PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Sylva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brandon Sinistra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sylva comes to the cage accompanied by Metallica - Seek & Destroy. Brandon Sinistra has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sylva
vs
Sinistra

200 cm
24
205 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

185 cm
21
220 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Thiago Sylva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Brandon Sinistra!
The judges for this bout are Hugh Johnson, Eliza Hachem and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sinistra is looking to clinch but Sylva is avoiding it.
Horrible takedown by Sinistra or perhaps it was just good defense by Sylva which made him look bad.
Sinistra tries to clinch but Sylva is having none of it.
Sinistra throws a looping overhand right but Sylva ducks down to avoid it.
Sylva tries to score a power double leg takedown but Sinistra sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Sylva somewhat.
Sylva looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sinistra misses with a takedown

and Sylva counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Sylva tries to pass the half guard into mount. Sinistra knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Sinistra wants to improve his position but Sylva is controlling well.
Sylva moves into full mount! Sinistra won't be happy about that!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sinistra tries to hold on but Sylva pushes him away.
Sylva lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Sinistra wants to hold on but Sylva pushes him away.
Sylva prevents Sinistra from getting the reversal.
Sylva looking to finish with strikes here!

Sylva is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Sinistra can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Sinistra is trying desperately to improve position.
Sylva will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Sinistra is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Sinistra is working to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sylva looking to secure an arm triangle but Sinistra defends it well.
Sinistra is trying desperately to improve position.
Sinistra tries to lock up and control but Sylva gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Sylva trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Sinistra tries to lock up and control but Sylva gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Sinistra regains half guard.
Sinistra looks gassed!
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Sinistra keeping control of the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sinistra is looking for a sweep. Sylva is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sylva seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sinistra does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Sinistra has his hands clasped together around Sylva's back. He's all about the action.

Sylva is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Sylva thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Sinistra to regain full guard.
Sinistra is adopting a defensive guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Sinistra's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Sylva preventing the sweep.
Sinistra keeping moving, preventing Sylva from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sinistra bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sylva's guard.
Sinistra throwing strikes but missing.
Sinistra trying to control the position from guard on top but Sylva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Sylva looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Sinistra clinches but Sylva breaks the clinch

and Sylva counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Sylva is working for a submission of some sort.
Sylva wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sinistra keeps working.
Sinistra manages to get to full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sinistra 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.
Sinistra controls Sylva momentarily but Sylva frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sinistra might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Sylva kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Sinistra keeping moving, preventing Sylva from controlling successfully.
Sinistra keeping full guard, as Sylva tries to pass.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sinistra closes the distance but Sylva moves to the side

and Sylva counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Sylva.
Sinistra wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Sylva is now in half guard.
Sinistra is positioning himself well to prevent Sylva advancing to mount.
Sylva thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Sinistra's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sylva is thwarting Sinistra's attempts to control the position.
Sinistra won't allow Sylva to pass to mount.
Sinistra controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

Sylva is working for a submission of some sort.
Sylva is trying to control. Sinistra wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Sinistra has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Sylva is working away from the top position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sylva will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Sinistra changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Sylva looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sylva struggling a bit here.
Sinistra is looking to take a break and control but Sylva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sylva takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Sinistra trying to control the action but Sylva is working from the bottom.
Sylva is looking for a sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sinistra trying to control the action but Sylva is working from the bottom.
Sinistra lands a nice forearm strike.

Sinistra goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Sylva has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Sinistra but great work by Sylva.
Sinistra is looking for a sweep.
Sylva works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Sinistra is trying to improve his position.

Sylva working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Sinistra manages to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago Sylva dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Sinistra fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Sylva changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Sinistra tries to avoid it but Sylva manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Sinistra to the ground. Sinistra escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Sylva circles away from the clinch attempt

and Sylva counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Sylva.
Sylva pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sinistra is keeping the position for now.
Sinistra is trying to keep Sylva in close.
Sylva makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sinistra wants to sweep but no luck.
Sylva pushes down on Sinistra's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Sinistra works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sinistra keeping moving, preventing Sylva from controlling successfully.
Sinistra is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Sinistra looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Sinistra trying to keep a closed guard but Sylva is proving a slippery customer.
Sylva trying to control the position from guard on top but Sinistra is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

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.
Sinistra trying to control the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Sinistra gets caught flat footed, as Sylva shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Sinistra wants to stand up but Sylva is controlling him.

Sylva got a little sloppy there for a moment and Sinistra has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Sylva has managed to get both his arms back between Sinistra's legs - danger averted.
Sylva pushes down on Sinistra's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Sylva 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 three minutes gone in the round.
Sylva wants to control but Sinistra is keeping him busy.
Thiago Sylva is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sylva takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Sinistra moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Thiago Sylva overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sylva is fighting to break Sinistra's control of his arms but Sinistra is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

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.
Sinistra wants to sweep here but Sylva controlling him for the moment.
Sinistra wants to improve his position but instead Sylva has moved into half guard.
Sinistra trying to hold on to Sylva's head to control him but Sylva postures up.
Sylva not doing much here.
The fighters are battling for position here. Sinistra manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Brandon Sinistra has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Sinistra looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thiago Sylva showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Sylva, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Hugh Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 30:27
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thiago Sylva!