PBP Commentary

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

Flame
vs
Silva

184 cm
24
190 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

180 cm
22
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Dangerous knees
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Keeper Flame!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Wanderlei Silva!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Ivan Kurochkin and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva tries to clinch up.
Flame looks to land a right hand but Silva moved out of range.
Flame throws a hook but Silva avoids it easily.
Silva wants to clinch.
Flame cracks a nice hook into Silva's ribs.
Silva moves away from the strike by Flame.
Silva uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Flame.
Silva tries to move into range but Flame moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

Silva drives through and clinches with Flame against the cage.
Flame can't break the clinch.
Flame wants to break free but Silva has control.
Flame is looking to break free of the clinch but Silva has double underhooks.

Flame's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nice shot lands for Flame.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Flame misses with a looping right.

Flame sends Silva crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Flame is motioning to the referee to let Silva up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!

Silva is rocked!
Flame looks to land a right hand but Silva moved out of range.
Silva is still on wobbly legs! Can Flame finish him?
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Flame paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Silva seems to have recovered his senses.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Flame misses the target.

Silva gets a clinch.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Flame blocks it.

Flame breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Flame keeps the fight on the outside.
Flame misses with a straight right.
Flame pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame is having none of it.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flame misses with an uppercut.
Flame circles away from the clinch attempt.
Silva is looking to clinch.
Silva tries to clinch up.
Silva checks a low kick from Flame.
Flame throws a lazy right hand but Silva sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Silva avoids the body shot from Flame.
Nice straight punches there by Flame. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Flame.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
Flame swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Flame swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Silva ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Flame just misses with a punch to the body.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
Silva slips a jab from Flame.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.
Silva slips under a jab.

Silva darts in and clinches Flame up against the cage.
Flame is trying to break the clinch but Silva is controlling him.
Flame wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Flame has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
Flame looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Flame blocks it.

Flame breaks the clinch.
Flame throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Silva sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch but Flame swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Flame lands a jab to Silva's midsection.
Silva looks gassed!
Silva uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Flame.
Flame throws a looping overhand right but Silva ducks down to avoid it.
Silva on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Wanderlei Silva is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Silva ducks under a wild hook from Flame.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
Flame misses with a hook. Silva ducked under it nicely.
A big left from Flame misses.
Flame throws a good cross that connects.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.
Flame paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Silva tries to clinch up but Flame circles away and keeps his distance.
Flame keeps the fight on the outside.

Silva gets a clinch.
Flame tries to circle away but Silva has him pinned against the cage.
Flame has had enough of the clinch but Silva keeps him there for the moment.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.

Flame manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flame looks to land a left hand but Silva moved out of range nicely.
Flame scores with a hook to the body. Silva takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Flame is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Flame with a jab.
Silva checks a low kick from Flame.
Flame throws the left hand but Silva avoids the punch easily.
Flame is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Silva walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Flame throws a shot from downtown. Silva moves away and avoids it.
Silva avoids the body shot from Flame.
Flame with a nice cross.
A big left from Flame misses.
Silva tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Flame throws a hook to the side of Silva's head but Silva sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.
Flame misses with a hook.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Flame takes a swing at Silva's ribcage but misses.
Silva wants to clinch up but Flame keeps it at a distance.
Silva is looking to clinch.
Flame pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Flame lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Silva has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Silva and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Silva wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flame jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Flame paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Silva clinches with his opponent.
Flame avoiding damage as Silva throws knees to the body.
Flame takes a knee to the side of the body.
Flame tries to break free but Silva pushes him back against the cage.

Flame breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Silva defending well as Flame loads up on a big left hand.
Silva avoids the body shot from Flame.
Flame swings and misses with a hook to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Flame throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Flame looks to land a left hand but Silva moved out of range nicely.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Flame cracks Silva with a right hand to the side of the head.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Flame circles away from the clinch attempt.
Silva moves in looking to clinch but Flame pushes him off.

Silva instigates a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Flame misses with a wild body shot.
Flame misses with a body shot.
Flame throws a hook but Silva avoids it easily.
A swing and a miss from Flame.
Flame missing with a left hand there. Silva was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Silva uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Flame.
Silva wants to clinch.
Silva defending well as Flame loads up on a big left hand.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Flame looks to score with a jab to the body but Silva is just out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Flame. Silva does a little dance to reset his feet.
Flame avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Some bone on bone action there as Silva checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Silva keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Flame works Silva's body with a nice hook.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Flame shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Flame misses the jab.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Flame avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Flame swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Flame swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A looping hook to the body misses from Flame. Silva does a little dance to reset his feet.
Flame misses with an uppercut. Silva saw that one coming.
Flame shoots in looking for a takedown. Silva tries to sprawl out of it but Flame keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Silva manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Flame swings for the body but Silva moves out of range.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
Nice defenses there by Silva.
Flame swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
Keeper Flame is winning the standup battle so far.
Flame looks to score with a jab to the body but Silva is just out of range.

Silva closes the distance and clinches.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Flame wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Silva has him pressed against the cage.
Flame wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Silva has him pressed against the cage.
Silva lands a knee to the head.
Silva keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Flame's efforts to push away.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Flame blocks it.
Flame tries to circle away but Silva has him pinned against the cage.
Flame wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Silva has him pressed against the cage.
Silva unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Silva landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Silva is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knees to the body from Silva.
Flame takes a knee to the side of the body.

Flame manages to break the clinch.
Flame swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
A telegraphed right hand from Flame misses the target.

Silva rushes Flame and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Silva landing knees to the body.
Silva keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Flame's efforts to push away.
Flame tries to circle away but Silva has him pinned against the cage.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but Flame blocks with his arms.
Flame is trying to break the clinch but Silva is controlling him.
Knees to the body from Silva.
Flame wants to get back to striking at distance but Silva won't allow it.
Flame is looking to break free of the clinch but Silva has double underhooks.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Flame blocks it.
Flame wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Silva has Flame pressed against the cage, preventing Flame from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A frustrated look appears on Flame's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Flame is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Silva unloads a knee to the mid-section. Flame lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Flame is trying to break free.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Flame blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Flame wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Silva has him pressed against the cage.
Flame wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Silva has him pressed against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Flame wants to break free but Silva has control.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Flame blocks it.

Flame breaks the clinch.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Flame misses with a looping right.
Silva moves out of range of the strikes.
Flame swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
Silva wants to clinch.
Flame circles away from the clinch attempt.
Flame lands a jab to the head.
Flame swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Silva keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Flame.
Flame misses with an uppercut.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Flame shoots in for a double leg but Silva sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Keeper Flame. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Silva clinches up against the cage.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Flame blocks it with crossed arms.
Silva landing knees to the head.
Silva missing with knees to the body.

Flame escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Silva drives through and clinches with Flame against the cage.
Flame wants to break free but Silva has control.
Flame looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Silva lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Flame pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Flame fails with a takedown attempt.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Flame circles away.
Flame circles away from the clinch attempt.
Flame throws a lazy right hand but Silva sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A slow jab from Flame misses its intended target.
Flame jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Flame looks to throw the jab but Silva is out of range.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Silva ducks under a wild hook from Flame.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.
Silva slips under a jab from Flame.
Silva tries to clinch up but Flame circles away and keeps his distance.
Flame throws an overhand right that lands on Silva's shoulder, as Silva tries to avoid the shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wanderlei Silva showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Silva fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Flame, pushing him back against the cage.
Silva blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Flame has had enough of the clinch but Silva keeps him there for the moment.
Flame can't break the clinch.
Flame is trying to break free.
Flame is trying to break free.
A frustrated look appears on Flame's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Flame has had enough of the clinch but Silva keeps him there for the moment.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Flame blocks it with crossed arms.
Flame has had enough of the clinch but Silva keeps him there for the moment.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Flame has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Flame wants to break free but Silva has control.
Silva unloads a knee to the mid-section. Flame lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Silva landing knees to the body.
Silva looking to throw knees to the head but Flame is blocking nicely.
Silva with a knee to the head.
Flame wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Flame escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A looping hook to the body misses from Flame. Silva does a little dance to reset his feet.
Flame fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Silva manages to avoid it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Silva wants to clinch up but Flame keeps it at a distance.
Flame avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A punch lands to the side of Silva 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Flame circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Flame misses with a hook.
A looping hook to the body misses from Flame. Silva does a little dance to reset his feet.
Silva stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Silva wants it to stay on the feet.
Silva wants to clinch up but Flame keeps it at a distance.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.
Flame throws the left hand but Silva avoids the punch easily.
Flame circles away from the clinch attempt.
Silva wants to clinch.
Silva tries to clinch up.
Flame misses with a looping left.
Flame throws out a loose jab but Silva uses good head movement to avoid it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Flame keeps the fight on the outside.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
Silva is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to clinch.
Flame swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Flame swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Flame circles away from the clinch attempt.
A slow jab from Flame misses its intended target.
Flame thuds a left hand into Silva's body.
Silva tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva moves out of range of the strikes.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch but Flame swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Flame misses with a looping left.
Nice takedown defense from Silva. No joy for Flame on that attempt.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Flame paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Silva is looking to clinch but Flame is avoiding it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Flame. Silva does a little dance to reset his feet.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
Silva is looking to clinch but Flame is avoiding it.
Silva slips a jab from Flame.
Silva staying out of range there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva is looking to clinch but Flame is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Silva uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Flame.

Silva pushes Flame up against the cage in a clinch.

Flame escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Flame misses the shot to the body.
Silva is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Silva moves in looking to clinch but Flame pushes him off.
Flame fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Keeper Flame. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Flame circles away.
Flame tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Silva was well out of range. Poor timing from Flame.
Silva moves in looking to clinch but Flame pushes him off.
Silva tries to clinch up.
Flame circles away from the clinch attempt.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame is having none of it.
Flame misses the shot to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Silva tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
A jab from Flame misses.
Silva tries to clinch up.
Flame lands a jab to Silva's midsection.
Flame jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Flame throws a good cross that connects.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.
Flame throws a big shot that misses.
Silva ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Silva closes the distance and pushes Flame back into the cage.
Silva keeps control of Flame as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Flame wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Flame wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Silva has him pressed against the cage.

Flame breaks the clinch.
Silva keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
Silva wants to clinch.
Silva tries to clinch but Flame moves out of range.
Silva slips a straight right by Flame.
Silva tries to clinch there but Flame circles away.
Flame throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Keeper Flame.
I think Flame 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Keeper Flame!