PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Pawel Popowicz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rico Rubio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Popowicz
vs
Rubio

176 cm
22
172 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
19
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pawel Popowicz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rico Rubio!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Luis Engracia and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Popowicz circles away from the clinch attempt.
Popowicz defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Rubio.

Rubio gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Popowicz has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Rubio regains guard immediately.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Popowicz tries to free his leg and advance position but Rubio is retaining full guard.
Popowicz lands a couple of elbows.
Popowicz working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Popowicz has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Rubio keeping moving, preventing Popowicz from controlling successfully.
Popowicz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rubio is keeping the position for now.
Popowicz lands a couple of elbows.
Popowicz wants to control from the top but Rubio keeps moving.
Rubio really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Popowicz. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Popowicz trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Popowicz throwing strikes from guard but Rubio blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rubio had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Popowicz defends it easily.
Rubio not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Rubio wants to stand up but Popowicz is controlling him.
Popowicz trying to control but Rubio is working from the bottom.
Rubio preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Popowicz trying to control the position from guard on top but Rubio is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Rubio holds on and takes a little breather.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Popowicz looks for a takedown but Rubio sprawls well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Popowicz swings widly with a right hand
and Rubio makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

Popowicz throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Rubio tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Popowicz is in Rubio's guard.
Popowicz throws a big elbow that misses.
Popowicz throwing strikes but missing.
Popowicz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Popowicz throws a big elbow that misses.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rubio 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.
Rubio is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Popowicz throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rubio works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rubio preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rubio throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

Popowicz drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Rubio dives on top into guard.
Rubio controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rubio looking to pass the guard.
Rubio trying to control the position from guard on top but Popowicz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Popowicz working a defensive guard here.
Rubio trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Popowicz escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Rubio gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Rubio postures up.

Popowicz is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Rubio defends well.
Popowicz is breathing heavily.
Rubio is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pawel Popowicz dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Popowicz lands a jab-cross combination.
Popowicz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rubio.
Rubio dives in and grabs Popowicz's left leg, looking for a takedown. Popowicz pushes down on Rubio's head and hops out.
Pawel Popowicz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rubio tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Popowicz swivels and escapes.

Rubio clinches up against the cage.

Popowicz ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Popowicz no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Rubio stopping the sweep attempt from Popowicz.
Rubio trying to control but Popowicz is working from the bottom.
Popowicz is trying to control the position but Rubio postures up.
Rubio must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popowicz throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Rubio slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Pawel Popowicz overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Popowicz is trying to keep Rubio in close.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Rico Rubio.
Popowicz shoots in for a double leg but Rubio sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Popowicz shoots for a double leg takedown but Rubio sprawls well. He's pushed Popowicz's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Popowicz fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pawel Popowicz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Popowicz keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rubio tries to clinch but Popowicz is having none of it.
Rubio has a takedown stuffed.

Popowicz gets tackled into the cage by Rubio. Rubio maintains the clinch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Rubio.

Rubio escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rubio shoots in for a takedown but Popowicz shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Popowicz stuns Rubio with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Pawel Popowicz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rubio is looking to clinch but Popowicz is avoiding it.

Popowicz shoots in and gets a takedown into Rubio's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Popowicz is in close to Rubio's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Rubio keeping moving, preventing Popowicz from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rubio seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Popowicz tries to free his leg and advance position but Rubio is retaining full guard.
Popowicz preventing the sweep.
Popowicz controlling from the top position.
Popowicz trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Pawel Popowicz just wasn't active enough.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rubio.

Popowicz tries to keep at a distance but Rubio has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Popowicz is trying to break the clinch but Rubio is controlling him.
Popowicz wants to take the fight to the mat but Rubio manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Popowicz can't break the clinch.
Popowicz misses with a knee to the head.

Rubio breaks the clinch.
Nice takedown defense from Rubio. No joy for Popowicz on that attempt.
Popowicz keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Rubio misses the jab.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rubio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Popowicz swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Popowicz shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rubio but Rubio pushes him off and we're back to square one.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pawel Popowicz dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

No luck with that takedown attempt from Rubio.
Nice takedown defense from Rubio. No joy for Popowicz on that attempt.
Rubio misses with an attempted mid kick.
Rubio displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Popowicz.
Rubio misses with a wild combination.
Popowicz misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pawel Popowicz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Popowicz decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rubio preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Rubio is looking to improve his position.
Popowicz prevents Rubio from standing back up.
Rubio avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Popowicz.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice strikes from Popowicz there.
Rubio regains full guard. Nicely done.
Popowicz is looking to work some ground and pound but Rubio has wrist control.
Popowicz trying to control but Rubio is working from the bottom.
Popowicz with a flurry of punches that miss.
Popowicz trying to control but Rubio is working from the bottom.
Popowicz with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rubio seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Pawel Popowicz just wasn't active enough.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Rubio.
Popowicz's corner calls for a 1-2. Popowicz obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Popowicz shoots in and drives through. Rubio sprawls well.
Rubio just misses with a punch to the body.
Pawel Popowicz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rubio moves in looking to clinch but Popowicz pushes him off.
Rubio misses with a head kick.
Popowicz throws a combination. Rubio tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Popowicz looks for a takedown but Rubio sprawls well.
Rubio dives in and grabs Popowicz's left leg, looking for a takedown. Popowicz pushes down on Rubio's head and hops out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Popowicz keeps the fight on the outside.

Popowicz bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Rubio tries to buck Popowicz off but Popowicz is having none of it.
Popowicz landing strikes.
Popowicz working the ground and pound from side control.
Popowicz in side control lands a decent elbow.
Rubio looks to move to half guard but instead Popowicz has passed into mount! Damn!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Popowicz in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rubio working to try and regain half guard.
Rico Rubio has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Popowicz looking to control but Rubio is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pawel Popowicz showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Popowicz, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pawel Popowicz!