PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Philip Richards (ranked 4690 p4p, 5430 weight class) and Erland Poka (ranked 399 p4p, 418 weight class). Richards comes to the ring accompanied by Suspect - z to a. Erland Poka is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Richards
vs
Poka

185 cm
25
160
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
23
160
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Northern Zombie

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Philip Richards!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Erland Poka!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Columbo Gatti and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Richards fails in his attempt to clinch.
Richards tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Poka paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Poka dives in and scores a takedown into Richards's guard.
Richards is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Richards working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Poka.
Richards keeping moving, preventing Poka from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Poka advances to half guard.
Richards tries to kick Poka off but Poka keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Richards blocking the ground and pound attempt from Poka.
Poka is controlling the pace.
Poka stops Richards from getting back to his feet.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Poka not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Poka is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Poka stops Richards from getting back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Poka throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Richards's waist but Richards gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Poka off to one side.
Richards swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Poka.
Richards tries to clinch but Poka moves out of range.
Richards tries to clinch there but Poka circles away.
Poka tries a quick counter leg kick but Richards is wise to it.
Poka blocks a head kick by Richards.
Richards doesn't manage to clinch there - Poka circles away.

Richards gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Richards wants to stall.
Richards lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Poka or not.
Poka looks winded!
Richards is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Poka looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Poka wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Richards has him pressed against the ropes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poka wants to break free but Richards has control.
Poka stalling in the clinch but Richards improves position.
A frustrated look appears on Poka's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Richards scores with a shoulder strike.

Richards manages to break the clinch.

Richards closes the distance and clinches.

Richards breaks from the clinch.
Richards tries to close the distance and clinch up but Poka swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Richards has managed to clinch.
Richards lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Erland Poka has been cut.
Richards pushes Poka back against the ropes and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Richards manages to break the clinch.
Poka keeps the fight on the outside.
Poka shoots in for a double leg but Richards sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Philip Richards has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Erland Poka.
Richards lunges at Poka with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Poka's hand.
Richards tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Poka manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richards tries to clinch up.
Richards tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Richards throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Richards tries to close the distance and clinch up but Poka swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A head kick from Richards lands but Poka takes it in his stride.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Richards.
The fight stays on the outside here - Richards looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Poka is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Richards wants to clinch up but Poka keeps it at a distance.
Richards is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Richards gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Richards.

Richards escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Richards tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Poka manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Poka fails to land the takedown.
Richards tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Poka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Richards doesn't manage to clinch there - Poka circles away.
Richards lands a nice looking body kick.
A right-left combo lands from Richards.

Richards drives through and clinches with Poka against the ropes.
Poka takes a knee to the side of the body.
Richards lands a left hand.

Richards breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
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!
Richards moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

That has opened up Erland Poka's cut even more.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Richards.
Richards is looking to clinch.
Richards wants to clinch.

Richards has Poka up against the ropes in a clinch.

Richards pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Poka swats away the attempt to clinch by Richards.
Richards tries to clinch but Poka is having none of it.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.

Richards clinches up with Poka and pushes him back against the ropes.

Richards breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Richards doesn't manage to clinch there - Poka circles away.
Poka swats away the attempt to clinch by Richards.
Richards changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Poka 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.
Richards throws a front kick that sends Poka stumbling back into the ropes.

Richards gets a clinch.
Richards is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Richards is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Richards is trying to maintain a safe position but Poka gets an underhook and turns Richards into the ropes.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.

Richards breaks the clinch.
Richards smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Poka keeps the fight on the outside.
Richards misses with a head kick.

Richards has taken the fight to the clinch.

Richards breaks from the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Richards moves into the clinch.
A left hand lands to the body for Richards.
Richards lands a left hand.

Richards manages to break the clinch.
Richards lands with a kick to the ribs.
Philip Richards is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Richards gets a clinch.

Richards breaks the clinch.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.

Richards closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.

Richards breaks the clinch.
Poka avoids a punch combination nicely.
Richards is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And Poka tries to counter it with a takedown but Richards pushes his down on his head and steps out.

Richards has managed to clinch.
Richards with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Richards is looking to control Poka's arms but Poka gets an underhook and turns him. Now Richards has his back to the ropes.
Poka with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Richards lands a nice elbow.

Richards manages to break the clinch.

Richards clinches.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Philip Richards dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Erland Poka's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Richards cracks Poka with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the ropes.
Poka avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Poka scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Poka trying to control the action but Richards is working from the bottom.

Richards sneaks out the side door and pushes Poka away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Richards throws a knee to the head but misses.
Richards is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Poka can do to turn this around?
Poka tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Poka looking to stall.
Richards managing to block the knees to the body from Poka.
Poka is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice left hand lands by Richards.
Richards tries to work over Poka's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Richards breaks the clinch.
Nice cross by Richards.

The cut above Erland Poka's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Richards wants to clinch.
Richards is looking to clinch.
Poka keeps the fight on the outside.
Richards throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Poka is pinned up against the ropes taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Richards throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Poka fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Richards throws a right and a left that both miss.
Poka throws a counter combo.
Richards tries to close the distance and clinch but Poka swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Richards lands a big head kick that sends Poka tumbling to the mat! Richards takes a step backwards and waves Poka back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Poka is rocked!
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!

Richards clinches.
Poka is still on wobbly legs! Can Richards finish him?
Richards using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Richards landing knees to the body.
Richards creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Poka's defenses.

Erland Poka's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.

Richards pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Poka gets tackled into the ropes by Richards. Richards maintains the clinch.
Richards gets through Poka's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Richards breaks the clinch.

Richards moves into the clinch.

Richards's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Richards clinches up against the ropes.
Poka seems to have recovered his senses.
Richards lands a shot to the body.
Richards misses with a knee to the head.
Philip Richards has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Poka takes a shot to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Richards escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Richards tries to close the distance and clinch up but Poka swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Poka avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Poka looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Richards wants to clinch.
Richards jabs Poka right on the nose. Poka blinks but takes it well.

Richards clinches.
Poka working hard to break the clinch.
Richards lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Richards lands with a short shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richards lands a left hand.

Richards manages to break the clinch.
Poka avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Poka walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Richards feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Pokas jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!

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

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:29 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Philip Richards!
An out of breath Philip Richards thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.