PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Risto Rytina (ranked 2647 p4p, 2780 weight class) and Alex Silva (ranked 347 p4p, 359 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Rytina
vs
Silva

190 cm
26
204
6 - 7 - 1

186 cm
33
218
15 - 10 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Apothecary

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 6 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Risto Rytina!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Alex Silva!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Russell Pearce and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rytina throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Silva throws a hook to the side of Rytina's head but Rytina sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Rytina was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Silva misses with an uppercut. Rytina saw that one coming.
Silva cracks Rytina with a right hand to the side of the head.
Silva throws a hook to the side of Rytina's head but Rytina sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Silva connects with a crisp jab.
Silva has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Rytina lands a jab to the nose.
Rytina has been working on his boxing with his coaches at The Lab in the buildup to the fight.

Rytina pushes Silva up against the cage in a clinch.
Still in the clinch, Silva scores with a nice short uppercut.
Rytina tries a knee to the head but Silva blocks it.
Rytina slowing the pace effectively.

Silva has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Rytina regains guard immediately.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rytina trying to control the position here.
Silva scoring with some ground and pound.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Rytina is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rytina working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Silva.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rytina wants to sweep here but Silva controlling him for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rytina is pulling down on Silva's head. It's preventing any offense from Silva, at least for the moment.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Rytina is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Silva postures up.
Silva trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Silva looking to pass the guard.
Rytina is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Silva is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Rytina looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Silva gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Silva connects with a body shot.
Rytina keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Silva throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Rytina stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Rytina connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Silva lands a jab to the nose.
Silva misses with a looping left.
Alex Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Rytina clinches.
Silva drops down looking for an ankle pick but Rytina pulls his leg out and moves away.

Rytina closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Rytina can't find room to land a body shot as Silva controls the action.
Rytina is looking to control Silva's arms but Silva gets an underhook and turns him. Now Rytina has his back to the cage.
Rytina working some nice short punches in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rytina lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Silva tries to score a body lock takedown but Rytina shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Silva.
Silva misses with a punch to the body.
Silva tries for a takedown but Rytina manages to get underhooks.
Risto Rytina has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Silva.
Rytina lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Silva backwards.
Rytina trying to land knees to the body.
Silva tries to stall but Rytina uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Rytina blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Silva works on Rytina's body with a couple of short punches.
Silva misses with a punch on the inside.
Silva softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Rytina using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rytina makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Silva lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Rytina stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Rytina blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rytina letting Silva take a breather here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rytina misses with a knee strike.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Rytina is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Silva is defending well for now.
Silva misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Silva looking to stall.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Silva lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rytina misses with a knee strike.
Rytina works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
A body shot lands from Silva.
Silva blocks a body shot from Rytina.
Rytina blocks a body shot from Silva.
Rytina is pressed up against the cage. Silva has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rytina down to the mat. Rytina avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Rytina drives through and clinches with Silva against the cage.

Silva tightens his grip and picks Rytina up, before dumping him to the ground. Rytina manages to land in guard.

Silva has gone for a leg lock! Rytina slips out almost immediately though and dives into Silva's guard.

Rytina trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Alex Silva will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Silva throws a body punch but Rytina moves out of range.
Rytina keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Some wild striking there from Rytina.
Rytina lands a lovely overhand right.
Silva dodges the punch combination from Rytina.
Silva works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Silva shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Rytina on the wrong end of a nice jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rytina throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
And Silva tries to counter it with a takedown but Rytina pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Silva throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rytina jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.
Silva fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
A combination from Rytina does no damage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Silva ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rytina moves away.
Silva swats away the attempt to clinch by Rytina.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rytina lands an overhand right.
The fighters circling - Rytina throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Silva swings for the body but Rytina moves out of range.
Silva misses with a hook
and Rytina counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Silva thinking.
Rytina lunges at Silva with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Silva's hand.
Silva misses the shot to the body.
The fighters circling - Rytina throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Silva moves away from the strike by Rytina.
Silva cracks Rytina with an open hand slap.
Rytina swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Rytina ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Rytina works the jab nicely.
Rytina throws a sloppy head kick

and Silva counters with a single leg into guard. Rytina didn't expect that.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rytina trying to keep a closed guard but Silva is proving a slippery customer.
Silva trying to control but Rytina is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rytina tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rytina is working hard here to advance position.
Rytina controls Silva momentarily but Silva frees himself.
Silva wants to control from the top but Rytina keeps moving.
Silva might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Rytina haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Silva just misses with a punch to the body.
Risto Rytina is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Silva misses with a looping left.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva throws an off balance right hand
and Rytina counters with a stiff right hand.
A slow jab from Silva misses its intended target.
Rytina tries to close the distance and clinch up but Silva swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Silva takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Silva throws the left hand but Rytina avoids the punch easily.
Rytina takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Rytina ducks under a wild hook from Silva.
Silva throws a sloppy body shot
and Rytina counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Rytina takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Rytina walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Silva steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Rytina. That one must have hurt.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rytina as he avoids it easily.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Rytina wants to clinch.
Silva tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

Rytina takes the fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rytina stalling in the clinch but Silva improves position.
A short uppercut from Silva.
Silva throws a head punch that misses.
Rytina tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Silva avoids it.
Silva is working for takedown but Rytina is calmly controlling the position for now.
Rytina misses with a knee strike.
Silva swings wildly with an uppercut but Rytina uses good head movement to avoid it.
Silva is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Rytina pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Risto Rytina has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Silva.
Rytina tries a knee to the head but Silva blocks it.
Silva on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rytina prevents a takedown attempt there.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Silva stalling the fight.
A nice left hand lands by Rytina.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Risto Rytina will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Rytina lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Silva backs up against the cage.
Rytina scoring well with a low kick there.
A looping hook to the body misses from Silva. Rytina does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rytina tries to clinch but Silva is having none of it.
Rytina takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Rytina throws an overhand right that lands on Silva's shoulder, as Silva tries to avoid the shot.
Silva throws a body punch but Rytina moves out of range.
Rytina thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Silva if he has to take too many more of those.
Silva throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Rytina fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Silva looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Rytina wants to clinch up but Silva keeps it at a distance.

Rytina rushes Silva and presses him up against the cage.
Rytina is pressed up against the cage. Silva has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rytina down to the mat. Rytina avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Rytina throws a sloppy head kick and Silva moves out of range easily.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Silva scores with a hook.
Silva tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.

Rytina moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva tightens his grip and picks Rytina up, before dumping him to the ground. Rytina manages to land in guard.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Rytina is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Silva is looking to work some ground and pound but Rytina has wrist control.
Rytina looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Rytina is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Silva trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Rytina pushes a forearm under Silva's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Silva is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Risto Rytina!
Our winner, Risto Rytina, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.