PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Carlo Gambino (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wanderlei Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Carlo Gambino has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Gambino
vs
Silva

180 cm
25
210 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

181 cm
21
215 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Carlo Gambino!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Wanderlei Silva!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Robert Twigg and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gambino fails in his attempt to clinch.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Gambino circles away.

Silva clinches up against the ropes.
Gambino is looking for a takedown up against the ropes. Silva gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Silva connects with a knee to the head.
Gambino avoiding damage as Silva throws knees to the body.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but Gambino blocks with his arms.
Gambino fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Silva with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Silva landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Gambino is looking for a takedown up against the ropes. Silva gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Carlo Gambino. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Gambino gets control of Silva's arms and successfully pulls guard. Gambino will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Silva must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Gambino tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Gambino trying to keep a closed guard but Silva is proving a slippery customer.
Silva wanted to stand there but Gambino had control of the position.
Gambino is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Silva wants to pass the guard but Gambino is keeping the position.
Gambino could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Gambino tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Gambino is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Gambino preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Silva wants to stand and escape but instead Gambino has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Gambino looking to pass the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Silva wants to stand up but Gambino is controlling him.
Gambino trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gambino has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Silva is proving hard to escape from.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to stand up but Gambino is controlling him.
Gambino tries to free his leg and advance position but Silva is retaining full guard.
Gambino chips away with some ground and pound.
Gambino wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Gambino looking to pass the guard.
Silva is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gambino is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Silva controls Gambino momentarily but Gambino frees himself.

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

Gambino closes the distance and clinches.
Gambino managing to block the knees to the body from Silva.
Silva landing knees to the head.
Silva landing knees to the head.
Silva prevents Gambino from breaking the clinch.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Gambino blocks it.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Gambino blocks it.
Silva connects with a nasty looking knee right to Gambino's face.
Silva looks gassed!
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gambino has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Gambino pulls guard successfully.
Gambino wants to stand and escape but Silva is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wanderlei Silva dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Silva tries to clinch

and Gambino counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Gambino works his way into side control.
Gambino is trying to move to mount but Silva reverses beautifully and ends up in Gambino's guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gambino swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gambino has a closed guard, preventing Silva from standing up.
Gambino is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Gambino keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
Silva wanted to stand there but Gambino had control of the position.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Gambino circles away from the clinch attempt
and Gambino counters with a left and a right that stings Silva.
Silva tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Gambino moves into the clinch.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Gambino is working for a takedown up against the ropes. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gambino has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva misses with a knee strike.

Gambino manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Gambino managing to control the position.

Silva drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Gambino manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Silva has Gambino in his guard.
Gambino prevents Silva from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gambino passes Silva's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Silva is not content to let Gambino control the position.
Silva is in trouble now - Gambino has advanced to mount!
Gambino controlling from the full mount.
Gambino looking to control but Silva is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Silva is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Gambino landing strikes from the mount and Silva is in trouble!
Gambino controlling from the full mount.

Gambino looking for a guillotine from mount but Silva is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlo Gambino dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Silva clinches but Gambino breaks the clinch

and Gambino moves into the clinch.
Gambino is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Silva pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Silva crunches a lovely knee into Gambino's ribcage.
Silva gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Gambino.
Silva connects with a nasty looking knee right to Gambino's face.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Gambino blocks it.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Gambino blocks it.
Gambino takes a knee right on the jaw!
Knees in the clinch landing for Silva.
Silva connects with a nasty looking knee right to Gambino's face.
Silva landing knees to the head.
Silva landing knees to the head.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Silva with a knee to the head.
Gambino is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but Gambino blocks with his arms.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gambino on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Silva landing knees to the head.
Gambino tries to pull guard but Silva won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Carlo Gambino. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva scores with a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva scores a nice knee to the body.
Silva connects with a knee to the head.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but Gambino blocks with his arms.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Gambino blocks it with crossed arms.
Gambino takes a knee right on the jaw!
A frustrated look appears on Gambino's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Silva with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Gambino fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Silva lands a good knee to the midsection. Gambino won't want to take too many of those.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Gambino goes for a takedown in the clinch but Silva prevents it.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
Gambino tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Silva just stands there and leans against the ropes.
Silva landing knees to the head.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Gambino blocks it.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gambino has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but Gambino blocks with his arms.
Gambino drops down looking for an ankle pick but Silva pulls his leg out and moves away.
Silva tries to clinch

and Gambino counters with a takedown into side control.
Gambino throws an elbow but Silva slips to the side and avoids it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gambino wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Silva, who protects the arm well.
Gambino laying and praying for a moment but Silva takes advantage and regains half guard.
Gambino tries to pass to full mount but Silva defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gambino prevents Silva from standing back up.
Silva pushes Gambino off but Gambino dives into side control.
Silva wants to get back to his feet but Gambino drags him back down.
Gambino in side control lands a decent elbow.
Silva is trying to get back to his feet.

That's four 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.

Gambino stands up and beckons Silva to his feet.

Gambino scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Gambino tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

Gambino working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Gambino is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

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 Carlo Gambino.
I think Gambino 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 George Francis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carlo Gambino!