PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Robert Sowa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eirik Johansen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Robert Sowa has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Sowa
vs
Johansen

195 cm
26
195 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

182 cm
26
195 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 Rio de Janeiro, Robert Sowa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Eirik Johansen!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Daniel Cesar and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sowa gets caught napping as Johansen dives in and scores a takedown. Sowa manages to retain guard.

Sowa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Sowa escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Johansen gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Johansen wants to stand but Sowa has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Johansen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sowa is keeping the position for now.

Sowa working for a triangle but Johansen defends it easily.
Sowa will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Johansen pushing down on Sowa's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Johansen is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Sowa has managed to free his arm - good work.

Sowa looking for submissions off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johansen seems to be looking for submissions.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Sowa is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Sowa is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Johansen pulls his head out easily.

Johansen looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Sowa is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Johansen pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sowa landing strikes from the bottom.

Sowa is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Johansen pulls his head out easily.
Johansen tries to pass the half guard into mount. Sowa knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Johansen tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
The fighters are battling for position here. Sowa manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Johansen drops back, looking for a kneebar! Sowa looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Sowa looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Sowa!
Johansen gets back to half guard.

Johansen actively working from the bottom here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Johansen taking some punishment here, with Sowa in his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johansen taking some punishment here, with Sowa in his half guard.
Sowa winds up and cracks Johansen with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Sowa winds up and cracks Johansen with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Johansen has hold of Sowa's hands but Sowa slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Sowa is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Johansen flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Johansen trying to hold on to Sowa's head to control him but Sowa postures up.

Johansen is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Sowa pulls his head out easily.
Sowa scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Johansen gets full guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sowa keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Johansen's head.
Sowa trying to control but Johansen is working from the bottom.
Sowa with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Johansen has momentary wrist control but Sowa slips an elbow through the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sowa distracts Johansen with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Sowa is working Johansen over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Sowa working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Sowa is in close to Johansen's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Sowa lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Johansen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Johansen escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sowa gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Johansen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sowa working some strikes from top position.
Sowa stands up over Johansen, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Sowa lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Sowa stands and throws Johansen's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sowa working the head and body with strikes.
Johansen takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Sowa works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Johansen closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Johansen lands in his opponent's guard.

Sowa has his foot on Johansen's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Johansen works his way back into a safe position though.

Sowa is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Johansen is aware though and is defending well.
Johansen slips nicely into half guard.

Sowa actively working from the bottom here.

Johansen is looking for a kimura but Sowa is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Johansen to get the leverage.

Sowa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Johansen is working for a kimura but Sowa is defending it quite comfortably.

Sowa is defending against the submission attempts here by Johansen.
Sowa 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sowa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Sowa is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Johansen pulls his head out easily.

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

Johansen has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Sowa defend it? Johansen steps over the head and cranks it - Sowa is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Johansen!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Eirik Johansen!