PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lawrence Sanders (ranked 10012 p4p, 0 weight class) and Geronimo Da Silva (ranked 6542 p4p, 226 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Sanders
vs
Da Silva

173 cm
24
279 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

187 cm
25
276 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Lawrence Sanders!
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, Geronimo Da Silva!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Mauricio Rocha and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Da Silva scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Da Silva controlling the position from side mount.
Sanders is looking to reverse the position.
Sanders wants to control but Da Silva postures up.

Da Silva has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Da Silva shoots for a double leg takedown but Sanders sprawls well. He's pushed Da Silva's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Da Silva closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Sanders to the mat! Sanders manages to get full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Da Silva looking to pass the guard.
Da Silva trying to control but Sanders is working from the bottom.
Da Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but Sanders is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Da Silva postures up.
Sanders looking to hit a scissor sweep but Da Silva is one step ahead there.
Sanders has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Da Silva trying to control but Sanders is working from the bottom.
Sanders 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.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Da Silva stuffs the takedown.
Da Silva has a takedown stuffed.
Sanders slips a jab and a cross from Da Silva.
Sanders really is a fat lump.
Da Silva fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Sanders has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Da Silva fails with the takedown.
Sanders seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Lawrence Sanders has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Geronimo Da Silva.
Da Silva goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

It looks like Lawrence Sanders has been cut.
Da Silva shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Sanders but Sanders pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Sanders seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva with a poor takedown

and Sanders counters by clinching up.
Da Silva missing with knees to the body.
Da Silva tries to pull guard but Sanders won't allow it.
Da Silva wants to take the fight to the mat but Sanders manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Da Silva looks winded!
Sanders is trying to break free.
Sanders is trying to force a seperation but Da Silva has the dominant position.

Sanders manages to break the clinch.
Sanders leaves Da Silva with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Sanders tries to counter with a takedown but Da Silva is quick to defend against it.

Da Silva closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Sanders to the mat! Sanders manages to get full guard.
Da Silva is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva being controlled here momentarily.
Da Silva wants to control from the top but Sanders keeps moving.
Da Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but Sanders is retaining full guard.
Da Silva keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Sanders's head.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Da Silva not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Sanders is controlling Da Silva's posture.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Geronimo Da Silva dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Lawrence Sanders's cut.
That's time! Sanders's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Sanders shoots in and gets a takedown into Da Silva's guard.
Da Silva is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sanders controlling from the top position.
Da Silva looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Da Silva's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Sanders postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanders working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Da Silva has Sanders pulled in close to control his posture.
Sanders controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Sanders working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Da Silva is trying to control the position but Sanders postures up.
Da Silva keeping moving, preventing Sanders from controlling successfully.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Da Silva shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Sanders defends it nicely.
Sanders half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Lawrence Sanders is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Da Silva buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Da Silva gets the takedown into side control.
Da Silva scores with punches from side control.
Sanders wants to control but Da Silva postures up.
Geronimo Da Silva has got the better of the ground game so far.
Da Silva has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Da Silva controlling the position easily from mount.
Da Silva can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Sanders is looking to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva avoids the attempt from Sanders to control.
Da Silva controlling the position easily from mount.
Sanders tries to reverse the position but Da Silva maintains control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Sanders is squirming around, avoiding Da Silva's attempts to control the action.
Da Silva lands with some strikes.
Sanders tries to hold on but Da Silva pushes him away.
Da Silva sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Sanders is squirming around, avoiding Da Silva's attempts to control the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Geronimo Da Silva showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Lawrence Sanders's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Da Silva looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sanders wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Sanders shoots in but Da Silva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Da Silva tries for a takedown but Sanders sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Sanders enables Da Silva to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Sanders manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Sanders might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Da Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Sanders is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Da Silva wants to stand but Sanders has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Da Silva looking to sit in guard and control but Sanders gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Da Silva wants to hit a switch here but Sanders passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Da Silva there!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanders trying to control but Da Silva is having none of it.
BOOM! Sanders connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Sanders scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Da Silva is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Da Silva might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Sanders haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Da Silva has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva is trying desperately to improve position.
Sanders controlling from the full mount.
The referee warns Da Silva that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Sanders with the ground and pound from mount.
Sanders content just to control the position here.
Da Silva wants to hold on but Sanders pushes him away.
Sanders putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva is desperately trying to improve his position but Sanders has a good base and remains in mount.
Da Silva takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sanders landing shots from mount.
Sanders working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Sanders is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Da Silva can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Sanders is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Sanders in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Sanders working Da Silva over with strikes here.
Sanders lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Da Silva hang on?
Sanders has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Sanders has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Da Silva's face.
Sanders raining down shots from the mount!
Sanders working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sanders connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Sanders lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Sanders with a couple of short strikes.
Sanders with shots to the head and body - Da Silva looks very uncomfortable down there.
Da Silva is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Sanders cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Sanders punishing his opponent with strikes.
Sanders tries to control but Da Silva wriggling away.
Lawrence Sanders has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Geronimo Da Silva is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Da Silva can do anything to dispel that myth.
Da Silva is bucking up trying to escape but Sanders cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lawrence Sanders showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Da Silva 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29

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