PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Tiago Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Henrique Cardoso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Cardoso's choice of entrance music: Stemm - Face the pain . Henrique Cardoso is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Silva
vs
Cardoso

177 cm
19
180 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

172 cm
24
170 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tiago Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Henrique Cardoso!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Mauricio Rocha and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cardoso lands a nice looking body shot.
Silva shoots for a takedown but Cardoso saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Cardoso dives in and grabs Silva's left leg, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes down on Cardoso's head and hops out.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cardoso paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cardoso lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

It looks like Tiago Silva has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Silva tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Silva looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Cardoso!
Silva sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Silva tries to control but Cardoso wriggling away.
Silva prevents Cardoso from getting the reversal.
Silva controlling his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cardoso gets back to half guard.
Silva 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.
Cardoso is looking to control Silva's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cardoso avoid being mounted?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Silva is looking for a kimura but Cardoso is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Silva to get the leverage.
Silva keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Cardoso keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Silva winds up and cracks Cardoso with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Cardoso is trying to get back to full guard.
Cardoso is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Silva's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Silva's back!
Silva prevents Cardoso from getting a body triangle.

Silva fending off the submission attempt from Cardoso.

Cardoso looking to break Silva's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Silva remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Cardoso will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Silva trying to control the position but Cardoso manages to sink in the hooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Silva slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Silva is looking to improve his position.
Silva trying to control here.
Silva is positioning himself well to prevent Cardoso advancing to mount.
Silva moves into full guard.
Silva trying to keep a closed guard but Cardoso is proving a slippery customer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Cardoso from controlling successfully.
Cardoso with a flurry of punches that miss.
Silva tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Cardoso from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cardoso with a flurry of punches that miss.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cardoso throws a big right hand that misses.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Cardoso looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Cardoso closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Silva did well to prevent Cardoso getting side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Henrique Cardoso dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Tiago Silva's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Silva wants to clinch up but Cardoso keeps it at a distance.

Cardoso scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Cardoso wants to stand but Silva is controlling his arm.
Silva is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Cardoso's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Cardoso thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Silva's head.
Cardoso thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Silva trying to control but Cardoso postures up.
Silva tries to get to full guard but Cardoso has control of the leg.
Silva gets back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cardoso in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Silva tries to strike from the bottom.
Cardoso trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cardoso fails with a takedown attempt.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Cardoso circles away.
Cardoso is looking to clinch.

Silva scores a takedown into full mount!
Cardoso is breathing heavily.

Silva looking for a guillotine from mount but Cardoso is having none of it.
Silva has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Cardoso's face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cardoso is squirming around, avoiding Silva's attempts to control the action.
Cardoso tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Cardoso taking shots to the head.
Silva sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Silva throwing strikes here but Cardoso is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cardoso is squirming around, avoiding Silva's attempts to control the action.
Cardoso keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Silva tries to control but Cardoso wriggling away.
Cardoso has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Silva's lack of action.
Cardoso works his way to full guard. Good work.
Silva thows a big elbow that misses.
Silva in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

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.
Cardoso tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cardoso is trying to control the position but Silva postures up.
Silva trying to control but Cardoso is working from the bottom.
Silva stopping the sweep attempt from Cardoso.
Cardoso keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Silva gets a clinch.
Cardoso tries for a takedown but Silva manages to get underhooks.
Silva changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Cardoso fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Cardoso leaves Silva with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tiago Silva dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Tiago Silva's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Cardoso changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Silva looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Silva can't do much from the bottom here.
Cardoso lands a decent elbow from side control.
Tiago Silva overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Silva is trying to control Cardoso's posture but Cardoso avoids it.
Cardoso working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Silva takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
You can see the frustration on Silva's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Cardoso lands some shots froms side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cardoso thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Cardoso takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Cardoso is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Silva knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Silva manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Silva trying to control from half guard but Cardoso is working away.
Silva missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two 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.
Cardoso blocking the ground and pound attempt from Silva.
Silva wants to take a breather but Cardoso is having none of it.
Silva keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Nice strikes from Silva there.
Cardoso desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Silva seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Cardoso does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Silva looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Silva not doing much here.
Silva sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Cardoso defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cardoso is refusing to be controlled, as Silva sits in half guard.
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. Silva connects with a nice short shot to Cardoso's temple.
Silva not doing much here.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Tiago Silva.
Cardoso tries to clinch but Silva moves out of range.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Silva.
Silva darts in trying to clinch

and Cardoso counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Cardoso thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cardoso throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Silva is refusing to be controlled, as Cardoso sits in half guard.
Cardoso is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Silva is looking for a sweep. Cardoso is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Cardoso is trying to control the action in half guard but Silva is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Cardoso might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Silva kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

And that's the end of the fight!
Henrique Cardoso comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Cardoso has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Henrique Cardoso!