PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Josh Rondeau (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ben Johnson has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rondeau
vs
Johnson

182 cm
25
190 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

190 cm
18
196 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Josh Rondeau!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ben Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Jorge Garcia and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rondeau moves into the clinch.
Johnson throws a head punch that misses.
Rondeau prevents Johnson from breaking the clinch.
Rondeau tries to land a knee to the head but Johnson blocks with his arms.
Johnson is looking to break free of the clinch but Rondeau has double underhooks.
Johnson lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Rondeau has Johnson pressed against the cage, preventing Johnson from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Johnson tries to break free but Rondeau pushes him back against the cage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Johnson creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Rondeau breaks the clinch.

Johnson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Johnson manages to break the clinch.
Rondeau slips a straight right by Johnson.
Rondeau seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson jabs at Rondeau's body.
Rondeau lands a head kick. Johnson smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like Ben Johnson has been cut.
A head kick from Rondeau lands but Johnson takes it in his stride.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Johnson clinches up against the cage.
Johnson wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rondeau has him pressed against the cage.
Rondeau wants to break free but Johnson has control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Rondeau keeps control of Johnson as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
We've been hearing reports that Rondeau has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Rondeau keeps control of Johnson as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Johnson wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rondeau has him pressed against the cage.
Johnson lands with a right to the head.
A frustrated look appears on Johnson's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Johnson looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rondeau.
A nice left hand lands by Johnson.
Rondeau trying to control the position but instead, Johnson has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rondeau into the cage.
Johnson misses with a hook from the clinch.
Johnson scores with a shoulder strike.
Johnson is looking to break free of the clinch but Rondeau has double underhooks.

Rondeau breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson connects with a right hand. Rondeau shakes it off.
Johnson throws the left hand but Rondeau avoids the punch easily.

Johnson has Rondeau up against the cage in a clinch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Johnson.
Johnson has had enough of the clinch but Rondeau keeps him there for the moment.
Johnson throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Rondeaus head.
Johnson looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Johnson wants to break the clinch but can't.

Rondeau escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rondeau connects with a body shot.
Rondeau throws a series of punches but Johnson avoids them all with ease.
Johnson misses with a body shot.
Johnson misses with a few strikes there.
Rondeau fails with an attempt to clinch.
Johnson lands a body shot.
Ben Johnson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnson clinches up against the cage.
Johnson is trying to break the clinch but Rondeau is controlling him.
Johnson is trying to push Rondeau away but Rondeau has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Johnson misses with some punches.
Johnson tries to break the clinch but Rondeau is controlling the position.
Johnson wants to break free but Rondeau has control.
Johnson wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Johnson gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Rondeau.
Johnson tries a body shot but Rondeau blocks it.
Rondeau is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Johnson tries to break the clinch but Rondeau is controlling the position.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Rondeau takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Rondeau pulls guard.
Johnson won't allow Rondeau to get back to his feet.
Rondeau keeping full guard, as Johnson tries to pass.
Johnson is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Rondeau is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Johnson is controlling him.
Rondeau bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Johnson's guard.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Johnson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ben Johnson's cut.
That's time! Rondeau's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

The fight stays on the outside here - Johnson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Johnson darts in and clinches Rondeau up against the cage.
Rondeau tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Johnson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Johnson looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Johnson misses with a hook to the ribs.

Rondeau pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rondeau plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Johnson clinches up against the cage.
Rondeau misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Johnson.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A frustrated look appears on Johnson's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Johnson misses with a hook to the ribs.

Rondeau has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Johnson uses from the top position.
Rondeau is adopting a defensive guard.
Johnson is looking to advance position but Rondeau has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson tries to buck Rondeau off but he can't manage it.
Rondeau looking to control and managing it successfully.
Johnson is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Rondeau scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Johnson?

Rondeau wants to finish this one by submission but Johnson is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Rondeau.
Rondeau scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Johnson?
Johnson is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rondeau lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Rondeau is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Rondeau controlling his opponent.
Rondeau scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Rondeau tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Johnson is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rondeau. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Rondeau looking to control and managing it successfully.
Rondeau won't let Johnson get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Rondeau working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Rondeau with shots to the head and body - Johnson looks very uncomfortable down there.
Johnson is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Johnson takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Johnson squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Rondeau lands a big elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson really wants to buck Rondeau off and get back to his feet.
Rondeau landing punches.

Rondeau is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Johnson is surviving well by controlling Rondeau's body position as best he can.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Johnson trying desperately to get to his feet.

Rondeau looking to secure an arm triangle but Johnson defends it well.
Johnson is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Rondeau scores with a couple of good head shots there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Rondeau dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ben Johnson's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Johnson moves into range and connects with a jab.

Johnson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Johnson throws a punch but it's blocked by Rondeau.
Johnson wants to break free but Rondeau has control.
Johnson wants to break the clinch but can't.

Rondeau escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Johnson works Rondeau's body with a nice hook.

Johnson gets a clinch.
Johnson working aggressively here.
A right hook to the body lands for Johnson.
Rondeau jumps guard but Johnson stands there with Rondeau around his waist. Rondeau gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Johnson lands an uppercut.
Johnson lands an uppercut.
Rondeau blocks an uppercut.
Johnson wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rondeau has him pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johnson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Rondeau clinches with his opponent.
Ben Johnson seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Rondeau keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Johnson's efforts to push away.
A nice left hand lands by Johnson.
Johnson wants to break the clinch but can't.
Johnson tries to break free but Rondeau pushes him back against the cage.
Johnson is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Johnson breaks the clinch.

Johnson gets a clinch.
Johnson tries to break free but Rondeau pushes him back against the cage.
Rondeau trying to stall but Johnson improves his position.
Rondeau has Johnson pressed against the cage, preventing Johnson from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Johnson is trying to break the clinch but Rondeau has him pressed against the cage.
Rondeau wants a takedown but no success here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rondeau fails to pull the fight into his guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Josh Rondeau. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Johnson wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rondeau has him pressed against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Johnson's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Rondeau is looking for a takedown.
Rondeau prevents Johnson from breaking the clinch.

Rondeau manages to pull guard.
Rondeau lands a couple of decent looking body shots there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Johnson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rondeau swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Johnson sitting in guard doing not very much at all here. Rondeau doesn't need a second invitation though! He's locked up a guillotine and he's squeezing tight! That is tiiiiiiiiight! Johnson paying the price for stalling here - he's pushing hard on the arm trying to free himself but it's no use! He's tapped! WOW, quick submission from Rondeau - great work!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Josh Rondeau!