PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Josh Spitler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Spitler has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Josh Spitler looks lathargic as he enters the arena. Wake up son, you're about to have a fight!

Silva
vs
Spitler

225 cm
18
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

201 cm
18
265 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Anderson Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Josh Spitler!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Spitler circles away from the clinch attempt.
Spitler looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Spitler tries to keep at a distance but Silva has taken the fight into the clinch.
Silva lands a knee to the head.
Silva with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Josh Spitler has been cut.
Silva scores with a knee to the head.

Spitler is rocked!
Silva with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Spitler has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Silva lands a big knee from the Thai clinch and Spitler goes down hard! The ref takes a good look at him but he's still defending himself. Silva in side control.
Spitler is still in real trouble! Can Silva finish him?
Silva wants to control but Spitler is keeping him busy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Spitler seems to have recovered his senses.
Silva wants to stand but Spitler has his arm trapped.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Spitler is trying to get back to half guard.
Silva knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Spitler on the ground.
Silva tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Silva postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Silva wants to stand but Spitler has his arm trapped.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Spitler swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Silva tries to clinch up but Spitler circles away and keeps his distance.
Silva tries to clinch up.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Spitler swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
Silva tries to clinch but Spitler is having none of it.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Spitler swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Anderson Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Spitler circles away.
Silva tries to clinch there but Spitler circles away.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Silva shoots in but Spitler avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries to clinch there but Spitler circles away.
Silva is looking to clinch.
Silva throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Spitler's waist but Spitler gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Silva off to one side.

Spitler shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Silva wants to hold on but Spitler pushes him away.
Spitler is looking to work his way around to Silva's back. He needs to be careful though, as he's in danger of losing this dominant position.

Spitler working for a guillotine from mount but Silva is in no mood to give up.
Silva 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 is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.

Spitler get's back to his feet.
Spitler blocks a head kick by Silva.

Spitler closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Spitler seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Spitler is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Anderson Silva will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Josh Spitler's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Silva is looking to clinch.
Silva tries to clinch but Spitler is having none of it.
Spitler swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.

Silva closes the distance and clinches.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
Silva lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Silva looking to throw knees to the head but Spitler is blocking nicely.
Silva unloads a knee to the mid-section. Spitler lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Silva scores with a knee to the head.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but Spitler blocks with his arms.
Spitler lands a nice shot to the body.
Silva misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Spitler.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Spitler is working for takedown but Silva is calmly controlling the position for now.
Silva prevents the takedown attempt.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Silva just misses with a elbow thrown towards Spitler's brow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A knee to the head by Silva.
Spitler takes a knee right on the jaw!
Silva tries a knee to the head but Spitler blocks it.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
Spitler throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Silva blocks it with crossed arms.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Spitler blocks it.
Spitler trying to land knees to the body.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Spitler blocks it.
Nice body punch from Spitler.
Silva lands a knee to the head.
Spitler jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Silva walks away with a smile on his face. Spitler gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Anderson Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Josh Spitler.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Spitler paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Spitler swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Spitler paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Spitler closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Still in half guard, Spitler seems content to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Spitler uses his free foot to push down on Silva's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Silva.
Silva blocking the ground and pound.
You get the feeling that Silva really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Spitler content just to control the position here.
Spitler pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Spitler trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Spitler stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Spitler keeps the fight on the outside.
Spitler circles away from the clinch attempt.
Silva tries to clinch up but Spitler circles away and keeps his distance.
Spitler avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Spitler shoots for a takedown but Silva saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Spitler fails to land with a series of punches.

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.
Spitler circles away from the clinch attempt.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Spitler.
Silva wants to get back to his feet but Spitler drags him back down.
Spitler throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.

Spitler has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Spitler swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Spitler showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Josh Spitler's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Spitler circles away.
Silva is looking to clinch.
A head kick from Silva lands but Spitler takes it in his stride.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Spitler keeps the fight on the outside.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Silva is looking to clinch.
Silva fails with the takedown

and Spitler counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Spitler from controlling successfully.
Silva looking to control but Spitler passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva tries to kick Spitler off but Spitler keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Silva is looking to control Spitler's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Silva avoid being mounted?
Spitler is controlling the pace.
Silva is trying to stand up here but Spitler is controlling him well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Spitler takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Silva won't allow Spitler to pass to mount.
Spitler is looking to take a break and control but Silva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Spitler avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Spitler keeps the fight on the outside.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Spitler circles away.
Spitler throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Silva.
Silva fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Silva clinches up against the cage.

Spitler turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Spitler manages to end up in side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Spitler works to advance to full mount. Silva defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Spitler cracks Silva with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Spitler looking to ground and pound but Silva is blocking nicely.
Silva's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Silva tries to hold on but Spitler postures up.
Spitler takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Josh Spitler comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Spitler 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Josh Spitler!