PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Diogo Jimenez (ranked 242 p4p, 947 weight class) and Leonardo Da Silva (ranked 31 p4p, 107 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Da Silva's choice of entrance music: Lil Uzi Vert - XO Tour Llif3. 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.

Jimenez
vs
Da Silva

167 cm
30
138
15 - 5 - 0

167 cm
39
135
35 - 18 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing
Voodoo Nutrition

Grunge Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Diogo Jimenez!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 35 - 18 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Leonardo Da Silva!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Alan Glass and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jimenez throws a left and a right that both miss
and Da Silva cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Da Silva checks the leg kick nicely there.
Jimenez swings for the body but Da Silva moves out of range.
Da Silva takes one to the chin there.
Jimenez misses with a looping left.
Jimenez slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Da Silva slips a jab from Jimenez.
Da Silva now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Da Silva keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Jimenez.
Jimenez has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
A jab from Jimenez finds it's way through Da Silva's defenses.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Jimenez.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Da Silva prevents Jimenez from improving position.

Jimenez goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Da Silva rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Jimenez's guard! Nice work there by Da Silva!

Da Silva avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Jimenez is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Da Silva is aware though and is defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Jimenez is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Da Silva is aware though and is defending well.

Jimenez escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Da Silva gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Jimenez looking for subs off his back but Da Silva has passed one foot through into half guard.
Jimenez trying to control but Da Silva postures up.

Jimenez actively working from the bottom here.

Jimenez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Da Silva pulls his head out easily.
Jimenez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jimenez wants to control but Da Silva passes into side.
Jimenez is trying to control Da Silva's posture but Da Silva avoids it.
Jimenez tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Da Silva presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!

Da Silva working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Jimenez is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Jimenez working to try and regain half guard.
Jimenez tries to control Da Silva's body but Da Silva pushes him off. Jimenez squirms to his side and now Da Silva has his back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Jimenez's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Da Silva is trying to stick to Jimenez's back but Jimenez is turning into Da Silva. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Da Silva's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Jimenez.
Da Silva keeping full guard, as Jimenez tries to pass.
Da Silva looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Jimenez advances to half guard.
Jimenez is looking to advance position but Da Silva won't allow it.
Jimenez is just content to waste time from the top position. Da Silva takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Da Silva can't keep his opponent in guard - Jimenez advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jimenez trying to pass the guard but Da Silva defending well.

Jimenez is working for an americana but Da Silva has been sneaky and has managed to get back to half guard, whilst Jimenez was thinking about the submission.
Da Silva keeping full guard, as Jimenez tries to pass.
Da Silva trying to control the position.
Jimenez trying to control but Da Silva is working from the bottom.
Jimenez passes into half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Diogo Jimenez dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Jimenez tests Da Silva's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Da Silva ducks under a wild hook from Jimenez.
Da Silva avoids the body shot from Jimenez.
Da Silva jabs Jimenez right on the nose. Jimenez blinks but takes it well.
Da Silva with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Jimenez to score with a decent uppercut.
Jimenez keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Da Silva.
Jimenez slips a jab from Da Silva.
Jimenez with a jab.
Jimenez throws the left hand but Da Silva avoids the punch easily.
Da Silva tries a quick counter leg kick but Jimenez is wise to it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Da Silva's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Jimenez connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Da Silva scrambles back to his feet.
Jimenez misses the jab.
Da Silva appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Da Silva takes one to the side of the head.

Jimenez closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Da Silva quickly recovers to half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Da Silva is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Jimenez's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Jimenez's back!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Da Silva trying to control.
Jimenez trying to control the hands but Da Silva won't let him.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Da Silva controlling the positon.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Da Silva's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Da Silva avoiding Jimenez 's attempts to control his hands.
Jimenez can't escape the position.

Da Silva tightening his grip on Jimenez, looking for the choke.
Jimenez just trying to survive but Da Silva is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jimenez controlling his opponent's hands, preventing the submission attempt.

Da Silva patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Da Silva controlling well, preventing Jimenez from escaping the position.
Jimenez wants to control his opponent's hands but Da Silva gets his hands free.
Jimenez tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Jimenez wants to control but Da Silva is having none of it.
Jimenez is in all sorts of trouble here.
Da Silva wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.

Da Silva jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Jimenez manages to avoid the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jimenez is looking to reverse the position.
A control attempt from Jimenez but he's now mounted!
Da Silva controlling the pace for now.
Da Silva prevents Jimenez from getting the reversal.
Jimenez tries to control the position but Da Silva now has his back.
Jimenez trying to control but not successfully.
Jimenez is really stuck here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Jimenez rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

Jimenez looking for a kimura from the bottom but Da Silva passes into side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jimenez is looking to reverse the position.
Da Silva is looking to take a break and control but Jimenez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Jimenez regains half guard.

Jimenez looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Leonardo Da Silva has got the better of the ground game so far.

Jimenez looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Jimenez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Da Silva pulls his head out easily.

Jimenez looking to force a kimura from the bottom here. He's concentrating on that move too much though and Da Silva pushes past his half guard into mount!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Leonardo Da Silva will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Jimenez misses with a body shot.
Da Silva throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Jimenez throws a poor cross that misses
and Jimenez takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
A cross from Jimenez lands.
Da Silva throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Jimenez is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Da Silva.
Da Silva looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Jimenez throws a shot from downtown. Da Silva moves away and avoids it.
Da Silva tries a quick counter leg kick but Jimenez is wise to it.
Jimenez's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Jimenez duly obliges.
Jimenez cracks Da Silva with an open hand slap.
Da Silva gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Jimenez.
A combination from Jimenez does no damage.
Jimenez throws a poor cross that misses
and Da Silva counters with an outside leg kick.
Da Silva takes one on the button.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Jimenez shoots in and drives through. Da Silva sprawls well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Da Silva blocks a jab.
Jimenez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Jimenez misses with a straight right.
A nice side step and Da Silva releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Jimenez misses with a hook. Da Silva ducked under it nicely.
Jimenez scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

Da Silva closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Da Silva advances to mount.
Jimenez is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Da Silva controlling from mount.
Da Silva trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Jimenez is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva manages to capitalize on a mistake by Jimenez to take his back!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Da Silva not allowing Jimenez to control his hands.
Good control from Da Silva.
Da Silva not allowing Jimenez to control his hands.

Da Silva tightening his grip on Jimenez, looking for the choke.
I really don't envy Jimenez right now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Da Silva is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Jimenez has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Da Silva avoiding Jimenez 's attempts to control his hands.
Jimenez manages to reverse the position and now he's in Da Silva's guard. Nice work there by Jimenez.
Jimenez trying to control the position from guard on top but Da Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jimenez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Da Silva keeping moving, preventing Jimenez from controlling successfully.
Jimenez tries to free his leg and advance position but Da Silva is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jimenez sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Da Silva's guard.
Jimenez tries to pass to full mount but Da Silva defends it.
Jimenez moves nicely into side control.
Da Silva is looking to regain half guard here but Jimenez keeps moving and retains side control.
Da Silva manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Jimenez wants to pass to mount but Da Silva is defending the position.

Jimenez is working for a kimura from half guard. He's really concentrating on the hold and it's allowed Da Silva to slip a leg under and get back to full guard.

Da Silva is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Jimenez defends well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but Diogo Jimenez did the better work so I'd imagine he'll take it.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Jimenez looks to throw the jab but Da Silva is out of range.
Jimenez misses with an uppercut. Da Silva saw that one coming.
Jimenez connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Jimenez cracks Da Silva with an open hand slap.

Da Silva 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.
Da Silva slips nicely into half guard.

Da Silva is trying for a kimura here. Jimenez looks like he's in a lot of pain... and he's tapping out! Da Silva wins by kimura!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:45 of round 4, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Leonardo Da Silva!
Leonardo Da Silva is the new featherweight champion!
A relieved looking Leonardo Da Silva thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.