PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jorge Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wellen Dowd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Silva
vs
Dowd

183 cm
18
187 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

177 cm
21
189 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jorge Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wellen Dowd!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Mauricio Rocha and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dowd takes the fight into the clinch.

Dowd gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Silva regains guard.
Dowd wanted to stand there but Silva had control of the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dowd trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
Silva is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Silva throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Silva looking to hit a scissor sweep but Dowd is one step ahead there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Silva looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Dowd with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dowd is stalling in the full guard.
Dowd working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Dowd from controlling successfully.
Silva seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Dowd avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Silva is looking for a triangle but Dowd pushes his legs off easily.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Dowd from controlling successfully.
Dowd scoring with punches to the head and body.
Dowd wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Silva throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Dowd escapes and throws Silva's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Silva is trying to get back to half guard.
Silva gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Dowd prevents Silva from improving his position.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Dowd lands a nice short elbow.
Silva is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Silva won't allow Dowd to pass to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Silva.
Silva is breathing heavily.

Silva had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Dowd is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Silva Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Dowd's back instead.
Dowd trying to control the action but Silva just sinks the hooks in.
Dowd is really stuck here.

Silva is looking for the choke from the back position but Dowd is controlling his hands well.
Silva doesn't have the hooks in and Dowd manages to turn into his guard.
Dowd postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Dowd showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Dowd is looking to work some ground and pound but Silva has wrist control.

Dowd 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 pulls Dowd in close to prevent any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dowd postures up.

Silva is looking for a triangle but Dowd pushes his legs off easily.
Dowd throwing strikes from guard but Silva blocks nicely.
Silva managing to control the position.

Dowd avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Silva can't keep his opponent in guard - Dowd advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Silva gets back to full guard.
Silva wants to stand but Dowd is controlling the position.
Dowd being controlled here momentarily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Jorge Silva will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Silva shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Silva showed some decent athleticism there.
Dowd tries to get to full guard but Silva has control of the leg.
Silva is pressing down on Dowd's thigh, looking to free his foot. Dowd is holding on for now.
Silva with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Silva trying to pass the guard but Dowd defending well.

Silva is trying to work for a kimura but Dowd is defending well.

Dowd is defending against the submission attempts here by Silva.
Dowd tries to get to full guard but Silva has control of the leg.
Dowd is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Dowd is looking to control Silva's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Dowd avoid being mounted?
Dowd wants to improve his position but Silva is controlling well.
Dowd is refusing to be controlled, as Silva sits in half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Dowd doesn't manage to clinch there - Silva circles away.
Dowd with a lazy takedown attempt

so Silva counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Dowd is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dowd controls Silva momentarily but Silva frees himself.
Silva stays in close to Dowd's body and controls the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dowd wants to sweep here but Silva controlling him for the moment.
Dowd can't keep his opponent in guard - Silva advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Silva is controlling the pace.
Silva seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Dowd for as long as he can get away with.
Silva wants to pass the guard but Dowd is defending well.
Silva wants to lay and pray for a moment but Dowd keeps working.
Silva trying to pass the guard but Dowd defending well.
Silva tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Jorge Silva overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva prevents Dowd from improving his position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Silva shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Dowd's guard.
Silva trying to control but Dowd is working from the bottom.
Dowd not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Dowd is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Silva pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Dowd is keeping the position for now.

Dowd is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

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

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Dowd forces Silva back against the cage and clinches.

Dowd successfully pulls guard.
Dowd looking for a sweep. Not yet Dowd, not yet.
Dowd not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Dowd is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Dowd manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Silva manages to get himself to full guard.
Silva looking to control.

Silva has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Dowd can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Dowd lands a couple of digs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jorge Silva dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Dowd moves into the clinch.

Dowd breaks the clinch.
Dowd throws a jab but it's blocked by Silva.
Silva fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Silva slips under a jab from Dowd.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Dowd.
Silva is looking for a sweep.
Dowd working the ground and pound.

Dowd tries for a kimura but Silva is defending well.
Silva keeps Dowd under control for a moment.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Dowd is looking to take a break and control but Silva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva is looking for a sweep.
Silva is not content to let Dowd control the position.
Silva throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.
Silva takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
You can see the frustration on Silva's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Dowd drives through with a takedown into guard.
Silva pulls Dowd in close to prevent any damage.
Silva is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Dowd slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Silva controls Dowd momentarily but Dowd frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dowd drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Dowd jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Silva working for a triangle but Dowd defends it easily.

Silva working for submissions but it's allowed Dowd to get to half guard.

Dowd wants to work for an arm triangle but Silva is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Silva trying to control but Dowd postures up.
Silva is trying to control but Dowd passes into side control!
Silva is trying to control Dowd's posture but Dowd avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Dowd looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
You can see the frustration on Silva's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Silva tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Silva gets back to half guard.
Silva wants to control but Dowd is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Dowd thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Silva's head.
Silva trying to control from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Silva drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Silva wants to lay and pray for a moment but Dowd keeps working.

Silva stands up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dowd moves into range and clinches up with Silva.

Dowd successfully pulls guard.
Dowd keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
Silva trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Wellen Dowd has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Silva content to stall in guard here.
Silva wants to pass the guard but Dowd is keeping the position.
Dowd looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wellen Dowd comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Silva has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Wellen Dowd!