PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tran Do Di (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Al Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Drive by AMEN kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Do Di
vs
Silva

170 cm
24
163 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

177 cm
20
163 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tran Do Di!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Al Silva!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Fedor Mirinova and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Di closes this distance looking for a takedown but Silva circles away.

Silva gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Silva is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Di is trying to drag Silva to the mat but Silva just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Silva pressing his opponent against the cage.
Silva is leaning against Di and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Di.
Di is looking to control Silva's arms but Silva gets an underhook and turns him. Now Di has his back to the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Silva.
Silva prevents a body shot from Di.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Di blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Di jumps guard but Silva stands there with Di around his waist. Di gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tran Do Di. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Silva lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Di tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
A head punch on the inside from Silva fails to land.
Di tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Silva just stands there and leans against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva just leaning against Di, taking a breather.
Di wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Silva has him pressed against the cage.
Silva prevents the takedown attempt.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Di goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Silva tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Di's elbow.
Di blocks a body shot from Silva.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Di jumps guard.
Di avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Di has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Silva is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Di.
Silva landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Silva really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Di. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Di struggling a bit here.
Di is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Di wants to control but Silva postures up.
Di sneaks back into half guard.
Silva throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Di wants to get back to full guard.

Di looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Silva throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Di closes this distance looking for a takedown but Silva circles away.

Silva drives through and clinches with Di against the cage.
Di is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
A bit of stalling here from Silva.
A right handed body shot lands from Silva.
Di trying to stall but Silva improves his position.
Silva lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Di tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Silva smiles and moves away.
Di circles away from the clinch attempt.
Al Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Silva closes the distance and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Di is keeping busy.

Di breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Di tries for a takedown but Silva sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
A big right from Silva misses.
Horrible takedown by Di or perhaps it was just good defense by Silva which made him look bad.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Di will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Al Silva dominated that round.
That's time! Di's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Di fails with the takedown.
Silva misses with the combination.
Silva looks to land a right hand but Di moved out of range.
Silva is looking to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Di throws a low kick but Silva avoids it.
Al Silva is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Silva tries to clinch up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Di paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Silva misses with a hook. Di ducked under it nicely.
Di keeps the fight on the outside.
Silva lands a nice looking body shot.
Di shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Silva pinned against the cage. Silva gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Di paws at him with a jab and circles away.

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 tries to clinch but Di moves out of range.
A slow jab from Silva misses its intended target.
Di moves out of range of the strikes.
Silva tries to clinch but Di moves out of range.
Silva tries to clinch but Di is having none of it.
Silva fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Di manages to avoid it.
Silva checks the leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Silva gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Silva looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Silva can do anything to dispel that myth.
Di trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Di drops back looking for a leg! Silva is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Silva manages to kick Di off! Di jumps back into Silva's guard.
Silva seems keen to control Di's posture.
Silva looking for a sweep. Not yet Silva, not yet.
Di wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva looking to hit a scissor sweep but Di is one step ahead there.
Di pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Di fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Silva avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tran Do Di. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Di circles away from the clinch attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Al Silva will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Di takes a swing at Silva's ribcage but misses.
Di dives in and grabs Silva's left leg, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes down on Di's head and hops out.
Di bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Silva ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Di moves away.
No luck for Di with that takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Silva closes the distance and clinches.
Di tries to pull guard but Silva holds him up against the cage and eventually Di drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tran Do Di. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva scores with a shoulder strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Di tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Silva just stands there and leans against the cage.
Silva lands a nice uppercut.
Silva lands a hook to the side of the head.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Di as Silva tries to tie him up.
Di tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Silva misses with a hook to the ribs.
Di stalling in the clinch but Silva improves position.
Silva pushes Di back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Silva trying to control the position but instead, Di has worked for underhooks and has pushed Silva into the cage.
Di jumps guard but Silva stands there with Di around his waist. Di gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Di.
Silva throws a punch but it's blocked by Di.
Silva is stalling here.
Silva lands a hook that snaps the head of Di backwards.
Di has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Silva is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Silva wants to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Silva letting Di take a breather here.
Silva lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Di or not.
Silva displaying some good clinch control by pressing Di up against the cage.
Silva lands a body shot.
Silva digs a right hand into Di's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Di's gas tank.
Silva lands a right hand that snaps the head of Di backwards.
Silva lands with a light punch inside.
Silva stalling.
Still in the clinch, Silva scores with a nice short uppercut.
Silva throws a head punch that misses.
Silva tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Di is working for takedown but Silva is calmly controlling the position for now.
Silva tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Di avoids it.
Di tries to pull guard but Silva won't allow it.
Silva works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Di tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Silva's elbow.
Di changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Silva fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva throws out a loose jab but Di uses good head movement to avoid it.
Silva works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Al Silva is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Silva takes the fight into the clinch.
Di tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Silva smiles and moves away.

Di shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Silva manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva is pulling down on Di's head. It's preventing any offense from Di, at least for the moment.
Silva keeping full guard, as Di tries to pass.
Di wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Silva is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Tran Do Di has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Di has gone for a leg lock! Silva slips out almost immediately though and dives into Di's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Al Silva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Silva winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30

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