PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Giant Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bill Butcher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Butcher comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Marilyn Manson - The Fight Song kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Silva
vs
Butcher

190 cm
22
200 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
22
200 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Giant Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bill Butcher!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Alan Glass and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Butcher circles away.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva moves in looking to clinch but Butcher pushes him off.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.

Butcher drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Butcher trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Butcher drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Butcher jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Butcher is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Silva wants to stand up but Butcher is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Butcher thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Butcher drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Butcher jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Butcher trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Butcher trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Butcher looks gassed!

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Silva tries to clinch but Butcher moves out of range.
Giant Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Silva avoids a punch combination nicely.
Butcher circles away from the clinch attempt.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Butcher keeps the fight on the outside.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Butcher swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Butcher swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Butcher circles away.
Butcher keeps the fight on the outside.
Silva tries to clinch up.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch but Butcher swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Butcher circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries to clinch but Butcher moves out of range.
Silva moves in looking to clinch but Butcher pushes him off.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Silva tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Silva tries to clinch there but Butcher circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Butcher keeps the fight on the outside.
Silva tries to clinch but Butcher moves out of range.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Butcher swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Butcher gets the takedown into side control.

Butcher is trying to get an arm triangle but Silva is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Butcher wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Silva, who protects the arm well.
Silva is pushing Butcher's head away, looking to escape. Butcher manages to hold on to the position though.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Butcher looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Silva is avoiding damage well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bill Butcher dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Butcher shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Butcher showed some decent athleticism there.

Butcher stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

Butcher drives through with a takedown into guard.
Butcher pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.
Butcher throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Silva works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Butcher thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Butcher accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Silva is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Butcher is controlling him.
Butcher tries to free his leg and advance position but Silva is retaining full guard.
Butcher working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Silva knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Butcher on the ground.
Butcher working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Silva's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Butcher looking to pass the guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Butcher keeps the fight on the outside.
Giant Silva is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Butcher shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Silva's guard.
Butcher slips nicely into half guard.

Butcher is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Silva doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Butcher.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Butcher landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butcher wants to pass the guard but Silva is defending well.

Butcher is working for a submission of some sort.
Butcher throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Butcher decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Silva tries to clinch up.

Butcher darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Butcher is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Silva sees it coming and defends easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bill Butcher 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! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Silva wants to clinch up but Butcher keeps it at a distance.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Butcher paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Silva tries to clinch up but Butcher circles away and keeps his distance.
Silva moves in looking to clinch but Butcher pushes him off.
Silva is looking to clinch but Butcher is avoiding it.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Butcher.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Butcher swats him away and circles back towards the center.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Butcher swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Butcher avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Silva tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Butcher shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Silva but Silva pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Butcher circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Butcher has managed to clinch.
Silva with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Butcher is trying to trip Silva. He has hold of a leg but Silva is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Butcher persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Butcher forces his way into half guard.
Butcher frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Silva is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Butcher thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Butcher unloads with some shots from mount but Silva bucks and avoids them well.
Butcher in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Butcher misses with a head shot.

Butcher looking for a guillotine from mount but Silva is having none of it.

Butcher has hold of Silva's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Silva manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butcher punching from mount but Silva doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Butcher looking to finish with strikes here!
Butcher throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Silva because Butcher loaded up on that one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Butcher working for a submission but Silva is keeping him at bay.

Butcher looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Butcher looking to ground and pound but Silva is blocking nicely.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Butcher cracks Silva with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bill Butcher comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Butcher 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bill Butcher!