PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joey Popham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rusty Clapper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Popham comes into the arena with remember the name blaring out of the sound system. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Popham
vs
Clapper

177 cm
25
169 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

175 cm
25
160 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Joey Popham!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Rusty Clapper!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Robert Douchet and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Popham moves in looking to clinch but Clapper pushes him off.

Clapper closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
An elbow from Clapper crashes against the mat.
Clapper trying to control the action but Popham is working from the bottom.
Clapper landing a few strikes.
Clapper throwing shots but missing, from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clapper has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Clapper landing strikes, looking to finish!
Clapper trying to control but Popham is having none of it.
Popham regains half guard.
Popham is trying to get back to full guard.
Popham is pressing down on Clapper's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clapper slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Clapper advances to half guard.

Popham looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Popham regains full guard. Nicely done.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Popham keeping moving, preventing Clapper from controlling successfully.
Clapper pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Popham is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popham utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Clapper wants to control from the top but Popham keeps moving.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Popham has his foot on Clapper's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Clapper works his way back into a safe position though.
Clapper trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Popham is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Clapper is aware though and is defending well.

Clapper stands and steps away. Popham gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Clapper has Popham up against the ropes in a clinch.

Clapper decides to pull guard.
Popham postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Popham lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Popham avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Clapper looks gassed!
Popham pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Clapper is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rusty Clapper dominated that round.
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.

Popham misses with a takedown

and Clapper counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Popham!

Clapper looking to secure an arm triangle but Popham defends it well.
Clapper with the ground and pound from mount.
Clapper can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Popham is looking to escape.
Popham regains half guard.
Clapper wants to take a breather but Popham is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clapper not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Clapper stalling away here and it's allowed Popham to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Clapper wants to pass the guard but Popham is keeping the position.
Rusty Clapper has got the better of the ground game so far.
Clapper is breathing heavily.

Popham working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Clapper has passed into half guard!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Clapper content to control rather than advance.
Clapper is just content to waste time from the top position. Popham takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Clapper must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Clapper trying to move into half guard but instead Popham has managed to sweep!
Popham trying to move into half guard but instead Clapper has managed to sweep!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clapper with a flurry of punches that miss.
Clapper wants to control from the top but Popham keeps moving.

Popham is looking to sinch up a triangle. Clapper throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Popham's body to avoid the submission. Popham has instead reached around Clapper's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Popham arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:32 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Joey Popham!