PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Alex Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jon Jones (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Silva
vs
Jones

188 cm
19
186 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
22
180 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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, Alex Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jon Jones!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Edson Gomes and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva tries to clinch there but Jones circles away.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Jones swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Jones scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Jones decides to return to a standing position.
Silva shoots in for a takedown but Jones shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Nice takedown defense from Jones. No joy for Silva on that attempt.
Silva uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Jones.
Jones stuffs the takedown attempt from Silva. Silva gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva lands a jab to Jones's midsection.

Jones scores a takedown into full mount!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Silva is looking to improve his position but Jones isn't that keen on the idea.
Jones landing shots from mount.
Silva is just holding on here. Jones manages to take his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Jones has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Silva has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Silva wants to control his opponent's hands but Jones gets his hands free.

Jones is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Silva knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Silva for a finish.
Jones looks gassed!
Silva tries to break free.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Jones throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Silva!
Jones punches Silva on the ear.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Jones working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Silva trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

Jones is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Silva defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Silva is really stuck here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Silva misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Jones controlling the action here.
Jones is trying to control. Silva wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Silva moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Silva is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Jones trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jones works a leg free and moves into half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Jones connects with a nice short shot to Silva's temple.
Jones lands strikes from half guard.
Silva is looking to improve his position.
Jones not doing much here.

Jones is working for a kimura but Silva is defending it quite comfortably.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silva is looking for a sweep. Jones is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Jones dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Silva tries to clinch but Jones moves out of range.
Silva tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Jones swivels and escapes.

Jones shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

Jones is working for a kimura here but Silva manages to reverse the position and he's now in Jones's guard.
Jones tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Silva wants to control from the top but Jones keeps moving.
Jones 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.
Jones is breathing heavily.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva trying to control but Jones is working from the bottom.
Jones avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Jones looking to hit a scissor sweep but Silva is one step ahead there.

Jones looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Silva trying to control but Jones is working from the bottom.
Silva postures up in Jones's guard and throws a big left but Jones blocks it.
Silva postures up in Jones's guard and throws a big left but Jones blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Jones is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jones striking off his back but it's not causing Silva any problems.

Jones is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Silva is looking to stand up but Jones won't let him.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Silva's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Silva trying to control but Jones is working from the bottom.
Silva scoring with some ground and pound.
Silva trying to control but Jones is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones wants to sweep here but Silva controlling him for the moment.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Jones is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Alex Silva wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Jones misses with a series of wild punches.

Silva fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Jones sprawls well initially but Silva persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Jones wants to get back to full guard.
Silva is trying to control the action in half guard but Jones is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jones slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Jones wants to sweep but no luck.
Jon Jones has got the better of the ground game so far.
Jones is pulling down on Silva's head to control his posture.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Jones escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Silva gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Silva working some strikes from top position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jones has momentary wrist control but Silva slips an elbow through the middle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Alex Silva will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Silva moves to clinch but Jones breaks away
and Jones counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Jones misses with the combination.
No luck for Jones with that takedown attempt.
Silva slips a jab and a cross from Jones.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Silva throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Jones's waist but Jones gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Silva off to one side.
Jones throws a hook to the side of Silva's head but Silva sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Silva shoots for a double leg takedown but Jones sprawls well. He's pushed Silva's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Silva shoots in for a takedown but Jones shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
No joy there for Jones, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Jones fails to land the takedown.
Silva fails with the takedown
and Jones counters with a series of strikes. Silva will be more careful next time no doubt.
Jones ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Silva moves away.
Jones keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Jones decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Jones stalling.

Jones seems to be looking for submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva gets full guard.
Jones looking to sit in guard and control but Silva gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Jones looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Silva throwing strikes from guard but Jones blocks nicely.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Jones wants to sweep here but Silva controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones trying to keep a closed guard but Silva is proving a slippery customer.
Jones keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
Silva won't allow Jones to sweep him here.
Jones is trying to control the position but Silva postures up.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Silva misses with a takedown attempt - Jones sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Jones throws a right and a left that both miss.
Jones misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Jon Jones seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jones showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Silva.
Jones closes the distance and lands a one-two.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Silva.

Silva gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Jones must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Jones looking to pass the guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Silva throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Jon Jones comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Jones has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 28:29
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jon Jones!
A victorious Jon Jones thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.