PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Pope John (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Oliveira (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Rodrigo Oliveira was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

John
vs
Oliveira

182 cm
26
185 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

188 cm
20
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Pope John!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rodrigo Oliveira!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Wesley Smith and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
John throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Oliveira tries to clinch but John is having none of it.
Oliveira fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but John is out of range.

John clinches up with Oliveira and pushes him back against the cage.

Oliveira pulls guard effortlessly.
John would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
John postures up in Oliveira's guard and throws a big left but Oliveira blocks it.
Oliveira trying to control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
John throws and elbow that misses. Oliveira uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in John's guard. Nice move by Oliveira!
Oliveira not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oliveira trying to control but John is working from the bottom.
Oliveira wanted to stand there but John had control of the position.

Oliveira 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.
Oliveira pushes down on John's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Oliveira seems to be working for a kimura but John defends the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
John wants to control but Oliveira is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Oliveira sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. John defending well though.

Oliveira decides to stand up.
John throws a nice outside leg kick.

John closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Oliveira takes an elbow to the temple.
Oliveira looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Oliveira looks gassed!
Oliveira avoiding damage as John throws knees to the body.
John misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Oliveira.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
John lands a damaging elbow.
Oliveira blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Oliveira is trying to maintain a safe position but John gets an underhook and turns Oliveira into the cage.
John lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
John lands an elbow just above Oliveira 's eye.
Oliveira can't get the takedown.

Oliveira wants the takedown. John is fighting it off but Oliveira persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in John's guard against the cage.
John is trying to control the position but Oliveira postures up.
Oliveira trying to control but John is working from the bottom.
Oliveira won't allow John to get back to his feet.

Oliveira drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and John dives on top into guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Oliveira utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Oliveira working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from John.
John throwing strikes but missing.
John trying to stand up but can't free himself from Oliveira's guard.
Oliveira working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from John.
John throwing strikes from guard but Oliveira blocks nicely.

John drops back, looking for a kneebar! Oliveira looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Oliveira looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Oliveira!
Oliveira in side control, throwing shots but John defends.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Oliveira dominated that round.
That's time! John's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

John misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Oliveira.
Oliveira slips a straight right by John.
Oliveira ducks under a wild hook from John.
Rodrigo Oliveira is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
John feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Oliveira's calf.
John throws a hook but Oliveira blocks it.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Oliveira.

Oliveira gets tackled into the cage by John. John maintains the clinch.
John lands a nice elbow.
John is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Oliveira is defending well for now.
Oliveira tries to pull guard but John won't allow it.
Nice elbow from John.

It looks like Rodrigo Oliveira has been cut.
Oliveira managing to block the knees to the body from John.
John lands an elbow inside that Oliveira shrugs off.
Oliveira can't break the clinch.
John lands an elbow that stopped Oliveira in his tracks for a moment.
Oliveira is breathing heavily.
Oliveira takes an elbow to the forehead.
John lands an elbow inside.
John lands an elbow that stopped Oliveira in his tracks for a moment.
John gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
John lands an elbow just above Oliveira 's eye.
A nice glancing elbow lands by John.
John lands a damaging elbow.
John lands an elbow just above Oliveira 's eye.

That has opened up Rodrigo Oliveira's cut even more.
John lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Oliveira on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Oliveira takes an elbow to the forehead.
John lands an elbow just above Oliveira 's eye.
Oliveira takes an elbow to the temple.
John lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
John lands an elbow just above Oliveira 's eye.
John lands an elbow just above Oliveira 's eye.
John missing with knees to the body.
John lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Oliveira takes an elbow to the temple.
John lands a damaging elbow.
John tries to land knees in the clinch but Oliveira avoids the damage to the body.
John lands an elbow just above Oliveira 's eye.
John lands an elbow inside.
John lands an elbow just above Oliveira 's eye.
Nice elbow from John.

The cut above Rodrigo Oliveira's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
John lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
John creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Oliveira's defenses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
John creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Oliveira's defenses.
Oliveira takes an elbow to the forehead.
Oliveira jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as John walks away with a smile on his face. Oliveira gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Pope John has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rodrigo Oliveira.
John scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
John missing with a left hand there. Oliveira was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
John misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Oliveira.
John misses with a wild body shot.
Pope John is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
John misses with a hook.
John ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Oliveira moves away.
John cracks the inside of Oliveira's front leg.
John fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
A chopping leg kick lands by John.
John lands a right hook to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Oliveira walks into a stiff left hand from John.
Oliveira 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.
Oliveira thows a leg kick but John checks it
and John counters with an outside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

John fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Oliveira, pushing him back against the cage.
John doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
John struggles to land a body shot inside as Oliveira controls his hands.
John lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

Rodrigo Oliveira's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.
John lands an elbow inside that Oliveira shrugs off.
Nice elbow from John.
John lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Oliveira blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Nice elbow from John.
John lands a damaging elbow.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Rodrigo Oliveira's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:40 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Pope John!