PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Skip Church (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodney Poper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Church comes to the cage accompanied by Cher Lloyd - Swagger Jagger. Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Church
vs
Poper

165 cm
27
141 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

160 cm
25
135 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great elbows
Experienced

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Intelligent

Just Fight (Everything 7$)
Speed Junkie Supplements Q160-158-155 (95%Laundry)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Skip Church!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rodney Poper!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Hugh Johnson and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Church scores with a shot to the body.
Nice jab there from Church.
Poper slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Church tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Poper manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Church uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Poper.
Church throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Poper stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Church lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Church's jab looks to have found its range, popping Poper under the eye.
Church doesn't manage to clinch there - Poper circles away.
Church slips a jab from Poper.

Church fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Poper, pushing him back against the cage.
Church lands with a light punch inside.
I was talking to Church's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Poper tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Church's elbow.
Church lands a shoulder strike.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Poper misses with a punch to the body.
Church taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Church as Poper tries to tie him up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poper misses with a punch on the inside.
Church lands an elbow that stopped Poper in his tracks for a moment.

Church pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Poper avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A shot to the body from Poper misses
and Church connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Church ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Church looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Church uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Poper.
Church fails with an attempt to clinch.
Church lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Church wants to clinch up but Poper keeps it at a distance.
Church takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Poper misses with a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Church tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Poper paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Church fails with an attempt to clinch.
Church scores with a hook.
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!
A looping hook to the body misses from Church. Poper does a little dance to reset his feet.
Poper throws a hook but Church avoids it easily.
Church throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Poper pivots, looking for a leg kick but Church is out of range and Poper settles back down.
Church fails with an attempt to clinch.
Poper connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Church checks a low kick from Poper.
Poper takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Church stuffs the takedown.
Poper is trying hard to land a takedown here. Church sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Church lands with a straight right. Poper didn't see that one coming.

Church darts in and clinches Poper up against the cage.
Church taking a breather.

Church breaks from the clinch.
Poper takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Church uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Poper.
Church digs a good body shot into Poper's ribs.
Poper throws a low kick but it's checked well by Church.
That kick from Church tenderised Poper's leg. Poper is trying to keep his angry face on.
Church fails with an attempt to clinch.
Church tries to close the distance and clinch but Poper swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Church throws out a powerful jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Poper lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Church has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Church and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Church cracks Poper with a right hand to the side of the head.
Skip Church seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
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!

Church pushes Poper up against the cage in a clinch.
Nice elbow from Church.
Poper stops a takedown attempt from Church.
Church is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Skip Church has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rodney Poper.

Church breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Poper takes a swing at Church's ribcage but misses.
Church is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Church fails in his attempt to clinch.
Church connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Poper throws a looping overhand right but Church ducks down to avoid it.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Poper misses with an attempted mid kick.
Church takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Church avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Poper throws a jab when Church was well out of range.
Poper misses with a low kick.
Church scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Church is looking to clinch but Poper is avoiding it.
Church fails with an attempt to clinch.
Church fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Poper uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Church.
Church wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Skip Church is winning the standup battle so far.
Poper waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Church.
Church ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Poper keeps the fight on the outside.
Church is looking to wear down Poper with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Church throws a right and a left that Poper avoids nicely.
Church fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Church gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Poper lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Church is rocked!
Poper fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Church is out of range.
Oh Church is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Church is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Poper displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Church throws out the jab.
Church looks up at the clock. Bad move! Poper lands a right hand from hell, dropping Church. Poper pounces and finishes the fight with a flurry of punches and elbows.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:30 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Rodney Poper!