PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Shannon Bauer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Reagan Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Bauer
vs
Johnson

196 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Shannon Bauer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Reagan Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, Steve Montenegro and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bauer throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Johnson was covering up waiting for the punch and Bauer finishes the takedown easily into guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Johnson can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Bauer controls the pace.
Johnson pulls Bauer in close to his closed guard and prevents Bauer from doing any damage or advancing position.
Johnson looking for a sweep. Not yet Johnson, not yet.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Johnson throws a head kick that misses
and Bauer counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.

Bauer clinches with his opponent.

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

Johnson shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Johnson was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bauer is trying to control Johnson's posture but Johnson avoids it.
Johnson trying to control the position but Bauer is working away.
Johnson tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Bauer tries to control the position but he's not in luck - Johnson easily slips into full mount!
Bauer keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Bauer is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Johnson wants to control the pace but Bauer is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Bauer just holding on.
Bauer wants to control but Johnson is having none of it.
You get the feeling that Bauer really doesn't like being in this position too much.

Johnson stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.

Johnson shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bauer is staying active underneath Johnson, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson prevents Bauer from standing back up.
Johnson wants to take a breather but Bauer is having none of it.
Bauer keeping hold of Johnson's head, controlling as best he can.
Bauer is looking to control Johnson's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Bauer avoid being mounted?

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Bauer tries to sprawl but Johnson drives through with a takedown into half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Bauer is trying to get back to full guard.
Bauer wants to control but Johnson is keeping busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Bauer manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Johnson keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
Bauer tries to work over Johnson's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Johnson gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Johnson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bauer is keeping the position for now.
Johnson is fighting to break Bauer's control of his arms but Bauer is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Bauer working a defensive guard here.
Bauer is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Johnson is controlling him.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Bauer trying to keep a closed guard but Johnson is proving a slippery customer.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Shannon Bauer.
Bauer showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Johnson.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reagan Johnson dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Johnson rushes Bauer and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Bauer breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Johnson tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Johnson stuffs the takedown attempt from Bauer. Bauer gets slowly back to his feet.

Bauer gets caught flat footed, as Johnson shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Bauer wants to stand but Johnson is controlling the position.
Johnson wants to control from the top but Bauer keeps moving.
Johnson prevents Bauer from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bauer keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Bauer is adopting a defensive guard.
Bauer will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Reagan Johnson.

Johnson shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Bauer manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Bauer has his hands on Johnson's head, controlling the position.
Bauer keeping full guard, as Johnson tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bauer wants to sweep but no luck.
Johnson looking to pass the guard.

Shannon Bauer has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Bauer bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Bauer decides to stand up, so the ref orders Johnson to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Johnson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Bauer landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Bauer missing with knees to the body.

Bauer's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Bauer gets caught flat footed, as Johnson shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Bauer escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Johnson gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Bauer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Johnson is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Johnson tries to free his leg and advance position but Bauer is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson trying to stand up but can't free himself from Bauer's guard.
Bauer pulls Johnson in to control the position.
Bauer keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Bauer is trying to control the position but Johnson postures up.
Bauer pulls Johnson in close to prevent any damage.

Shannon Bauer has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Johnson fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Bauer gets tackled into the cage by Johnson. Johnson maintains the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bauer can't break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reagan Johnson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

The fight stays on the outside here - Bauer looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bauer closes this distance looking for a takedown but Johnson circles away.
Johnson 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 stand but Bauer has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Johnson trying to control from half guard but Bauer is working away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bauer is trying to stand back up but Johnson is controlling him
Bauer wants to control but Johnson is keeping busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bauer is trying to stand.
Reagan Johnson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Johnson is trying to control the action in half guard but Bauer is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Reagan Johnson.

Johnson feints and as Bauer raises his hands in defense, Johnson changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Johnson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bauer thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Bauer is adopting a defensive guard.
Bauer trying to control the position.
Johnson must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Bauer wants to stand up but Johnson is controlling him.
Bauer is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Shannon Bauer has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Bauer gets a takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Johnson looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Johnson is trying to get back to full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bauer wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Johnson preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Bauer tries to stand but can't do so whilst Johnson controls his leg.

Bauer is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Johnson has managed to free his arm - good work.
Johnson trying to control but Bauer postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bauer tries to stand and escape but Johnson actually recovers to full guard.
Bauer has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Johnson is proving hard to escape from.
Johnson trying to keep a closed guard but Bauer is proving a slippery customer.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Bauer stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Shannon Bauer has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Reagan Johnson is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Johnson shoots in and bounces Bauer off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Reagan Johnson.
I've got Johnson winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Chad Campbell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 27:30

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