PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Chael Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Derek James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James has chosen Fade To Black as his entrance music. Derek James is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Silva
vs
James

185 cm
22
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

188 cm
23
197 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
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 Las Vegas, Chael Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Derek James!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Cecil Peabody and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
James avoids the body shot from Silva.
James fails in his attempt to clinch.
Silva lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
James slips under a jab from Silva.
James scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
James misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Silva counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Nice cross by Silva.
James lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Silva circles away quickly and effectively.
James clinches but Silva breaks the clinch
and Silva counters with a right hand to the body.
James clinches but Silva breaks the clinch
and Silva counters with a series of strikes. James will be more careful next time no doubt.
Silva lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
James misses with a combination
and Silva counters with a good low kick that James was not able to check.
Silva falls off balance throwing a combination
and James cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva throws a low kick but it's checked well by James.
Silva paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
James takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
James looks to clinch
and Silva counters with a slapping leg kick.
Silva uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from James.
Silva throws a quick head kick that skims the top of James's head.
James takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Silva closes the distance and clinches up with James, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes James against the cage but James circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Silva's corner calls for a 1-2. Silva obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
James throws a right and a left that both miss.
James throws a shot to the body.
James throws a series of punches but Silva moves out of range.
James misses with a combination
and Silva counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James closes the distance but Silva moves to the side
and Silva counters with a nice uppercut.
James needs to keep his hands up - Silva had a free shot at his head there.
Silva lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
James slaps away a takedown attempt from Silva, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Derek James is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nice straight punches there by Silva. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Silva.
James throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
James lands a jab-cross combination.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
James closes the distance but Silva moves to the side
and Silva counters with a good low kick that James was not able to check.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva is on the wrong end of a nice combination from James.
Silva is breathing heavily.
James throws a lazy right hand but Silva sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Silva scores with a shot to the body.
Silva lands with a shot to the body.
James misses with a double jab
and Silva counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps James thinking.
James throws a sloppy head kick
and James takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Nice shot by Silva.
Silva jabs James right on the nose. James blinks but takes it well.
Derek James seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Silva cracks the inside of James's front leg.
Silva is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.

James clinches up against the cage.
James landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but James blocks it with crossed arms.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
Silva on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Silva looking to throw knees to the head but James is blocking nicely.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but James has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
James lands a knee to the head.
James stalls.
James throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Silva blocks it with crossed arms.
James throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Silva blocks it with crossed arms.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but James blocks with his arms.
James tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Silva avoids it.
James is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
James misses with a knee strike.
James has Silva pressed against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
James using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Silva with an attempt at a knee that misses.
James throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Silva blocks it with crossed arms.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but James blocks it with crossed arms.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derek James dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

James feints and then cracks Silva's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Silva down.
A leg kick checked by James.

James darts in and clinches Silva up against the cage.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Silva swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
James with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
James tries to land a knee to the head but Silva blocks with his arms.
Silva misses with a hook from the clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by James as Silva tries to tie him up.
James tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
James putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Silva in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
James is trying to stall.
James comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
James unloads a knee to the mid-section. Silva lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
James tries to land a knee to the head but Silva blocks with his arms.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
James lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
James utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Knees in the clinch landing for James.
James tries a knee to the head but Silva blocks it.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but James has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
James utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
James putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Silva in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
James misses with a knee to the head.
James is working Silva over against the cage.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
James taking a breather.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
A nice left hand lands by Silva.
James misses with a knee to the head.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
James is looking to control Silva's arms but Silva gets an underhook and turns him. Now James has his back to the cage.
James misses with a knee strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
James lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Silva landing knees to the head.
James tries to stall but Silva uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but James blocks it with crossed arms.
James on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
James is trying to maintain a safe position but Silva gets an underhook and turns James into the cage.
Silva is working James over against the cage.
James looking to slow down the pace here.
Silva managing to block the knees to the body from James.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
James with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Silva is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
A short right from Silva.
James lands with a short shot to the head.
James lands a knee to the head.
Silva on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James lands a nice shot to the body.
James looking to slow down the pace here.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
James wants to stall.
Silva doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
James is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Silva is defending well for now.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Silva tries a knee to the head but James blocks it.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but James blocks with his arms.
A short right from James on the inside.
James tries to land a knee to the head but Silva blocks with his arms.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
James throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Silva blocks it with crossed arms.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
James tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Silva swings wildly with an uppercut but James uses good head movement to avoid it.
James lands with a right to the head.
Silva landing knees to the body.

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 with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
James is stalling here.
A head punch blocked on the inside by James.
Silva letting James take a breather here.
Silva with an attempt at a knee that misses.
James looking to throw knees to the head but Silva is blocking nicely.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
James with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but James has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
James using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Silva tries to stall but James uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
Silva lands an uppercut.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
James looking to stall.
Silva takes a knee right on the jaw!
James has Silva pressed against the cage.
Silva looking to throw knees to the head but James is blocking nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derek James showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

James scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
James throws an overhand right that lands on Silva's shoulder, as Silva tries to avoid the shot.
James tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Silva throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and James counters with a two punch combo.
James misses with a leg kick
and Silva counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Silva scoring well with a low kick there.

Silva is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in James's half guard.
Silva wants to control but James is keeping him busy.
Silva is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because James is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
James wants to control but Silva is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Silva missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Silva wants to control but James is keeping him busy.
Silva misses with a head shot. James uses the momentum to regain guard.
Silva 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.

James manages to escape and get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Silva throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
James tries to clinch
and Silva counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
James tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
James throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
James misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
James takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Silva throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James closes the distance looking to clinch
and Silva counters with a lovely shot to the body.
James wants to clinch
and Silva connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
James throws a head kick but Silva moves out of range.
James wants to clinch
and Silva counters with a slapping leg kick.
James misses with a combination
and Silva counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

James gets caught flat footed, as Silva shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Silva thows a big elbow that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Silva throwing strikes but missing.
Silva postures up in James's guard and throws a big left but James blocks it.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but James is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Silva accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chael Silva showed his dominance in that final round.
I think James has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Derek James!