PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jesus Mendes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gigant Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Mendes
vs
Silva

180 cm
32
155 lbs
27 - 9 - 0

225 cm
26
265 lbs
15 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Merciless Gladiators

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 27 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jesus Mendes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gigant Silva!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Robert Twigg and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Mendes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Silva fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Mendes checks it well.
Silva checks the leg kick nicely there.
Mendes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Silva takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Mendes lands with a thumping leg kick.
Mendes misses with the body kick
and Silva counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva lands a really nice looking cross but Mendes seems unphased.
Gigant Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Silva darts in trying to clinch

and Mendes counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Silva tightens his grip and picks Mendes up, before dumping him to the ground. Mendes manages to land in guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Mendes looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Mendes is trying to keep Silva in close.

Mendes escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Silva gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Silva throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva working some strikes from top position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Silva cracks Mendes with a solid left hand.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silva postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Silva looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Mendes looking for a guillotine here but Silva defends easily.
Silva slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Silva working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Mendes has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Silva can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva trying to control but Mendes is working from the bottom.
Mendes trying to control the position.
Silva lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Mendes is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Silva is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Mendes working a defensive guard here.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mendes swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Silva working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Silva trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Silva trying to control but Mendes is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendes is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Silva punching from the bottom.
Silva wants to improve his position but Mendes is controlling well.
Mendes trying to control the action but Silva is working from the bottom.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Silva is trying to get back to full guard.
Mendes wants to take a breather but Silva is having none of it.

Mendes is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Mendes prevents Silva from improving his position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silva makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Silva.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gigant Silva dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Silva tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mendes swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Silva wants to clinch
and Mendes counters with a leg kick.
Silva throws out a loose jab but Mendes uses good head movement to avoid it.
Mendes tries to work over Silva's front leg with a kick but Silva checks it.
Silva has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Mendes.
Mendes circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva has taken the fight to the clinch.

Silva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Nice takedown defense from Mendes. No joy for Silva on that attempt.
Silva fails in his attempt to clinch.
Good work by Silva as he checks the leg kick.
Silva checks a low kick from Mendes.
Mendes takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Jesus Mendes is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Silva closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Mendes did well to prevent Silva getting side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendes tries to roll over but Silva keeps him under control.
Mendes is looking to control Silva's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Mendes avoid being mounted?
Mendes has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Silva thows a huge punch but Mendes dodges it nicely.
Mendes manages to get to full guard.
Mendes is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Mendes is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Silva has managed to free his arm - good work.
Silva wants to improve his position but Mendes is controlling well.

Mendes seems to be working for a kimura but Silva defends the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendes wants to take a breather but Silva is having none of it.
Silva is looking to improve his position.
Mendes trying to control the action but Silva is working from the bottom.
Silva moves into full guard.
Mendes pushing down on Silva's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Silva slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Mendes is pushing down on Silva's leg trying to pass to half guard. Silva is fighting to maintain full guard but Mendes has managed to sneak the leg through.
Silva gets full guard.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Mendes from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva looking for a sweep. Not yet Silva, not yet.
Mendes wants to pass the guard but Silva is keeping the position.
Mendes controls from within his opponent's guard.
Silva looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mendes is one step ahead there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Silva is trying to control the position from the bottom.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Silva will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silva tries to clinch there but Mendes circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Gigant Silva will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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 tries to clinch but Mendes is having none of it.
Silva goes for a double leg but Mendes avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Mendes continues to drive forward.
Mendes tries to land knees in the clinch but Silva avoids the damage to the body.
Mendes missing with knees to the body.
Mendes misses with a knee to the head.
Silva tries to pull guard but Mendes won't allow it.
Mendes misses with a knee strike.
Silva blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Mendes tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Silva avoids it.
Silva managing to block the knees to the body from Mendes.
Silva is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Mendes is looking to control Silva's arms but Silva gets an underhook and turns him. Now Mendes has his back to the cage.
Silva is looking for a takedown.
Jesus Mendes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gigant Silva.

Silva gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.

Silva got a little sloppy there for a moment and Mendes has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Silva has managed to get both his arms back between Mendes's legs - danger averted.
Silva forces his way into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva tries to stand and escape but Mendes is controlling the position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Silva in particular looking to stall.
Silva's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Mendes is not content to let Silva control the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Gigant Silva was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Mendes wants to slow Silva down by chopping away at his legs.
Silva tries to close the distance and clinch but Mendes swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Silva dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Mendes. That did some damage!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva throws a head kick that misses.
Mendes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Silva wants to clinch.
Mendes throws a leg kick but Silva sees it coming and moves out of range.
Mendes throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendes avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.

Silva rushes Mendes and presses him up against the cage.
Mendes utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Silva is trying to drag Mendes to the mat but Mendes just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Mendes misses with a knee to the head.
Mendes tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Mendes tries to land knees in the clinch but Silva avoids the damage to the body.
Silva managing to block the knees to the body from Mendes.
Silva has Mendes pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Mendes manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Mendes is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Mendes trying to land knees to the body.
Silva drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Silva breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Jesus Mendes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
No luck for Silva with that takedown attempt.
Gigant Silva seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Silva shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Silva is looking to advance position but Mendes won't allow it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gigant Silva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Silva winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 27:30
Judge George Francis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gigant Silva!
Gigant Silva tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.