PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Solomon Zook (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcelo Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zook comes to the cage accompanied by God's Gonna Cut You Down. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Zook
vs
Silva

177 cm
22
196 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
20
192 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Decent elbows
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Star & Star .Inc

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 Rio de Janeiro, Solomon Zook!
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, Marcelo Silva!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Mauricio Rocha and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Zook takes the fight into the clinch.

Zook lands a takedown into guard.
Zook thows a big elbow that misses.
Zook missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Zook throws a big right hand that misses.
Zook could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Silva is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Zook makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Zook trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
Silva looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Silva is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Zook is aware though and is defending well.
Zook working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Silva's head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zook throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Silva works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Silva doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Zook not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zook scoring with some ground and pound.
Silva is pulling down on Zook's head to control his posture.
Zook trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
Zook with a flurry of punches that miss.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Zook from controlling successfully.
Zook's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Zook has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Zook postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Zook is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Zook trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Silva working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Zook doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Zook manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Silva looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zook tries to free his leg and advance position but Silva is retaining full guard.
Zook throwing strikes but missing.
Silva trying to control the position here.
Silva looking to control.
Zook knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Silva on the ground.
Zook throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Silva works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries to clinch up.
Zook throws a hook but Silva avoids it easily.

Zook clinches with his opponent.
Silva is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Nice elbow from Zook.

It looks like Marcelo Silva has been cut.
Zook throws a knee to the head but misses.
Silva blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Silva wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Zook tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Zook lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Silva can't break the clinch.
Zook misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Silva.
Zook misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Silva.
Zook lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Zook gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Zook pulls Silva into guard.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Zook swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Silva wants to stand but Zook has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zook avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Zook is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Zook wants to stand but Silva is controlling the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Silva throwing strikes but missing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Solomon Zook dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Marcelo Silva's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Zook has managed to clinch.
Zook stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Zook lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Silva jumps guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Zook's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Zook tries to free his leg and advance position but Silva is retaining full guard.
Silva throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Zook working some strikes from top position.
Zook trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Zook throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Silva works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Silva is trying to keep Zook in close.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Silva can do anything to dispel that myth.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zook landing some decent shots from guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva 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 trying to control from half guard but Zook is working away.

Zook kicks off Silva and gets to his feet.

Silva tries to keep at a distance but Zook has taken the fight into the clinch.
Silva takes an elbow to the forehead.

Zook tightens his grip and picks Silva up, before dumping him to the ground. Silva manages to land in guard.
Silva is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zook chips away with some ground and pound.
Zook scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Silva 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 keeping moving, preventing Zook from controlling successfully.
Zook controlling from the top position.
Zook wants to pass the guard but Silva is keeping the position.

Silva looking for a guillotine here but Zook defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zook stands up over Silva, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Silva looking to hit a scissor sweep but Zook is one step ahead there.
Silva utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

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

Zook has Silva up against the cage in a clinch.
Zook misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Silva.
Zook gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Zook misses with a punch to the body.

Zook gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Silva has hold of Zook's hands but Zook slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Silva gets back to full guard.
Silva wants to sweep here but Zook controlling him for the moment.
Silva working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Zook.
Zook lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Silva is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Zook lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Zook throws a big right hand that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Solomon Zook dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Marcelo Silva's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Zook moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zook looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Silva misses with a takedown attempt - Zook sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Zook fails with an attempt to clinch.

Zook scores a takedown into full mount!
Zook lands with some strikes.
Silva is wriggling around trying to escape.
The referee warns Silva that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Zook looking to finish Silva with some ground and pound. This is bad for Silva!
Silva is desperately trying to improve his position but Zook has a good base and remains in mount.
Solomon Zook overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Zook working the ground and pound effectively.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zook lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Silva is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Silva tries to hold on but Zook postures up.
Zook scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Zook dominating with strikes here.
Zook prevents Silva from getting the reversal.
Zook postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Silva looks a forlorn figure.
A nice elbow there by Zook.
Silva is working to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zook unloading with bombs!
Zook punishing his opponent with strikes.
Silva keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Zook lands a heavy elbow.
Silva is in all sorts of trouble here.
Zook punishing his opponent with strikes.
Silva wants to hold on but Zook pushes him away.
Zook lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Silva is looking to improve his position but Zook isn't that keen on the idea.
Zook connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zook looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Zook scoring with strikes but Silva is staying in there.
Zook with the ground and pound from mount.
Zook lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Silva hang on?
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva is wriggling around trying to escape.
Zook with good strikes from the mount here!
Silva sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Silva trying to control from the bottom.
Silva wants to improve his position but Zook is controlling well.
Zook working Silva over with strikes.
Solomon Zook is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zook performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Silva is looking to improve his position.
Zook throwing shots but Silva is blocking nicely.
Silva pushes Zook off looking to stand but Zook dives back in and keeps control.
Zook not doing much here.

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

so Zook counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Silva is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Marcelo Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Zook wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
Solomon Zook showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Zook has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Solomon Zook!