PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bung Popper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nash Banks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Popper comes to the cage accompanied by Runnin with the Devil. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Popper
vs
Banks

168 cm
35
154 lbs
20 - 10 - 0

169 cm
30
150 lbs
5 - 4 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

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 20 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bung Popper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nash Banks!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Stewart Dunkirk and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Popper lands with a shot to the body.
Sloppy strikes from Popper. Those never looked like landing.
Popper throws a series of punches but Banks avoids them all with ease.
Popper throws a combination that misses
and Popper takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Popper cracks Banks with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Popper on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Banks looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Banks looks to land a right hand but Popper moved out of range.
Popper throws a lazy uppercut
enabling Banks to counter with a crisp jab.
Popper misses with a looping left.
Banks throws a jab when Popper was well out of range.
Banks connects with a looping right hand.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Popper throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Popper cracks Banks with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Popper takes one to the chin there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A left lands for Popper.
Popper misses with a right hand
and Banks counters with a good low kick that Popper was not able to check.
Banks moves away from the strike by Popper.
A little jabbing left from Banks on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Popper lands a jab to Banks's midsection.
Popper throws a body shot but no joy.
Banks avoids the body shot from Popper.
Popper rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Banks counters with a stiff right hand.
Popper takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Popper throws an off balance right hand
letting Banks counter with a right hand.
Popper looks to land a left hand but Banks moved out of range nicely.
Popper misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Banks connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Popper misses with a hook.
Popper throws a right hand that misses
and Banks counters with a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Popper digs a good body shot into Banks's ribs.
A big left from Popper misses.
Banks displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Popper throws out the jab.
Popper throws a lazy right hand but Banks sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A combination from Popper does no damage.
Banks looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Popper is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Banks.
Good standup being displayed there by Banks as he connects with a hook.
Bung Popper seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Popper swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Banks counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
A punch lands to the side of Banks 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Popper connects with a body shot.
Popper definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Popper scores with a jab.
Popper is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Banks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popper misses with a hook
letting Banks counter with a right hand.
A telegraphed right hand from Popper misses the target.
Popper backing away here, and Banks unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Popper misses with a jab to the body
and Banks connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Popper fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Banks looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Popper throws a poor cross that misses
and Banks counters with a nice uppercut.
Banks scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Popper doesn't seem bothered though.
Popper lands a lovely overhand right.
A punch lands to the side of Banks 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Popper misses with a series of wild punches.
Banks throws out a counter right but Popper avoids it with no problem.
Popper listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
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!
Banks needs to keep his hands up - Popper had a free shot at his head there.
Popper misses the body punch
and Banks counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Banks throws a leg kick but Popper moved away.
Popper rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Banks counters with a stiff right hand.
Popper throws a looping overhand right but Banks ducks down to avoid it.
Popper misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Banks.
Popper misses with a wild combination.
Popper drops his hands momentarily and Banks takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Popper misses with a wild body shot.
Popper connects with a body shot that sends Banks's belly button to the back.
Popper is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Popper throws a big shot that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bung Popper dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Banks blocks a jab.
Banks looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Popper throws out a loose jab but Banks uses good head movement to avoid it.
A little jabbing left from Banks on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Banks defending well as Popper loads up on a big left hand.
Banks looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Banks moves out of range as Popper strikes.
Banks appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Banks uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Popper.
Popper looks to score with a jab to the body but Banks is just out of range.
Popper digs a good hook to Banks's body.
Banks moves out of range as Popper strikes.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Banks! But no joy.
Banks lands a jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Popper takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Popper throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Banks is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Popper with a body shot.
Banks doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Popper throws a right and a left that both miss.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Banks! But no joy.
Popper takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
A big right from Popper misses.
Banks looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Popper punishes Banks's body with a nice straight punch.
A left lands for Banks.
Popper thuds a left hand into Banks's body.
Popper misses with a straight left.
Banks with a jab.
Popper lands a nice shot that snaps Banks's head back.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Popper throws a lazy right hand but Banks sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Popper scores with a nice head shot.
Popper has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big right from Popper misses.
Banks uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Popper.
Popper misses with an uppercut
and Banks connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Banks connects with a good right hand that stumbles Popper. Popper circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Popper swings widly with a right hand
and Banks counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Banks misses with a body shot.
Popper looks to throw the jab but Banks is out of range.
Bung Popper is winning the standup battle so far.
Popper thows a left - swing and a miss!
Banks fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Popper checks it well.
Popper scores with a jab to the jaw.
Popper throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Banks looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Popper lands a really nice looking cross but Banks seems unphased.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popper throws a poor cross that misses
and Banks counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Banks lands a nice hook to Popper's body. Popper takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Popper cracks Banks with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Banks closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Popper misses with a body shot.
Banks lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Popper wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Banks is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Popper.
Banks works the jab nicely.
Banks attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Popper lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Popper throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Banks throws a jab but it's blocked by Popper.
Banks gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Popper waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Banks.
Popper looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Popper throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Popper swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Banks appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with eachother but Banks might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Popper has got the better of the exchanges.
Banks slips under a jab.
Banks swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Banks bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Popper swings away with a body shot that misses
and Banks counters with a nice body shot.
Popper scores with the left hand. Banks knows he should have avoided that one.
Popper ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Banks moves away.
Popper just misses with a punch to the body.
Banks throws a counter combo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bung Popper dominated that second round.
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!

Popper bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Banks's head backwards.
The fighters circle momentarily. Banks darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Popper is really turning it up, unleashing another crisp combination which drops Banks like a ton of bricks! The referee dives in to stop the fight, saving Banks from another fist facial!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:16 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Bung Popper!
After winning the bout, Bung Popper thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.