PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Andrew Cheng (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wagani Silvia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silvia is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Roll With It. Wagani Silvia is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Cheng
vs
Silvia

190 cm
19
200 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

188 cm
24
195 lbs
8 - 19 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Andrew Cheng!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wagani Silvia!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Paulo Santos and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Silvia gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Cheng trying to control the position from guard on top but Silvia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cheng pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silvia is keeping the position for now.
Cheng won't allow Silvia to sweep him here.
Silvia avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Cheng thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Silvia looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Cheng puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

Cheng is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Silvia has managed to free his arm - good work.
Cheng knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Silvia on the ground.
Cheng missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Cheng darts in and clinches Silvia up against the cage.

Cheng pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Silvia closes the distance but Cheng moves to the side
and Cheng counters with a nice low kick that buckles Silvia's knee momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silvia stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Silvia wants it to stay on the feet.
Silvia slaps away a takedown attempt from Cheng, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Silvia tries for a takedown but Cheng circles away easily

and Cheng counters by moving into the clinch.
Cheng blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Silvia jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Cheng walks away with a smile on his face. Silvia gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
A low kick from Silvia is predictable there

and Cheng counters with a nice double leg into side control. Silvia won't be happy with that.
Silvia is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Cheng is breathing heavily.
Cheng prevents Silvia from standing back up.
Cheng passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Silvia!
Silvia blocking the ground and pound.
Cheng throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Silvia is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cheng trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Cheng is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Silvia is surviving well by controlling Cheng's body position as best he can.
Cheng controlling the pace for now.
Cheng seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Silvia for as long as he can get away with.
Cheng throwing strikes here but Silvia is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Cheng controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Cheng looking to finish with strikes here!
Cheng controlling from mount.
Silvia is looking to improve his position but Cheng isn't that keen on the idea.

Cheng with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Cheng content just to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Cheng sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Cheng looking to control but Silvia is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Andrew Cheng just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
A thudding body kick lands there by Cheng!

Cheng throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Silvia was covering up waiting for the punch and Cheng finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Cheng stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Silvia swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrew Cheng dominated that round.
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.

Cheng scores with a takedown into Silvia's guard.
Cheng trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Cheng controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Silvia is working an open guard so Cheng takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Cheng drives through with a takedown into guard.
Cheng in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Cheng seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Silvia wants to get back to his feet but Cheng is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Silvia being controlled here, momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cheng trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Cheng drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Cheng jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Silvia keeping moving, preventing Cheng from controlling successfully.

Cheng gets to his feet - Silvia follows without any prompting.

Cheng rushes Silvia and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Cheng jumps into guard, dragging Silvia to the mat.

Cheng throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cheng working a defensive guard here.

Cheng is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Silvia defends well.
Cheng wants to stand up but Silvia is controlling him.
Cheng 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.
Silvia throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

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

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Cheng is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Silvia's half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cheng works his way into side control.
Silvia struggling a bit here.
A lull in the action here.
Cheng misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cheng controlling from side mount.

Cheng stands up and beckons Silvia to his feet.

Cheng pushes Silvia up against the cage in a clinch.

Cheng has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Silvia uses from the top position.
Cheng looking to hit a scissor sweep but Silvia is one step ahead there.
Cheng seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrew Cheng dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Cheng shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Silvia keeping moving, preventing Cheng from controlling successfully.
Cheng wants to pass the guard but Silvia is keeping the position.
Silvia is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Cheng is trying to control but can't.
Cheng tries to roll over but Silvia keeps him under control.

Cheng looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Silvia throwing shots but Cheng is blocking nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cheng is trying to get back to full guard.
Cheng wants to control but Silvia is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Cheng keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Cheng shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Silvia is trying to defend but Cheng finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Cheng wants to pass to mount but Silvia is defending the position.
Cheng stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cheng is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Silvia doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Cheng.
Cheng slows the pace down in half guard.

Cheng gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Andrew Cheng is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cheng bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

Cheng feints and as Silvia raises his hands in defense, Cheng changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Cheng stays in close to Silvia's body and controls the position.
Silvia keeping moving, preventing Cheng from controlling successfully.
Cheng postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cheng trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silvia wants to stand and escape but Cheng is having none of it.
Cheng pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silvia is keeping the position for now.
Cheng slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Silvia is trying to control the position but Cheng postures up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Cheng lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Cheng connects with a solid leg kick.

Cheng scores a takedown into full mount!
Cheng thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Wagani Silvia has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cheng looking to control and managing it successfully.
Andrew Cheng is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Silvia throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Andrew Cheng showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cheng 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 30:26
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:26
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Andrew Cheng!