PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between James Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paavali Pietari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Johnson might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Fabolous Imma Do It. Pietari is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Johnson
vs
Pietari

183 cm
19
185 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

200 cm
19
188 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, James Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Paavali Pietari!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Roosa Järviläinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnson fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Pietari avoids it really well and circles away.

Pietari drives through and clinches with Johnson against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Johnson turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Johnson creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Johnson working the ground and pound.
Pietari struggling a bit here.
Pietari takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Johnson landing a few strikes.
Johnson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pietari keeps working.
Pietari is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson cracks Pietari with a big right hand but Pietari just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Pietari taking punishment in the form of punches.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pietari takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Johnson is working Pietari over with some ground and pound from side control.
Johnson lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Pietari is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Johnson asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Johnson in side control lands a decent elbow.
Pietari is looking to regain half guard here but Johnson keeps moving and retains side control.
Pietari is working to avoid the ground and pound but Johnson connects with a decent elbow.
Johnson lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Pietari down.
Pietari on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Pietari is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is chipping away with strikes.
Pietari is still in real trouble! Can Johnson finish him?
Johnson working the head and body with strikes.

Johnson tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Pietari takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Johnson lands a decent elbow from side control.
Pietari seems to have recovered his senses.
Pietari is trying to buck Johnson off.
Pietari is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Pietari is looking to regain half guard here but Johnson keeps moving and retains side control.

Johnson tries for a kimura but Pietari is defending well.
Pietari taking punishment in the form of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pietari takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Johnson works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Pietari wants to get back to his feet.
Pietari manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Pietari wants to get back to his feet.
Johnson manages to get to full guard.
Johnson is breathing heavily.
Johnson trying to strike off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Johnson looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Johnson trying to keep a closed guard but Pietari is proving a slippery customer.

Johnson looking for a guillotine here but Pietari defends easily.
Pietari stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Johnson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pietari lands a couple of elbows.
Pietari with a flurry of punches that miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Johnson dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Johnson stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Pietari.

Pietari closes the distance and pushes Johnson back into the cage.
Pietari drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Pietari lands a nice shot to the body.
Pietari gets underhooks to prevent Johnson's takedown attempt.
Pietari lands a nice elbow.
Pietari scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like James Johnson has been cut.
Pietari is looking to control Johnson's arms but Johnson gets an underhook and turns him. Now Pietari has his back to the cage.
Johnson wants a takedown.
Johnson wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Johnson has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Pietari is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Pietari landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Pietari gets underhooks to prevent Johnson's takedown attempt.

Pietari manages to pull guard.
Pietari working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Johnson.
Pietari avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
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.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pietari controlling Johnson's posture.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Johnson throws and elbow that misses. Pietari uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Johnson's guard. Nice move by Pietari!
Johnson looking to control.
Pietari trying to control but Johnson is working from the bottom.

Johnson is looking for a triangle but Pietari pushes his legs off easily.
Pietari forces his way into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Pietari prevents Johnson from improving his position.
Pietari wants to lay and pray for a moment but Johnson keeps working.
Pietari tries to stand but can't do so whilst Johnson controls his leg.
Johnson gets back to full guard.
Pietari wanted to stand there but Johnson had control of the position.
Pietari wants to pass the guard but Johnson is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pietari got a little sloppy there for a moment and Johnson has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Pietari has managed to get both his arms back between Johnson's legs - danger averted.

Johnson looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Johnson wants to sweep here but Pietari controlling him for the moment.
Pietari throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Johnson works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Pietari must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Johnson trying to control the position.
Johnson 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pietari would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Johnson working a defensive guard here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
A head kick misses from Pietari.

Pietari gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Pietari looking to hit a scissor sweep but Johnson is one step ahead there.
Johnson is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Paavali Pietari will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on James Johnson's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Pietari lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Johnson circles away quickly and effectively.

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

Pietari escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Johnson looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Pietari is fending him off so far but Johnson persists. Nope, Pietari circles away and we're back to standing.
Johnson shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Pietari as he jumps to the side.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Johnson.
Pietari sneaks back into half guard.
Pietari moves into full guard.
Johnson might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Pietari keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Johnson throws a big right hand that misses.

Pietari working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Johnson doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Johnson manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson is looking to work some ground and pound but Pietari has wrist control.
James Johnson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Johnson cracks Pietari with a solid left hand.
Pietari is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Pietari avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Pietari wants to control but Johnson passes easily into half guard.
Johnson is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Johnson is nestled in close to Pietari, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Johnson takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

That's two 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 wants to work for an arm triangle but Pietari is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Johnson thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Pietari's head.

Johnson is working for a kimura but Pietari is defending it quite comfortably.

Pietari actively working from the bottom here.
Johnson missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Pietari wants to control but Johnson is keeping busy and won't allow it.
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.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Johnson is trying hard to land a takedown here. Pietari sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James Johnson. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson takes a kick to the side of the head.
Pietari misses with a two punch combination.
Pietari displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Johnson.

Pietari has taken the fight to the clinch.
Pietari connects with a nasty looking knee right to Johnson's face.
Pietari prevents the takedown attempt.
Pietari prevents the takedown attempt.
Johnson takes a knee to the side of the body.
Johnson goes for a takedown in the clinch but Pietari prevents it.
Pietari lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Pietari lands a hook to the side of the head.

Johnson is trying to trip Pietari. He has hold of a leg but Pietari is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Johnson persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Johnson throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Pietari works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Johnson throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Pietari is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Johnson is aware though and is defending well.
Johnson distracts Pietari with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson with a nice head shot there.

Pietari is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Pietari is looking for a triangle but Johnson pushes his legs off easily.
Johnson postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Johnson closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Johnson throwing shots but Pietari is blocking nicely.
Pietari is refusing to be controlled, as Johnson sits in half guard.
Johnson throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Johnson showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Johnson 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28

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