PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight kickboxing rules bout between Junior Barbosa (ranked 2438 p4p, 1775 weight class) and Jacob Hopson (ranked 291 p4p, 229 weight class). Hopson comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Down Under kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Barbosa
vs
Hopson

181 cm
33
185
17 - 12 - 0

190 cm
26
185
12 - 8 - 0

World class boxer
Granite chin

Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Conviction

Wrestler Wayfare

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 12 - 0, fighting out of New York, Junior Barbosa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jacob Hopson!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Gregory Folan and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sloppy strikes from Barbosa. Those never looked like landing.
Barbosa throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Nice defenses there by Hopson.
Hopson has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Barbosa is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Hopson paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Barbosa looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Barbosa throws a hook but Hopson avoids it easily.
Barbosa swinging wildly here.
Some wild striking there from Barbosa.
Hopson staying out of range there.
Hopson steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Hopson dodges the punch combination from Barbosa.
Hopson scores with a kick to the midsection.
Barbosa checks the leg kick nicely there.
Barbosa misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Hopson.
A punch combination from Barbosa misses.
Barbosa misses the jab.
Barbosa throws a jab when Hopson was well out of range.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A jab lands there for Barbosa.
Barbosa misses with a hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hopson delivers a nice body kick.
Hopson connects with an inside leg kick.
Hopson connects with a leg kick.
Barbosa takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Hopson connects with a single shot there.
Hopson staying out of range there.
Hopson appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Junior Barbosa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Barbosa gets a clinch.
Barbosa lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Jacob Hopson has been cut.
Hopson goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Barbosa taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Hopson scores with a nice short uppercut.
Barbosa tries to work over Hopson's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Barbosa stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Hopson working hard to break the clinch.
Barbosa is looking to control Hopson's arms but Hopson gets an underhook and turns him. Now Barbosa has his back to the cage.
Barbosa goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hopson has a couple of punches blocked by Barbosa.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Barbosa pushes Hopson back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Barbosa softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Barbosa prevents a body shot from Hopson.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hopson is trying to force a seperation but Barbosa has the dominant position.
Barbosa lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Hopson backwards.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Barbosa takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Hopson is trying to break free.
Barbosa lands an elbow just above Hopson 's eye.
Barbosa digs a right hand into Hopson's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Hopson's gas tank.
Barbosa leaning his opponent against the cage.

Hopson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Barbosa fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Hopson looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Hopson lands a nice shot to the body.
Barbosa takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Barbosa misses with a jab, cross combination.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hopson misses with a body kick.
Barbosa fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hopson manages to avoid it.
Hopson throws a body shot but no joy.
Hopson 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.

Barbosa fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Hopson, pushing him back against the cage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Junior Barbosa dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jacob Hopson'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.

Barbosa tries to close the distance and clinch but Hopson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Barbosa falls off balance throwing a combination
and Hopson cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hopson wants to slow Barbosa down by chopping away at his legs.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Barbosa wants to stall.

Hopson breaks the clinch.
Barbosa connects with a nice looking jab.
Barbosa throws out a loose jab but Hopson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Hopson wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Hopson connects with the punch.
Barbosa lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fighters circle momentarily. Hopson darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Barbosa missing with a left hand there. Hopson was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Hopson uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Barbosa.
Barbosa wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hopson displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Barbosa throws out the jab.
Hopson let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Hopson defending well as Barbosa loads up on a big left hand.
Barbosa misses with a lunging right hand
and Hopson counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.

Barbosa pushes Hopson up against the cage in a clinch.
Barbosa has Hopson pressed against the cage.
Hopson goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Hopson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hopson throws an overhand right that lands on Barbosa's shoulder, as Barbosa tries to avoid the shot.
Barbosa throwing a counter right hand but Hopson manages to avoid it.
Hopson feints and then cracks Barbosa's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Barbosa down.
Nice uppercut lands for Barbosa. That snapped Hopson's head back.
Hopson has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Hopson slips under a jab from Barbosa.

Barbosa takes the fight into the clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Barbosa takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
A right hand to the body from Hopson.

Hopson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Barbosa bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Hopson's head backwards.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Barbosa throws a low kick but it's checked well by Hopson.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Both fighters circling a little - Hopson finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Hopson throws a leg kick that misses.
Barbosa chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Hopson can pounce on him.
Hopson throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Barbosa tries to clinch up.
Hopson throws a half hearted mid kick.
Hopson uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Barbosa.
Barbosa scores with a hook.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Hopson.
Barbosa connects with a right hand. Hopson shakes it off.
Barbosa throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Hopson sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Barbosa blocks the body kick.
Barbosa tries to clinch up but Hopson circles away and keeps his distance.
A slow jab from Barbosa misses its intended target.
Barbosa with a nice calf kick.
Some wild striking there from Barbosa.
Jacob Hopson seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Hopson scores with a nice body kick.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jacob Hopson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Jacob Hopson's cut.
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!

Barbosa wants to slow Hopson down by chopping away at his legs.
Barbosa tries to bum rush Hopson with a series of wild strikes but Hopson uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Barbosa sets himself, and Hopson steps forward looking for the clinch! Barbosa avoids it this time.
Hopson throws a body punch but Barbosa moves out of range.
Barbosa looked to counter with a high kick but didn't commit.
Hopson throws the left hand but Barbosa avoids the punch easily.
Barbosa with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Barbosa misses with a hook
and Hopson cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Barbosa moves out of range of the body kick from Hopson.
Hopson throws a hook to the side of Barbosa's head but Barbosa sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Hopson throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Barbosa throws a hook but Hopson avoids it easily.
Hopson throws a leg kick but Barbosa sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Barbosa fails in his attempt to clinch.
The fighters circling - Hopson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
It looked like Barbosa wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barbosa throws a hook but Hopson avoids it easily.
Barbosa throws the left hand but Hopson avoids the punch easily.
Barbosa will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Barbosa cracks Hopson with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Barbosa moves out of range of the body kick from Hopson.
Barbosa uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Hopson.
Hopson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Barbosa moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hopson buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Hopson misses with a low kick.
Hopson misses with a looping right.
Barbosa steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hopson.
Barbosa throws a right and a left that both miss.
Hopson slips under a jab from Barbosa.
Hopson ducks under a wild hook from Barbosa.
Hopson throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Hopson defending well as Barbosa loads up on a big left hand.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Hopson! But no joy.
Barbosa looks to land a body kick but Hopson moved away.
Hopson dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Barbosa. That did some damage!
Barbosa fails in his attempt to clinch.
It seemed like Hopson was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Barbosa is looking to clinch but Hopson is avoiding it.
Hopson connects with a leg kick.
Barbosa checks a leg kick.
Barbosa tries to clinch but Hopson moves out of range.
Nice body kick from Hopson.
Barbosa swinging wildly here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hopson misses with an uppercut.
Barbosa tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hopson manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Barbosa takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
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 circling - Hopson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Hopson with the inside leg kick.
Hopson ducks under a wild hook from Barbosa.
Barbosa misses with a hook.
Hopson takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Hopson takes a swing at Barbosa's ribcage but misses.
Barbosa fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hopson throws a front kick that sends Barbosa stumbling back into the cage.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Hopson. Barbosa shrugs it off though.
Hopson 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.
Barbosa throws a hook but Hopson blocks it.
Barbosa blocks a leg kick.
Barbosa tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Hopson cracks a nice hook into Barbosa's ribs.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jacob Hopson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hopson 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Jacob Hopson!
During a confident post fight interview, Jacob Hopson thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.