PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Darren Gold (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Corey Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gold's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, M83-Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun. Johnson comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Beat It kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Gold
vs
Johnson

180 cm
22
158 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

170 cm
23
155 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Improved boxing
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Darren Gold!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Corey Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Dillan Fox and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gold scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Johnson blocks a jab.
Gold throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Gold slips a jab from Johnson.

Johnson closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Gold is not content to let Johnson control the position.
Gold is trying to get back to full guard.

Gold looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Johnson wants to free his trapped foot but Gold is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Gold slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Johnson thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Johnson drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Johnson jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Johnson shoots for a takedown but Gold saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Gold pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Johnson takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Gold swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Johnson looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Johnson wants to work for an arm triangle but Gold is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Johnson looks gassed!
Johnson prevents Gold from improving his position.
Gold is working hard here to advance position.
Johnson is tying to control. Gold wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Johnson is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Gold defends it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gold gets back to full guard.
Gold wants to hit a switch here but Johnson passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Gold there!
Gold tries to reverse the position but Johnson maintains control.
Johnson is landing with some decent strikes but Gold is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Gold is wriggling around trying to escape.
Johnson landing strikes, looking to finish!
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Gold taking shots to the head.

Johnson is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Gold is surviving well by controlling Johnson's body position as best he can.
Gold is wriggling around trying to escape.
Johnson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Gold wants to control but Johnson is having none of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gold is trying to escape the mount.
Johnson looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Johnson with the ground and pound from mount.
Johnson scoring with strikes but Gold is staying in there.

Johnson has hold of Gold's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Gold manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Johnson with good strikes from the mount here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Johnson is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Gold can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Johnson avoids the attempt from Gold to control.
Gold regains half guard.
Johnson prevents Gold from improving his position.
Johnson looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

Gold is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Johnson pulls his head out easily.
Johnson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gold does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Johnson prevents Gold from improving his position.
Gold trying to get back to full guard but Johnson takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Corey Johnson dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Johnson avoids the head kick by Gold.
Gold lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Gold thuds a left hand into Johnson's body.
Gold throws a shot to the body.
Gold throws a jab when Johnson was well out of range.
Gold throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Gold lands the left hand.
Darren Gold seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Johnson checks a low kick from Gold.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Gold gets caught flat footed, as Johnson shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Gold keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Johnson forces his way into half guard.
Johnson wants to take a breather but Gold is having none of it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson is looking for a kimura here.
Johnson wants to pass the guard but Gold is defending well.

Johnson is looking for a kimura here.
The fighters are battling for position here. Gold manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Gold looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Johnson puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Gold blocking the ground and pound attempt from Johnson.
Gold has a hand on Johnson's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Johnson takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Gold is in a horrible position here. Johnson smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Johnson has control of Gold's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Gold regains control of the situation pretty easily.
BOOM! Johnson connects with a massive shot to the dome!

Johnson goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Gold turns into him and now he's in Johnson's guard.
Gold wants to pass the guard but Johnson is keeping the position.
Gold wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.

Johnson has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Gold can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Gold has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gold stopping the sweep attempt from Johnson.
Gold advances position into side control!

Gold is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Johnson is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Johnson is trying to improve his position.
Johnson manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Corey Johnson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Johnson looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Johnson seems to be looking for submissions.

Gold looking for submissions off his back.
Gold is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Johnson scores with a couple of nice shots.
Gold is trying to get back to full guard.

Johnson is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Gold defends it well.
Gold manages to get to full guard.
Johnson wants to control from the top but Gold keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Corey Johnson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Gold fails to land with a series of punches.
Gold closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Johnson fails to land the takedown.
Gold is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Gold throws a sloppy head kick and Johnson moves out of range easily.
Gold looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Gold throws a big shot that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gold misses with a few strikes there.
Johnson takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Gold throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gold throws a sloppy head kick and Johnson moves out of range easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Gold sprawls well initially but Johnson persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Johnson is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Gold is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Johnson pulls his head out easily.
Gold is looking for a sweep. Johnson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Johnson is working for a kimura but Gold is defending it quite comfortably.
Gold wants to improve his position but Johnson is controlling well.
Johnson is controlling the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gold is looking for a sweep. Johnson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Johnson passes to full mount!
Johnson takes Gold's back. Could be looking for a rear naked choke here - either way, Gold is in trouble.
I would not like to be Gold right now.
Gold is really stuck here.

Johnson is working for the choke. I would put my money on him to finish from this position. He's rolled onto his back and has dragged Gold with him. Gold is trying to defend but Johnson has an arm under the chin now! Gold grimaces and is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:03 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Corey Johnson!