PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Chris Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and George Flannagan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnson comes to the cage accompanied by My Time- Fabolous. George Flannagan has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Johnson
vs
Flannagan

182 cm
20
154 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

175 cm
18
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Chris Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, George Flannagan!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Columbo Gatti and Lou da Vinci.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Flannagan lands a nice looking body kick.
Flannagan swats away the attempt to clinch by Johnson.
Flannagan lands a head kick!
Flannagan tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Johnson decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Flannagan's guard.
Flannagan is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Flannagan trying to strike off his back.
Johnson prevents Flannagan from getting back to his feet.
Johnson controlling from the top position.
Flannagan utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flannagan wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Johnson manages to pass to side control.
Johnson stops Flannagan from getting back to his feet.
Johnson perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Johnson has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Flannagan is looking for a sweep. Johnson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Flannagan has a hand on Johnson's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Johnson takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!

Johnson looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Flannagan is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Johnson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Flannagan is looking to escape.
Flannagan tries to hold on but Johnson postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flannagan wants to get back to his feet.
Johnson cracks Flannagan with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Flannagan swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Johnson is breathing heavily.
You get the feeling that Flannagan really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Johnson controlling from mount.
Johnson'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.

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.
Flannagan wants to control but Johnson is having none of it.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Johnson cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Johnson working Flannagan over with strikes here.
Flannagan keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Johnson dominated that round.
That's time! Johnson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Flannagan rushes Johnson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Johnson blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Flannagan misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Johnson.
Flannagan wants to break free but Johnson has control.
Flannagan is trying to maintain a safe position but Johnson gets an underhook and turns Flannagan into the cage.

Johnson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Flannagan throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Johnson counters with a one-two to the body.
Flannagan throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Chris Johnson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Flannagan throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Johnson takes a kick to the side of the head.
Johnson tries to clinch there but Flannagan circles away.
Johnson sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Flannagan as he avoids it easily.
A nice leg kick lands there from Flannagan.
Johnson moves in looking to clinch but Flannagan pushes him off.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Flannagan fails with the takedown
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Flannagan lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Flannagan.
Flannagan moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Nice body kick from Flannagan.
Flannagan thuds his shin into the meat of Johnson's side.
Flannagan tries a head kick but it misses.
Flannagan misses with a takedown

so Johnson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Johnson stops Flannagan from standing up.
Flannagan is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Johnson throwing strikes but missing.
Flannagan not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flannagan looking for a sweep. Not yet Flannagan, not yet.
Johnson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Flannagan is keeping the position for now.
Johnson trying to control but Flannagan is working from the bottom.
Flannagan is looking to stand up but Johnson isn't so interested in that idea.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Flannagan is looking to land body kicks.

Johnson tries to keep at a distance but Flannagan has taken the fight into the clinch.
Johnson keeps control of Flannagan as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flannagan using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Johnson breaks from the clinch.
Flannagan shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnson tries to sprawl out of it but Flannagan 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.
Chris Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of George Flannagan.
Flannagan misses with a head kick.
Both fighters circling a little - Flannagan finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Flannagan looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Flannagan connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Flannagan closes the distance looking to clinch

and Johnson counters by clinching up.

Flannagan ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Flannagan no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Flannagan not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flannagan is looking to stand up but Johnson isn't so interested in that idea.
Johnson stands and throws Flannagan's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Flannagan is trying to buck Johnson off.
Johnson gets to mount! Flannagan was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Johnson blocks Flannagan's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Chris Johnson will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Flannagan lands a nice looking kick to the body. Johnson takes a step back to recover.
Flannagan lands a nice leg kick that just misses Johnson's sensitive parts.
Flannagan connects with a high kick.
George Flannagan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Flannagan tries to clinch but Johnson moves away
and Johnson counters with an inside leg kick.

Johnson throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Flannagan was covering up waiting for the punch and Johnson finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Flannagan trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Flannagan doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Flannagan is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Johnson is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson working some strikes from top position.
Johnson postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Johnson stands up and waves to Flannagan to follow him.
Johnson tries to clinch but Flannagan is having none of it.
Good leg kick by Flannagan there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

Flannagan has Johnson up against the cage in a clinch.
Johnson avoiding damage as Flannagan throws knees to the body.
Johnson fails to pull guard.
Flannagan tries to land knees in the clinch but Johnson avoids the damage to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flannagan putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Johnson in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Johnson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Crunch! Flannagan slams his shin into Johnson's torso.
Flannagan misses with a takedown attempt

and Johnson counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Flannagan!
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.
Johnson avoids the attempt from Flannagan to control.
Flannagan is wriggling around trying to escape.
Johnson controlling from the full mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flannagan wants to try and get back to his feet.
Johnson prevents Flannagan from getting the reversal.
Johnson lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Flannagan hang on?

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 with good strikes from the mount here!
Flannagan really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
George Flannagan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Johnson looking for a guillotine from mount but Flannagan is having none of it.
Johnson controlling his opponent.
Flannagan swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris 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 Reed Andrews scores the fight 30:27
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 30:27
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 30:27

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