PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Wanderlei Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tanner Sinclair (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sinclair has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Tanner Sinclair is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Silva
vs
Sinclair

180 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

187 cm
22
210 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Prefers standup

Malicious Intent Fight Gear - The Pit Inc

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Wanderlei Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tanner Sinclair!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Alan Glass and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sinclair scores with a nice right hand.
A big left from Sinclair misses.
A punch combination from Sinclair misses.
Sinclair looks gassed!
Sinclair misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Silva throws a nice looking combination but Sinclair bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Silva scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Sinclair is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Sinclair is looking to escape.
Silva sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva stands up and beckons Sinclair to join him on the feet.
Sinclair uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Silva.
Silva avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Sinclair gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Silva pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sinclair is keeping the position for now.
Silva sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Silva's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but Sinclair is retaining full guard.
Sinclair manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Silva manages to get himself to full guard.
Silva pulls Sinclair in to control the position.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Wanderlei Silva just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Silva throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Silva throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Silva could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Silva throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sinclair loads up on a big right hand but Silva slips the punch.
Tanner Sinclair seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Some wild striking there from Silva.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sinclair uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Silva.
A cross from Silva lands.
Silva throws a right hand that Sinclair ducks under and follows up with a left that Sinclair also avoids with ease.

Silva closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Sinclair to the mat! Sinclair manages to get full guard.
Sinclair is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Sinclair looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Silva working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Silva stays in close to Sinclair's body and controls the position.
Silva trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Silvais looking to pass into half guard but Sinclair pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Sinclair is in guard.
Sinclair is looking to stand up but Silva won't let him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Silva looking for a sweep. Not yet Silva, not yet.
Sinclair postures up in Silva's guard and throws a big left but Silva blocks it.
Sinclair throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Some wild striking there from Silva.
Silva misses with a jab, cross combination.
Silva misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Some wild striking there from Silva.
Silva tries to bum rush Sinclair with a series of wild strikes but Sinclair uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Sinclair keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Silva.
Sinclair throws a head kick that misses.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Silva shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wanderlei Silva dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Silva fails to land with a series of punches.
A big right from Sinclair misses.

Silva drives through with a takedown into guard.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Sinclair is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Silva sitting in guard here, content to control.
Silva pushes down on Sinclair's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Sinclair won't allow Silva to pass to mount.
Silva stalling.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Silva wants to pass to mount but Sinclair is defending the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sinclair is looking for a sweep. Silva is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Silva wants to stand but Sinclair has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Sinclair is trying to stand.
Sinclair tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Silva in particular looking to stall.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Silva looks to land a right hand but Sinclair moved out of range.
Sinclair ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Silva moves away.

Silva closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Silva landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Sinclair is letting Silva control him for a moment.
Sinclair is looking for a sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sinclair sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Sinclair is trying to maintain the position but Silva is very close to passing his half guard.
Silva takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Silva knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Sinclair on the ground.
Sinclair wants to get back to his feet.
Silva wants to pass the guard but Sinclair is defending well.
Silva performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Sinclair is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sinclair won't allow Silva to pass to mount.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
No joy there for Silva, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Sinclair misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Silva.
Silva throws a right and a left that Sinclair avoids nicely.

Silva closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Sinclair is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Silva has just dragged him back down to the mat.
You can see the frustration on Sinclair's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Sinclair is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Silva is controlling him well.
Sinclair is looking to reverse the position.
Sinclair trying to remain calm as Silva controls from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sinclair keeps working.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Silva shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Sinclair tries to reverse the position but Silva maintains control.
Silva controlling the pace for now.
Sinclair wants to hold on but Silva pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wanderlei Silva dominated that second round.
That's time! Silva's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Silva shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Sinclair's guard.
Silva stays in close to Sinclair's body and controls the position.
Sinclair has a closed guard, preventing Silva from standing up.
Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but Sinclair is retaining full guard.
Silva controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Sinclair is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Sinclair prevents a takedown attempt there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sinclair stops a takedown attempt from Silva.
Sinclair gets underhooks to prevent Silva's takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wanderlei Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Sinclair breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Silva blocks a head kick by Sinclair.
Sinclair misses with a straight left.
Silva throws a looping overhand right but Sinclair ducks down to avoid it.
Silva fails to land with a series of punches.
Sinclair uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Silva has time to react.

Silva bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Silva wants to stand but Sinclair has his arm trapped.
Silva trying to control the position but Sinclair is working away.
Sinclair is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Sinclair manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sinclair drops an elbow to the side of Silva's head.
Silva is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Silva is trying to control but can't.
Silva is controlling Sinclair's trapped leg to prevent Sinclair from advancing to side control.

Sinclair gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

Silva looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Sinclair keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
Silva slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Wanderlei Silva overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sinclair is looking to stand back up but Silva counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Sinclair.
Silva perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Silva prevents Sinclair from standing back up.
Sinclair punching from the bottom.
Sinclair punching from the bottom.
Sinclair is looking to escape.
Silva stalling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Sinclair looks like he's trying to stand up.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Silva misses with a few strikes there.

Silva looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Sinclair is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tanner Sinclair has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sinclair bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Silva's guard.
Sinclair throwing strikes from guard but Silva blocks nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wanderlei Silva showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Silva, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27

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