PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Sylva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sylva comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Metallica - Seek & Destroy kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Howard
vs
Sylva

185 cm
21
218 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

200 cm
23
205 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

Takomo

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, John Howard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Thiago Sylva!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Damien Edna and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Howard shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Howard putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Howard sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Howard wants to control the pace but Sylva is squirming around nicely.
Sylva is looking to improve his position but Howard isn't that keen on the idea.
Sylva sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Sylva wants to improve his position but Howard is controlling well.
Howard working the head and body with strikes.
Sylva is trying to get back to full guard.
Sylva has hold of Howard's hands but Howard slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Sylva is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Howard pulls his head out easily.
Howard slows the pace down in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Sylva trying to hold on to Howard's head to control him but Howard postures up.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Sylva is looking to improve his position.
Sylva is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Howard bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sylva manages to work his way to half guard, despite Howard's best efforts.
Sylva won't allow Howard to pass to mount.
Sylva is looking for a sweep. Howard is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Howard thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Sylva to regain full guard.
Howard might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Howard connects with a couple of short punches.
Howard pushes down on Sylva's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Howard winds up and cracks Sylva with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Sylva is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Sylva actively working from the bottom here.
Sylva looks gassed!

Howard is working for a kimura but Sylva is defending it quite comfortably.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sylva is looking for a sweep. Howard is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sylva wants to control but Howard is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Howard wants to control but Sylva is keeping him busy.
Howard lands strikes from half guard.
Howard is trying to control the action in half guard but Sylva is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Sylva makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Sylva.
Sylva manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Howard wants to hold on but Sylva pushes him away.
Howard regains half guard.
Howard won't allow Sylva to pass to mount.
Sylva wants to control but Howard is keeping him busy.
Howard moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard lands some strikes from the bottom.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Howard is on top in guard.
Howard tries to free his leg and advance position but Sylva is retaining full guard.

Howard is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Howard works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Howard working the head and body with strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howard is pressing down on Sylva's thigh, looking to free his foot. Sylva is holding on for now.
Sylva trying to control but Howard postures up.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sylva punching from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Howard dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Howard shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Sylva's guard.
Howard missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Sylva looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Sylva controls Howard momentarily but Howard frees himself.
Sylva might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Howard kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Howard passes into half guard.
Howard lands strikes from half guard.
Sylva is trying to maintain the position but Howard is very close to passing his half guard.
Howard throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Sylva is breathing heavily.
Sylva on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Sylva tries to get to full guard but Howard has control of the leg.
Howard not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sylva is looking to control Howard's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sylva avoid being mounted?
Sylva has hold of Howard's hands but Howard slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Sylva regains full guard. Nicely done.
Howard distracts Sylva with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Howard missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Howard slips nicely into half guard.
Howard seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sylva does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Howard wants to pass to mount but Sylva is defending the position.
Sylva wants to improve his position but Howard is controlling well.
Sylva has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Howard is working away from the top position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Howard is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Sylva wants to get back to full guard.
Sylva won't allow Howard to pass to mount.
Howard is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Howard is looking to take a break and control but Sylva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Sylva looking for submissions off his back.
Howard is looking to take a break and control but Sylva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Howard lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard uses his free foot to push down on Sylva's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Sylva.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Howard sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
John Howard overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Howard lands a nice shot to the head.
Howard prevents Sylva from getting the reversal.
Sylva sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Howard trying to mount his opponent but Sylva defends it.
Howard works his way into full mount!
Sylva is working to get back to half guard.
Howard with good strikes from the mount here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Sylva can't escape the position.
A nice elbow there by Howard.

Sylva is rocked!

It looks like Thiago Sylva has been cut.
Howard controlling from mount.
Sylva is still in real trouble! Can Howard finish him?

Howard jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Sylva manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Howard lands a nice forearm strike.
Sylva seems to have recovered his senses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sylva tries to buck Howard off but Howard is having none of it.
Howard wants to control but Sylva is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Howard dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Thiago Sylva's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Sylva shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Howard counters with a nice double leg into side control. Sylva won't be happy with that.
Howard in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

Howard is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Sylva knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Howard scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Sylva to see if he's OK.
Sylva is trying to get back to half guard.
Howard landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sylva gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard drops an elbow to the side of Sylva's head.

Howard 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.
Sylva is pressing down on Howard's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Howard avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Howard tries to free his leg and advance position but Sylva is retaining full guard.

Howard is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's two 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.
Howard distracts Sylva with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Sylva escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Howard gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Howard working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Sylva's head.
Howard sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Sylva's guard.
Howard scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Sylva is refusing to be controlled, as Howard sits in half guard.
Howard wants to pass to mount but Sylva is defending the position.
Sylva is looking to improve his position.
Sylva wants to control but Howard is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Thiago Sylva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Howard punishing his opponent with strikes.
Sylva can't escape the position.
Howard trying to control but Sylva is having none of it.
John Howard is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Howard controlling from mount.
Howard trying to control but Sylva is having none of it.
Howard is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sylva can do to turn this around?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sylva is trying to escape the mount.
Howard working Sylva over with strikes here.
Sylva is desperately trying to improve his position but Howard has a good base and remains in mount.
Howard controlling the position easily from mount.
Sylva is wriggling around trying to escape.
Howard sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Howard's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Sylva is working to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Howard showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Howard has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Summer Carpenter scores the fight 30:27
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 30:27
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Howard!