PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Erin Dolor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Pope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Erin Dolor has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Dolor
vs
Pope

178 cm
26
162 lbs
7 - 7 - 0

200 cm
26
157 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Great elbows
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Erin Dolor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, John Pope!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Steven Brown and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dolor closes the distance and clinches up with Pope, looking for a takedown. Dolor pushes Pope against the cage but Pope circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Pope keeps the fight on the outside.

Pope clinches.
Pope has Dolor pushed against the cage.

Dolor gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Dolor seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Pope has momentary wrist control but Dolor slips an elbow through the middle.
Dolor postures up and lands a big shot to Pope's brow.
Dolor lands a couple of decent looking shots.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dolor is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Pope working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Dolor.
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!

Pope looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Pope has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Dolor can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dolor stands up over Pope, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Pope being controlled here, momentarily.
Dolor lands a couple of elbows.
Dolor makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Pope is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Dolor defends well.
Pope controls Dolor momentarily but Dolor frees himself.
Dolor lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Dolor is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dolor is in close to Pope's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Dolor passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Pope tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Dolor wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Dolor lands a nice forearm strike.
Pope tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Dolor is staying tight to Pope's torso, preventing him from escaping.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Pope can't do much from the bottom here.
Dolor is putting a hurting on Pope here, landing some big shots from side control.
Pope gets back to half guard.
Dolor scoring with strikes to the body and head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dolor content to control rather than advance.
Pope is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Dolor's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Dolor's back!
Pope throwing wild punches that miss their target.
Pope throwing sloppy strikes.
Pope not allowing Dolor to control his hands.
Pope somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Pope thows a strike but Dolor uses the opportunity to reverse the position! Great move by Dolor as he ends up in Pope 's guard!
Pope not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Dolor lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pope can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Dolor controls the pace.
Pope is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Dolor connects with a couple of short punches.

Pope is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Dolor defends well.
Pope is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Dolor content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Pope looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Dolor lands a couple of digs.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dolor scoring with punches to the head and body.
Dolor lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Dolor lands a couple of digs.
Dolor is working Pope over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Erin Dolor dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Dolor shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Pope as he jumps to the side.

Dolor gets tackled into the cage by Pope. Pope maintains the clinch.
Dolor looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Dolor goes for a takedown in the clinch but Pope prevents it.
Pope lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Pope creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Dolor's defenses.
Pope stops a takedown attempt from Dolor.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Erin Dolor. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pope throws an elbow that misses.
Pope misses with an elbow strike.
Pope lands a nice elbow.
Nice elbow from Pope.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pope lands an elbow just above Dolor 's eye.
Pope is pressed up against the cage. Dolor has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Pope down to the mat. Pope avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Dolor looks for a takedown but Pope sprawls well.
Dolor fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
John Pope is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Pope keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Dolor shoots in but no luck this time.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pope swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Dolor.
Dolor takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Dolor shoots for a takedown but Pope saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dolor misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Pope gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Pope.
Dolor has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Pope avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Dolor tries for a takedown but Pope manages to get underhooks.
Knees in the clinch landing for Pope.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Pope is looking to control Dolor's arms but Dolor gets an underhook and turns him. Now Pope has his back to the cage.
Pope lands a damaging elbow.
Pope throws an elbow but it misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope lands an elbow inside that Dolor shrugs off.
Pope stalling in the clinch but Dolor improves position.
Pope throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Pope trying to land knees to the body.
With the fighters up against the cage, Pope throws an elbow but misses.
Dolor blocks the elbow strike.

Dolor gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Pope regains guard.
Dolor knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Pope on the ground.

Pope had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Dolor defends it easily.

Pope escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Dolor gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Pope is trying to control the position but Dolor postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pope escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Dolor gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Dolor cracks Pope with a solid left hand.
Erin Dolor overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Dolor looking to pass the guard.

Pope throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Dolor content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Pope is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Pope is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Dolor is aware though and is defending well.
Dolor landing with the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Pope showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Dolor fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Pope sprawls well initially but Dolor persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Pope is trying to maintain the position but Dolor is very close to passing his half guard.
Nice strikes from Dolor there.
Dolor scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Dolor not doing much here.
Pope is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Dolor's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Dolor's back!
Dolor trying to control but not successfully.
Dolor trying to survive by controlling the hands.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pope working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Dolor is trying to get back to his feet but Pope has full control of the position and if anything, Dolor has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Even with his hooks in, Pope manages to miss with strikes from the back.
Dolor prevents Pope from getting a body triangle.
Dolor wriggles onto his back under a barage of strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dolor avoids a series of strikes thrown by Pope.
Pope looking to finish with strikes here!
Pope throwing strikes here but Dolor is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Pope punching from mount but Dolor doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Pope throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Dolor because Pope loaded up on that one.
Pope sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Dolor blocking the ground and pound.
Dolor blocking the ground and pound.
Pope throws some wild stikes that Dolor manages to avoid easily.
Pope has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Pope sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Pope punching from mount but Dolor doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Dolor is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Pope thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pope throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Pope throwing strikes here but Dolor is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Pope thowing shots but they're missing.
Dolor wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Pope.
Pope looking to control but Dolor is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Pope goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Dolor is on top in guard.
Dolor distracts Pope with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Pope comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Pope 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 James Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 28:29
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Pope!