PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Alex Vargas Jr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcos Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Vargas Jr
vs
Silva

173 cm
18
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

165 cm
20
165 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Likes musicals

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight 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 Vargas Jr!
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, Marcos Silva!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Matheus Silva and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva looks for a takedown but Vargas Jr sprawls well.
Silva fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Vargas Jr checks it well.

Vargas Jr gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Silva to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Silva is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Let's hope that Silva has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Vargas Jr is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Vargas Jr's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva is taking a breather. Vargas Jr 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.

Silva is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Silva is keen to just control but Vargas Jr is a slippery customer.
Vargas Jr is trying to get back to full guard.
Silva is trying to control the action in half guard but Vargas Jr is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Vargas Jr throws a strike from the bottom but Silva passes into side control!
Vargas Jr is trying to escape the position but Silva is controlling the position.
Vargas Jr is trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vargas Jr looks to move to half guard but instead Silva has passed into mount! Damn!
Vargas Jr avoids a series of strikes thrown by Silva.
Vargas Jr is desperately trying to improve his position but Silva has a good base and remains in mount.
Silva manages to capitalize on a mistake by Vargas Jr to take his back!
Silva has the hooks in. Vargas Jr is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Vargas Jr is working hard here to advance position.
I would not like to be Vargas Jr right now.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Silva throwing wild punches that miss their target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vargas Jr looking very determined here, making life difficult for Silva.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Vargas Jr turns into Silva and is now in his guard.
Silva is trying to control the position but Vargas Jr postures up.
Vargas Jr missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Vargas Jr wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Vargas Jr is really struggling to control Silva but he's trying to hold on to the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Silva dodges the punch combination from Vargas Jr.
Vargas Jr misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vargas Jr with a lazy takedown attempt

and Silva counters with a takedown into side control.
Vargas Jr is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Vargas Jr is breathing heavily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Silva is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Vargas Jr is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Silva lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silva wants to control but Vargas Jr is keeping him busy.
Vargas Jr is trying to control Silva's posture but Silva avoids it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Silva shoots in but no luck this time.
Vargas Jr misses with a takedown attempt - Silva sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Silva shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Silva wants to pass the guard but Vargas Jr is defending well.
Vargas Jr is trying to control but can't.
Silva is trying to control. Vargas Jr wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Vargas Jr is looking to control Silva's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Vargas Jr avoid being mounted?

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Vargas Jr knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Silva on the ground.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Alex Vargas Jr wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Vargas Jr is trying hard to land a takedown here. Silva sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Alex Vargas Jr is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Vargas Jr fails with an attempt to clinch.
Vargas Jr throws a body kick that misses.
Vargas Jr shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Vargas Jr shoots in but Silva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Vargas Jr. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vargas Jr shoots in but Silva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Vargas Jr scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Silva wants to control but Vargas Jr postures up.
A bit of a lull in the action here.
Silva should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Silva manages to work his way to half guard, despite Vargas Jr's best efforts.
Silva gets full guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Silva lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Vargas Jr!
Silva trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vargas Jr tries to hold on but Silva postures up.
Vargas Jr tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Silva controlling the pace for now.
Silva punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vargas Jr is squirming around, avoiding Silva's attempts to control the action.
Silva looking to control and managing it successfully.
Silva avoids the attempt from Vargas Jr to control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Vargas Jr gets back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcos Silva 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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Silva moves to clinch but Vargas Jr breaks away

and Vargas Jr counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Vargas Jr wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Silva bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Vargas Jr's guard.

Vargas Jr throws his legs up looking for a submission but Silva uses it to pass to side control.

Silva decides to stand back up. Silva steps back and let's Vargas Jr get back to his feet.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Vargas Jr has taken the fight to the clinch.
Vargas Jr wants to take the fight to the mat but Silva manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva can't break the clinch.

Silva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Silva shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Vargas Jr's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Vargas Jr working a defensive guard but Silva passes into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

Silva stands up and beckons Vargas Jr to join him on the feet.

Silva moves into the clinch successfully.

Vargas Jr jumps guard.
Silva slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Vargas Jr.
Marcos Silva has got the better of the ground game so far.
Vargas Jr wants to improve his position but Silva is controlling well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Vargas Jr trying to hold on to Silva's head to control him but Silva postures up.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Silva in particular looking to stall.
Vargas Jr is holding on to half guard well.

Silva gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vargas Jr leaves Silva with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Silva tries for a takedown but Vargas Jr circles away easily
letting Vargas Jr counter with a right hand.
Vargas Jr fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Silva avoids it really well and circles away.
Vargas Jr shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Vargas Jr. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva wants to clinch up but Vargas Jr keeps it at a distance.
Silva looks for a takedown but Vargas Jr sprawls well.
Vargas Jr fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Silva manages to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vargas Jr lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Vargas Jr.
Vargas Jr scores with a kick to the body.

Vargas Jr closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Silva did well to prevent Vargas Jr getting side control.
Vargas Jr is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Vargas Jr decides to stand and escape the position.
Silva fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A head kick misses from Vargas Jr.
Vargas Jr closes the distance and clinches up with Silva, looking for a takedown. Vargas Jr pushes Silva against the cage but Silva circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Alex Vargas Jr has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Marcos Silva is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Silva dives in and scores a takedown into Vargas Jr's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Alex Vargas Jr.
I think Silva 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 28:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marcos Silva!