PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Christopher Hael (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Anderson Silva will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Hael
vs
Silva

180 cm
25
290 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

225 cm
25
300 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent elbows
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Christopher Hael!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Anderson Silva!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Roger Salmon and Ryoma Takatsuka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hael drives through and clinches with Silva against the cage.

Hael's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hael dodges the punch combination from Silva.
Hael tries to clinch but Silva moves away
and Silva counters with a nice body kick.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hael as he jumps to the side.
Silva doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Hael counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Hael tries to clinch up but Silva circles away and keeps his distance.

Hael gets the takedown into side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Silva takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hael trying to control the action but Silva is working from the bottom.
Silva takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hael is chipping away with strikes.
Hael working the head with strikes.
Silva looks winded!

Hael goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Silva rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Hael's guard! Nice work there by Silva!
Hael trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Silva wants to pass the guard but Hael is keeping the position.
Hael trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Hael working for a triangle but Silva defends it easily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hael tries to strike from the bottom.
Hael is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hael wants to sweep but no luck.
Hael preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Hael is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Silva wants to control from the top but Hael keeps moving.
Hael looking for a sweep. Not yet Hael, not yet.
Silva trying to control but Hael is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Anderson Silva was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Hael fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Silva avoids it really well and circles away.
Hael has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Silva darts in and clinches Hael up against the cage.
Hael creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Silva's defenses.

Hael manages to break the clinch.
Hael tries to clinch up.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hael as he jumps to the side.
Christopher Hael has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anderson Silva.
Silva fails to land the takedown.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Hael.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Silva looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Hael tries to score a power double leg takedown but Silva sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Hael somewhat.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hael as he jumps to the side.
Anderson Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Silva misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christopher Hael dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hael.

Silva fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Hael, pushing him back against the cage.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Hael takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
The crowd are getting pretty annoyed with Hael for his constant stalling in the clinch and are voicing their displeasure.
Hael misses with a short punch on the inside.
Hael gets through Silva's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Silva is trying to push Hael away but Hael has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Hael breaks from the clinch.

Silva shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Silva is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hael looking to hit a scissor sweep but Silva is one step ahead there.
Christopher Hael overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hael keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
Hael wants to control the position but Silva says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Hael is looking for a sweep. Silva is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Hael makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Hael.
Hael throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Hael is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hael wants to get back to his feet but Silva is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hael looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Silva trying to control but Hael is working from the bottom.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Hael wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Silva manages to pass to side control.
Silva prevents Hael from improving his position.
Silva tries to stand and escape but Hael is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hael tries to kick Silva off but Silva keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Hael is not content to let Silva control the position.
Hael is trying to get back to full guard.
Silva is taking a breather. Hael says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

Anderson Silva has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Silva fails with a takedown attempt.
Hael stuffs the takedown attempt from Silva. Silva gets slowly back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hael slaps away a takedown attempt from Silva, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Christopher Hael has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anderson Silva.
Hael changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Silva tries to avoid it but Hael manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Silva to the ground. Silva escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Hael shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Silva manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Hael throws an elbow that misses. Silva uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Hael's guard. Nice move by Silva!
Silva preventing the sweep.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hael trying to control the position here.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Silva passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christopher Hael dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Silva is defended easily by Hael.

Silva looking to score a takedown here. Hael is defending well but Silva drives through and ends up in Hael's guard.
Silva preventing the sweep.
Hael wants to improve his position but instead Silva has moved into half guard.
Hael wants to get back to his feet.
Hael is not content to let Silva control the position.
Silva prevents Hael from improving his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva trying to control from half guard but Hael is working away.
Hael trying to control from the bottom.
Hael moves into full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hael wants to sweep but no luck.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Hael is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Anderson Silva wasn't active enough on the ground.
Hael tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Silva paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Anderson Silva seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hael fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Silva fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Hael shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Silva pinned against the cage. Silva gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Hael defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Silva.
Christopher Hael has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anderson Silva.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hael as he jumps to the side.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hael gets tackled into the cage by Silva. Silva maintains the clinch.

Hael breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
An inside leg kick lands from Silva.
Silva shoots for a double leg takedown but Hael sprawls well. He's pushed Silva's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Silva has Hael up against the cage in a clinch.
Silva is trying to pull guard but Hael has him pressed against the cage.
Hael lands a good knee to the midsection. Silva won't want to take too many of those.
Hael taking a breather.

Hael pulls guard effortlessly.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hael strikes from his own guard.
Hael is pulling down on Silva's head to control his posture.
Hael looking to control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hael wants to sweep but no luck.
Silva not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Christopher Hael is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Silva wants to get up but he can't break Hael's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Hael feints and as Silva raises his hands in defense, Hael changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silva has momentary wrist control but Hael slips an elbow through the middle.
Hael cracks Silva with a solid left hand.
Anderson Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hael scoring with some ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Christopher Hael showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Hael, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Josh West scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Christopher Hael!
Christopher Hael tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.