PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Brant Silva (ranked 24795 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ollie OCallaghan (ranked 6992 p4p, 0 weight class). Ollie OCallaghan has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Silva
vs
OCallaghan

173 cm
19
193 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

200 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Brant Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ollie OCallaghan!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Summer Carpenter and Ben Watson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

OCallaghan clinches.
Silva is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

OCallaghan manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
OCallaghan has control of Silva's left arm, preventing Silva from doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
OCallaghan manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Silva manages to get himself to full guard.

OCallaghan is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Silva 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.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
OCallaghan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.
Silva could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Silva is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
OCallaghan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.
Silva being controlled here, momentarily.
It looks like OCallaghan might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Let's hope that OCallaghan has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Silva is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
OCallaghan stopping the sweep attempt from Silva.
OCallaghan trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

OCallaghan drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Silva keeping moving, preventing OCallaghan from controlling successfully.
OCallaghan engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva keeping moving, preventing OCallaghan from controlling successfully.
OCallaghan is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
OCallaghan wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

OCallaghan changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Silva looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

OCallaghan decides to stand back up. OCallaghan steps back and let's Silva get back to his feet.
OCallaghan throws a front kick aimed at Silva's knee but Silva avoids it well.
Silva is looking to counter the offense by OCallaghan and move into the clinch.
OCallaghan stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Silva.
OCallaghan misses with a looping right.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

OCallaghan 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 uses the cage to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ollie OCallaghan dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

OCallaghan tightens his grip and picks Silva up, before dumping him to the ground. Silva manages to land in guard.
OCallaghan wanted to stand there but Silva had control of the position.
OCallaghan slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva tries to strike from the bottom.
Silva not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
OCallaghan throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
OCallaghan trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silva can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as OCallaghan controls the pace.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Sloppy strikes from OCallaghan. Those never looked like landing.

OCallaghan throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Silva tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. OCallaghan is in Silva's guard.
OCallaghan is breathing heavily.
Silva has OCallaghan pulled in close to control his posture.
OCallaghan looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to sweep here but OCallaghan controlling him for the moment.
OCallaghan passes into half guard.
Silva might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Silva taking some punishment here, with OCallaghan in his half guard.
OCallaghan is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Silva trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva is refusing to be controlled, as OCallaghan sits in half guard.
Still in half guard, OCallaghan seems content to control.
Silva knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for OCallaghan on the ground.
Silva has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. OCallaghan is working away from the top position though.
Silva wants to improve his position but OCallaghan is controlling well.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Ollie OCallaghan has got the better of the ground game so far.
Silva is working hard here to advance position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

OCallaghan scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Silva is looking to control OCallaghan's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Silva avoid being mounted?
OCallaghan is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
OCallaghan passes to side control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Silva is looking to reverse the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ollie OCallaghan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

OCallaghan drives through with a takedown into guard.
OCallaghan wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
OCallaghan throws an elbow that misses. Silva uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in OCallaghan's guard. Nice move by Silva!

OCallaghan throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
OCallaghan doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
OCallaghan is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva won't allow OCallaghan to get back to his feet.
Silva preventing the sweep.

Silva decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on OCallaghan, up you get!

OCallaghan forces Silva back against the cage and clinches.
OCallaghan takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

OCallaghan has Silva pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. OCallaghan pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Silva tumbling to the mat - OCallaghan dives into Silva's guard.
Silva looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but OCallaghan puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
OCallaghan not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
OCallaghan missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
OCallaghan is trying to control. Silva wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
OCallaghan wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Silva uses the opportunity to regain full guard.
OCallaghan looking to pass the guard.
OCallaghan is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Silva not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva pulls OCallaghan in close to prevent any damage.
OCallaghan loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

OCallaghan shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Silva is trying to defend but OCallaghan finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

OCallaghan 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Silva gets full guard.
Brant Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ollie OCallaghan is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
OCallaghan being controlled here momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ollie OCallaghan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well OCallaghan 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 Eliza Hachem scores the fight 27:30
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Watson scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ollie OCallaghan!