PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Chad Roth (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and JJ Pope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pope comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Gyalchester kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Chad Roth has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Roth
vs
Pope

154 cm
21
151 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

178 cm
23
149 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Inexperienced

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Chad Roth!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, JJ Pope!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Igor Prikhodko and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

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

Pope breaks the clinch.

Roth gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Pope lands an elbow that stopped Roth in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Chad Roth has been cut.
Roth changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Pope fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Pope has taken the fight to the clinch.

Pope has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Roth uses from the top position.
Pope is trying to control the position from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Roth's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Pope manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Roth closes the distance and pushes Pope back into the cage.
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!
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

Pope pulls guard successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roth lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Roth 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.

Pope escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Roth gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Pope looking for a sweep. Not yet Pope, not yet.
Roth distracts Pope with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Roth is working Pope over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Roth lands a couple of elbows.
Roth distracts Pope with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Roth working some strikes from top position.
Roth makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Roth really is a fat lump.
Pope throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Roth postures up.
Roth makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Pope manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Roth manages to get himself to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pope throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Roth works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Roth has control of Pope's left arm, preventing Pope from doing any damage.
Roth avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Roth looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pope is one step ahead there.
Roth looking to control.
Roth has Pope pulled in close to control his posture.

Roth has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Pope off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Roth instigates a clinch.
Pope is looking to break free of the clinch but Roth has double underhooks.
Roth presses Pope against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Roth is pushing Pope up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Roth is working for takedown but Pope is calmly controlling the position for now.
Roth is trying to pull guard but Pope turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chad Roth. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Roth is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Pope manages to break the clinch.

Pope drives through and clinches with Roth against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pope jumps guard and drags Roth to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Pope lands a couple of decent looking body shots there.
Roth being controlled here momentarily.
Pope is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Roth is controlling him.
Roth lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Roth working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Roth lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Pope trying to keep a closed guard but Roth is proving a slippery customer.
Roth stands up over Pope, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Pope trying to keep a closed guard but Roth is proving a slippery customer.
Roth postures up and lands a big shot to Pope's brow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Chad Roth will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Chad Roth's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Pope shoots in and gets a takedown into Roth's guard.
Roth is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Pope pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Roth is keeping the position for now.
Pope trying to control but Roth is working from the bottom.
Roth doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Roth wants to stand but Pope is controlling the position.
Roth might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Pope being controlled here momentarily.
Roth wants to stand but Pope is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roth is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Roth instigates a clinch.

Roth pulls guard successfully.
Pope postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Roth utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Pope trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Pope won't allow Roth to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Roth looking for a sweep. Not yet Roth, not yet.
Roth is working hard here to advance position.
Roth wants to get back to his feet but Pope is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Pope decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Pope rushes Roth and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Roth tries to work over Pope's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Roth goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Roth goes for a takedown attempt but Pope pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Pope instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Roth will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Pope up against the cage.
Roth misses with some punches.
Roth scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Stalling in the clinch from Roth.
Pope working hard to break the clinch.

Pope has picked Roth up - he's going for a ride! Pope dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Roth is trying to maintain the position but Pope is very close to passing his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roth keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Pope slips a nice elbow through Roth's hands, connecting with Roth's forehead.
Roth blocking the ground and pound attempt from Pope.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Roth is trying to get back to full guard.
JJ Pope has got the better of the ground game so far.
Roth keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

JJ Pope showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Chad Roth's cut.
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. This is the final round!

Roth closes the distance and clinches.
Roth jumps guard but Pope turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Roth is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Pope breaks the clinch.
Pope throws a right and a left that both miss.
Roth is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Pope.

Pope manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Roth on his heels. He'll look to pass Roth's guard now, I'm sure.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pope pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Roth is keeping the position for now.
Roth is controlling Pope's posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pope stopping the sweep attempt from Roth.
Roth wants to stand up but Pope is controlling him.
Roth throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Pope throws a strike but Roth rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Pope wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Roth manages to pass to side control.
Pope wants to get back to his feet.
Roth is nestled in close to Pope, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pope is looking for a sweep. Roth is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Pope moves into full guard.
Pope takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Roth is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Pope is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Pope not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Roth wants to get back to his feet.
Roth gets full guard.
Pope throwing strikes from guard but Roth blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pope wants to control from the top but Roth keeps moving.
Roth wants to get back to his feet but Pope is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Roth is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Roth is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Roth fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chad Roth. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Pope decides to pull guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roth landing with the ground and pound.
Roth lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Pope pushes Roth off and gets back to his feet.
Pope throws a low kick but Roth avoids it.
Roth throws a counter high kick but Pope was just alert enough to avoid it.
Pope misses with a leg kick.
Roth tries to counter by clinching up but Pope breaks away and moves out of range.
Pope misses with a hook. Roth ducked under it nicely.

Pope throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Roth tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Pope is in Roth's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pope stops Roth from standing up.
Roth is looking to stand back up but Pope counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Roth.
Pope seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Roth does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
JJ Pope comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 28:29
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... JJ Pope!
In his post fight interview, JJ Pope started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.