PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nicky Harwood (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Nicky Harwood has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Harwood
vs
Silva

187 cm
21
185 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

188 cm
18
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Rocha Nutrition

Syndicate Drugs

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Nicky Harwood!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Anderson Silva!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Alexandre Firmino and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harwood doesn't manage to clinch there - Silva circles away.

Silva gets a takedown into half guard.
Harwood throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

Harwood looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Silva wants to lay and pray for a moment but Harwood keeps working.

Harwood kicks off Silva and gets to his feet.

Silva forces Harwood back against the cage and clinches.

Silva pulls guard effortlessly.
Silva controlling the position.

Harwood has gone for a leg lock! Silva slips out almost immediately though and dives into Harwood's guard.
Silva pushes down on Harwood's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva prevents Harwood from standing back up.
Silva wants to take a breather but Harwood is having none of it.
Harwood wants to get back to his feet.
Harwood is breathing heavily.

Silva wants to work for an arm triangle but Harwood is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Harwood tries to roll over but Silva keeps him under control.
Silva throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Silva is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Harwood throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
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.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Silva scores with a takedown into Harwood's guard.
Silva looking to pass the guard.

Harwood throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Silva works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Silva is keen to just control but Harwood is a slippery customer.

Silva looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Harwood looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva is tying to control. Harwood wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Silva is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Harwood is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Silva pulls his head out easily.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Silva has taken the fight to the clinch.
Silva comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Silva.

Silva breaks from the clinch.
Harwood throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Silva looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Silva trying to control but Harwood is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Silva instigates a clinch.
Silva using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Silva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Silva scores with a takedown into Harwood's guard.

Harwood working for a triangle but Silva defends it easily.
Silva pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Harwood is keeping the position for now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Silva's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Harwood wants to stand up but Silva is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harwood keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
Silva 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 trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Silva is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Harwood working for submissions but it's allowed Silva to get to half guard.
Harwood tries to get to full guard but Silva has control of the leg.

That's two 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.

Harwood looking for submissions off his back.
Silva trying to control the action but Harwood is working from the bottom.
Harwood missing with punches from the bottom.
Harwood is staying active underneath Silva, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Harwood has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Silva gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Silva wants a takedown.
Harwood wants a takedown but no success here.
Silva lands a knee to the body.
Silva unloads a knee to the mid-section. Harwood lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Silva is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Harwood is keeping busy.
Silva is persisting with his attempts to control the action in the clinch, rather than do any real damage.
Silva looking for a takedown.
Harwood tries for a takedown. No joy.
Knees in the clinch landing for Silva.
Harwood goes for a takedown attempt but Silva pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nicky Harwood. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Harwood drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Harwood working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Silva is looking to reverse the position.

Harwood tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Harwood goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Silva has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Harwood but great work by Silva.
Harwood prevents Silva from moving into mount.
Silva wants to control but Harwood is keeping him busy.
Silva cracks Harwood with a big elbow.
Silva trying to control the action but Harwood is working from the bottom.
Silva is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anderson 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. This is the final round!

Harwood gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Silva counters with a low kick, right behind Harwood 's knee.

Silva gets the takedown into side control.
Silva lands a nice forearm strike.
Harwood takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Harwood is looking for a sweep.

Silva stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Silva throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

Silva scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Harwood throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

Silva is trying to work for a kimura but Harwood is defending well.

Harwood looking for submissions off his back.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Harwood actively working from the bottom here.

Harwood is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Silva pulls his head out easily.
Harwood throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harwood is trying to get back to full guard.
Harwood is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Silva scores with a couple of nice shots.

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.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Harwood gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Harwood is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Harwood had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Silva is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Harwood Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Silva's back instead.
Harwood doesn't have the hooks in and Silva manages to turn into his guard.

Harwood has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Silva can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but Harwood is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva postures up and lands a big shot to Harwood's brow.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Harwood is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but Harwood is retaining full guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Harwood misses with a takedown attempt
and Silva counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Silva moves into range and clinches up with Harwood.

Silva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Harwood throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Silva counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Harwood looking for subs off his back but Silva has passed one foot through into half guard.
Harwood looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harwood missing with punches from the bottom.
Silva blocks the strikes from Harwood.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Silva connects with a nice short shot to Harwood's temple.

Harwood looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Silva takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anderson Silva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Silva has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30

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