PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nikola Kolev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Ain't No Sunshine. Silva has a slight injury, which hopefully won't affect the fight too much. Anderson Silva has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Silva
vs
Kolev

187 cm
23
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

176 cm
25
180 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid 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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, 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 Amsterdam, Nikola Kolev!
The judges for this bout are Paulsen Ambrosius, Patrick Alders and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kolev darts in trying to clinch

and Silva counters with a single leg into guard. Kolev didn't expect that.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Silva wants to stand but Kolev is controlling his posture from full guard.
Kolev controlling the position.
Kolev wants to sweep but no luck.
Silva wants to stand but Kolev has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Anderson Silva wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Kolev tries to close the distance and clinch but Silva swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kolev looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kolev throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Kolev wants to clinch.
Kolev tries to clinch but Silva is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kolev tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Silva counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Kolev slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kolev has control of Silva's left arm, preventing Silva from doing any damage.
Silva stopping the sweep attempt from Kolev.
Silva will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Silva gets to his feet - Kolev follows without any prompting.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kolev lands a nice looking kick to the body. Silva takes a step back to recover.
Kolev fails with an attempt to clinch.

Kolev shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Silva napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Silva wants to get back to his feet.

Kolev tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Silva wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kolev decides to stand back up.
Kolev throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Silva's waist but Silva gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Kolev off to one side.
Silva slaps away a takedown attempt from Kolev, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Kolev shoots in but Silva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Anderson Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nikola Kolev.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silva closes the distance and clinches up with Kolev, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes Kolev against the cage but Kolev circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikola Kolev dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Kolev tries to clinch up.
Kolev lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Silva backs up against the cage.
Silva walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Nikola Kolev seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kolev tries to clinch up

and Silva counters with a shoot takedown. Kolev fights it but they end up in guard.

Kolev wriggles free and stands up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Horrible takedown by Kolev or perhaps it was just good defense by Silva which made him look bad.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kolev tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Silva counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
It looks like Silva is going to stand back up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva prevents Kolev from standing back up.
Kolev preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Kolev misses with a straight right.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Kolev. Those never looked like landing.
Kolev lands a head kick!
Silva bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Horrible takedown by Silva or perhaps it was just good defense by Kolev which made him look bad.
Kolev throws a sloppy head kick and Silva moves out of range easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kolev clinches up against the cage.
Kolev jumps guard but Silva turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Silva tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kolev avoids it.
Kolev looking to stall.

Kolev gets control of Silva's arms and successfully pulls guard. Kolev will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Silva won't allow Kolev to get back to his feet.
Silva won't allow Kolev to sweep him here.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Silva wanted to stand there but Kolev had control of the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Anderson Silva wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Kolev is looking to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kolev.
Kolev misses with a hook

and Silva decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Kolev's guard.
Kolev 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.
Kolev bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Silva's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kolev scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Nikola Kolev will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Kolev doesn't manage to clinch there - Silva circles away.
Nice sprawl there from Silva as Kolev shoots in.
Kolev tries to clinch up

and Silva decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Kolev's guard.
Kolev is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Kolev looking to hit a scissor sweep but Silva is one step ahead there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because Anderson Silva wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Kolev tries to clinch but Silva is having none of it.

Kolev drives through with a takedown into guard.
Silva wants to stand and escape but Kolev is having none of it.
Kolev postures up and lands a big shot to Silva's brow.
Kolev not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Kolev wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Silva is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Kolev trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Nikola Kolev wasn't active enough on the ground.
Silva has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Kolev has managed to clinch.
Kolev has Silva pressed against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Silva is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kolev is defending well for now.
Silva tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kolev avoids it.
Kolev 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.
Silva misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kolev.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kolev avoids it.
Silva trying to land knees to the body.
Kolev blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Silva tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kolev avoids it.
Kolev managing to block the knees to the body from Silva.

Kolev pulls guard successfully.

Kolev 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.
Kolev tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kolev working a defensive guard here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
A punch combination from Kolev misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kolev looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sloppy strikes from Kolev. Those never looked like landing.
Nikola Kolev is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Silva fails with the takedown
and Kolev counters with a two punch combo.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nikola Kolev comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Kolev winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 27:30
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nikola Kolev!
Nikola Kolev was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.