PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jan Pope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vinnie Vincent (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pope
vs
Vincent

181 cm
32
153 lbs
17 - 17 - 0

178 cm
39
158 lbs
25 - 20 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Red Belt
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 17 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jan Pope!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vinnie Vincent!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Yuuki Gou and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vincent tries to clinch up but Pope circles away and keeps his distance.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Pope working aggressively here.

Vincent breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Vincent dives in for a single leg takedown but Pope sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Pope is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Vincent is keeping busy.

Vincent has hold of one of Pope's legs. Pope is fighting the takedown attempt but Vincent gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Pope wants to control but Vincent passes easily into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pope is in trouble now - Vincent has advanced to mount!

Vincent is working for a guillotine from mount but Pope frees his head quite easily.
Vincent unloading with bombs!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vincent with the ground and pound from mount.

Vincent jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Pope manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Vincent in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Pope regains half guard there - taking advantage of Vincent's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Vincent 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.
Vincent with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Vincent wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pope keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Vincent seems to be looking for submissions.
Vincent lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Vincent looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Vincent moves nicely into side control.
Vincent tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Vincent lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vincent working the ground and pound.
Vincent wants to control but Pope is keeping him busy.
Vincent has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Vincent landing strikes.
Vincent taking a breather here.
Vincent working the head with strikes.
Vincent working the head and body with strikes.
Vincent content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Pope can't do much from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vincent cracks Pope with an elbow. That is naaassty.

Vincent is trying to get an arm triangle but Pope is defending well.
Vincent remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

Vincent tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Vincent has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Vincent wants to control but Pope is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vinnie Vincent dominated that round.
That's time! Pope's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Vincent doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Pope counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Vincent wants to clinch.
Pope throws a right and a left that Vincent avoids nicely.

Pope gets caught flat footed, as Vincent shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Vincent chips away with some ground and pound.
Vincent is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Pope trying to keep a closed guard but Vincent is proving a slippery customer.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vincent wants to pass the guard but Pope is keeping the position.
Pope keeping moving, preventing Vincent from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pope is striking but Vincent is not phased and passes to half guard.
Vincent looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
My spies in LOD: Ground Zero inform me that Vincent has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!

Vincent is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Pope has managed to free his arm - good work.
Pope has hold of Vincent's hands but Vincent slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Pope wants to control but Vincent is keeping busy.
Vincent wants to free his trapped foot but Pope is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Vincent takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vincent prevents Pope from improving his position.
Vincent not doing much here.
Vincent is trying to control. Pope wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Vincent content to control rather than advance.
Vincent is keen to just control but Pope is a slippery customer.
Pope is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Vincent wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pope keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Vincent in particular looking to stall.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Vincent moves into the clinch.
Pope has Vincent pressed against the cage, preventing Vincent from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Pope is defending well against a takedown attempt.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Pope.
Pope swings wildly with an uppercut but Vincent uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pope lands with a right to the head.
Vincent has Pope pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Pope manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Jan Pope has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Vinnie Vincent.
Pope landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Pope lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Pope tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Vincent avoids it.
A head punch on the inside from Vincent fails to land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Vincent has clasped his hands together around Pope's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Vincent wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pope keeps working.
Vincent taking a breather here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Vincent is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Pope has escaped the position, nice work there.

Vincent tries for a kimura but Pope is defending well.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pope wants to get back to his feet but Vincent is dominant here and he's now got Pope's back!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vinnie Vincent showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Vincent tries to clinch but Pope is having none of it.
Pope throws a right hand that misses

and Vincent counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Pope is looking to stand back up but Vincent counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Pope.

Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Vincent in particular looking to stall.
Let's hope that Vincent has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Vincent is continuing to stall.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Vincent seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Pope does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Vincent passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Pope!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vincent takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Vincent's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vincent trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Vincent takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

Vincent working for a submission but Pope is keeping him at bay.
Vincent fails to move to back control.
Pope slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Vincent looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Vinnie Vincent has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pope is looking for a sweep. Vincent is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Jan Pope has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vincent lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Vincent moves nicely into side control.

Vincent wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Pope, who protects the arm well.

Vincent is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Pope has escaped the position, nice work there.
Vincent working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vincent trying to control the action but Pope is working from the bottom.
Pope is trying to get back to half guard.
Vincent lands an elbow.
Vincent is staying tight to Pope's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Vincent advances nicely into full mount.
Vincent has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Pope tries to reverse the position but Vincent maintains control.
Vincent trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vincent controlling the pace for now.
Pope is squirming around, avoiding Vincent's attempts to control the action.
Pope tries to reverse the position but Vincent maintains control.
Vincent tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Pope tries to hold on but Vincent postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Vincent controlling the position easily from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vinnie Vincent comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Vincent winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 26:30
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vinnie Vincent!
After winning the bout, Vinnie Vincent thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.