PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Roope Rautakoura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Rautakoura
vs
Silva

177 cm
23
185 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

187 cm
25
191 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Brown Belt
Decent knees
Determined

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Roope Rautakoura!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Anderson Silva!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Rautakoura sprawls well. Rautakoura wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Silva gets slowly back to his feet.
Rautakoura tries to bum rush Silva with a series of wild strikes but Silva uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Silva has taken the fight to the clinch.
Silva connects with a knee to the head.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
Silva connects with a knee to the head.
Silva with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Silva gets underhooks to prevent Rautakoura's takedown attempt.
Rautakoura goes for a takedown attempt but Silva pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Roope Rautakoura seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Silva keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rautakoura.
Rautakoura swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Silva tries to score a power double leg takedown but Rautakoura sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Silva somewhat.
Roope Rautakoura has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anderson Silva.

Silva darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Rautakoura is trying to stand up here but Silva is controlling him well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva seems to be working for a kimura but Rautakoura defends the submission attempt.

Silva is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Rautakoura wants to get back to his feet.

Silva is looking for a kimura but Rautakoura is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Silva to get the leverage.

Silva is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Rautakoura doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Silva.

Silva is trying to work for a kimura but Rautakoura is defending well.

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

Silva 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.

Silva is looking for a kimura but Rautakoura is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Silva to get the leverage.
Silva looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rautakoura tries to kick Silva off but Silva keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Silva is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Rautakoura doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Silva.

Silva wants to work for an arm triangle but Rautakoura is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Silva 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.

Rautakoura pushes Silva off and gets back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Rautakoura swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Silva slips a jab and a cross from Rautakoura.
A jab lands there for Rautakoura.
Silva uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Rautakoura.
Rautakoura looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Silva moves into range and clinches up with Rautakoura.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rautakoura wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Silva has him pressed against the cage.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
Rautakoura is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Silva unloads a knee to the mid-section. Rautakoura lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Silva looking to throw knees to the head but Rautakoura is blocking nicely.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anderson Silva dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Rautakoura works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Rautakoura lands a glancing blow to the side of Silva's head.
Silva has a takedown stuffed.
Rautakoura connects with a looping right hand.
Rautakoura fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Silva steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Rautakoura.
Rautakoura fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Silva checks it well.
Rautakoura misses with the combination.
Rautakoura changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rautakoura as he jumps to the side.
Rautakoura tries to bum rush Silva with a series of wild strikes but Silva uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Good exchange - Rautakoura coming out on top.
Rautakoura connects with a jab.
Roope Rautakoura is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rautakoura swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Rautakoura misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva shoots in and drives through. Rautakoura sprawls well.
Roope Rautakoura has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anderson Silva.
Rautakoura tries to bum rush Silva with a series of wild strikes but Silva uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rautakoura. Silva does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rautakoura throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Rautakoura avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rautakoura fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Silva manages to avoid it.
Rautakoura swinging wildly here.

Rautakoura gets caught flat footed, as Silva shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Silva drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Rautakoura manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Silva has Rautakoura in his guard.
Rautakoura trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Silva avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rautakoura pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.
Silva preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Silva preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rautakoura trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Silva manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Silva pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rautakoura is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Silva drops back, looking for a kneebar! Rautakoura looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Rautakoura looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Rautakoura!
Rautakoura throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Rautakoura working the head and body with strikes.

Rautakoura tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Rautakoura has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's four 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.
Rautakoura landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Rautakoura throws a strike aimed at the side of Silva's head but Silva avoids it well.
Rautakoura is trying to move to mount but Silva reverses beautifully and ends up in Rautakoura's guard.
Rautakoura can't keep his opponent in guard - Silva advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

Silva is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Rautakoura is just riding it out for now. Silva eventually gives up the hold.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roope Rautakoura 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Rautakoura misses with a jab, cross combination.
Rautakoura misses with an uppercut.
Rautakoura swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Silva fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Silva gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Rautakoura.
Rautakoura swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Silva fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rautakoura misses with a body shot.
Rautakoura looks to land a right hand but Silva moved out of range.
Rautakoura misses with a straight right.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Silva prevents the takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rautakoura is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Silva gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Silva landing knees to the head.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rautakoura can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roope Rautakoura. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rautakoura jumps guard but Silva stands there with Rautakoura around his waist. Rautakoura gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Silva unloads a knee to the mid-section. Rautakoura lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but Rautakoura blocks with his arms.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
Rautakoura is working for takedown but Silva is calmly controlling the position for now.
Silva connects with a nasty looking knee right to Rautakoura's face.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rautakoura blocks it with crossed arms.

Rautakoura has clasped his hands together around Silva's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Rautakoura trying to control the action but Silva is working from the bottom.
Silva regains half guard, as Rautakoura was trying to land strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rautakoura.
Rautakoura trying to control the action but Silva is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Rautakoura is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Rautakoura prevents Silva from standing back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rautakoura not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Silva regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Rautakoura.
Rautakoura pushes down on Silva's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Silva on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

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.
Silva regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Rautakoura.
Rautakoura pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.
Silva preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rautakoura missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rautakoura throws and elbow that misses. Silva uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Rautakoura's guard. Nice move by Silva!
Silva passes Rautakoura's left leg - he's now in half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Roope Rautakoura.
I think Rautakoura has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Roope Rautakoura!