PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Branko Popovic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Trent Strope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Popovic comes to the ring accompanied by None. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Popovic
vs
Strope

193 cm
28
192 lbs
16 - 15 - 1

180 cm
28
180 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 15 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Branko Popovic!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Trent Strope!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Ren Mimura and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Popovic throws a left and a right that both miss
and Strope counters with a left and a right that stings Popovic.
Popovic misses with a looping left.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Strope!
Popovic misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Strope.
Strope fails to land with a series of punches.
Strope misses with the combination.

Popovic fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Strope to the ground. Popovic is now in Strope's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Strope wants to stand but Popovic is controlling the position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Popovic's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Popovic postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Popovic sitting in guard here, content to control.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Strope can do anything to dispel that myth.
Strope is trying to control the position but Popovic postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popovic trying to control but Strope is working from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Popovic misses with a straight right.
Popovic misses with a two punch combination.
Strope takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Popovic throws a shot from downtown. Strope moves away and avoids it.
Jab from Strope.
A looping hook to the body misses from Popovic. Strope does a little dance to reset his feet.
Popovic jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Strope scores with a jab. Popovic acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Strope slips a jab and a cross from Popovic.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Strope will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Strope jabs at Popovic's body.
Strope cracks a nice hook into Popovic's ribs.
Strope throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Popovic on the side of the head.
A slow jab from Strope misses its intended target.
Popovic ducks under a wild hook from Strope.
Strope misses with a few strikes there.
Popovic lands a slapping body shot.
Strope misses with a combination
and Popovic counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Strope thinking.
Popovic steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Strope.
Strope misses with an uppercut. Popovic saw that one coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strope throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Strope throws a series of punches but Popovic avoids them all with ease.
A cross from Strope lands.
Popovic scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Strope on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Popovic scores with a nice right hand.
Strope fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Trent Strope is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Strope uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Popovic.
Strope jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Popovic scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Strope looks gassed!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Popovic throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Strope takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Popovic throws a jab when Strope was well out of range.
Trent Strope seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Strope will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Popovic is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Popovic throws a series of punches but Strope moves out of range.
Popovic shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Strope sprawls well. Strope wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Popovic gets slowly back to his feet.
Strope thuds his right hand into Popovic's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Popovic ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Strope moves away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Popovic misses the body punch
and Strope counters with a straight right hand.
Nice shot by Popovic.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Trent Strope will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Strope uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Popovic.
Strope throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Popovic counters with a left to the body.
Strope's jab looks to have found its range, popping Popovic under the eye.
Popovic is looking to wear down Strope with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Popovic pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A slow jab from Popovic misses its intended target.
Trent Strope is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Popovic digs a good hook to Strope's body.
Popovic stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Strope scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Strope avoids the body shot from Popovic.
Strope loads up on a big right hand but Popovic slips the punch.
Strope moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Strope looks to land a right hand but Popovic moved out of range.
Popovic just misses with a punch to the body.
Strope might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popovic throws a lazy right hand but Strope sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Popovic rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Strope counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Strope fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Popovic manages to avoid it.
A big left from Strope misses.
Popovic looks to score with a jab to the body but Strope is just out of range.
Strope swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Popovic fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Strope on the side of the head.
Popovic takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Strope avoids a punch combination nicely.
Strope uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Popovic.
Popovic avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Popovic misses with a hook. Strope ducked under it nicely.
Popovic misses the shot to the body.
Strope defending well as Popovic loads up on a big left hand.
Popovic throws a lazy uppercut
and Strope counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Strope takes a jab right on the kisser.
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!
Strope misses with a series of wild punches.
Strope misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Popovic.
Popovic throws a one two combo.

Strope is rocked!
Popovic lunges in with a left hook that violently twists Strope head around and knocks him out cold! Popovic hops onto the ropes and yells out at the top of his lungs - Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah! They're showing the replay on the big screens now; that was nasty! I hope one of the photographers got a good shot of it.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:01 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Branko Popovic!
Branko Popovic is the new middleweight champion!