PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marco Noriega (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Silva
vs
Noriega

176 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

176 cm
18
192 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marco Noriega!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Mauricio Rocha and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Noriega darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Noriega prevents Silva from standing back up.
Noriega throwing shots but Silva is blocking nicely.
Noriega throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Silva makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Noriega swinging wilding here.

Silva moves into the clinch.
Noriega is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Noriega is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Silva working hard to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva wants to get back to striking at distance but Noriega won't allow it.

Silva's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Noriega lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.

Silva gets the takedown into side control.
Noriega manages to get back to half guard.
Silva not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Noriega is pressing down on Silva's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Noriega is pulling down on Silva's head. It's preventing any offense from Silva, at least for the moment.
Silva wanted to stand there but Noriega had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Noriega pulls Silva in to control the position.
Silva wants to pass the guard but Noriega is keeping the position.
Noriega has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Silva wants to stand and escape but instead Noriega has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Noriega thows a big elbow that misses.
Noriega trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Noriega showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Noriega's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva keeping full guard, as Noriega tries to pass.
Noriega stays in close to Silva's body and controls the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Noriega is pushing down on Silva's leg trying to pass to half guard. Silva is fighting to maintain full guard but Noriega has managed to sneak the leg through.
Noriega throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Noriega slows the pace down in half guard.
Silva pushes Noriega off looking to stand but Noriega dives back in and keeps control.
Noriega wants to take a breather but Silva is having none of it.

Despite being in the dominant position, Marco Noriega just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Noriega avoids the head kick by Silva.
Silva throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Noriega connects with the punch.
Silva gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Noriega.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Noriega dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Noriega fails to land with a series of punches.

Noriega gets the takedown into side control.
Silva tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Silva squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Noriega content just to control the position here.
Noriega punching from mount but Silva doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Silva is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Noriega fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Noriega controlling from mount.
Noriega tries to control but Silva wriggling away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Noriega content just to control the position here.
Noriega with the ground and pound from mount.
Noriega lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Silva hang on?
Noriega tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Silva tries to buck Noriega off but he can't manage it.
Noriega tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Noriega with the ground and pound from mount.
Marco Noriega has got the better of the ground game so far.
Noriega punishing his opponent with strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Noriega is landing with some decent strikes but Silva is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Noriega controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Noriega is landing with some decent strikes but Silva is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Noriega sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Despite being in the dominant position, Marco Noriega just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Silva gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Silva preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Noriega controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Noriega landing some decent shots from guard.
Noriega wants to pass the guard but Silva is keeping the position.
Silva wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Noriega manages to pass to side control.
Noriega trying to control the pace.
Noriega throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Noriega wants to free his trapped foot but Silva is holding on for dear life with his legs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Noriega showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Silva shoots and misses

and Noriega counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Silva is looking to stand up but Noriega isn't so interested in that idea.
Noriega trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Noriega thows a big elbow that misses.
Noriega looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Silva wants to stand and escape but Noriega is having none of it.
Noriega is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Noriega's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Noriega sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Silva's guard.
Noriega working Silva over with strikes.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Noriega lands a nice short elbow.
Noriega passes to side control.
Noriega controls the position.
Noriega throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

Despite being in the dominant position, Marco Noriega just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Silva gets caught flat footed, as Noriega shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Noriega works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Noriega controlling the action here.
Noriega thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Noriega controlling the action here.
Marco Noriega is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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.

Despite being in the dominant position, Marco Noriega just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Noriega misses with a two punch combination.
Noriega scores with a nice strike.
Noriega throws a combination that misses
and Noriega takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Noriega shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Noriega with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marco Noriega comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Noriega winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 25:30
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 25:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marco Noriega!