PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Marco Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Toribio Ezcurra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Marco Silva has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Silva
vs
Ezcurra

195 cm
22
270 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

194 cm
18
235 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Very confident

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 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Marco Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Toribio Ezcurra!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Franklyn Lucas and Lou da Vinci.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ezcurra circles away from the clinch attempt.

Ezcurra has Silva up against the cage in a clinch.

Ezcurra has Silva pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Ezcurra pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Silva tumbling to the mat - Ezcurra dives into Silva's guard.
Silva manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Silva throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Ezcurra takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Ezcurra is looking to get to half guard.
Silva throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ezcurra is working to get back to half guard.
Ezcurra is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ezcurra is bucking up trying to escape but Silva cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Ezcurra really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Silva. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Ezcurra wants to control but Silva is having none of it.
Silva thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Ezcurra is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ezcurra tries to lock up and control but Silva gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Silva throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Poor strikes thrown by Silva there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Silva throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ezcurra can do anything to dispel that myth.
Ezcurra tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Silva scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Ezcurra?
Silva working Ezcurra over with strikes here.
Silva looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ezcurra wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Silva.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Silva misses with a head shot.
Silva trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Silva landing shots from mount.
Silva looking to finish with strikes here!
Silva is breathing heavily.
Silva thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Ezcurra regains half guard.
Ezcurra is trying to stand.
Ezcurra slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Silva throws a big right hand that misses.
Ezcurra has control of Silva's left arm, preventing Silva from doing any damage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Silva trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Silva swings for the body but Ezcurra moves out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Silva. Ezcurra does a little dance to reset his feet.
Silva throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Silva tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Ezcurra swivels and escapes.

Ezcurra bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Ezcurra decides to stand up, so the ref orders Silva to his feet.

Ezcurra instigates a clinch.

Ezcurra has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Silva regains guard immediately.
Ezcurra is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Ezcurra would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ezcurra looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ezcurra gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Ezcurra.
The referee asks Ezcurra politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Ezcurra prefers to stall for the moment though.

Ezcurra stands up and we're back to a striking position.

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

Ezcurra has picked Silva up - he's going for a ride! Ezcurra dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Silva is trying to control but can't.
Ezcurra seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Marco Silva overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to get back to full guard.
Ezcurra controlling the action here.
Silva could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Ezcurra decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

Ezcurra darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ezcurra is looking to advance position but Silva won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ezcurra is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Well, if Ezcurra is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Ezcurra wants to get back to his feet.
Ezcurra takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

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.
Silva trying to hold on to Ezcurra's head to control him but Ezcurra postures up.
Ezcurra tries to pass the half guard into mount. Silva knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Ezcurra postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Silva to stand up.

Silva gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Ezcurra to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Ezcurra is pushing down on Silva's leg trying to pass to half guard. Silva is fighting to maintain full guard but Ezcurra has managed to sneak the leg through.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Toribio Ezcurra showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Ezcurra shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Ezcurra controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Silva wants to sweep but no luck.
Ezcurra controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Silva is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Ezcurra defends well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ezcurra pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.
Silva working a defensive guard here.
Ezcurra wants to get up but he can't break Silva's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Ezcurra gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Still in the clinch, Ezcurra scores with a nice short uppercut.

That's two 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.

Ezcurra has picked Silva up - he's going for a ride! Ezcurra dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Ezcurra trying to mount his opponent but Silva defends it.

Ezcurra stands up and beckons Silva to join him on the feet.
Silva tries to clinch

and Ezcurra counters with a takedown into side control.
Silva is being controlled here.
Silva can't do much from the bottom here.
Ezcurra staying calm.
Silva is trying to control Ezcurra's posture but Ezcurra avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Ezcurra decides to stand back up.

Ezcurra closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Ezcurra lands in his opponent's guard.
Ezcurra would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ezcurra controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Ezcurra is looking to stand up but Silva won't let him.

And that's the end of the fight!
Toribio Ezcurra comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Ezcurra has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight 26:29
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 27:29
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Toribio Ezcurra!