PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jose Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sonny Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva comes to the cage accompanied by Jose Silva Lock And Submit. Sonny Lopez told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Silva
vs
Lopez

176 cm
26
141 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

170 cm
22
155 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jose Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sonny Lopez!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Wesley Smith and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lopez misses with a head kick.
Silva looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Lopez connects with a high kick.

It looks like Jose Silva has been cut.

Silva shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Lopez napping and manages to drive through into side control!
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Silva controls the position from side control.
Lopez tries to buck Silva off but Silva is having none of it.
Lopez sneaks back into half guard.
Silva is figuring out what he wants to do next.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lopez is looking to improve his position.
Silva is keen to just control but Lopez is a slippery customer.
Lopez tries to roll over but Silva keeps him under control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez tries to kick Silva off but Silva keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Silva is working for a kimura from half guard. He's really concentrating on the hold and it's allowed Lopez to slip a leg under and get back to full guard.
Lopez looking to hit a scissor sweep but Silva is one step ahead there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lopez is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Silva trying to control but Lopez is working from the bottom.
Lopez wants to get back to his feet but Silva is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Silva controls the pace.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Lopez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Jose Silva.

Lopez closes the distance and clinches.
Lopez 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.

Lopez manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Lopez trying to control the position.
Lopez is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Silva is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Lopez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lopez trying to control the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Sonny Lopez.

Lopez bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Silva is trying to control Lopez's posture but Lopez avoids it.
Lopez tries to stand but Silva is controlling his head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Lopez working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Silva stops Lopez from passing to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sonny Lopez dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jose Silva's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Silva tries to sprawl but Lopez drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Silva trying to hold on to Lopez's head to control him but Lopez postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lopez winds up and cracks Silva with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Lopez throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Silva taking some punishment here, with Lopez in his half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez is trying to control. Silva wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Lopez throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Lopez is looking for a kimura but Silva is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Lopez to get the leverage.

Silva is defending against the submission attempts here by Lopez.
Lopez working Silva over with strikes.
Lopez really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Silva. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez trying to pass the guard but Silva defending well.
Lopez is looking to take a break and control but Silva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Silva looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Lopez tries to stand but can't do so whilst Silva controls his leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez is thwarting Silva's attempts to control the position.
Lopez is keen to just control but Silva is a slippery customer.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Silva looking for submissions off his back.
Lopez tries to pass the half guard into mount. Silva knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva is refusing to be controlled, as Lopez sits in half guard.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Sonny Lopez wasn't active enough on the ground.

Lopez closes the distance and pushes Silva back into the cage.
Lopez taking a breather.

Lopez decides to pull guard.
Sonny Lopez has got the better of the ground game so far.
Lopez is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sonny Lopez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jose Silva's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Lopez lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Silva circles away quickly and effectively.
Silva 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 moves away from the strike by Lopez.

Lopez throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Silva tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Lopez is in Silva's guard.
Lopez wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Lopez is pushing down on Silva's leg trying to pass to half guard. Silva is fighting to maintain full guard but Lopez has managed to sneak the leg through.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Silva looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva is refusing to be controlled, as Lopez sits in half guard.
Lopez wants to stand but Silva has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Silva is looking to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Sonny Lopez wasn't active enough on the ground.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Lopez.
Lopez lands a few punches from side control.
Lopez wants to control but Silva is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lopez decides to stand up, so the ref orders Silva to his feet.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Lopez ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Lopez no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Lopez is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Silva trying to control but Lopez is working from the bottom.
Silva is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Lopez is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Lopez is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Jose Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sonny Lopez is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Lopez swivels though and keeps the full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sonny Lopez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Lopez has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 27:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sonny Lopez!
Sonny Lopez seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.