

Tonu tries to keep at a distance but Johnson has taken the fight into the clinch.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Johnson has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Tonu is trying to break the clinch but Johnson is controlling him.
Johnson tries for a takedown. No joy.
Tonu can't break the clinch.
Tonu is trying to break the clinch but Johnson has him pressed against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tonu wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Tonu turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Tonu manages to end up in side control.
Tonu grinds an elbow into Johnson's temple.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson is working to avoid the ground and pound but Tonu connects with a decent elbow.
Tonu is working Johnson over with some ground and pound from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Tonu is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Johnson is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Tonu slows the pace down.
Tonu works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Tonu throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Tonu cracks Johnson with a big right hand but Johnson just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Tonu throws a strike aimed at the side of Johnson's head but Johnson avoids it well.
Johnson regains half guard.
Tonu has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson gets full guard.
Tonu trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Tonu working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Tonu throws a strike but Johnson rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Johnson lands a couple of digs.

Tonu looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Tonu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Johnson got a little sloppy there for a moment and Tonu has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Johnson has managed to get both his arms back between Tonu's legs - danger averted.
Johnson distracts Tonu with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Tonu looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tonu had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Johnson defends it easily.

Tonu working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Johnson has passed into half guard!
Tonu wants to get back to his feet.
Johnson lands strikes from half guard.
Johnson takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Tonu is looking to escape.
Tonu on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Tonu tries to get out of the position.
Johnson is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Tonu on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Johnson landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Johnson wants to control but Tonu is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Tonu tries to roll over but Johnson keeps him under control.
Tonu knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Johnson on the ground.
Johnson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
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.
Nice strikes from Johnson there.
Johnson looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Johnson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Tonu keeps working.
Johnson thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Johnson looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Tonu with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Tonu is trying to get back to full 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.
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 Edward Tonu will probably get the nod.
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.

Tonu displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Johnson.
Tonu throwing a counter right hand but Johnson manages to avoid it.
Tonu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Tonu defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Johnson.
Johnson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Johnson tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

Tonu gets tackled into the cage by Johnson. Johnson maintains the clinch.
Johnson prevents Tonu from breaking the clinch.
Tonu prevents a takedown attempt there.
Edward Tonu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Johnson.
Johnson is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Tonu is defending well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Tonu breaks from the clinch.
Johnson fails to land the takedown.
Johnson checks a low kick from Tonu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson avoids the head kick by Tonu.

Tonu gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Tonu manages to break the clinch.
Johnson tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Tonu swivels and escapes.
Johnson throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Tonu's waist but Tonu gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Johnson off to one side.
Tonu defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Johnson.
Johnson is breathing heavily.
Tonu throws a lazy right hand but Johnson sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Johnson is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Johnson lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Tonu circles away quickly and effectively.
Edward Tonu is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Tonu throws a sloppy head kick and Johnson moves out of range easily.
Tonu misses with a jab, cross combination.
A good leg kick by Tonu.
Johnson dodges the punch combination from Tonu.
Johnson fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Tonu avoids it really well and circles away.
Johnson shoots in looking for a takedown. Tonu tries to sprawl out of it but Johnson keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Tonu manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tonu swings for the body but Johnson moves out of range.
Johnson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tonu swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tonu throws a low kick, looking for Johnson's leg but Johnson calmly moves out of range.
Tonu attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
And Johnson tries to counter it with a takedown but Tonu pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Johnson dives in for a single leg takedown but Tonu sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Tonu keeps the fight on the outside.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tonu wants to clinch.
A decent looking cross lands there for Tonu.
Tonu lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Tonu connects with a body shot.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Tonu throws a lazy right hand but Johnson sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tonu misses with a few strikes there.

Tonu moves into range and clinches up with Johnson.
Tonu has had enough of the clinch but Johnson keeps him there for the moment.
Tonu takes a knee to the side of the body.
Tonu is trying to break free.
Johnson is trying to drag Tonu to the mat but Tonu just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Tonu wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Johnson prevents Tonu from breaking the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tonu has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Johnson is trying to trip Tonu. He has hold of a leg but Tonu is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Johnson persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Tonu is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Johnson is working Tonu over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Johnson sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Tonu's guard.
Johnson missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Mike Johnson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Tonu is looking to escape.
Johnson working Tonu over with strikes.
Johnson thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Johnson working over Tonu with some ground and pound. Tonu looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Tonu is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Edward Tonu dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Johnson gets a clinch.

Tonu's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Tonu throws out a leg kick but Johnson moves out of range and Tonu only half commits.
Horrible takedown attempt by Johnson or perhaps it was just good defense by Tonu, which made it look bad.
Tonu scores with a jab. Johnson acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

Tonu has closed the distance and engaged Johnson in a clinch.
Johnson is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tonu tries to break the clinch but Johnson is controlling the position.
Tonu is looking to break free of the clinch but Johnson has double underhooks.
Johnson tries for a takedown but Tonu manages to get underhooks.
Edward Tonu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Johnson.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tonu working hard to break the clinch.
Tonu has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Tonu working hard to break the clinch.
Johnson drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Tonu gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Tonu looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Tonu is defending well against a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Johnson gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Johnson lands a takedown into guard.
Johnson working some strikes from top position.

Tonu working for a triangle but Johnson defends it easily.

Tonu had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Johnson defends it easily.
Tonu is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson trying to control but Tonu is working from the bottom.

Tonu had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Johnson defends it easily.
Tonu keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Johnson preventing the sweep.
Tonu wants to stand but Johnson is controlling the position.
Tonu is trying to control the position but Johnson postures up.
Tonu has momentary wrist control but Johnson slips an elbow through the middle.
Johnson lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Johnson postures up and lands a big shot to Tonu's brow.

Johnson avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Johnson connects with a couple of short punches.
Johnson trying to control but Tonu is working from the bottom.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Johnson's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Johnson passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Johnson landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Johnson landing a few strikes.
You can see the frustration on Tonu's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Mike Johnson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Johnson working the ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Johnson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Tonu has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Edward Tonu!