PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Silva Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tauno Taliaivo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Julma-Henri - Rikosrekisteri. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Silva
vs
Taliaivo

192 cm
22
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
22
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Silva Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tauno Taliaivo!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Anni Minnemäki and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taliaivo throws a hook but Silva avoids it easily.
Silva tries to clinch up but Taliaivo circles away and keeps his distance.
Taliaivo cracks Silva with a big right hand and Silva goes down!

It looks like Silva Silva has been cut.
Taliaivo thows a big elbow that misses.
Silva keeping full guard, as Taliaivo tries to pass.
Silva working a defensive guard here.
Silva keeping full guard, as Taliaivo tries to pass.
Silva controls Taliaivo momentarily but Taliaivo frees himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Taliaivo lands a couple of digs.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Taliaivo tries to stand but Silva is controlling from the bottom.
Taliaivo must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Taliaivo postures up.
Silva has a closed guard, preventing Taliaivo from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva is trying to keep Taliaivo in close.
Taliaivo scoring with punches to the head and body.

Silva Silva's cut is getting worse.
Silva will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Silva is adopting a defensive guard.
Taliaivo with a flurry of punches that miss.
Silva avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Taliaivo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Silva swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Silva trying to control the position.
Taliaivo postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two 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.
Taliaivo missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Taliaivo distracts Silva with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Taliaivo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Taliaivo throwing strikes but missing.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Taliaivo's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Taliaivo looks gassed!

Silva had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Taliaivo 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 Taliaivo's back instead.
Taliaivo is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taliaivo tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Taliaivo is trying desperately to improve position.
Taliaivo is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Silva trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Taliaivo is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

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.
Silva wants to control the pace but Taliaivo is squirming around nicely.
You get the feeling that Taliaivo really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Silva trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Silva manages to capitalize on a mistake by Taliaivo to take his back!
Taliaivo rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Taliaivo is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Silva's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Silva's back!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silva trying to control the action but Taliaivo just sinks the hooks in.
Taliaivo is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tauno Taliaivo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Silva Silva's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Nice body kick there by Silva.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Taliaivo circles away.
Taliaivo shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Silva as he avoids it easily.
Silva tries a head kick but it misses.
Silva lands a head kick. Taliaivo smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Taliaivo keeps the fight on the outside.

Taliaivo gets the takedown into side control.
Taliaivo cracks Silva with a big elbow.
Taliaivo cracks Silva with a big elbow.
Taliaivo lands some shots froms side control.
Silva manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The fighters are battling for position here. Silva manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Silva wants to stand up but Taliaivo is controlling him.
Taliaivo throws a big right hand that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva wants to stand up but Taliaivo is controlling him.
Taliaivo lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Taliaivo passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Silva gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Taliaivo thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Taliaivo tries to stand but can't do so whilst Silva controls his leg.
Silva is trying to stand.

That's two 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.
Silva is positioning himself well to prevent Taliaivo advancing to mount.
Taliaivo takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Silva on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Silva trying to control here.
Taliaivo takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Silva moves into full guard.
Taliaivo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.
Taliaivo is in close to Silva's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Silva avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Silva holds on and takes a little breather.
Silva keeping full guard, as Taliaivo tries to pass.
Taliaivo trying to stand up but can't free himself from Silva's guard.
Silva wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Taliaivo tries to free his leg and advance position but Silva is retaining full guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Silva throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A head kick misses from Silva.

Taliaivo closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Silva did well to prevent Taliaivo getting side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taliaivo not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Silva wants to improve his position but Taliaivo is controlling well.
Taliaivo throwing shots but Silva is blocking nicely.
Silva is doing well to control the position and prevent Taliaivo from advancing to side control.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Taliaivo lands a nice short elbow.
Taliaivo stops Silva from getting back to his feet.
Taliaivo scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Taliaivo is nestled in close to Silva, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Silva tries to get to full guard but Taliaivo has control of the leg.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tauno Taliaivo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Silva Silva's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Silva gets caught flat footed, as Taliaivo shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Taliaivo wants to stand but Silva has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Taliaivo throwing strikes but missing.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Taliaivo accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Silva wants to stand and escape but Taliaivo is having none of it.
Taliaivo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.
Silva looking for a sweep. Not yet Silva, not yet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Taliaivo advances to half guard.
Silva wants to control but Taliaivo is keeping busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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

Taliaivo shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Silva manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Taliaivo working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Silva trying to keep a closed guard but Taliaivo is proving a slippery customer.
Taliaivo postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Silva lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Taliaivo!
Silva blocks Taliaivo's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Silva takes Taliaivo's back.
Silva keeps control of the position as Taliaivo tries to break free.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva is controlling the position but Taliaivo somehow manages to roll and ends up with half guard.
Silva wants to control but Taliaivo is keeping him busy.
Taliaivo moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Taliaivo manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Silva manages to get himself to full guard.
Silva is trying to control the position but Taliaivo postures up.
Taliaivo sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Silva's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taliaivo tries to stand but can't do so whilst Silva controls his leg.
Silva is trying to control but can't.
Taliaivo scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Silva is trying to maintain the position but Taliaivo is very close to passing his half guard.
Taliaivo missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Taliaivo connects with a nice short shot to Silva's temple.
Silva gets back to full guard.
Silva not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Taliaivo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Silva lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Taliaivo!

Silva moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Taliaivo has worked his arm free - good work by Taliaivo!
Silva Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Taliaivo tries to improve position but can't.
Silva advances nicely into full mount.
Silva throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Taliaivo because Silva loaded up on that one.
Tauno Taliaivo has got the better of the ground game so far.
Taliaivo flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Taliaivo is working to get back to half guard.
Taliaivo flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tauno Taliaivo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Taliaivo has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tauno Taliaivo!