PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tristian Clendenen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Clendenen
vs
Silva

165 cm
20
189 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tristian Clendenen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Anderson Silva!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Daniel Franklin and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Clendenen gets the takedown into side control.
What's Silva going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.
Silva is trying to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Clendenen controls the position.
Both fighters take a look at the clock.
Silva manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Silva is not content to let Clendenen control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva wants to get back to his feet.
Silva moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Clendenen trying to stand up but can't free himself from Silva's guard.
Clendenen won't allow Silva to sweep him here.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Clendenen from controlling successfully.
Silva throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clendenen wants to get up but he can't break Silva's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

We're going to have a standup here because Tristian Clendenen wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
A punch combination from Silva misses.
No luck for Silva with that takedown attempt.
Silva misses with a wild combination.
Silva checks the leg kick.
Silva is looking to clinch but Clendenen is avoiding it.
Silva fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Clendenen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Silva paws at him with a jab and circles away.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Clendenen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clendenen misses with a low kick.
Clendenen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Silva paws at him with a jab and circles away.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Clendenen.
Silva keeps the fight on the outside.
Silva shoots in looking for a takedown. Clendenen tries to sprawl out of it but Silva keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Clendenen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Tristian Clendenen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anderson Silva.
Silva shoots in looking for a takedown but Clendenen manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Silva's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Silva misses with a few strikes there.
Clendenen shoots for a double leg takedown but Silva sprawls well. He's pushed Clendenen's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Clendenen as Silva shoots in.
Silva looks gassed!

Clendenen gets a takedown into half guard.
Clendenen performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Clendenen looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Clendenen is controlling the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tristian Clendenen dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Silva fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Clendenen avoids it really well and circles away.

Silva closes the distance and clinches.
Clendenen is trying to break free.

Silva breaks from the clinch.
Silva tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Clendenen manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Silva throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Clendenen keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Tristian Clendenen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The fighters circle momentarily. Clendenen darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Silva misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Clendenen.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Clendenen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Silva manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Silva moves into the clinch successfully.
Silva fails to pull guard.
Tristian Clendenen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anderson Silva.

Silva jumps guard and drags Clendenen to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Clendenen has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Silva manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Clendenen fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Clendenen fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch but Clendenen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clendenen takes a kick to the side of the head.
Clendenen shoots in looking for a takedown. Silva tries to sprawl out of it but Clendenen keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Silva manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Silva leaves Clendenen with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Clendenen shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Silva as he avoids it easily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Silva fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Clendenen avoids it really well and circles away.
Silva fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Clendenen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Silva avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Silva takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Silva lands with a thumping leg kick.
Clendenen fails to land the takedown.
Silva closes the distance and clinches up with Clendenen, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes Clendenen against the cage but Clendenen circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Silva lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Clendenen circles away quickly and effectively.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Silva.
Silva blocks a head kick by Clendenen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Clendenen 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.
Clendenen trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Silva manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Silva tries to clinch but Clendenen is having none of it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Clendenen shoots for a takedown but Silva saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Clendenen shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Silva as he avoids it easily.
Clendenen dives in and grabs Silva's left leg, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes down on Clendenen's head and hops out.

Silva clinches with his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anderson Silva showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Silva instigates a clinch.
Clendenen gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Silva.
Silva blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Clendenen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Silva breaks the clinch.
Silva shoots in but no luck this time.
Anderson Silva seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Clendenen takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Clendenen shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Silva as he avoids it easily.
Silva connects with a leg kick. Clendenen looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Clendenen drives through with a takedown into Silva's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva trying to control the position.
Clendenen might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Silva striking off his back but it's not causing Clendenen any problems.
Silva is pulling down on Clendenen's head. It's preventing any offense from Clendenen, at least for the moment.
Tristian Clendenen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Clendenen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Silva pulls Clendenen in close to his closed guard and prevents Clendenen from doing any damage or advancing position.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Anderson Silva hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Clendenen slaps away a takedown attempt from Silva, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Tristian Clendenen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anderson Silva.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clendenen fails with the takedown.
A head kick misses from Silva.
Silva moves in looking to clinch but Clendenen pushes him off.
Clendenen fails to land the takedown.
Silva works the jab nicely.
No luck for Clendenen with that takedown attempt.
Silva goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clendenen displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Silva.
Clendenen tries to clinch there but Silva circles away.
Clendenen tries to clinch but Silva is having none of it.
Silva blocks a head kick by Clendenen.
Clendenen shoots in for a double leg but Silva sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Silva throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Silva lands a head kick. Clendenen smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Silva closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Silva wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Clendenen keeps the fight on the outside.
Clendenen defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Silva.
Silva leaves Clendenen with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Clendenen keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Clendenen dives in and grabs Silva's left leg, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes down on Clendenen's head and hops out.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Left hook, right uppercut from Silva.
Clendenen throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anderson 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29

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