PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Luke Becker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Spike Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Becker
vs
Silva

182 cm
24
224 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

187 cm
25
215 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Win Nutritional
just shirts, no bullshit

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Luke Becker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Spike Silva!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Alan Glass and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Becker moves away from the strike by Silva.
Silva will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Becker throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Nice sprawl there from Becker as Silva shoots in.

Becker closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Silva did well to prevent Becker getting side control.
Silva is looking for a sweep. Becker is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Becker scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Silva is not content to let Becker control the position.
Becker throwing shots but Silva is blocking nicely.

Becker wants to work for an arm triangle but Silva is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Becker is keen to just control but Silva is a slippery customer.
Silva moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Silva is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Becker preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva looking for a guillotine here but Becker defends easily.
Becker looking to sit in guard and control but Silva gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Silva drops back looking for a leg! Becker is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Becker manages to kick Silva off! Silva jumps back into Becker's guard.
Silva passes Becker's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Silva trying to pass the guard but Becker defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silva passes to full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Becker is wriggling around trying to escape.
Becker is working hard here to advance position.

Silva jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Becker is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Becker and Silva has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Becker manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Becker works his way to full guard. Good work.
Becker wants to sweep but no luck.
Becker is pulling down on Silva's head. It's preventing any offense from Silva, at least for the moment.
Silva trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Becker looking to hit a scissor sweep but Silva is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva regains half guard.

Silva is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Becker pulls his head out easily.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Becker connects with a nice short shot to Silva's temple.
Becker is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

Silva actively working from the bottom here.
Silva looks gassed!
Becker working the head and body with strikes.
Becker is keen to just control but Silva is a slippery customer.

Becker is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Silva wants to improve his position but Becker is controlling well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Becker seems to be looking for submissions.
Silva is looking for a sweep. Becker is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Becker not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
The fighters circling - Silva throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Becker showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Silva.

Silva shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Becker napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Silva goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Becker rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Silva's guard! Nice work there by Becker!
Becker throws a big right hand that misses.
Becker missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Silva is looking for a triangle but Becker pushes his legs off easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Becker lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Silva throws a low kick but Becker avoids it.
Silva fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Silva fails with the takedown

and Becker counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Silva escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Becker gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Becker advances position into side control!
Silva tries to bench press Becker off him but Becker keeps the position.
Luke Becker overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Becker working the head with strikes.
Becker is working Silva over with some ground and pound from side control.
Becker landing a few strikes.
Silva is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Becker off and has taken his back!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva is trying to stick to Becker's back but Becker is turning into Silva. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Silva's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Becker.

Becker thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Silva looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Silva tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Silva had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Becker is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Silva Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Becker's back instead.
Becker rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

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

Silva is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Becker sees it coming and defends easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Silva is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Becker defends it well.
Becker slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Silva is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Silva drops back, looking for a kneebar! Becker looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Becker looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Becker!
Silva takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Silva manages to work his way to half guard, despite Becker's best efforts.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Becker wants to work for an arm triangle but Silva is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Becker prevents Silva from improving his position.

Becker is looking for a kimura here.
Silva slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Silva is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Becker defends well.
Silva wants to sweep but no luck.
Becker slips nicely into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Becker prevents Silva from improving his position.
Becker lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Becker trying to mount his opponent but Silva defends it.
Silva tries to get to full guard but Becker has control of the leg.

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

Silva looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Becker is keen to just control but Silva is a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Becker misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Silva scores with a nice right hand.
A swing and a miss from Silva.

Becker drives through with a takedown into guard.

Silva is looking for a triangle but Becker pushes his legs off easily.
Becker working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Silva's head.
Silva looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Becker wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Becker has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Silva is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Becker stopping the sweep attempt from Silva.
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.
Becker sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Becker wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.

Silva has his foot on Becker's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Becker works his way back into a safe position though.
Becker chips away with some ground and pound.

Silva throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Becker thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Silva looking for a guillotine here but Becker defends easily.
Silva is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Becker trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Silva wants to sweep here but Becker controlling him for the moment.
Becker is pushing down on Silva's leg trying to pass to half guard. Silva is fighting to maintain full guard but Becker has managed to sneak the leg through.

Becker is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Silva sees it coming and defends easily.
Silva is pressing down on Becker's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Becker from controlling successfully.
Becker stopping the sweep attempt from Silva.
Silva working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Becker.
Becker wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.

Silva is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Silva lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Becker!
Becker working to try and regain half guard.
Spike Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Silva is going olschool here, as he tries to force Becker to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Becker shrugs it off.
Becker tries to get back to half guard but can't.

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

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

Silva looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

And that's the end of the fight!
Spike Silva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Becker 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Luke Becker!