PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Azadshatru Singh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jan Pope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Singh
vs
Pope

176 cm
44
148 lbs
21 - 10 - 1

181 cm
27
153 lbs
11 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Azadshatru Singh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jan Pope!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Kenichi Hosakawa and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pope connects with a right hand. Singh shakes it off.
Pope looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Singh appears to be looking for a big counter.
Singh blocks a leg kick.
An attempted straight right counter from Singh misses the target.
Pope fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
As Pope looks to move away, Singh throws a big counter combo but Pope just gets out of the way.
Pope misses the jab.
A counter left hand to the body from Singh misses its target.
Pope avoids the head kick by Singh.

Singh gets a clinch.
Pope creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
We've been informed that Pope has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Singh misses with the head strike.
Singh tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Pope misses with a hook to the ribs.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pope has a couple of punches blocked by Singh.
Singh blocking some punches.
Pope lands an elbow that stopped Singh in his tracks for a moment.
Singh blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Pope throws a head punch that misses.
Singh tries to break free but Pope pushes him back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Pope.
Singh lands a shoulder strike.
Singh lands with a light punch inside.
Pope blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Singh breaks the clinch.
Singh takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Jan Pope seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pope throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
As Pope looks to move away, Singh throws a big counter combo but Pope just gets out of the way.
Pope throws a head kick but Singh moves out of range.

Singh moves into the clinch.
Singh swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Singh breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Singh just misses with a punch to the body.
Pope throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Singh goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pope closes this distance looking for a takedown but Singh circles away.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Pope tries for a takedown but Singh sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Singh seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Singh throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Singh blocks a jab.
It looked like Singh was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Singh tries to bum rush Pope with a series of wild strikes but Pope uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Pope will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Pope fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Singh throws a sloppy head kick and Pope moves out of range easily.
Pope looks to throw the jab but Singh is out of range.
Singh throwing a counter right hand but Pope manages to avoid it.
Pope cracks Singh with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Pope getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Singh slips under a jab.
A little feinted left hand from Singh on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Pope delivers a nice body kick.
Singh throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Singh moves away from the strike by Pope.
Singh throwing a counter right hand but Pope manages to avoid it.
Singh keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
A clash of legs there as Singh blocks the low kick.
Pope misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Singh.
Singh is looking to counter with head kicks.
Pope throws a hook but Singh avoids it easily.
Singh misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Singh tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Pope comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pope rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Singh moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
It looked like Singh wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Nice cross by Pope.
Singh looks to throw the jab but Pope is out of range.
Pope throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Singh was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Pope doesn't manage to clinch there - Singh circles away.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Pope lands a jab-cross combination.
Pope fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Singh on the side of the head.
Pope connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Singh misses with a few strikes there.
A little jabbing left from Pope on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Singh misses with a right hand
and Pope counters with a stiff right hand.
Pope misses with a looping right.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Singh will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Singh on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Pope. Pope obviously looking to wear him down.
Pope misses with a series of wild punches.
Pope closes the distance looking to clinch
and Singh counters with a stiff right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Singh misses with a jab, cross combination.
Singh checks a leg kick.
A little feinted left hand from Singh on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Pope scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Singh throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Pope's head.
Singh just misses with a punch to the body.
Pope misses with a looping right.
Singh keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Singh takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Azadshatru Singh is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Singh rushes Pope and presses him up against the cage.
Pope working aggressively here.

Singh manages to break the clinch.
A big left from Pope misses.
Pope with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Singh moves away from the strike by Pope.
Pope listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Pope throws out a leg kick but Singh moves out of range and Pope only half commits.
Pope throws a hook but Singh blocks it.
Pope lands an overhand right.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Pope closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Singh on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Pope.
Pope fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Singh chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Pope can pounce on him.
Nice uppercut lands for Pope. That snapped Singh's head back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Singh instigates a clinch.
A short left from Singh.
Singh pushes Pope back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Singh's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Pope fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Singh.
Singh tries a head kick but it misses.
Pope loads up on a big right hand but Singh slips the punch.

Singh closes the distance and clinches.
Pope working aggressively here.

Singh manages to break the clinch.
Pope swinging wildly here.
Singh throwing a counter right hand but Pope manages to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Singh rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Pope moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Pope misses with a low kick.
Singh ducks under a wild hook from Pope.
Singh throws a big shot that misses.
Pope turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Pope looks to land a body kick but Singh moved away.
Singh was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Pope swinging wildly here.
Sloppy strikes from Singh. Those never looked like landing.
Pope throws a lazy head kick
and Singh counters with a leg kick.
Jan Pope seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Pope misses with a straight right.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jan Pope showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Singh tries to bum rush Pope with a series of wild strikes but Pope uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Pope takes a head kick and keeps coming.

Singh has taken the fight to the clinch.

Singh breaks from the clinch.
Singh misses with a few strikes there.
Singh throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Singh pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Pope misses with a few strikes there.
Singh is looking for a counter combo.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Singh moves into the clinch successfully.
Pope lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Pope stalling the fight.
Azadshatru Singh has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Pope has Singh pressed against the cage, preventing Singh from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Pope blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Singh misses with a punch on the inside.
Singh throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Popes head.

Singh escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Singh misses with a wild combination.
Singh takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Singh misses with a looping left.
Pope looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Pope showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Singh.
A little jabbing left from Pope on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.

Singh gets a clinch.
Azadshatru Singh has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pope working aggressively here.
Singh dodges an elbow strike from Pope.
Singh swings wildly with an uppercut but Pope uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pope misses with the head strike.

Singh breaks the clinch.
Singh lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Pope circles away quickly and effectively.
Despite the aggression on Pope's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Good work by Singh as he checks the leg kick.
Pope fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Pope misses with a jab, cross combination.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Singh checks a leg kick.
A swing and a miss from Pope.
Pope misses with a straight left.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope misses with an uppercut. Singh saw that one coming.
Pope throws a poor cross that misses
and Singh counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
A punch combination from Pope misses.
Singh appears to be looking for a big counter.
Pope fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Singh throws a right and a left that Pope avoids nicely.
Singh moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Jan Pope is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Singh throws a head kick but Pope moves out of range.
Singh throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Singh needs to keep his hands up - Pope had a free shot at his head there.
Singh takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nice jab there from Pope.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice uppercut lands for Pope. That snapped Singh's head back.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Pope, right into the meat.
Pope buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Pope lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Pope turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Singh on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Pope connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Pope fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Singh on the side of the head.
Pope ducks under a wild hook from Singh.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Pope! But no joy.
Singh lands with a nice combination. Pope backs away looking to recover.

Pope is rocked!

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Azadshatru Singh.
I think Pope has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jan Pope!
A very excited looking Jan Pope made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.