PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wandeco Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wandeco Rua has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Silva
vs
Rua

188 cm
21
185 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

183 cm
25
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Anderson Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Wandeco Rua!
The judges for this bout are Paulsen Ambrosius, Aafke Stam and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rua has closed the distance and engaged Silva in a clinch.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Silva blocks with his arms.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Rua with a knee to the head.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Rua lands a good knee to the midsection. Silva won't want to take too many of those.
Rua is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rua with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Rua is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Silva misses with an elbow over the top.
Rua putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Silva in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua displaying some good clinch control by pressing Silva up against the cage.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua connects with a nasty looking knee right to Silva's face.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Rua leaning his opponent against the cage.
Rua softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Silva is trying to push Rua away but Rua has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rua dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
A frustrated look appears on Silva's face as he tries to break the clinch.

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 looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rua.
Rua putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Silva in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Rua.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Silva is blocking nicely.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Silva tries to break the clinch but Rua is controlling the position.
Rua with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rua throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Silva blocks it with crossed arms.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Silva blocks it.
Rua lands with a short shot to the head.
Silva takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rua landing knees to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Silva looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Rua with a knee to the head.
Silva wants to get back to striking at distance but Rua won't allow it.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua has Silva pressed against the cage, preventing Silva from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Rua pressing his opponent against the cage.
Rua is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Silva is defending well for now.
Silva is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's four 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.
Rua keeps control of Silva as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua with a knee to the head.
Silva wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Rua is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Silva is defending well for now.
Silva wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Silva tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Rua with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Silva tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Silva pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rua misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wandeco Rua dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Rua tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rua throws a head kick that misses.
Rua tries to clinch up

and Silva counters by clinching up.
Silva has had enough of the clinch but Rua keeps him there for the moment.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Silva is trying to break free.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva takes a knee to the side of the body.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Silva fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Silva letting Rua take a breather here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva trying to control the position but instead, Rua has worked for underhooks and has pushed Silva into the cage.
Rua crunches a lovely knee into Silva's ribcage.
Rua prevents Silva from breaking the clinch.
Silva tries to pull guard but Rua won't allow it.
Rua pressing his opponent against the cage.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Rua is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Silva is defending well for now.
Rua scores with a nice hook to the head.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Silva blocks it.

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.
Rua's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Rua struggles to land a body shot inside as Silva controls his hands.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Silva blocks with his arms.
Silva wants to get back to striking at distance but Rua won't allow it.
Silva wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Rua is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Silva is defending well for now.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Silva blocks it.
Rua misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Silva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Anderson Silva is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Silva drives through and clinches with Rua against the cage.
Silva fails to pull the fight into his guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anderson Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for Rua to work.
Silva lands a hook that snaps the head of Rua backwards.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Silva trying to stall but Rua improves his position.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Silva is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Wandeco Rua seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Silva is looking to break free of the clinch but Rua has double underhooks.
Silva wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Silva tries to circle away but Rua has him pinned against the cage.
The referee is keeping an eye on Rua - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Rua missing with knees to the body.
Silva is trying to break the clinch but Rua has him pressed against the cage.

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.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Silva blocks an uppercut.
Rua keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Silva's efforts to push away.
Silva blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Rua missing with knees to the body.
Rua is struggling to control the position.
Silva wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rua taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Rua lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua trying to stall but Silva improves his position.
Silva is trying to break free.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wandeco Rua showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Rua misses with a body punch

and Silva counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Rua's guard now.
Rua pulls Silva in to control the position.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Silva throwing strikes but missing.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Rua darts in and clinches Silva up against the cage.
Rua lands a shoulder strike.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Silva jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Rua walks away with a smile on his face. Silva gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Silva is looking to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Rua can pounce on him.

Rua clinches.
Rua pushes Silva back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rua leaning his opponent against the cage.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Come on Rua - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Silva is trying to push Rua away but Rua has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rua leaning his opponent against the cage.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Silva.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Silva blocks with his arms.
Rua keeps control of Silva as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Silva blocks it.
Silva wants to get back to striking at distance but Rua won't allow it.
Silva fails to pull guard.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Silva has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Silva tries to pull guard but Rua holds him up against the cage and eventually Silva drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anderson Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Silva blocks it.
Silva is trying to break the clinch but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Silva blocks with his arms.
Silva is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Silva is trying to break free.
Silva blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rua swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Rua is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Rua keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Silva's efforts to push away.

Silva's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Silva tries to keep at a distance but Rua has taken the fight into the clinch.

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.
Rua working aggressively here.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Silva blocks with his arms.
Silva wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Silva is blocking nicely.

Silva manages to break the clinch.
Anderson Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Silva closes the distance looking to clinch

and Rua moves into the clinch.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Silva is blocking nicely.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua trying to control the position but instead, Silva has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rua into the cage.
Silva is looking to break free of the clinch but Rua has double underhooks.

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 Anderson Silva.
I think Rua 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 Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 26:30
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 26:30
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wandeco Rua!