PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Johnny Rico (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Audioslave - Like a Stone kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Mike Silva will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Rico
vs
Silva

200 cm
22
275 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

222 cm
19
255 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Attliction Inc. - badass sold out last night....

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Johnny Rico!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mike Silva!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Felipe Paraventi and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rico drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Rico throws a big right hand that misses.
Rico postures up.

Silva had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Rico is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Silva Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Rico's back instead.
Silva not allowing Rico to control his hands.

Rico preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Silva.
Silva is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Silva's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Silva controlling well, preventing Rico from escaping the position.

Silva tightening his grip on Rico, looking for the choke.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Silva is trying to stick to Rico's back but Rico is turning into Silva. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Silva's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Rico.
Rico pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.
Rico sitting in guard here, content to control.
Silva is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Silva tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rico has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Silva is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Rico is breathing heavily.
Rico trying to control but Silva postures up.
Rico might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

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 wants to pass to mount but Rico is defending the position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Silva in particular looking to stall.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rico throws a sloppy strike from the bottom. He's now off balance and Silva manages to pass to side control.
Silva trying to control the position but Rico is working away.

Silva goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Rico has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Silva but great work by Rico.
Silva wants to control but Rico postures up.
Rico scores with punches from side control.
Silva is looking for a sweep.
Silva is not content to let Rico control the position.
Silva wants to control but Rico postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rico lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Silva taking punishment in the form of punches.
Rico postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rico as he jumps to the side.

Rico shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Rico trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rico makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rico slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Rico stands up over Silva, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rico is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rico pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Silva is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rico content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Rico slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Rico trying to control the action but Silva is working from the bottom.
Rico scores with a couple of short elbows.
Silva is trying to improve his position.
Rico working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Silva manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Rico trying to pass the guard but Silva defending well.
Rico takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rico tries for a takedown but Silva circles away easily

and Silva counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Rico looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Silva puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Silva is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Silva wants to control the pace but Rico is squirming around nicely.
Rico is desperately trying to improve his position but Silva has a good base and remains in mount.
Silva unloading with bombs!
Silva is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Rico is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Rico bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Rico lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Rico lands a couple of digs.

Silva looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Rico not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Silva is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rico is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Rico showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Rico scoring with punches to the head and body.
Rico trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
Rico preventing the sweep.
Silva is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Rico trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Rico shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rico.

Silva looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Rico thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Rico trying to pass the guard but Silva defending well.
Rico looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rico takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Rico moves into full mount! Silva won't be happy about that!
A nice elbow there by Rico.
Rico looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Rico content just to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva is in a horrible position here. Rico smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Rico in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Rico with shots to the head and body - Silva looks very uncomfortable down there.
Silva really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rico looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Silva in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Silva tries to hold on but Rico postures up.
Rico controlling the position easily from mount.
Silva wants to control but Rico is having none of it.
Rico looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva looks out of his depth in this position - he's holding on tight.
Rico scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Rico landing strikes from the mount and Silva is in trouble!
Rico lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Rico prevents Silva from getting the reversal.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silva is squirming around, avoiding Rico's attempts to control the action.
Rico with shots to the head and body - Silva looks very uncomfortable down there.
BOOM! Rico connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Silva tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rico lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Silva hang on?
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Silva wants to control but Rico is having none of it.
Silva tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Silva tries to hold on but Rico postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johnny Rico dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Rico fails with the takedown

and Silva counters with a nice double leg into side control. Rico won't be happy with that.

Silva tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Rico is not content to let Silva control the position.
Silva advances to full mount.

Silva with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Rico on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Rico tries to get out of the position.
Rico is squirming around, avoiding Silva's attempts to control the action.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rico flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva working for a guillotine from mount but Rico is in no mood to give up.
Rico has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Silva's lack of action.
Silva sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rico defending well though.
Rico trying to control here.
Silva is tying to control. Rico wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

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

Rico scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Rico is looking to take a break and control but Silva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rico drops an elbow to the side of Silva's head.
Rico trying to mount his opponent but Silva defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rico looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rico is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Rico lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Rico sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Rico working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

Silva looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Rico slips a nice elbow through Silva's hands, connecting with Silva's forehead.
Silva trying to hold on to Rico's head to control him but Rico postures up.
Silva wants to get back to full guard.
Silva trying to control from the bottom.
Silva is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Silva misses with a takedown attempt - Rico sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Rico fails with the takedown

and Silva decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Rico's guard.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Rico is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rico looking to control.
Silva being controlled here momentarily.
Rico bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Silva's guard.

Silva looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rico wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Rico stands and throws Silva's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva is not content to let Rico control the position.
Rico working the ground and pound.
Rico trying to control the position but Silva is working away.
Rico looks up at the clock and then as Silva takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Rico smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Silva is looking for a sweep.
Silva gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Silva is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Silva has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rico is working away from the top position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Silva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rico has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 29:28
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Johnny Rico!