PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and vitor belfort (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Silva
vs
belfort

188 cm
18
180 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

183 cm
25
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Enjoys gardening

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Anderson Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, vitor belfort!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Thiago Cunha and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva sizes up belfort with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

belfort looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Silva!
belfort throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
belfort thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Silva trying desperately to get to his feet.

belfort swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Silva is now in belfort's guard. A big mistake from belfort there, giving up the dominant position!

belfort is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Silva has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

belfort has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Silva can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Silva controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. belfort swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Silva postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
belfort keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
belfort looking to hit a scissor sweep but Silva is one step ahead there.
Silva engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Silva wants to control from the top but belfort keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Anderson Silva.
Silva avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A decent looking cross lands there for Silva.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
belfort swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
belfort avoids the head kick by Silva.
belfort loads up on a big right hand but Silva slips the punch.
vitor belfort seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Silva swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and belfort counters with a series of strikes. Silva will be more careful next time no doubt.
belfort closes the distance and clinches up with Silva, looking for a takedown. belfort pushes Silva against the cage but Silva circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
belfort looks gassed!
A telegraphed takedown attempt from belfort is defended easily by Silva.
Silva lands a head kick. belfort smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
belfort showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Silva.
Silva misses with a series of wild punches.
belfort tries to clinch up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from belfort.
Anderson Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of vitor belfort.
belfort moves in looking to clinch but Silva pushes him off.
belfort misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Silva listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
A punch combination from Silva misses.
A left lands for Silva.
Silva smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Crunch! Silva slams his shin into belfort's torso.
A head kick from Silva lands but belfort takes it in his stride.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A good leg kick by Silva.
belfort misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
belfort throws a left and a right that both miss
and Silva counters with a nice kick to the body.
A head kick misses from Silva.
belfort with a lazy takedown attempt
and Silva counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Silva thuds his right hand into belfort's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Silva misses with the combination.
Silva lands the left hand.
belfort with a poor takedown
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
and Silva counters with a big head kick but belfort shrugs it off.
belfort on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Silva lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Silva connects with a high kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Anderson Silva will probably get the nod.
That's time! Silva's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

belfort doesn't succeed with the takedown
enabling Silva to counter with a crisp jab.
belfort fails with the takedown
and Silva counters with a big head kick but belfort shrugs it off.
Silva lands a head kick!
Silva throws a shot to the body.
belfort has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
A decent looking cross lands there for Silva.
belfort wants to clinch but Silva slips to the side
and Silva counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Silva lands with a slapping head kick.
belfort tries to clinch up
and Silva counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. belfort is lucky that one didn't land flush.
belfort is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
belfort tries to clinch
and Silva counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. belfort is lucky that one didn't land flush.
belfort closes the distance but Silva moves to the side
and Silva counters with a series of strikes. belfort will be more careful next time no doubt.
belfort fails with the takedown
and Silva counters with a straight right hand.
Anderson Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of vitor belfort.
Silva lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
belfort has his takedown stuffed
and Silva counters with a nice body kick.
Silva thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on belfort if he has to take too many more of those.
Silva throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Silva scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Silva lands with a nice combination. belfort backs away looking to recover.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva scores with a kick to the body.
Silva throws a right and a left that both miss.
Silva circles away from the clinch attempt
and Silva cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Silva throws a sloppy head kick and belfort moves out of range easily.
belfort thows a left - swing and a miss!
belfort falls off balance throwing a combination
and Silva counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Silva throws a head kick that misses.
Silva scores with a three punch combo!
A jab lands there for Silva.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Silva scores with a jab. belfort acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
belfort wants to clinch but Silva slips to the side
and Silva counters with a lovely straight right hand!
belfort tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Silva counters with a flying knee. Nice.
belfort with a poor takedown
and Silva counters with a head kick. That will keep belfort thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Anderson Silva is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Silva lands with a kick to the temple. belfort shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Nice body kick from Silva.
belfort throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Silva counters with a nice body kick.
belfort takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Silva connects with a high kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva tries a head kick but it misses.
Silva stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
belfort throws a combination that misses
and Silva counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Silva.
Silva lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as belfort backs up against the cage.
belfort closes the distance looking to clinch
and Silva counters with a head kick.
Silva lands a two punch combo.
belfort wants to clinch
and Silva counters with a body kick.
belfort wants to clinch but Silva slips to the side
and Silva counters with a big head kick but belfort shrugs it off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Silva misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
belfort closes the distance but Silva moves to the side
and Silva counters with a lovely straight right hand!
belfort wants to clinch
and Silva makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. belfort really felt that one!
belfort with a lazy takedown attempt
letting Silva counter with a right hand.
belfort doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Silva counters with a head kick.
Silva lands with a nice body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Good shot there by Silva.
Some wild striking there from Silva.
Silva lands a front kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva cracks belfort with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Silva throws a series of strikes that have belfort backpedaling.
Silva lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Anderson Silva is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
belfort has his takedown stuffed
and Silva counters with a body kick that stops belfort in his tracks momentarily.
Anderson Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of vitor belfort.
Silva circles away from the clinch attempt
and Silva counters with a head kick. That will keep belfort thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
A punch combination from Silva misses.
belfort avoids the head kick by Silva.
belfort doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Silva counters with a big head kick but belfort shrugs it off.

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.
belfort misses with a takedown
and Silva counters with a head kick.
Silva throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
A punch combination from Silva misses.
belfort has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
belfort tries to clinch
and Silva counters with a nice uppercut.
belfort takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Silva scores with a head kick. belfort tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Anderson Silva is winning the standup battle so far.
Silva punishes belfort's body with a nice straight punch.
A jab from Silva finds it's way through belfort's defenses.
belfort tries for a takedown but Silva circles away easily
and Silva counters with a big head kick but belfort shrugs it off.
belfort takes a head kick and keeps coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
belfort shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Silva counters with a right hand to the body.
belfort takes a kick to the side of the head.
Silva connects with a good right hand that stumbles belfort. belfort circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
belfort tries for a takedown but Silva circles away easily
letting Silva counter with a right hand.
Silva throws a right and a left that belfort avoids nicely.
belfort has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Silva.
Silva tries a head kick but it misses.
belfort tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Silva counters with a big head kick but belfort shrugs it off.

belfort feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
belfort trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Anderson Silva is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

belfort stands up from Silva's guard - belfort perhaps looking for a knockout.
belfort dives in and grabs Silva's left leg, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes down on belfort's head and hops out.
belfort avoids the head kick by Silva.
belfort fails in his attempt to clinch.
belfort shoots in but no luck this time.
belfort misses with the combination.
belfort shoots for a takedown but Silva saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anderson Silva showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Silva, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:28
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:26

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