PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Vitor Belfort (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leonardo Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva has chosen Felguk-2nite as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

Belfort
vs
Silva

185 cm
21
175 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

186 cm
25
190 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid boxing
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Vitor Belfort!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Leonardo Silva!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Paul Aken and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Silva misses with a two punch combination.
Silva throws a right and a left that Belfort avoids nicely.
Belfort shoots and misses
and Silva counters with a stiff right hand.
Belfort shoots in but no luck this time.
Belfort misses with a takedown attempt
and Silva connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vitor Belfort. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Belfort with a lazy takedown attempt
and Silva counters with a two punch combo.
Belfort misses with a takedown attempt
and Silva counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Silva throws a combination that misses

and Belfort counters with a takedown into side control.

Belfort is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Silva has escaped the position, nice work there.

Belfort tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Belfort has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Belfort thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Belfort tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Silva pushes Belfort away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Belfort gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Belfort is trying to get an arm triangle but Silva is defending well.

Belfort tries for a kimura but Silva is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to get back to his feet.

Belfort is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Silva has escaped the position, nice work there.
Silva wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
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.

Belfort is trying to get an arm triangle but Silva is defending well.
Belfort advances to full mount.

Belfort is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Silva can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to get back to his feet.
Silva really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Belfort. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Belfort is working for a guillotine from mount but Silva frees his head quite easily.

Belfort with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Belfort is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Silva to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Silva shrugs it off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva really wants to buck Belfort off and get back to his feet.

Belfort is working for a guillotine from mount but Silva frees his head quite easily.

Belfort has hold of Silva's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Silva manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Silva is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Silva lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Belfort at a distance.
Horrible takedown by Belfort or perhaps it was just good defense by Silva which made him look bad.
Belfort doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Silva counters with a series of strikes. Belfort will be more careful next time no doubt.
Silva throws a shot to the body.
Belfort tries for a takedown but Silva circles away easily
and Silva makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vitor Belfort. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A left and a right from Silva both land. Nice combination.
Silva lands the left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Leonardo Silva is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Belfort shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Silva as he avoids it easily.
Silva throws a right and a left that Belfort avoids nicely.
Silva lands a jab-cross combination.
Silva misses with a jab, cross combination.
Silva misses the shot to the body.
Some wild striking there from Silva.
Silva ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Belfort moves away.
Silva misses with a wild combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Silva tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Belfort was well out of range. Poor timing from Silva.
Belfort shoots and misses
letting Silva counter with a right hand.
Silva throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Silva misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Belfort here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Silva misses with a few strikes there.
Belfort walks into a straight right hand from Silva.
Belfort tries to score a power double leg takedown but Silva sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Belfort somewhat.
Belfort shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Silva sprawls well. Silva wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Belfort gets slowly back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Belfort with a poor takedown
letting Silva counter with a right hand.
Silva throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Silva throws a right hand that Belfort ducks under and follows up with a left that Belfort also avoids with ease.
Belfort tries for a takedown but Silva circles away easily
and Silva counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Vitor Belfort is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Horrible takedown by Belfort or perhaps it was just good defense by Silva which made him look bad.
Silva scores with a hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Silva throws a right and a left that Belfort avoids nicely.
Belfort fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Silva lands with a nice combination. Belfort backs away looking to recover.
Silva misses with a few strikes there.
Silva lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Belfort tries for a takedown but Silva circles away easily
and Silva makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Silva throws a left and a right that both miss

and Belfort counters with a single leg into guard. Silva didn't expect that.
Silva wants to get back to his feet but Belfort is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Leonardo Silva will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Belfort dodges the punch combination from Silva.
Belfort shoots and misses
and Silva cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Silva moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Jab by Silva.
Belfort with a lazy takedown attempt
and Belfort takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva misses with a wild body shot.
Silva lands a head shot.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Silva misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Belfort has his takedown stuffed
letting Silva counter with a right hand.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vitor Belfort. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva scores with a jab to the body.
Belfort looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Silva misses with a jab, cross combination.
Silva fails to land with a series of punches.
Silva misses with a wild combination.
Belfort misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Belfort shoots in for a takedown but Silva shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

That's two 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.
Belfort doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Silva counters with a two punch combo.
Silva misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Silva throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Silva throws a series of punches but Belfort avoids them all with ease.
Silva misses with a double jab.
Silva closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Donk. Silva catches Belfort right on the button with a cross.
Silva lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Belfort backs up against the ropes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Belfort fails with a takedown attempt.
Silva darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Some wild striking there from Silva.
Belfort takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Silva misses with a jab, cross combination.
Silva lands a two punch combo.
A jab from Silva does it's job there.

That's four 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 throws a right and a left that Belfort avoids nicely.
Silva stuffs the takedown.
Belfort dodges the punch combination from Silva.
Belfort tries for a takedown but Silva circles away easily
letting Silva counter with a right hand.
Horrible takedown by Belfort or perhaps it was just good defense by Silva which made him look bad.
Silva throws a series of punches but Belfort avoids them all with ease.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Silva fails to land with a series of punches.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leonardo Silva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Silva 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 Albert Achterberg scores the fight for Vitor Belfort!
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight for Vitor Belfort!
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight for Vitor Belfort!

Vitor Belfort wins by unanimous decision!