PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rickson Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Anderson Silva could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Rickson Gracie's chin.

Silva
vs
Gracie

185 cm
22
175 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

187 cm
22
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Good chin

Good takedowns
Brawler
Likes ground

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Anderson Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rickson Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Felipe Paraventi and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Silva shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Gracie's guard.
Gracie wants to sweep but no luck.
Silva wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Silva looking to pass the guard.
Gracie keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gracie swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Gracie 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.
Gracie looks gassed!

Silva thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Silva avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Silva avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gracie swivels though and keeps the full guard.

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

Gracie throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Gracie looking to hit a scissor sweep but Silva is one step ahead there.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gracie swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gracie bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Silva's guard.
Gracie pushes down on Silva's leg and manages to get into half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Gracie tries to pass the half guard into mount. Silva knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Gracie seems to be looking for submissions.
Silva is trying to get back to full guard.
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.

Gracie is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Silva doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Gracie.

Gracie is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Gracie is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Silva doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Gracie.

Gracie is looking for a kimura here.
Gracie works his foot free and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie wants to finish this one by submission but Silva is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Gracie.

Gracie is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Silva has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Silva!
Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.

Gracie 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.
Gracie wants to sweep but no luck.
Silva passes into half guard.
Gracie manages to get to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Gracie 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 four minutes gone in the round.
Silva passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Gracie is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Silva's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Gracie is refusing to be controlled, as Silva sits in half guard.
Silva trying to mount his opponent but Gracie defends it.
Gracie makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gracie.
Silva looking to pass the guard.
Silva stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
Silva trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.

Gracie looking for a guillotine here but Silva defends easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rickson Gracie 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.

Silva shoots in and bounces Gracie off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Gracie has an active guard here but Silva has managed to pass into half guard.
Silva trying to control from half guard but Gracie is working away.
Silva tries to pass the half guard into mount. Gracie knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Gracie actively working from the bottom here.
Silva is trying to control the action in half guard but Gracie is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Silva is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gracie is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Silva's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Silva's back!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie avoiding Silva 's attempts to control his hands.

Gracie is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Silva is defending well though. Gracie let's go of the attempt for now.

Silva defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Silva turns into Gracie and is now in his guard.
Gracie wants to sweep here but Silva controlling him for the moment.

Gracie has an active guard here but Silva has managed to pass into half guard.
Gracie moves into full guard.

Gracie is looking for a triangle but Silva pushes his legs off easily.

Gracie is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Silva avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Rickson Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Silva pushes down on Gracie's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Silva is looking to advance position but Gracie won't allow it.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Gracie tries to get to full guard but Silva has control of the leg.

Silva is trying to work for a kimura but Gracie is defending well.
Gracie manages to get to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Silva looking to pass the guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Silva jabs Gracie right on the nose. Gracie blinks but takes it well.
Gracie takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Silva throws a series of strikes that have Gracie backpedaling.
Silva closes the distance and clinches up with Gracie, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes Gracie against the cage but Gracie circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Gracie shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Silva counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Silva trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Gracie 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.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Silva trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Gracie working for a submission but Silva is keeping him at bay.

Gracie wants to finish this one by submission but Silva is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Gracie.
Silva tries to lock up and control but Gracie gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Silva is working to get back to half guard.

Gracie with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Silva keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

Gracie looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
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 Anderson Silva will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Gracie has his takedown stuffed

and Silva counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Gracie is in trouble now - Silva has advanced to mount!

Silva looking to secure an arm triangle but Gracie defends it well.
Gracie is working to get back to half guard.

Silva with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Silva is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Gracie is surviving well by controlling Silva's body position as best he can.

Silva working for a submission here. He's tucked his head under his opponent's arm, looking for an arm triangle. He's hopped off into side control, looking to tighten the submission... is it going to work? He's given up a good position looking for it. Gracie looks OK. Oh, I spoke too soon, he's out! That must have been tighter than I thought! Excellent work there by Silva! Submission of the night perhaps?

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:02 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Anderson Silva!