PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Robert Pounder (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Hope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Pounder
vs
Hope

190 cm
22
211 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

180 cm
21
200 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Robert Pounder!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Dan Hope!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Steve Erwin and Summer Carpenter.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hope wants to clinch.
A head kick misses from Pounder.
Pounder misses with a double jab.
Pounder will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
No luck for Hope with that takedown attempt.
Hope will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A decent looking cross lands there for Pounder.
Hope doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Pounder counters with a nice body shot.
Robert Pounder has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Hope.

Hope scores a takedown into full mount!
A nice elbow there by Hope.
Hope trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Pounder defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Hope.
Pounder is trying to stand up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pounder is in a horrible position here. Hope smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

Hope stands up from mount. Strange move.
Pounder stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Hope shoots in for a takedown but Pounder shows good takedown defense.
Pounder is breathing heavily.
Hope clinches but Pounder breaks the clinch
and Pounder counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Pounder throws a series of strikes that have Hope backpedaling.
Both fighters circling a little - Pounder finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Pounder drives through and clinches with Hope against the cage.
Pounder softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Hope tries for a takedown but Pounder manages to get underhooks.
Pounder lands a nice uppercut.
Pounder lands a body shot in the clinch.
Nice body punch from Pounder - that landed with a thud.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hope's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Pounder digs a right hand into Hope's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Hope's gas tank.
Pounder lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Hope backwards.
A right hook to the body lands for Pounder.
A nice right hand lands inside from Pounder.
Pounder is pressed up against the cage. Hope has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Pounder down to the mat. Pounder avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Pounder moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Pounder does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Hope looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Pounder lands with a straight right. Hope didn't see that one coming.
Robert Pounder seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
No joy there for Pounder, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Hope closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Hope lands in his opponent's guard.
Hope controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Hope wants to control from the top but Pounder keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hope controls from within his opponent's guard.
Pounder is striking from the bottom but Hope uses the opportunity to pass into half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Pounder tries to roll over but Hope keeps him under control.
Pounder is not content to let Hope control the position.
Hope is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Pounder!
Hope takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hope wants to control the pace but Pounder is squirming around nicely.
Pounder is trying to escape the mount.
Hope looking to control and managing it successfully.
Hope is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Pounder can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
BOOM! Hope connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Hope has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hope wants to control the pace but Pounder is squirming around nicely.
Pounder working to try and regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Robert Pounder dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Hope tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Pounder counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Hope looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Pounder is fending him off so far but Hope persists. Nope, Pounder circles away and we're back to standing.
Hope is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Pounder closes the distance and clinches.
Pounder is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Hope wants to break the clinch but can't.
Pounder lands with a light punch inside.
Pounder tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A left hand lands to the body for Pounder.

Hope breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hope fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Pounder lands a two punch combo.
No joy there for Pounder, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Hope looks for a takedown but Pounder sprawls well.
Robert Pounder has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Hope.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hope will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Hope changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Pounder tries to avoid it but Hope manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Pounder to the ground. Pounder escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Pounder stuffs the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hope shoots in but Pounder avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Robert Pounder is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Pounder will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hope misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Hope tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Pounder connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Hope looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Pounder is fending him off so far but Hope persists. Nope, Pounder circles away and we're back to standing.
A right-left combo lands from Pounder.

Pounder closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Come on Hope - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Hope crunches a lovely knee into Pounder's ribcage.

Hope manages to break the clinch.
Pounder throws a series of punches but Hope moves out of range.
Hope misses with a takedown
and Pounder counters with a nice body shot.
Robert Pounder is winning the standup battle so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hope shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Pounder as he jumps to the side.
Pounder shoots for a double leg takedown but Hope sprawls well. He's pushed Pounder's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Hope fails to land the takedown.
Hope gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Pounder is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pounder misses with the combination.
Hope fails with the takedown
and Pounder makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Pounder!
Hope darts in trying to clinch
and Hope takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hope tries for a takedown but Pounder sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Pounder swinging wilding here.

Hope scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Hope decides to return to a standing position.

Pounder fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Hope, pushing him back against the cage.
Pounder gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Hope.
Pounder wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Hope pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Pounder will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hope tries to clinch but Pounder is having none of it.
Hope looks for a takedown but Pounder sprawls well.
Hope drops his hands momentarily and Pounder takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pounder misses with a few strikes there.
Hope misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Pounder misses with a series of wild punches.
Hope shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Pounder counters with a nice uppercut.
Hope shoots and misses
and Pounder counters with a stiff right hand.
A punch combination from Pounder misses.

Hope decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Hope is tying to control. Pounder wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Hope winds up and cracks Pounder with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Hope works his way into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hope wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pounder keeps working.
Hope lands an elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Robert Pounder 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. This is the final round!

Hope dodges the punch combination from Pounder.
Pounder's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Pounder duly obliges.
Hope with a poor takedown
and Pounder counters with a nice uppercut.

Hope gets the takedown into side control.
Hope moves into full mount!
Pounder wants to try and get back to his feet.
Hope fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Pounder wants to hold on but Hope pushes him away.
Pounder is trying desperately to improve position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hope with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Hope postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Pounder looks a forlorn figure.
Dan Hope has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pounder tries to reverse the position but Hope maintains control.
Hope can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Pounder is looking to escape.
Pounder really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Hope looking to control and managing it successfully.
Hope prevents Pounder from getting the reversal.
Hope lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Pounder hang on?
Hope controlling from the full mount.
Hope landing strikes from the mount and Pounder is in trouble!
Pounder tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hope is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Pounder can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Pounder is in all sorts of trouble here.
Hope trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Hope lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

Hope with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Hope looking to finish with strikes here!

Hope working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Pounder throwing hammer fists to the chest of Hope. What's that going to do exactly?
Hope wants to control the pace but Pounder is squirming around nicely.
Dan Hope has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hope is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Pounder working to try and regain half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hope trying to control but Pounder is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dan Hope comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Pounder has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Eliza Hachem scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Robert Pounder!