PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tim Sylvia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Travis Schalk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sylvia
vs
Schalk

193 cm
23
210 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

177 cm
22
200 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Tim Sylvia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Travis Schalk!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, William Peck and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Schalk throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sylvia's waist but Sylvia gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Schalk off to one side.
Schalk tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sylvia swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Sylvia shoots and misses

and Schalk counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Sylvia trying to hold on to Schalk's head to control him but Schalk postures up.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Schalk lands a nice short elbow.
Schalk missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Sylvia wants to improve his position but Schalk is controlling well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Schalk thows a huge punch but Sylvia dodges it nicely.
Schalk prevents Sylvia from improving his position.
Schalk stalling away here and it's allowed Sylvia to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Schalk preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schalk looking to sit in guard and control but Sylvia gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Schalk working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Sylvia has passed into half guard!
Schalk gets back to full guard.
Sylvia lands a couple of elbows.
Sylvia trying to control the position from guard on top but Schalk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Schalk has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Sylvia with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Sylvia prevents Schalk from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sylvia trying to control but Schalk is working from the bottom.
Sylvia wants to stand but Schalk has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Schalk had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Sylvia is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Schalk Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Sylvia's back instead.
Sylvia trying to control the position but Schalk manages to sink in the hooks.
Schalk lands shots from the back.
Sylvia trying to control the position but Schalk manages to sink in the hooks.
Can Sylvia hold on?! Schalk is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Schalk working for the choke.
Schalk looks gassed!
Sylvia manages to reverse the position and now he's in Schalk's guard. Nice work there by Sylvia.
Sylvia wanted to stand there but Schalk had control of the position.
Schalk striking off his back.

Schalk throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Sylvia wants to get up but he can't break Schalk's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Sylvia has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Schalk 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.
Sylvia with a nice head shot there.
Sylvia trying to control the position from guard on top but Schalk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Schalk avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Schalk bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sylvia's guard.
Schalk connects with a couple of short punches.
Schalk preventing the sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Schalk fails in his attempt to clinch.

Schalk has taken the fight to the clinch.
Schalk looking for a takedown.
Schalk doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Sylvia escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sylvia with a poor takedown

and Schalk counters with a single leg into guard. Sylvia didn't expect that.

Schalk drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Schalk jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Schalk drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Sylvia dives on top into guard.
Schalk 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.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sylvia sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Schalk's guard.
Sylvia will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Sylvia is keen to just control but Schalk is a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Schalk looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Sylvia takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Sylvia moves into side control, avoiding the strikes from Schalk.
Schalk is looking to reverse the position.
Sylvia working the head with strikes.
Schalk tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Sylvia wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sylvia shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Schalk decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Sylvia's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Schalk content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Sylvia preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Sylvia pushes Schalk off and scrambles back to his feet.
Sylvia throws a nice head kick!
Sylvia avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Schalk bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Schalk advances nicely into full mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Schalk in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Schalk lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Sylvia is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schalk wants to control the pace but Sylvia is squirming around nicely.
Schalk cracks Sylvia with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Sylvia is trying desperately to improve position.
Travis Schalk has got the better of the ground game so far.
Schalk lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
A nice elbow there by Schalk.
Schalk breaks from Sylvia's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Sylvia really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Schalk with a couple of short strikes.
Sylvia is trying to escape the mount.
Schalk lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Schalk lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Schalk wants to control the pace but Sylvia is squirming around nicely.
Schalk looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Sylvia is trying desperately to improve position.
Sylvia is working hard here to advance position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Travis Schalk 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. This is the final round!

Schalk throws a right hand that Sylvia ducks under and follows up with a left that Sylvia also avoids with ease.
Schalk moves out of range as Sylvia throws a body kick.
A combination from Schalk does no damage.

Sylvia feints and as Schalk raises his hands in defense, Sylvia changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Sylvia trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Schalk is on top in guard.
Schalk in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sylvia keeping moving, preventing Schalk from controlling successfully.

Schalk has gone for a leg lock! Sylvia slips out almost immediately though and dives into Schalk's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Schalk looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schalk wants to stand and escape but Sylvia is having none of it.

Schalk looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Sylvia passes into side control.

Sylvia wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Schalk, who protects the arm well.
Schalk tries to buck Sylvia off but Sylvia is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Schalk is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.
Sylvia is looking to take a break and control but Schalk is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Schalk is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Sylvia asserts his dominance and retains side control.

Sylvia is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Schalk knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sylvia is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Schalk has escaped the position, nice work there.
Sylvia trying to control the action but Schalk is working from the bottom.
Schalk manages to work his way to half guard, despite Sylvia's best efforts.
Schalk is not content to let Sylvia control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Schalk gets back to full guard.
Travis Schalk is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Schalk has control of Sylvia's left arm, preventing Sylvia from doing any damage.
Sylvia tries to free his leg and advance position but Schalk is retaining full guard.
Schalk controls Sylvia momentarily but Sylvia frees himself.
Schalk is pulling down on Sylvia's head. It's preventing any offense from Sylvia, at least for the moment.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Schalk preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tim Sylvia showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Schalk 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Peck scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Travis Schalk!