PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Antonio Nunes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcos Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Nunes
vs
Silva

180 cm
22
170 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

177 cm
21
168 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good knees
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Antonio Nunes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcos Silva!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Luis Engracia and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Nunes.
Silva is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Nunes.

Silva shoots in and bounces Nunes off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Silva stops Nunes from standing up.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Nunes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Silva is looking to work some ground and pound but Nunes has wrist control.
Nunes 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.
Nunes is working hard here to advance position.
Nunes throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva trying to control but Nunes is working from the bottom.

Silva gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Nunes looks to land a combination but Silva avoids it well.
Nunes looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Nunes sprawls well. Nunes wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Silva gets slowly back to his feet.
Silva misses with a takedown attempt - Nunes sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Silva scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Nunes makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Nunes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nunes looking for a sweep. Not yet Nunes, not yet.
Nunes knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Silva on the ground.
Silva won't allow Nunes to get back to his feet.
Silva looks gassed!

Silva drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Silva jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Nunes trying to strike off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nunes wants to sweep here but Silva controlling him for the moment.

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

Nunes drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nunes misses with the ground and pound.
Silva defending against the ground and pound.
The strikes coming from Nunes are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Silva is looking for a sweep.
Nunes tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Silva dodges the ground and pound from Nunes.
Silva tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The strikes coming from Nunes are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Some wild striking there from Nunes.
Nunes looks to land a combination. Silva sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Silva misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Antonio Nunes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marcos Silva.
Nunes will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Nunes shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Nunes was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Nunes wants to control the pace but Silva is squirming around nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antonio Nunes dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Silva gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Nunes moves into the clinch.
Nunes using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Nunes fails to pull guard.
Nunes tries to break the clinch but Silva is controlling the position.
Silva prevents Nunes from breaking the clinch.
Silva gets underhooks to prevent Nunes's takedown attempt.
Nunes gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Silva.

Nunes breaks from the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nunes throws a series of punches but Silva avoids them all with ease.
Nunes looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Nunes misses with a few strikes there.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nunes tries for a takedown but Silva sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Antonio Nunes. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nunes gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Nunes has momentary wrist control but Silva slips an elbow through the middle.
Silva stays in close to Nunes's body and controls the position.
Nunes wants to get back to his feet but Silva is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Nunes wants to control but Silva passes easily into half guard.
Silva is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nunes tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Nunes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Nunes tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Silva has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Nunes wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Silva is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Nunes knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Nunes for a finish.
Silva doesn't have the hooks in and Nunes manages to turn into his guard.

Silva is working an open guard so Nunes takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Silva has taken the fight to the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Nunes's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Nunes jumps guard but Silva stands there with Nunes around his waist. Nunes gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A frustrated look appears on Nunes's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva keeps control of Nunes as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Nunes has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Silva is trying to drag Nunes to the mat but Nunes just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Nunes jumps guard.
Nunes wants to stand and escape but Silva is having none of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva trying to control but Nunes is working from the bottom.
Nunes trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcos Silva showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Nunes's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Nunes rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Silva moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Nunes ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Silva moves away.
Antonio Nunes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nunes fails with the takedown

and Silva counters with a single leg into guard. Nunes didn't expect that.
Nunes wants to stand up but Silva is controlling him.
Silva 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.
Silva prevents Nunes from getting back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva advances to half guard.
Nunes is in trouble now - Silva has advanced to mount!

Silva working for a guillotine from mount but Nunes is in no mood to give up.
Nunes really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Nunes's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Silva is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Nunes to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Nunes shrugs it off.
Nunes is trying to stand up.
Nunes is trying desperately to improve position.
Nunes wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Nunes looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Nunes can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva is looking to control Nunes but Nunes is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Nunes looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Marcos Silva has got the better of the ground game so far.
Silva doesn't have the hooks in and Nunes manages to turn into his guard.

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.
Silva has momentary wrist control but Nunes slips an elbow through the middle.
Silva is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Nunes throwing strikes but missing.
Nunes has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Nunes from controlling successfully.
Nunes with a flurry of punches that miss.
Nunes is looking to work some ground and pound but Silva has wrist control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marcos Silva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Silva 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marcos Silva!