PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Rodrigo Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hiro Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Watanabe is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Tan Dun- Night Flight. Hiro Watanabe is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Silva
vs
Watanabe

170 cm
25
158 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

174 cm
30
160 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Bad Man Clothing

GREEN!160

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Silva !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hiro Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Taro Takaoka and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Watanabe darts in and clinches Silva up against the cage.

Silva manages to break the clinch.
Watanabe tries to clinch up but Silva circles away and keeps his distance.
Watanabe tries to clinch there but Silva circles away.
Watanabe fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Silva finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Watanabe tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Silva manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Watanabe is looking to clinch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Silva . Watanabe does a little dance to reset his feet.
Silva looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Watanabe clinches with his opponent.

Silva tightens his grip and picks Watanabe up, before dumping him to the ground. Watanabe manages to land in guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Silva with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Watanabe is looking for a triangle but Silva pushes his legs off easily.
Watanabe looking for a sweep. Not yet Watanabe, not yet.
Silva throwing strikes from guard but Watanabe blocks nicely.
Watanabe wants to sweep here but Silva controlling him for the moment.
Watanabe looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Silva puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

Silva is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Watanabe defends it well.
Silva not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Watanabe holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Watanabe's head.
Watanabe is trying to control but can't.
Watanabe keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Watanabe regains full guard. Nicely done.
Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but Watanabe is retaining full guard.

Silva avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Silva pushes down on Watanabe's leg and manages to get into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Silva wants to work for an arm triangle but Watanabe is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Watanabe is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Silva jumps into side control!
Watanabe tries to buck Silva off but Silva is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe struggling a bit here.

Silva tries for a kimura but Watanabe is defending well.

Silva is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Watanabe has escaped the position, nice work there.
Silva tries to advance to mount but Watanabe denies him.
Watanabe can't do much from the bottom here.
Watanabe prevents Silva from improving position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Silva tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Silva has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Silva works to advance to full mount. Watanabe defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Silva throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Watanabe because Silva loaded up on that one.
Silva looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Silva takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Watanabe is looking to improve his position but Silva isn't that keen on the idea.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silva works his way to his opponent's back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Silva dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Silva avoids a punch combination nicely.
Silva loads up on a big right hand but Watanabe slips the punch.
Silva throws a leg kick but Watanabe sees it coming and checks it nicely.

Watanabe changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Silva looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Watanabe tries to move to mount but Silva blocks the move with his legs.
Silva tries to improve position but can't.
Watanabe moves into full mount!
Silva keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe trying to control but Silva is having none of it.
Watanabe looking to control and managing it successfully.
Silva keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Silva wants to control but Watanabe is having none of it.
Silva is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe controlling the pace for now.
Silva is desperately trying to improve his position but Watanabe has a good base and remains in mount.
Watanabe controlling the pace for now.
Watanabe trying to control but Silva is having none of it.
Silva wants to hold on but Watanabe pushes him away.
Watanabe tries to control but Silva wriggling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries to lock up and control but Watanabe gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Watanabe prevents Silva from getting the reversal.
Watanabe takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Silva is trying to escape the mount.
Watanabe trying to control but Silva is having none of it.
Silva is trying to escape the mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Silva is looking to escape.
Rodrigo Silva overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Silva sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Silva tries to roll over but Watanabe keeps him under control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Silva looking for submissions off his back.
Silva punching from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Hiro Watanabe will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Silva closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Watanabe's guard.
Silva preventing the sweep.

Watanabe working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Silva doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Silva manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Watanabe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Watanabe is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Silva preventing the sweep.
Silva pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Watanabe is keeping the position for now.
Watanabe managing to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva postures up.

Silva drops back, looking for a kneebar! Watanabe looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Watanabe looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Watanabe!
Silva sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Silva is trying to control but can't.

Silva looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Watanabe wants to pass to mount but Silva is defending the position.
Silva works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe sitting in guard here, content to control.
Watanabe tries to free his leg and advance position but Silva is retaining full guard.

Watanabe got a little sloppy there for a moment and Silva has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Watanabe has managed to get both his arms back between Silva 's legs - danger averted.

Silva has his foot on Watanabe's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Watanabe works his way back into a safe position though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Watanabe pushing down on Silva 's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
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 trying to control from the bottom.
Watanabe wants to control but Silva is keeping him busy.
Watanabe works his foot free and advances to mount.
Watanabe looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe avoids the attempt from Silva to control.
Silva keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Silva tries to lock up and control but Watanabe gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Watanabe sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Watanabe trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Silva tries to hold on but Watanabe pushes him away.
Silva is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Watanabe controlling from the full mount.
Silva gets back to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silva misses with some strikes from the bottom.

Silva actively working from the bottom here.

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 Rodrigo Silva .
I think Silva has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 29:28

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