PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ozzy James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Batalha Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James comes into the arena with Bark at the Moon by Ozzy Osbourne blaring out of the sound system. Rodrigo Batalha Silva is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

James
vs
Batalha Silva

183 cm
19
187 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

174 cm
21
187 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Likes ground

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ozzy James!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Batalha Silva!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Edson Gomes and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
James throws a series of punches but Silva avoids them all with ease.
James misses with a takedown attempt - Silva sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
No joy there for James, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

James has managed to clinch.

Silva wants the takedown. James is fighting it off but Silva persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in James's guard against the cage.
James keeping full guard, as Silva tries to pass.
Silva is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

James working for a triangle but Silva defends it easily.

Silva decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on James, up you get!
James is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Silva.
James swinging wilding here.

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

Silva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Silva drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Silva is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but James is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Silva lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James is looking to regain half guard here but Silva keeps moving and retains side control.

Silva decides to stand back up.

Silva darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Silva is controlling the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that Silva has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
James keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
James is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
James is looking to control Silva's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can James avoid being mounted?
James is refusing to be controlled, as Silva sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Silva stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from James.
James tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
James closes the distance but Silva moves to the side

and Silva counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for James!
James is working to get back to half guard.
Silva lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Batalha Silva dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Silva checks a leg kick.
James buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
James misses with a kick to the body.
James throws a head kick that misses

and Silva counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for James!
Silva tries to control but James wriggling away.
Silva lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
James tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Silva trying to control but James is having none of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Silva tries to control but James wriggling away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva lands a big shot there that rocks James but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rodrigo Batalha Silva has got the better of the ground game so far.
James taking shots to the head.
Silva tries to control but James wriggling away.
James has given up his back, trying to stand up. Not clever.
Silva trying to control.
James wants to escape the position.
James has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Silva should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

James fending off the submission attempt from Silva.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James covers up after taking a massive shot to the side of the head.
Silva throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting James!

Silva looking for the choke from the back.
Silva controlling well, preventing James from escaping the position.
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Silva.
Silva trying to control momentarily.
Silva biding his time, looking for the opening.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James manages to reverse the position and now he's in Silva's guard. Nice work there by James.
Silva keeping moving, preventing James from controlling successfully.
Silva striking off his back but it's not causing James any problems.
Silva seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Silva looking to hit a scissor sweep but James is one step ahead there.
James won't allow Silva to get back to his feet.

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.

Silva is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
James wants to stand but Silva has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Silva is trying to keep James in close.

Silva looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Silva controls James momentarily but James frees himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silva seems keen to control James's posture.
Silva has a closed guard, preventing James from standing up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Batalha Silva showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Silva shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Silva slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
James looking for a sweep. Not yet James, not yet.
James wants to stand and escape but Silva is having none of it.
Silva trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Silva is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
James not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva wants to control from the top but James keeps moving.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from James, right into the meat.

James closes the distance and clinches.
James has had enough of the clinch but Silva keeps him there for the moment.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but James blocks it with crossed arms.
James prevents a takedown attempt there.
James gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Silva.
James goes for a takedown in the clinch but Silva prevents it.

Silva jumps into guard, dragging James to the mat.
Silva pulls James in close to prevent any damage.
Silva tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Silva is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and James dives into side control.

James is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Silva knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

James decides to stand back up.
Silva fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. James looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

Silva decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva trying to control from half guard but James is working away.

Silva is working for a submission of some sort.
Silva is looking to take a break and control but James is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Silva might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control James kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Ozzy James has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Silva trying to mount his opponent but James defends it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
James shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Silva counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Silva is pressing down on James's thigh, looking to free his foot. James is holding on for now.

Silva is trying for a kimura here. James looks like he's in a lot of pain... and he's tapping out! Silva wins by kimura!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:46 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Rodrigo Batalha Silva!