PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Michael Pope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gabriel Halo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pope kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is For Whom The Bell Tolls. Halo has chosen I am a Nightmare Walking as his entrance music. 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.

Pope
vs
Halo

190 cm
26
213 lbs
14 - 7 - 0

188 cm
27
215 lbs
10 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Conviction
Convicted Trap House

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Michael Pope!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Gabriel Halo!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A telegraphed right hand from Pope misses the target.
Pope uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Halo has time to react.
Halo thuds a left hand into Pope's body.
Halo connects with a solid leg kick.
Halo tries a head kick but it misses.
Halo misses with a looping left.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Pope thows a body shot but no joy.
Halo misses with a body shot.
Pope throws a hook but Halo blocks it.
A good leg kick by Pope.
Halo swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Michael Pope seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Halo lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Halo, as that shot connected.
Pope looks to score with a jab to the body but Halo is just out of range.
Pope throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Halo lands with a shot to the body.
Halo scores with a hook.
Pope clobbers Halo with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Pope connects with a nice looking jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halo fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Pope looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Pope is breathing heavily.
Pope loads up on a big right hand but Halo slips the punch.
Pope tries to clinch there but Halo circles away.
Pope tries to move into range but Halo moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Jab, jab by Pope - just one landing.
Nice body kick there by Pope.
Pope misses with a low kick.
Halo cracks Pope with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Halo's jab looks to have found its range, popping Pope under the eye.
An inside leg kick from Pope misses.

Pope gets a clinch.
Halo stalling in the clinch but Pope improves position.
Halo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Pope is defending well for now.
Pope misses with a body punch.
Halo content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Halo gets through Pope's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Pope.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halo struggles to land a body shot inside as Pope controls his hands.
Pope fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Pope fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Halo tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Pope lands with a right to the head.
Pope tries to circle away but Halo has him pinned against the cage.
Pope fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Halo lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Pope scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Pope goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Halo tries a body shot but Pope blocks it.
Pope makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Halo trying to stall but Pope improves his position.
Pope pushes Halo back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Pope lands a left hand.
Pope is trying to maintain a safe position but Halo gets an underhook and turns Pope into the cage.
Pope misses with some punches.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Pope.
Halo managing to block the knees to the body from Pope.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for Halo to work.
Halo is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Halo misses with a punch to the body.
A nice left hand lands by Halo.
Pope has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Halo breaks the clinch.
Pope misses with a body shot.
Pope dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Halo. That did some damage!
Halo ducks under a wild hook from Pope.
A slow jab from Pope misses its intended target.
Pope misses with a hook.
Pope connects with the punch.
Nice defenses there by Halo.
Halo throws a quick inside leg kick.
Halo tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Pope was well out of range. Poor timing from Halo.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Pope connects with a good right hand that stumbles Halo. Halo circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pope thows a left - swing and a miss!
Halo ducks under a wild hook from Pope.
Nice jab there from Pope.
Halo slips a jab from Pope.
Pope throws a poor cross that misses
and Halo counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Halo thumps Pope with a low kick.
Halo turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Halo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Pope moves away.
Halo scores with a nice right hand.
Halo lands with an overhand left.
A telegraphed right hand from Halo misses the target.
Nice defenses there by Halo.
Halo throws a shot to the body.
Pope takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
A big left from Halo misses.
Pope thows a body shot but no joy.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Pope swings widly with a right hand
and Halo makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Pope really felt that one!
Halo misses with a wild body shot.
Pope throws an overhand right that lands on Halo's shoulder, as Halo tries to avoid the shot.
Halo is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

Halo cracks Pope with a big right hand that sends him crashing to the floor. Halo has the opportunity to follow him to the ground but instead he's beckoning Pope to stand back up!

Pope is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Halo closes the distance and lands a brutal uppercut that knocks Pope out! We're looking at the replay now - he was out before he hit the floor!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5:25 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Gabriel Halo!