PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rafael Da Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carlos Rivera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Da Silva's entrance music is No Love - Eminem. A fine choice. Rivera has chosen Your Hand in Mine as his entrance music. 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.

Da Silva
vs
Rivera

190 cm
31
196 lbs
15 - 9 - 0

190 cm
30
197 lbs
25 - 11 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 15 - 9 - 0, fighting out of London, Rafael Da Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Carlos Rivera!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, William Gold and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Da Silva takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
That kick from Rivera tenderised Da Silva's leg. Da Silva is trying to keep his angry face on.
Da Silva misses with a double jab
and Rivera counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Rivera tests Da Silva's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Da Silva scores with a sloppy right hand. Rivera should have avoided that one.
Rivera throws a head kick that misses.
Da Silva smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rivera throws a hook to the side of Da Silva's head but Da Silva sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Da Silva misses the shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Da Silva just misses with a punch to the body.
Rivera throws a leg kick which misses Da Silva's front leg but catches the back leg as Da Silva tries to avoid it.
Da Silva will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Da Silva throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Da Silva keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Rivera lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Rafael Da Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A jab from Da Silva finds it's way through Rivera's defenses.
Rivera takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Da Silva throws a low kick, looking for Rivera's leg but Rivera calmly moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good leg kick by Rivera there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

Rivera tries to keep at a distance but Da Silva has taken the fight into the clinch.
A right hook to the body lands for Da Silva.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rivera lands a shoulder strike.
Rivera scores with a shot to the side of Da Silva's head.
Rivera effectively controlling the action here.
Da Silva lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Da Silva lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rivera works on Da Silva's body with a couple of short punches.
Da Silva is looking to control Rivera's arms but Rivera gets an underhook and turns him. Now Da Silva has his back to the cage.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Da Silva as Rivera tries to tie him up.
Da Silva tries a body shot but Rivera blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva lands a good knee to the midsection. Rivera won't want to take too many of those.
Rivera trying to stall but Da Silva improves his position.
Da Silva prevents a body shot from Rivera.
Da Silva trying to stall but Rivera improves his position.
Rivera lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Da Silva has Rivera pressed against the cage.
Rivera blocks a body shot from Da Silva.
Da Silva wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rivera has him pressed against the cage.
Da Silva tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rivera's elbow.
Da Silva tries to work over Rivera's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Rivera trying to control the position but instead, Da Silva has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rivera into the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Rivera cracks Da Silva with a nice body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Da Silva struggles to land a body shot inside as Rivera controls his hands.
Da Silva lands a shoulder strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva is looking to break free of the clinch but Rivera has double underhooks.
Rivera lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Rivera dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Da Silva wants to stall.
Rivera taking a breather.
Da Silva can't find room to land a body shot as Rivera controls the action.
Rivera trying to control the position but instead, Da Silva has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rivera into the cage.
Rivera prevents a body shot from Da Silva.
Da Silva looking to stall.
Rivera is pushing Da Silva up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Da Silva is looking to control Rivera's arms but Rivera gets an underhook and turns him. Now Da Silva has his back to the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Rafael Da Silva will probably get the nod.
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.

Rivera shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Da Silva sprawls well. Da Silva wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rivera gets slowly back to his feet.

Rivera changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Da Silva looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Da Silva sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Rivera trying to pass the guard but Da Silva defending well.
Rivera works his way into side control.
Rivera working the strikes but Da Silva uses the opportunity to regain half guard.

Rivera looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rivera sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Rivera trying to control from half guard but Da Silva is working away.
Da Silva is in trouble now - Rivera has advanced to mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rivera goes for an armbar but Da Silva turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Da Silva.
Da Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rivera swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rivera is adopting a defensive guard.
Da Silva trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Rivera manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera wants to pass the guard but Da Silva is keeping the position.
Rivera cracks Da Silva with a solid left hand.
Da Silva trying to control the position.

Da Silva looking for subs off his back but Rivera has passed one foot through into half guard.
Da Silva trying to control from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivera missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Rivera is trying to control. Da Silva wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Da Silva is looking to improve his position.
Rivera thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Rivera wants to work for an arm triangle but Da Silva is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Rivera throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Rivera is trying to work for a kimura but Da Silva is defending well.
Da Silva trying to control from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlos Rivera showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Da Silva throws a left and a right that both miss

and Rivera counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Da Silva!
Da Silva is squirming around, avoiding Rivera's attempts to control the action.
Da Silva is in a horrible position here. Rivera smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Da Silva looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Da Silva is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Rivera gets his way!
Da Silva is covering up but some of the strikes from Rivera are getting through and doing damage.
Rivera is not going to allow Da Silva to sit and survive in this position.
What can Da Silva do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rivera doesn't have the hooks in and Da Silva manages to turn into his guard.
Rivera managing to control the position.
Rivera avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rivera wants to stand and escape but Da Silva is having none of it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Da Silva postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Carlos Rivera was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Nice shot lands for Da Silva.
Da Silva thows a body shot but no joy.
Da Silva fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rivera manages to avoid it.
Rivera misses with a hook.
Da Silva falls off balance throwing a combination
and Rivera makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Rivera throws a body punch but Da Silva moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A low kick from Rivera misses
and Da Silva counters with a nice body kick.
Rivera lands with a straight right. Da Silva didn't see that one coming.
Da Silva misses with an uppercut.
Da Silva throws a lazy body kick
letting Rivera counter with a right hand.
Da Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rivera swats him away and circles back towards the center.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Da Silva misses the shot to the body.
A punch combination from Rivera misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rivera looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Carlos Rivera comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Rivera 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Gold scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carlos Rivera!
Carlos Rivera thanked the fans post fight for their support.