PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between victor santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Thiago Silva enters the cage!

santos
vs
Silva

183 cm
21
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

174 cm
19
205 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, victor santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Silva!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Alexandre Firmino and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but santos blocks it with crossed arms.
Silva with an attempt at a knee that misses.
santos managing to block the knees to the body from Silva.
santos blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
santos is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Silva pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Silva goes for a takedown in the clinch but santos prevents it.
santos stalls.
Silva tries to land knees in the clinch but santos avoids the damage to the body.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but santos blocks it with crossed arms.
santos is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Silva misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from santos.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
santos fails to pull guard.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
santos drops down looking for an ankle pick but Silva pulls his leg out and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for victor santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
santos shoots for a takedown but Silva saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva misses with a head kick.
victor santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

santos gets the takedown into side control.
Silva should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Silva tries to escape but santos is in control.
Silva is trying to control santos's posture but santos avoids it.
Silva prevents santos from improving position.
Silva is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Silva looks gassed!
santos regains full guard. Nicely done.
santos manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
santos looking to control but Silva is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
santos punishing his opponent with strikes.
Silva is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
santos can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Silva is looking to escape.
santos wants to take his opponent's back but Silva doesn't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
A nice elbow there by santos.
Silva really wants to buck santos off and get back to his feet.

santos goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Silva is on top in guard.
santos preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Silva must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Silva throws a strike but santos rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

victor santos dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

santos fails with the takedown.
Silva throws a sloppy head kick and santos moves out of range easily.
santos looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Silva has santos up against the cage in a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
santos jumps guard but Silva stands there with santos around his waist. santos gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for victor santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
Silva is trying to drag santos to the mat but santos just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
santos jumps guard but Silva stands there with santos around his waist. santos gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
santos is pressed up against the cage. Silva has hold of a leg and is looking to drag santos down to the mat. santos avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Silva is breathing heavily.
santos throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

santos looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Silva avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
santos controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Silva wants to stand but santos is controlling the position.

Silva is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
santos passes Silva's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Silva looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
santos seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Silva does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

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

That's four 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.
santos throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Silva's waist but Silva gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing santos off to one side.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but santos paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Silva closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Silva lands in his opponent's guard.
Silva postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Silva throws a big right hand that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that victor santos will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

santos darts in trying to clinch

so Silva counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Silva thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
santos is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Silva is trying to defend against the ground and pound but santos scores with a couple of nice shots.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
santos drops an elbow to the side of Silva's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.

santos stands up from half guard.
santos throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Silva is looking to clinch but santos is avoiding it.
santos digs a good hook to Silva's body.
santos gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Silva counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
santos is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Silva chips away with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but santos is retaining full guard.
Silva has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of santos is proving hard to escape from.
Silva throwing strikes but missing.
Silva wants to pass the guard but santos is keeping the position.
santos looking for a sweep. Not yet santos, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

santos is looking for a triangle here but Silva uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
santos struggling a bit here.

Silva decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Silva tries for a takedown but santos sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
A head kick by santos misses
and Silva makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. santos really felt that one!
santos gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Silva holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Silva being controlled against the cage.
Silva with a knee to the head.
santos jumps guard but Silva stands there with santos around his waist. santos gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for victor santos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva tries to land knees in the clinch but santos avoids the damage to the body.
santos managing to block the knees to the body from Silva.
Thiago Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
victor santos is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
santos misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Silva.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thiago Silva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think santos 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... victor santos!