PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Antonio Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Francisco Rocha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva comes to the cage accompanied by Hall of Fame. Antonio Silva has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Silva
vs
Rocha

196 cm
24
205 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

183 cm
25
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Antonio Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Francisco Rocha!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Paulo Santos and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rocha lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like Antonio Silva has been cut.
Silva fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A combination from Silva does no damage.
Rocha lands a slapping body shot.
Silva fails to land with a series of punches.
Silva is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

Rocha darts in and clinches Silva up against the cage.
A short right from Rocha.
Rocha is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Rocha manages to break the clinch.

Rocha closes the distance and clinches.
Rocha scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Rocha pulls guard effortlessly.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Rocha controlling Silva's posture.
Silva lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Silva drops back looking for a leg! Rocha is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Rocha manages to kick Silva off! Silva jumps back into Rocha's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rocha wants to stand and escape but Silva is having none of it.

Silva drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Silva jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Rocha is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Silva is aware though and is defending well.

Silva drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Silva jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Rocha wants to stand but Silva is controlling the position.
Rocha 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.
Silva throwing strikes from guard but Rocha blocks nicely.

Rocha has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Silva off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Rocha throws a sloppy body shot
and Silva counters with a left and a right that stings Rocha.
Silva tries to clinch up but Rocha circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rocha swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
Rocha digs a good hook to Silva's body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Silva misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Rocha lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

Rocha instigates a clinch.
Rocha lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Silva looking for a takedown.
Silva wants to get back to striking at distance but Rocha won't allow it.
Rocha jumps guard but Silva stands there with Rocha around his waist. Rocha gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Silva misses with a body punch.
Rocha will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Silva up against the cage.
Silva wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Antonio Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocha stalling against the cage.
Rocha lands a nice uppercut.

Rocha pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Silva needs to keep his hands up - Rocha had a free shot at his head there.
Silva shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

Rocha moves into the clinch successfully.
Silva wants to get back to striking at distance but Rocha won't allow it.
A frustrated look appears on Silva's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Silva has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Rocha avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Silva changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Rocha fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Silva drops his hands momentarily and Rocha takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Rocha lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Silva takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.

Rocha forces Silva back against the cage and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rocha breaks from the clinch.

Rocha clinches with his opponent.
Silva is trying to break free.
A short right from Rocha.
Rocha lands a left hand that snaps the head of Silva backwards.

Rocha breaks from the clinch.
Silva has a takedown stuffed.
Rocha stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

Antonio Silva's cut is getting worse.
Rocha lands a body shot.
Rocha looks to land a combination but Silva avoids it well.
Silva fails with a takedown attempt.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Rocha takes the fight into the clinch.
Rocha lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Silva.
Rocha lands a body shot in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Francisco Rocha dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Antonio Silva's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Rocha bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Silva's head backwards.
Rocha missing with a left hand there. Silva was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Rocha lands with a shot to the body.
Antonio Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rocha paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Rocha misses with a jab, cross combination.

Rocha closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Rocha drags the fight down to the ground.
Rocha managing to control the position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rocha keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
Silva is standing up over Rocha. Rocha looks to escape but Silva dives into side control.
Silva has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Rocha is looking for a sweep.
Rocha is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Silva asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ground and pound from Silva seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Rocha pushes Silva away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Silva gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Rocha is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Silva working the ground and pound but Rocha is defending the strikes.
Rocha is trying to get back to his feet.

Silva decides to stand up, so the ref orders Rocha to his feet.
Rocha lands with a nice body punch.
Jab from Rocha.
Rocha swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Silva counters with a three punch combo that has Rocha backing up. Rocha nods at Silva to acknowledge the strikes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A right-left combo lands from Rocha.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Silva misses with a head kick.
Rocha lands a lovely overhand right.
Silva shoots in for a double leg but Rocha sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Rocha scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

Antonio Silva's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Horrible takedown by Silva or perhaps it was just good defense by Rocha which made him look bad.

Rocha forces Silva back against the cage and clinches.
Rocha presses Silva against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Rocha working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Rocha breaks the clinch.
Rocha lands a body shot.

Rocha clinches with his opponent.
A right hook to the body lands for Rocha.

Rocha jumps guard and drags Silva to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva prevents Rocha from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocha looking to hit a scissor sweep but Silva is one step ahead there.
Rocha striking off his back but it's not causing Silva any problems.

Rocha has an active guard here but Silva has managed to pass into half guard.
Rocha is trying to stand.
Rocha wants to improve his position but Silva is controlling well.
Rocha controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Rocha has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rocha tries to roll over but Silva keeps him under control.

Silva is working for a submission of some sort.
Rocha looks like he's trying to stand up.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rocha can do anything to dispel that myth.

Silva is looking for a kimura but Rocha is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Silva to get the leverage.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rocha is trying to control but can't.
Silva scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Francisco Rocha showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Antonio Silva's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Rocha stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Rocha getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Francisco Rocha seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rocha leaves Silva with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Rocha wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Rocha lands a slapping body shot.
Rocha scores with a hook.
Antonio Silva is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Rocha gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rocha jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Silva walks away with a smile on his face. Rocha gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Silva shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

Jeez, Antonio Silva's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.
Rocha dodges the punch combination from Silva.
A lazy left from Rocha finds it's target.
Rocha lands a jab to the head.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Antonio Silva's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Francisco Rocha!
Francisco Rocha bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.