PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jesus Pope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Elbrys Gora (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gora has chosen Cadillac Records - Howlin' Wolf Sings as his entrance music. Jesus Pope has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Pope
vs
Gora

225 cm
37
283 lbs
27 - 12 - 0

184 cm
30
272 lbs
20 - 9 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Namunamu Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 27 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jesus Pope!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 9 - 0, fighting out of London, Elbrys Gora!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Patrick Alders and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
We've got one fighter who appears to only be looking to counter and the other not looking particularly aggressive either, so we could be in for a dull fight.
Gora wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Gora throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Gora throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Elbrys Gora seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gora rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Pope counters with a shoot takedown. Gora fights it but they end up in guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gora is on top in guard.
Gora wants to pass the guard but Pope is keeping the position.
Pope is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gora wants to control from the top but Pope keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Elbrys Gora has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Gora misses with a left hand

and Pope counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Pope throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gora works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gora looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Gora is still trying to improve position.
Pope really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Gora manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Pope manages to get himself to full guard.
Pope keeping moving, preventing Gora from controlling successfully.
Gora won't allow Pope to sweep him here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gora wants to control from the top but Pope keeps moving.
Pope will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gora trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Elbrys Gora hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Gora swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Gora misses with an uppercut

and Pope counters with a single leg into guard. Gora didn't expect that.

Pope is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Gora is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Gora has escaped and now he's on top!

Pope is looking for a triangle but Gora pushes his legs off easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gora is stalling in the full guard.
Pope trying to control the position.
Gora stopping the sweep attempt from Pope.
Gora advances position into side control!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pope gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Gora is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pope looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Gora works his foot free and advances to mount.
Pope is wriggling around trying to escape.
Gora controlling the pace for now.

Gora jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Pope is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Pope and Gora has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Gora working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Elbrys Gora will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Gora swings for the body but Pope moves out of range.
Pope is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Gora changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Pope looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Pope is trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gora tries to advance to mount but can't.
Gora working the strikes but Pope uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Gora works his way into side control.
Gora takes a little break here. Pope wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

Gora tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Gora has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Gora is trying to get an arm triangle but Pope is defending well.
Pope is trying to work for a sweep but Gora has mounted him!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pope is looking to improve his position but Gora isn't that keen on the idea.

Gora has control of Pope's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Pope regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Pope sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Gora trying to control from Pope's half guard. Pope has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Pope looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Pope lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Gora!
Pope with a couple of short strikes.
Gora regains half guard.
Pope looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Jesus Pope overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gora is pressing down on Pope's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Pope missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Gora looking for a sweep. Not yet Gora, not yet.
Pope working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Gora is pulling down on Pope's head. It's preventing any offense from Pope, at least for the moment.
Pope preventing the sweep.
Pope in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Pope landing some decent shots from guard.
Pope trying to control but Gora is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pope landing some decent shots from guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gora keeping moving, preventing Pope from controlling successfully.
Gora is trying to keep Pope in close.
Pope working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Gora's head.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Pope accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gora wants to sweep here but Pope controlling him for the moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pope landing some decent shots from guard.
Pope wants to control from the top but Gora keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jesus Pope dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Gora paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Pope ducks under a wild hook from Gora.
Gora misses with a left hand

and Pope counters with a takedown into side control.
Pope throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Pope cracks Gora with a big right hand but Gora just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Pope looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Gora is avoiding damage well.
Gora tries to buck Pope off but Pope is having none of it.
Pope has knee on belly and moves into mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gora is trying to escape the mount.
Pope landing shots from mount.

It looks like Elbrys Gora has been cut.
Pope is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Gora can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Gora bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
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 real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Pope holds on and takes a little breather.
Pope keeping moving, preventing Gora from controlling successfully.
Gora preventing the sweep.
Gora loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Pope has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Pope keeping moving, preventing Gora from controlling successfully.

Pope is looking for a triangle but Gora pushes his legs off easily.
Pope manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gora manages to get himself to full guard.
Gora is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Pope won't allow Gora to sweep him here.
Pope works over Gora with some ground and pound from guard.

Gora is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Pope is aware though and is defending well.
Pope lands a couple of elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Pope working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Pope working some strikes from top position.
Pope throwing strikes from guard but Gora blocks nicely.
Pope trying to control but Gora is working from the bottom.
Pope throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gora trying to control the position.
Pope with a nice head shot there.
Pope throwing strikes but missing.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Pope accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Pope throws a strike but Gora rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pope wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

Pope has his foot on Gora's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gora works his way back into a safe position though.
Gora preventing the sweep.
Pope is trying to keep Gora in close.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gora stays in close to Pope's body and controls the position.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Gora stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pope swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gora preventing the sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jesus Pope clearly takes that round.
The cut man is working on Elbrys Gora's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Gora throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gora misses with a body shot.
Gora sizes up Pope with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

Pope gets caught flat footed, as Gora shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Gora sitting in guard here, content to control.
Pope is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gora tries to free his leg and advance position but Pope is retaining full guard.
Pope working a defensive guard but Gora manages to pass into side control anyway.
Pope manages to work his way to half guard, despite Gora's best efforts.
Gora wants to take a breather but Pope is having none of it.
Pope is looking to improve his position.
Gora is looking to advance position but Pope won't allow it.
Pope tries to get to full guard but Gora has control of the leg.
Pope trying to hold on to Gora's head to control him but Gora postures up.

Gora is working for a submission of some sort.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pope actively working from the bottom here.
Gora looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Gora is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Pope actively working from the bottom here.

Gora is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Pope is just riding it out for now. Gora eventually gives up the hold.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope trying to control here.
Pope is looking for a sweep. Gora is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Pope has a hand on Gora's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Gora takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Pope regains half guard.

Gora is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Pope doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Gora.

Gora is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Pope has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gora prevents Pope from improving his position.
Gora works his way into side control.
Pope is trying to control Gora's posture but Gora avoids it.
Pope is looking to regain half guard here but Gora keeps moving and retains side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pope stops Gora from passing to mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Gora tries for a kimura but Pope is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Elbrys Gora dominated that fourth round.
The cut man is working on Elbrys Gora's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Gora closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Pope's guard.
Gora trying to control the position from guard on top but Pope is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pope controls Gora momentarily but Gora frees himself.
Pope wants to sweep here but Gora controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gora showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Gora wants to control from the top but Pope keeps moving.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Elbrys Gora.

Gora throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Pope was covering up waiting for the punch and Gora finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Pope is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gora wants to control from the top but Pope keeps moving.
Pope looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Gora puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Pope moves into full guard.
Pope can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Gora controls the pace.
Pope keeping moving, preventing Gora from controlling successfully.
Gora trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Pope tries to land a sweep but no joy.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Pope can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Gora is looking to escape.
Pope landing strikes from the mount.
Pope is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Gora can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

That has opened up Elbrys Gora's cut even more.
Gora is in a horrible position here. Pope smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

The cut above Elbrys Gora's eye is starting to cause him problems now.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Elbrys Gora's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 5, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Jesus Pope!
Jesus Pope retains his heavyweight title!
An out of breath Jesus Pope thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.