PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jethro Rusted (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antti Silava (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.

Rusted
vs
Silava

185 cm
24
179 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

188 cm
36
184 lbs
10 - 19 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class MT
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jethro Rusted!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Antti Silava!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Anni Minnemäki and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silava throws out a powerful jab.
Rusted scores with a shot to the body.
Silava misses with a looping right.
Rusted takes one on the button.

Silava gets caught napping as Rusted dives in and scores a takedown. Silava manages to retain guard.
Rusted's corner is telling him to maintain position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silava preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Silava preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Silava avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rusted is looking to work some ground and pound but Silava has wrist control.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Rusted lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Rusted keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Rusted half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Silava lands an overhand right.
Silava throws a shot from downtown. Rusted moves away and avoids it.
Silava on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Silava uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Rusted has time to react.
A looping hook to the body misses from Silava. Rusted does a little dance to reset his feet.
Silava throws the left hand but Rusted avoids the punch easily.
A good leg kick by Rusted.
Silava fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rusted drops down looking for a counter takedown but Silava sprawls and moves away.
Rusted throws a sloppy head kick and Silava moves out of range easily.
Rusted scores with a body shot.
Silava misses with a looping right.
Rusted thows a body kick. Silava tries to catch it but that hurt him.
We've been informed that Silava has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rusted steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Silava.
A left lands for Silava.
Antti Silava seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Silava smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Silava looks to land a right hand but Rusted moved out of range.
Rusted uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Silava.
Rusted displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Silava throws out the jab.
Rusted misses with a body shot.
Silava is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Silava fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

Silava gets caught napping as Rusted dives in and scores a takedown. Silava manages to retain guard.
Rusted connects with a couple of short punches.
Rusted looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silava is adopting a defensive guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rusted with a nice head shot there.
Rusted throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Silava really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rusted. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Rusted is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Rusted postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
We've been hearing good reports from Rusted's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.

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.
Silava utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rusted trying to control but Silava is working from the bottom.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Silava utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Rusted misses with a low kick.
Rusted goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Silava bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Rusted's head backwards.
A looping hook to the body misses from Silava. Rusted does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rusted appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Rusted steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Silava.
Silava dodges the punch combination from Rusted.
Rusted takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Jethro Rusted will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Rusted lands a nice looking kick to the body. Silava takes a step back to recover.
Rusted moves away from the strike by Silava.
Rusted connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Silava momentarily.
Silava misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rusted.
A lazy left from Silava finds it's target.
Rusted shoots in for a takedown but Silava shows good takedown defense.
A looping hook to the body misses from Silava. Rusted does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rusted appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Rusted goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Silava throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Silava misses with a body shot.
Rusted on the wrong end of a nice hook.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rusted looking to score a takedown here. Silava is defending well but Rusted drives through and ends up in Silava's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rusted throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rusted throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Silava works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Rusted's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rusted stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Silava swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rusted passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Rusted sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Silava is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Rusted wants to lay and pray for a moment but Silava keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Silava trying to remain calm as Rusted controls from the top position.
Rusted throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Rusted lands an elbow.
Rusted scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Silava to see if he's OK.
Rusted in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Check out the look on Rusted's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Rusted creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Rusted landing a few strikes.

It looks like Antti Silava has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rusted has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Silava!
Rusted in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Rusted looking to control and managing it successfully.
Rusted dominating with strikes here.
Rusted has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Silava's face.
Rusted lands a big shot there that rocks Silava but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rusted putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Silava is rocked!

That has opened up Antti Silava's cut even more.
Rusted lands a big elbow - Silava is in trouble! More strikes from the mount and Silava is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Jethro Rusted!