PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Wanderlei Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shawn McGrady (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva comes to the cage accompanied by Darude-Sandstorm. McGrady is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Real American. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Silva
vs
McGrady

185 cm
19
210 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

191 cm
22
213 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Likes ground

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Wanderlei Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Shawn McGrady!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Chris Downing and Cecil Peabody.

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

Silva shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Silva trying to stand up but can't free himself from McGrady's guard.

Silva stands up from McGrady's guard - Silva perhaps looking for a knockout.
Silva throws a low kick but McGrady avoids it.
McGrady shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Silva but Silva pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Silva feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
McGrady wants to sweep but no luck.
Silva sitting in guard here, content to control.
Silva trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

McGrady has his foot on Silva's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Silva works his way back into a safe position though.

Silva gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
A jab from Silva misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGrady misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Silva, right into the meat.
Silva closes this distance looking for a takedown but McGrady circles away.
McGrady misses with a takedown attempt - Silva sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Wanderlei Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shawn McGrady.
McGrady looks gassed!
McGrady shoots in and drives through. Silva sprawls well.
Silva misses with a hook.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Silva throws an elbow that misses.
Silva slows down the pace here.
McGrady changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Silva fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Silva fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Silva closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
McGrady is looking to improve his position.
McGrady is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Silva is pressing down on McGrady's thigh, looking to free his foot. McGrady is holding on for now.

Silva stands up from half guard.
Silva shoots for a takedown but McGrady saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
McGrady looks to clinch

and Silva counters by moving into the clinch.
McGrady fails to pull the fight into his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Silva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

McGrady scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
McGrady sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Silva is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

McGrady is trying to get an arm triangle but Silva is defending well.
Silva wants to control but McGrady postures up.
McGrady wants to lay and pray for a moment but Silva keeps working.
Silva manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silva wants to get back to his feet.

McGrady decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Left hook, right uppercut from McGrady.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McGrady thuds a left hand into Silva's body.
McGrady misses with a wild body shot.
McGrady shoots for a double leg takedown but Silva sprawls well. He's pushed McGrady's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Silva fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with McGrady, pushing him back against the cage.
McGrady jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Silva walks away with a smile on his face. McGrady gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Silva gets a takedown into half guard.
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 are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
McGrady works his way to full guard. Good work.
Silva forces his way into half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
McGrady is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Silva tries to pass the half guard into mount. McGrady knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wanderlei Silva dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Silva tries to clinch but McGrady moves out of range.
Silva looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - McGrady circles away.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but McGrady paws at him with a jab and circles away.
McGrady thows a body shot but no joy.
McGrady thows a body shot but no joy.

Silva closes the distance and clinches.
Silva is trying to work for a single leg takedown but McGrady pulls him back up using the underhooks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva misses with a short punch on the inside.
Silva tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. McGrady just stands there and leans against the cage.
McGrady has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Silva is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Silva is pushing McGrady up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Silva's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGrady comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Silva stuffs the takedown.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch but McGrady swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Silva rushes McGrady and presses him up against the cage.

Silva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
McGrady fails in his attempt to clinch.
Silva misses with a takedown attempt - McGrady sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wanderlei Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.

McGrady scores a takedown into full mount!

McGrady stands up from mount. Strange move.
McGrady shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Silva but Silva pushes him off and we're back to square one.
McGrady is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Silva rather than just go for the knockout.

McGrady shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than McGrady was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

McGrady with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
McGrady looking to control but Silva is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Silva gets back to half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

McGrady is looking for a kimura here.
Silva is trying to maintain the position but McGrady is very close to passing his half guard.
Silva is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

McGrady is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Silva has managed to free his arm - good work.
McGrady prevents Silva from standing back up.
McGrady prevents Silva from improving his position.
Shawn McGrady has got the better of the ground game so far.
Silva wants to control but McGrady is keeping busy.
McGrady is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Silva!

McGrady is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Silva is surviving well by controlling McGrady's body position as best he can.
McGrady avoids the attempt from Silva to control.
McGrady thowing shots but they're missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva blocking the ground and pound.

McGrady gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Silva wants to clinch up but McGrady keeps it at a distance.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but McGrady swats him away and circles back towards the center.

McGrady clinches up against the cage.
Silva digs a right hand underneath McGrady's ribcage. McGrady let out a lung full of air as it connected.
McGrady tries to pull guard but Silva holds him up against the cage and eventually McGrady drops back down to his feet.
Silva leaning against his opponent.

Silva's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
McGrady will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Silva shoots in looking for a takedown. McGrady tries to sprawl out of it but Silva keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. McGrady manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shawn McGrady showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

The fight stays on the outside here - McGrady looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Silva moves in looking to clinch but McGrady pushes him off.
Silva looks to clinch

and McGrady counters with a single leg into guard. Silva didn't expect that.
Silva looking to control.
Silva keeping moving, preventing McGrady from controlling successfully.
McGrady is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
McGrady thows a big elbow that misses.
Silva seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

McGrady stands up from Silva's guard - McGrady perhaps looking for a knockout.
Wanderlei Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in McGrady's guard.
Silva trying to control but McGrady is working from the bottom.
McGrady trying to keep a closed guard but Silva is proving a slippery customer.
Silva controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Silva wants to stand but McGrady is controlling his posture from full guard.
Silva stopping the sweep attempt from McGrady.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. McGrady swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Silva tries to clinch there but McGrady circles away.

McGrady drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
McGrady sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Silva is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

McGrady has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

McGrady scores a takedown into full mount!
Silva knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for McGrady on the ground.

McGrady is going olschool here, as he tries to force Silva to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Silva shrugs it off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to hold on but McGrady pushes him away.

McGrady is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Silva is surviving well by controlling McGrady's body position as best he can.

McGrady is controlling this nicely and is looking to make no mistakes. Silva is trying to wiggle out of this horrible position. Silva flips to his side and attempts to get a leg in for half guard. McGrady anticipates the leg and manages to get behind Silva and secures both hooks! This could be bad! McGrady slips an arm under Silva chin and tries to position for a rear naked choke. McGrady has worked the choke in now and it looks tight. McGrady is squeezing on Silva like an anaconda would it's prey. Silva fails to tap and has fallen unconscious! We've got ourselves a winner by way of a rear naked choke!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:39 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Shawn McGrady!