PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and RJ Rodgers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as RJ Rodgers enters the cage!

Silva
vs
Rodgers

190 cm
18
130 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

175 cm
21
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Inexperienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Anderson Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, RJ Rodgers!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Daniel Cesar and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Rodgers pinned against the cage. Rodgers gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Silva tries to clinch but Rodgers is having none of it.

Rodgers shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Silva's guard.
Rodgers stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Silva swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rodgers slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Silva striking off his back but it's not causing Rodgers any problems.
Rodgers looking to pass the guard.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Rodgers from controlling successfully.
Rodgers is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodgers trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
Rodgers tries to free his leg and advance position but Silva is retaining full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva looking to control.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Silva tries for a takedown but Rodgers circles away easily

and Rodgers counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Rodgers successfully pulls guard.
Silva won't allow Rodgers to sweep him here.
Rodgers trying to keep a closed guard but Silva is proving a slippery customer.
Rodgers keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.

Rodgers uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Silva with a lazy takedown attempt
and Rodgers counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anderson Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Rodgers counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Silva really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Silva is looking to control Rodgers's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Silva avoid being mounted?
Silva is staying active underneath Rodgers, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Silva wants to control but Rodgers is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Silva punching from the bottom.
Silva wants to control but Rodgers is keeping busy.
Well, if Rodgers is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodgers trying to control from half guard but Silva is working away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Silva is refusing to be controlled, as Rodgers sits in half guard.

Despite being in the dominant position, RJ Rodgers just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Silva with a lazy takedown attempt

and Rodgers counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Rodgers stalling against the cage.
Silva is trying to stall.
Silva drops down looking for an ankle pick but Rodgers pulls his leg out and moves away.
Silva has his takedown stuffed

and Rodgers counters with a single leg into guard. Silva didn't expect that.
Silva looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rodgers is one step ahead there.
Rodgers trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodgers seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Silva wants to sweep but no luck.
Silva is trying to keep Rodgers in close.
Rodgers passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Rodgers controlling the position.
Silva parries the strikes from Rodgers easily there. Rodgers is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Silva to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

RJ Rodgers dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Silva is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Rodgers.
Silva tries to clinch but Rodgers moves out of range.
Rodgers will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Silva avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Silva tries for a takedown but Rodgers sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Silva darts in trying to clinch
and Rodgers counters with a series of strikes. Silva will be more careful next time no doubt.

Rodgers feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Silva bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rodgers's guard.
Rodgers looking for a sweep. Not yet Rodgers, not yet.

Rodgers had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Silva is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Rodgers Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Silva's back instead.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Rodgers has got one arm under Silva's chin. This could be trouble... Silva trying to control the other hand but Rodgers gets it free and sqeezes tight - just a matter of time now! Yep, Silva has tapped out! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:01 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). RJ Rodgers!