PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Wander Leijonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Karl Popper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wander Leijonen has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Leijonen
vs
Popper

184 cm
21
195 lbs
6 - 6 - 0

190 cm
20
220 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Dangerous knees
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

V-Mask Clothing (10%)
Modern Wear Apparel

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 6 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Wander Leijonen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Karl Popper!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Radbod Blank and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fighters circling - Popper throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Leijonen scores with a leg kick.
Leijonen throws a nice inside leg kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Popper, right into the meat.
Leijonen with a hook.
Popper keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Popper lands a head kick. Leijonen smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Good leg kick by Popper there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Popper moves out of range as Leijonen throws a body kick.
Popper swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Wander Leijonen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice defenses there by Leijonen.
Leijonen scores with a three punch combo!

It looks like Karl Popper has been cut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Popper fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Leijonen is out of range.
Leijonen throws a jab but it's blocked by Popper.
Popper 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.
We've been told by Leijonen's head coaches at KO Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Popper with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Decent striking displayed by Popper there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leijonen lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Popper swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Leijonen slips a straight right by Popper.
Popper steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Leijonen.
Leijonen chopping away at his opponent's legs.
A nice leg kick lands there from Leijonen.
Popper cracks Leijonen with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the ropes.
Leijonen misses with the combination.
Popper throws a shot to the body.
Popper misses the shot to the body.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Popper.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leijonen blocking some punches.
Knees in the clinch landing for Leijonen.
Popper looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
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!
A nice left hand lands by Popper.
Leijonen looking to throw knees to the head but Popper is blocking nicely.
Leijonen softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
Popper misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Popper fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Popper can't find room to land a body shot as Leijonen controls the action.
Popper has a couple of punches blocked by Leijonen.
Popper goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Popper looking to stall.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Popper swings wildly with an uppercut but Leijonen uses good head movement to avoid it.
Leijonen jerks Popper's head down, straight into the path of a devastating knee! Popper drops to the floor in a crumpled heap! Leijonen goes to throw a finishing haymaker but pulls out - good sportsmanship from Leijonen because Popper was completely out of it. That was a nice finish - just the right level of brutality to send everyone home happy.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:55 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knee). Wander Leijonen!
An out of breath Wander Leijonen thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.