PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jesus Pope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tj Cummings (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cummings has chosen The Misfits - Die Die My Darling as his entrance music. Tj Cummings told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Pope
vs
Cummings

225 cm
24
320 lbs
12 - 3 - 0

195 cm
21
307 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Heavy handed

Nordic Nutrition (160 Recovery $99)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jesus Pope!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tj Cummings!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Aafke Stam and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pope throws a solid leg kick but Cummings takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Pope.
Cummings thows a leg kick but Pope checks it
and Pope counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Jesus Pope seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cummings walks into a jab.
Pope throws a predictable looking body shot
and Cummings counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

It looks like Jesus Pope has been cut.
Pope with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Pope misses with a low kick.
Nice body kick there by Pope.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pope shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Cummings as he avoids it easily.
Pope plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

It looks like Tj Cummings has been cut.
Pope keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pope throws a head kick but Cummings moves out of range.
Cummings throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Pope sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Pope tries for a takedown but Cummings circles away easily
and Cummings counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Pope lands a head kick!
Cummings pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Cummings drops his hands momentarily and Pope takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pope swings widly with a right hand
enabling Cummings to counter with a crisp jab.
Pope throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Cummings counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Pope displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Cummings throws out the jab.
Tj Cummings is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Pope throws a nice head kick!
Cummings throws a big shot that misses.
Pope looks to score with a jab to the body but Cummings is just out of range.
Pope throws a lazy right hand but Cummings sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Pope throws out a loose jab but Cummings uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cummings cracks Pope with a good jab.
Pope misses with an uppercut. Cummings saw that one coming.
Cummings tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Pope scores with a shot to the body.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Pope.
Pope throws out a leg kick but Cummings moves out of range and Pope only half commits.
Cummings swings widly with a right hand
and Pope counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That has opened up Tj Cummings's cut even more.
Pope lands a head kick. Cummings smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Pope throws a right hand that Cummings ducks under and follows up with a left that Cummings also avoids with ease.
Pope shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Cummings as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jesus Pope. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cummings misses with a lunging right hand
and Pope counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Pope throws a solid leg kick but Cummings takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Pope.
Pope lands with an uppercut that bounces Cummings off the cage and back into rage.
Pope shoots in looking for a takedown. Cummings tries to sprawl out of it but Pope keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Cummings manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Pope pulls out of a head kick attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jesus Pope dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Pope fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Cummings is out of range.
Pope throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A lazy left from Pope finds it's target.
Pope misses with a body punch
and Cummings counters with a straight right hand.
Pope misses with a series of wild punches.
Pope misses the shot to the body.
A combination from Pope does no damage.
Pope misses with a left hand
and Pope takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cummings swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Cummings throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Cummings checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Pope throws a leg kick that is checked
and Cummings counters with a good, hard body kick but Pope shrugs it off.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cummings scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cummings throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Pope misses with an uppercut
and Cummings counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Cummings throws a jab but it's blocked by Pope.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good standup being displayed there by Cummings as he connects with a hook.
Pope slips a jab from Cummings.
Cummings misses with a low kick.
Cummings waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Pope.
Some wild striking there from Cummings.
Cummings scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

Jesus Pope's cut is getting worse.
Cummings missing with a left hand there. Pope was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick by Cummings misses

so Pope counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Pope won't allow Cummings to get back to his feet.
Cummings working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Pope.
Pope working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Pope throws a big right hand that misses.
Pope looking to pass the guard.
Pope throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pope throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Cummings works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Cummings can do anything to dispel that myth.
Pope loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Pope works over Cummings with some ground and pound from guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cummings utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Pope 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.

Cummings kicks Pope off and gets to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tj Cummings showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Pope throws a series of punches but Cummings moves out of range.
Pope checks a leg kick.
Pope misses with a leg kick
and Cummings counters with a straight right hand.
Pope swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Cummings counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Pope misses with a straight left.
Pope throws a sloppy head kick and Cummings moves out of range easily.
Cummings misses with an uppercut
enabling Pope to counter with a crisp jab.
Cummings misses with a hook
and Pope cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cummings takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Pope throws a sloppy body shot
and Cummings counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Pope misses with a wild combination.
Cummings moves forwards but Pope connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Tj Cummings seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Pope fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.

Cummings drops Pope with a beautiful combination! Pope stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Cummings is looking for the KO!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Pope lands with a cross.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cummings getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

Jesus Pope's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Cummings takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Pope buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Cummings is looking to slow Pope down with leg kicks.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cummings misses with a kick to the body.
Cummings checks a low kick from Pope.
Pope lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Pope lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope lands with a thumping leg kick.
Pope loads up on a big right hand but Cummings slips the punch.
Cummings tries to land a leg kick but Pope saw it coming and moves away.
Cummings misses with a wild combination.
Cummings takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Cummings thows a leg kick but Pope checks it
and Pope counters with a nice low kick that buckles Cummings's knee momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pope tests Cummings's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Pope misses with the body kick
and Cummings counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Pope just misses with a punch to the body.
Cummings bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Pope's head.
Cummings stuffs the takedown.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Pope fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Cummings.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cummings defending well as Pope loads up on a big left hand.
Cummings misses with a leg kick

and Pope counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Tj Cummings.
I think Cummings has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Nard Betker scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 28:29
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Tj Cummings!