PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Del Hickman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Silvestri (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chris Silvestri acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Hickman
vs
Silvestri

183 cm
24
166 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

175 cm
25
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Del Hickman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chris Silvestri!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Daniel Franklin and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Silvestri gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Silvestri displaying some good clinch control by pressing Hickman up against the cage.
Silvestri jumps guard but Hickman stands there with Silvestri around his waist. Silvestri gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Silvestri fails to pull guard.

Silvestri works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Hickman looking for a sweep. Not yet Hickman, not yet.
Hickman controls Silvestri momentarily but Silvestri frees himself.
Silvestri throws a big elbow that misses.

Silvestri decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Nice sprawl there from Hickman as Silvestri shoots in.
Del Hickman has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chris Silvestri.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hickman scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Silvestri tries to land a body kick

and Hickman counters by moving into the clinch.
Hickman goes for a takedown in the clinch but Silvestri prevents it.
Hickman is looking to take this one to the mat.
Hickman controlling the action here for a moment.

Silvestri jumps guard.

Silvestri has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Hickman can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Silvestri keeping moving, preventing Hickman from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silvestri preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Silvestri looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Silvestri is trying to keep Hickman in close.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silvestri controls Hickman momentarily but Hickman frees himself.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Chris Silvestri wasn't active enough on the ground.
Silvestri tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Hickman swivels and escapes.
Silvestri fails in his attempt to clinch.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Silvestri.

Hickman drives through and clinches with Silvestri against the cage.
Silvestri jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Hickman walks away with a smile on his face. Silvestri gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Hickman moves into the clinch successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silvestri fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Hickman pulls guard.
Hickman wants to sweep but no luck.
Hickman wants to get back to his feet but Silvestri is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Hickman is adopting a defensive guard.
Hickman is breathing heavily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silvestri pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hickman is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Chris Silvestri will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Silvestri tries to score a power double leg takedown but Hickman sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Silvestri somewhat.
Silvestri doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

Hickman shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Silvestri is trying to maintain the position but Hickman is very close to passing his half guard.
Hickman is trying to control the action in half guard but Silvestri is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silvestri looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Silvestri trying to control here.
Silvestri wants to control the action here but instead Hickman manages to pass to full mount!
Hickman tries to control but Silvestri wriggling away.
Silvestri sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Silvestri wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silvestri controlling the position for now.
Silvestri works his way to full guard. Good work.
Hickman stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Silvestri swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Silvestri working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Hickman has passed into half guard!
Silvestri tries to roll over but Hickman keeps him under control.
Hickman missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hickman wants to lay and pray for a moment but Silvestri keeps working.
Silvestri is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Silvestri has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Hickman is on him like a limpet, forcing Silvestri back against the cage.
Silvestri blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Silvestri manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Silvestri is on top in guard.
Silvestri slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Silvestri sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Hickman is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Silvestri goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Hickman has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Silvestri but great work by Hickman.
Silvestri struggling a bit here.
Silvestri tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hickman wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Silvestri showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Silvestri stuffs the takedown attempt from Hickman. Hickman gets slowly back to his feet.
Silvestri shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Hickman pinned against the cage. Hickman gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Silvestri is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Hickman's half guard.
Hickman keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Silvestri moves nicely into side control.
Silvestri looking to control but instead Hickman has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silvestri is just content to waste time from the top position. Hickman takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Silvestri controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Silvestri stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hickman swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Hickman is on top in guard.
Silvestri is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Silvestri 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.
Silvestri looking to control.
Silvestri lands a decent shot there.

Hickman stands up from Silvestri's guard - Hickman perhaps looking for a knockout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Silvestri shoots in and bounces Hickman off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Silvestri wants to stand but Hickman is controlling his posture from full guard.
Hickman wants to stand but Silvestri is controlling the position.
Hickman 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hickman is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Silvestri advances to half guard.

Silvestri decides to stand and escape the position.

Silvestri manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Hickman on his heels. He'll look to pass Hickman's guard now, I'm sure.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Silvestri slips nicely into half guard.
Hickman is trying to get back to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris Silvestri comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Silvestri 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chris Silvestri!