PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Craig Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Saulo Riberio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnson comes to the cage accompanied by Blood of Heroes!. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Johnson
vs
Riberio

168 cm
30
200 lbs
5 - 7 - 0

178 cm
25
185 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

Sparta Fightware
HGH Nutrients Q160 Tycoons Best Quality supps

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 5 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Craig Johnson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Saulo Riberio!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, Lou da Vinci and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Riberio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Johnson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Johnson loads up on a big right hand but Riberio slips the punch.
Riberio tries to clinch up but Johnson circles away and keeps his distance.
A lazy left from Johnson finds it's target.
Johnson listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Johnson scores with a nice right hand.
Johnson looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Riberio has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Johnson connects with a body shot that sends Riberio's belly button to the back.

Riberio gets tackled into the cage by Johnson. Johnson maintains the clinch.

Johnson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Johnson moves into the clinch successfully.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Johnson lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

It looks like Saulo Riberio has been cut.

Johnson breaks from the clinch.
Riberio walks into a straight right hand from Johnson.
Johnson throws a head kick but Riberio moves out of range.
Johnson dips to his left and cracks Riberio with an uppercut!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riberio keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Riberio takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Riberio wants to clinch up but Johnson keeps it at a distance.
Johnson darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Craig Johnson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Johnson lands a nice hook to Riberio's body. Riberio takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

Riberio gets tackled into the cage by Johnson. Johnson maintains the clinch.

Johnson manages to break the clinch.
Riberio staying out of range there.
Riberio is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Johnson scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

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

Johnson breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riberio blocks a jab.
Riberio uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Johnson.
Johnson throws a nice inside leg kick.
Johnson throws the left hand but Riberio avoids the punch easily.
Johnson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Riberio slips under a jab from Johnson.

Johnson drives through and clinches with Riberio against the cage.
I was talking to Johnson's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

Johnson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Johnson has taken the fight to the clinch.

Johnson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Johnson lands a jab to Riberio's midsection.

Johnson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Riberio keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Johnson's efforts to push away.
Riberio tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Johnson smiles and moves away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson thows a body shot but no joy.
Johnson misses with an uppercut.
Riberio tries to clinch there but Johnson circles away.
Riberio closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Riberio checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Riberio slips a jab from Johnson.
Johnson cracks Riberio with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
A nice combination there by Johnson.
Johnson scores with a leg kick.
Johnson scores with a decent looking hook.
A big left from Johnson misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riberio on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Johnson misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Riberio.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Riberio fails in his attempt to clinch.
A jab from Johnson misses.
Johnson misses with a few strikes there.
Johnson jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Johnson misses the shot to the body.
Johnson scores with a hook.
Johnson cracks a nice hook into Riberio's ribs.
Johnson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Johnson is looking to chop away at Riberio's legs.
Johnson is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Riberio wants to clinch up but Johnson keeps it at a distance.
Johnson throws a right and a left that Riberio avoids nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Craig Johnson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Saulo Riberio's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Johnson misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Johnson throws a jab when Riberio was well out of range.

Johnson instigates a clinch.
Riberio tries to pull guard but Johnson forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Johnson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Johnson looks to throw the jab but Riberio is out of range.
Johnson is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Riberio.
Johnson is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Johnson lands the left hand.
Riberio avoids the body shot from Johnson.
Johnson lands with a right hand.
Johnson misses with a wild body shot.
Johnson fails to land with a series of punches.
Johnson throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnson connects with a nice looking jab.
Johnson throws a shot from downtown. Riberio moves away and avoids it.
Riberio tries to clinch up.
Riberio walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Riberio looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Johnson stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Johnson tries to land a front kick but Riberio steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Johnson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Riberio can do to turn this around?
Johnson tests Riberio's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Johnson throws a good cross that connects.
Johnson pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Craig Johnson is winning the standup battle so far.
Johnson scores with a jab to the body.
Riberio wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson missing with a left hand there. Riberio was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Riberio tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Johnson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Riberio steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Johnson.
Johnson misses with an uppercut. Riberio saw that one coming.
Riberio has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Riberio ducks under a wild hook from Johnson.
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!
Johnson throws out a loose jab but Riberio uses good head movement to avoid it.

Johnson closes the distance and pushes Riberio back into the cage.
Johnson lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Riberio drags the fight down to the ground.

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

Johnson drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Riberio manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Johnson has Riberio in his guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Riberio drops back looking for a leg! Johnson is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Johnson manages to kick Riberio off! Riberio jumps back into Johnson's guard.
Johnson keeping moving, preventing Riberio from controlling successfully.
Riberio won't allow Johnson to sweep him here.
Riberio trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Riberio advances to half guard.
Riberio trying to mount his opponent but Johnson defends it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riberio is looking to pass Johnson's guard but actually Johnson recovers to full guard.
Johnson knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Riberio on the ground.
Riberio looking to pass the guard.
Johnson wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Riberio is now in half guard.

Riberio is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Riberio is working for a submission of some sort.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Riberio prevents Johnson from standing back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Craig Johnson dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Saulo Riberio's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Riberio on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

Johnson gets a clinch.

Johnson breaks from the clinch.
Johnson throws a good cross that connects.
A big left from Johnson misses.
Good shot there by Johnson.
Johnson misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Johnson lands with a cross.
Johnson misses with a low kick.
Johnson is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Riberio.
Riberio tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Johnson manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Johnson lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Riberio at a distance.
Johnson waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Riberio.
The fight stays on the outside here - Riberio looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riberio walks into a jab.
A jab from Johnson does it's job there.

Johnson forces Riberio back against the cage and clinches.
Riberio tries to pull guard but Johnson holds him up against the cage and eventually Riberio drops back down to his feet.

Johnson breaks from the clinch.
Riberio wants to clinch.
Johnson throws a series of punches but Riberio avoids them all with ease.
Riberio showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Johnson.
Riberio slips under a jab.
Saulo Riberio has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riberio on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Johnson slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Johnson throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Johnson looks to land a right hand but Riberio moved out of range.
Johnson lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Riberio with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Johnson to score with a decent uppercut.
A left lands for Johnson.

Johnson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Johnson lands a shot to the body.

Johnson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Johnson just misses with a punch to the body.
A big left from Johnson misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson misses with a low kick.
Johnson misses the jab.
Riberio tries to close the distance and clinch but Johnson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Johnson misses with a looping right.
Johnson throws a sloppy head kick and Riberio moves out of range easily.
Johnson throws a hook to the side of Riberio's head but Riberio sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Johnson clinches.
Johnson is trying to break the clinch but Riberio has him pressed against the cage.
Good body shot from Johnson.
Riberio has Johnson pressed against the cage, preventing Johnson from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Johnson is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Johnson lands an uppercut.
Johnson lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riberio fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Riberio jumps guard but Johnson turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Craig Johnson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Saulo Riberio.

Johnson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Danga de danga de dang - Johnson scores with a four punch combination!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Riberio doesn't manage to clinch there - Johnson circles away.
Johnson scores with a hook to the body. Riberio takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Johnson goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Johnson displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Johnson looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Johnson has Riberio up against the cage in a clinch.
Craig Johnson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Riberio misses with a hook from the clinch.

Johnson breaks from the clinch.
Johnson cracks Riberio with an open hand slap.

And that's the end of the fight!
Craig 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 Jorge Garcia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Craig Johnson!
During a confident post fight interview, Craig Johnson thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.