PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mikhail Popkov (ranked 1999 p4p, 297 weight class) and Desmond Okafor (ranked 2526 p4p, 358 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Popkov
vs
Okafor

200 cm
20
210 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

202 cm
20
215 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mikhail Popkov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Desmond Okafor!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Stewart Dunkirk and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Okafor misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Popkov throwing a counter right hand but Okafor manages to avoid it.
Okafor lands a nice looking body shot.
Popkov misses with a double jab.
Popkov swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Okafor let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Okafor scores with a nice body kick.
Okafor moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Okafor fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Popkov has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Okafor misses with a low kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Popkov looks to score with a jab to the body but Okafor is just out of range.
Okafor only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Okafor avoids a punch combination nicely.
Okafor has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Popkov is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Desmond Okafor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Popkov on the wrong end of a nice jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popkov throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Popkov misses with a few strikes there.
A nice inside leg kick there by Okafor. That's going to slow Popkov down.
Popkov throws a jab but it's blocked by Okafor.
Popkov lands a jab.
Popkov throws out a loose jab but Okafor uses good head movement to avoid it.
Okafor replies with a solid counter kick to the body but Popkov blocks it well.
Okafor misses with an uppercut. Popkov saw that one coming.
The fighters circling - Popkov throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Okafor takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Okafor 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 Popkov has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Popkov and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Popkov swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Okafor scores with a push kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Okafor looks to throw the jab but Popkov is out of range.
It looked like Popkov was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Okafor tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Popkov takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Popkov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Okafor circles away quickly and effectively.
Okafor throws out a counter right but Popkov avoids it with no problem.
Popkov swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Okafor pivots, looking for a leg kick but Popkov is out of range and Okafor settles back down.
Okafor cracks Popkov with a right hand to the side of the head.
Okafor swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Okafor throws a quick inside leg kick.
Okafor throws out a leg kick but Popkov moves out of range and Okafor only half commits.
Popkov misses with a double jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Okafor jabs at Popkov's body.
Popkov tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Popkov throws a hook but Okafor avoids it easily.
Okafor lands with a kick to the ribs.
Okafor steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Popkov.
Okafor fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Popkov has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Popkov on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Okafor moves forwards but Popkov connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Okafor connects with an inside leg kick.
Okafor scoring well with a low kick there.
Okafor scores with a kick to the midsection.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Okafor ducks under a wild hook from Popkov.
Popkov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nice straight punches there by Okafor. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Okafor.

Oooooh!!! Okafor has knocked Popkov down with a huge combo! Okafor steps away and waves a wobbly Popkov back to his feet! This one might not go much longer!

Popkov is rocked!
Popkov on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Popkov misses with a shot to the body
and Okafor counters with an outside leg kick.
Popkov misses with an uppercut
and Okafor counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Okafor swings widly with a right hand
and Okafor takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Okafor pivots, looking for a leg kick but Popkov is out of range and Okafor settles back down.
Popkov ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Okafor moves away.
Okafor lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Desmond Okafor dominated that 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.

Okafor has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Okafor there as he acknowledges the shot.
Okafor throws a lazy head kick
and Okafor takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Okafor fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Popkov checks it well.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Popkov crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Okafor - the referee stops the clock and Popkov gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Okafor. Popkov manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Okafor throws a hook but Popkov avoids it easily.
Okafor fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
This entire fight has taken place on the feet so far and you wonder whether Popkov might be better served trying to take this one to the ground because he's losing the standup battle so far.
Popkov scores with a jab to the head.
Popkov misses with an uppercut. Okafor saw that one coming.
Okafor shapes to counter with a head kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Popkov's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Popkov duly obliges.
Okafor throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Desmond Okafor seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Okafor swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popkov throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Popkov throws an overhand right that lands on Okafor's shoulder, as Okafor tries to avoid the shot.
Okafor lands a leg kick that knocks Popkov off balance momentarily.
Popkov steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Okafor.
Popkov throws a jab when Okafor was well out of range.
Okafor throws out a counter right but Popkov avoids it with no problem.
Popkov will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Popkov ducks under a wild hook from Okafor.
Mikhail Popkov is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Popkov throws a right and a left that both miss.
Okafor counters with a body kick.
Okafor cracks a nice hook into Popkov's ribs.
Popkov has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Okafor.
Popkov cracks Okafor with an open hand slap.
Popkov uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Okafor.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Okafor fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Popkov has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Okafor misses with a low kick as Popkov jumps back.
Okafor fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Popkov has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Okafor, right into the meat.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Popkov needs to keep his hands up - Okafor had a free shot at his head there.
Okafor gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Okafor takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Popkov falls off balance throwing a combination
and Okafor counters with a straight right hand.
Popkov's legs have taken a beating and he's really slowing down as a result.
A leg kick checked by Popkov.
Popkov on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Okafor.
Okafor slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Popkov is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
That kick from Okafor tenderised Popkov's leg. Popkov is trying to keep his angry face on.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Okafor.
Okafor scores with a leg kick.
Okafor throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Okafor throws a half hearted mid kick.
Popkov misses with a looping right.
Okafor defending well as Popkov loads up on a big left hand.
Okafor was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Okafor connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Okafor throws a half hearted mid kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Okafor dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Okafor. Popkov shrugs it off though.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Decent striking displayed by Okafor there.
Popkov looks to throw the jab but Okafor is out of range.
A shot to the liver by Okafor. Beautiful body shot.
Okafor lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Popkov circles away quickly and effectively.
Okafor fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Okafor scores with a body shot.
Okafor misses with a low kick as Popkov jumps back.
Popkov takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Desmond Okafor showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Popkov's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Popkov steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Okafor. That one must have hurt.
Popkov throws an off balance right hand
and Okafor counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Oh Popkov is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Popkov walks into a straight right, dropping him to the canvas! Okafor swarms him and finishes the fight with a hail of punches! What a brutal finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:17 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Desmond Okafor!
Desmond Okafor decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.