PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ben Harper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Luca de Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Harper's entrance music is Welcome To Jamrock. A fine choice. This should be a great matchup!

Harper
vs
de Silva

175 cm
27
158 lbs
11 - 8 - 1

180 cm
29
160 lbs
13 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Dangerous knees
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ben Harper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Luca de Silva!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Robert Twigg and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
de Silva lands a head kick. Harper smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Harper throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harper looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
de Silva shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Harper defends it nicely.

Harper gets a clinch.
de Silva is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Harper has de Silva pressed against the cage, preventing de Silva from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Harper manages to break the clinch.
Harper shoots in but no luck this time.
de Silva misses with a takedown attempt - Harper sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Ben Harper seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
de Silva tries a head kick but it misses.
Nice sprawl there from Harper as de Silva shoots in.
Ben Harper has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Luca de Silva.
de Silva swats away the attempt to clinch by Harper.
de Silva circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Harper changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. de Silva tries to avoid it but Harper manages to keep hold of a leg and drag de Silva to the ground. de Silva escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Harper tries to clinch but de Silva moves out of range.
Harper fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Harper fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with de Silva, pushing him back against the cage.

de Silva manages to break the clinch.

Harper fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with de Silva, pushing him back against the cage.

Harper decides to pull guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Harper is working an open guard so de Silva takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Harper tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and de Silva counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Harper tries to clinch but de Silva moves out of range.
Harper fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harper looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Harper blocks a head kick by de Silva.
de Silva throws a head kick that misses.
This has been an exciting period of action!
de Silva tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Harper throws a right and a left that both miss.
Harper looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? de Silva is fending him off so far but Harper persists. Nope, de Silva circles away and we're back to standing.
Harper fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Harper shoots in but de Silva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
de Silva misses with a takedown attempt - Harper sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
de Silva is trying hard to land a takedown here. Harper sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper cracks the inside of de Silva's front leg.

Harper rushes de Silva and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
de Silva tries to break the clinch but Harper is controlling the position.
Harper misses with a knee to the head.

Harper pulls guard successfully.

de Silva stands up and waves to Harper to follow him.
Harper tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Harper tries to clinch up but de Silva circles away and keeps his distance.
Harper misses with a takedown attempt
and de Silva counters with a big head kick but Harper shrugs it off.
Harper wants to clinch up but de Silva keeps it at a distance.
Harper misses with a takedown attempt - de Silva sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Harper will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Harper is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
No luck for Harper with that takedown attempt.
Harper tries to close the distance and clinch but de Silva swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Harper gets a clinch.
Harper looking for a takedown.
Harper keeps the fight in the clinch, despite de Silva's efforts to push away.

de Silva's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Harper looks to clinch

and de Silva counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Harper!

de Silva stands up from mount. Strange move.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
de Silva throws a sloppy head kick and Harper moves out of range easily.
Harper tries to clinch up
and de Silva counters with a nice uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Luca de Silva will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

de Silva tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Harper swivels and escapes.
de Silva displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Harper.
Harper tries to clinch there but de Silva circles away.
de Silva shoots in looking for a takedown. Harper tries to sprawl out of it but de Silva keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Harper manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Harper tries to clinch up
and de Silva counters with a head kick. That will keep Harper thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
de Silva swats away the attempt to clinch by Harper.
de Silva leaves Harper with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Harper tries to bum rush de Silva with a series of wild strikes but de Silva uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Harper tries to clinch but de Silva moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
de Silva tries a head kick but it misses.
Harper is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Harper looks for a takedown but de Silva sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ben Harper. That's going to take a lot out of him.
de Silva shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Harper as he avoids it easily.
Harper doesn't manage to clinch there - de Silva circles away.

Harper has managed to clinch.
de Silva tries a knee to the head but Harper blocks it.
Harper throws a knee to the head but misses.
Harper is working for takedown but de Silva is calmly controlling the position for now.
de Silva wants to break free but Harper has control.

de Silva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Harper tries to clinch up.
Ben Harper is winning the standup battle so far.
de Silva shoots in looking for a takedown. Harper tries to sprawl out of it but de Silva keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Harper manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harper tries to clinch there but de Silva circles away.
de Silva misses with a head kick.
Harper moves in looking to clinch but de Silva pushes him off.
Harper wants to clinch.
Harper fails in his attempt to clinch.
de Silva pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Harper fails in his attempt to clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Harper as de Silva shoots in.
Harper shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts de Silva as he jumps to the side.
Harper fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper tries to clinch up.
Harper tries to close the distance and clinch but de Silva swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ben Harper is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
de Silva circles away from the clinch attempt.
Harper shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. de Silva defends it nicely.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from de Silva.

Harper pushes de Silva up against the cage in a clinch.
Harper keeps control of de Silva as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Harper has de Silva pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. de Silva manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Harper changes levels and goes for a takedown here. de Silva fights it off and pushes away nicely.
de Silva misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Harper gets a clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Harper has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. de Silva avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Harper has de Silva pressed against the cage, preventing de Silva from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, de Silva just misses with a elbow thrown towards Harper's brow.
Harper misses with a knee strike.
Harper with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
de Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harper is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
de Silva wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Harper has him pressed against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Harper tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Harper pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Harper shoots in for a double leg but de Silva sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Harper dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Harper closes the distance looking to clinch
and de Silva counters with a big head kick but Harper shrugs it off.
de Silva circles away from the clinch attempt
and de Silva counters with a head kick. That will keep Harper thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Harper fails with an attempt to clinch.
Harper wants to clinch.
de Silva lands a big head kick that sends Harper to the canvas! de Silva follows up with strikes from the mount that forces the ref to step in and stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:41 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Luca de Silva!