PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Daryl Baird (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jose Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jose Silva will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Baird
vs
Silva

202 cm
22
151 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

175 cm
25
154 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Daryl Baird!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jose Silva!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Edson Gomes and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Baird paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Silva has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Baird is landing a low percentage of strikes.
A jab from Silva misses.
Baird seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Silva misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Silva is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Silva lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Baird throws a low kick but Silva avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Baird darts in and clinches Silva up against the cage.
Baird creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Silva's defenses.

Silva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baird moves out of range as Silva strikes.
Baird seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Silva throws a hook but Baird blocks it.
Silva throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Silva lands with a thumping leg kick.
Silva turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Silva keeps the fight on the outside.
Silva throws a counter combo.
Silva misses with a low kick as Baird jumps back.
Baird avoids the head kick by Silva.
Baird attempts a counter takedown but Silva avoids it well and moves away.
Baird misses with the body kick
and Silva counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Baird forces Silva back against the cage and clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva stalls.
Silva softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Baird manages to break the clinch.

Baird has taken the fight to the clinch.
With the fighters up against the cage, Baird throws an elbow but misses.

Baird escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Baird avoids the head kick by Silva.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Baird blocks a jab.
Silva misses with a low kick as Baird jumps back.
Baird seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Baird takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva throws a nice outside leg kick.
Silva throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Baird is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Silva.
Baird looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Baird chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Silva can pounce on him.
Silva connects with a leg kick. Baird looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Baird tries to clinch up but Silva circles away and keeps his distance.
A right-left combo lands from Silva.
Silva is trying hard to land a takedown here. Baird sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Baird ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Baird rushes Silva and presses him up against the cage.
Baird holding his opponent close, against the cage.

Silva breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Silva throws a right hand that Baird ducks under and follows up with a left that Baird also avoids with ease.
Baird really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Silva connects with a leg kick. Baird looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Silva moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Baird feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Silva working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Baird.
Baird trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Baird landing with the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Silva dominated that round.
That's time! Baird's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Baird looks for a takedown but Silva sprawls well.
Baird tries to clinch up but Silva circles away and keeps his distance.
Baird shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Silva as he avoids it easily.
Silva has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Silva misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Silva throws a series of punches but Baird moves out of range.
Baird tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Silva manages to circle out of the way.
Silva cracks the inside of Baird's front leg.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Baird fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva stuns Baird with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Silva throws a leg kick which misses Baird's front leg but catches the back leg as Baird tries to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters circling a little - Silva finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Silva misses with a hook.
Baird tries to counter by clinching up but Silva breaks away and moves out of range.
Baird blocks the body kick.

Baird closes the distance and pushes Silva back into the cage.

Baird's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Baird shoots in looking for a takedown. Silva tries to sprawl out of it but Baird keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Silva manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daryl Baird. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Baird looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baird throwing strikes from guard but Silva blocks nicely.
Baird missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Silva is controlling Baird's posture.
Baird cracks Silva with a solid left hand.
Baird lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Baird stands up over Silva, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Baird working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Baird stands up over Silva, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Baird throwing strikes from guard but Silva blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva trying to keep a closed guard but Baird is proving a slippery customer.
Baird working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Silva's head.
Baird with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Baird trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Baird throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Silva wants to sweep but no luck.
Baird working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Silva is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Baird landing some decent shots from guard.
Baird trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baird prevents Silva from getting back to his feet.
Baird connects with a couple of short punches.
Baird with a flurry of punches that miss.
Baird is working Silva over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Baird with a nice head shot there.
Baird lands a couple of digs.
Baird in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Baird throwing strikes from guard but Silva blocks nicely.
Baird scoring with punches to the head and body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Baird missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Daryl Baird overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Baird trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
Baird is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daryl Baird dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Silva connects with a solid leg kick.
Baird goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Silva is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Jose Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Silva throws a right and a left that Baird avoids nicely.
Baird tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Silva manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Silva tries to keep at a distance but Baird has taken the fight into the clinch.

Silva breaks the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva misses with a jab, cross combination.
Silva connects with a solid leg kick.
Baird tries to clinch up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva throws a leg kick which misses Baird's front leg but catches the back leg as Baird tries to avoid it.
A big right from Silva misses.
Baird is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Silva.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Baird.
Baird fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Silva throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Baird wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Baird takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Silva fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Baird has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Baird tries to close the distance and clinch up but Silva swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good exchange - Silva coming out on top.
Baird ducks under a wild hook from Silva.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Baird.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daryl Baird. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Baird clinches with his opponent.
Silva taking a breather.
Baird is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

Silva breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Silva closes this distance looking for a takedown but Baird circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Silva misses its intended target.
Silva thuds a left hand into Baird's body.
Jose Silva seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Silva jabs Baird to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Silva looks to land a combination but Baird avoids it well.
Baird wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Baird fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Baird shoots in but Silva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Nice sprawl there from Silva as Baird shoots in.
Silva steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Silva throws a head kick that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baird doesn't manage to clinch there - Silva circles away.
Silva looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Silva looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Baird tries to score a power double leg takedown but Silva sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Baird somewhat.
Baird avoids the body shot from Silva.
Baird drops down looking for a counter takedown but Silva sprawls and moves away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Silva scores with a jab to the jaw.
Silva throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jose Silva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Silva has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jose Silva!