PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dante Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tommy James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James has chosen Tuesday's Gone as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Silva
vs
James

185 cm
28
215 lbs
24 - 15 - 1

189 cm
34
206 lbs
20 - 17 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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 24 - 15 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Dante Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 17 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Tommy James!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Alec Ball and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva looks to score with a jab to the body but James is just out of range.
James feints and then cracks Silva's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Silva down.
Silva throws an overhand right that lands on James's shoulder, as James tries to avoid the shot.
James tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Silva ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
James tests Silva's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Silva throws a combination but it was largely blocked by James.
James let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
James on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
James throws a low kick, looking for Silva's leg but Silva calmly moves out of range.
James takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
The fighters circle momentarily. Silva darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
No joy there for Silva, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
James throws out a counter right but Silva avoids it with no problem.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Silva digs a good body shot into James's ribs.
Silva misses with a hook
and Silva takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Silva will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James dodges the punch combination from Silva.
James takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
James throws a right and a left that both miss.
Silva throws a body punch but James moves out of range.
Silva fails to land with a series of punches.
James throws a right and a left that Silva avoids nicely.
James displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Silva ducks under a wild hook from James.
Silva avoids the body shot from James.
Silva throws a jab but it's blocked by James.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva misses with a hook
enabling James to counter with a crisp jab.
James displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Silva throws out the jab.
Silva's hands are dropping dangerously low here and James connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Silva scrambles back to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Silva misses with an uppercut. James saw that one coming.
James ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Despite the aggression on James's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Silva misses with a looping left.
Silva just misses with a punch to the body.
Silva misses with a wild body shot.
A punch combination from James misses.
Silva takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
James is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Silva.
James throws a low kick but Silva avoids it.

James changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Silva looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
James tries to advance to mount but Silva denies him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James working the ground and pound but Silva is defending the strikes.
Silva managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by James.
James scoring with punches from side control.
James has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
You can see the frustration on Silva's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Silva tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but James wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Silva managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by James.
Silva parries the strikes from James easily there. James is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Silva to escape.
James throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Silva tries to improve position but can't.

James tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no James has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Silva avoids any damage from the ground and pound of James.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva struggling a bit here.
Silva parries the strikes from James easily there. James is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Silva to escape.
Silva tries to bench press James off him but James keeps the position.
James cracks Silva with an elbow. That is naaassty.
James trying to control the position but Silva is working away.
James lands a decent elbow from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tommy James will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Silva throws a low kick, looking for James's leg but James calmly moves out of range.
Silva lands with a shot to the body.
Sloppy strikes from James. Those never looked like landing.
Silva throws a hook but James blocks it.
Silva throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Silva misses with a body shot.
Silva takes a swing at James's ribcage but misses.
As Silva backs off James throws a huge counter combo but Silva manages to avoid it all.
James tries to clinch there but Silva circles away.
James misses with a looping left.
Silva rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and James counters with a one-two to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
James defending well as Silva loads up on a big left hand.
Silva throws an ugly left hook that misses
and James counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Silva works the jab nicely.
Silva scores with a one two! James had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Silva was well out of range. Poor timing from James.
A jab lands there for Silva.
Silva misses with a double jab.
James replies with a solid counter kick to the body but Silva blocks it well.
James moves away from the strike by Silva.
James throws a leg kick but Silva checks it.
James takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Dante Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

James feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
James with a nice head shot there.
James postures up in Silva's guard and throws a big left but Silva blocks it.
James throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
James working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Tommy James has got the better of the ground game so far.
James looking to sit in guard and control but Silva gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

James looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Silva passes into half guard.

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!
It looks like Silva is going to stand back up.
James is trying to maintain the position but Silva is very close to passing his half guard.
James is looking to improve his position.
James is refusing to be controlled, as Silva sits in half guard.
James moves into full guard.
James looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

James working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Silva doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Silva manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Silva is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
James is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Silva trying to control but James is working from the bottom.
James looking for a sweep. Not yet James, not yet.
Silva is stalling in the full guard.

James throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

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 trying to control but James is working from the bottom.

James throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Silva stands and throws James's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Silva wants to control but James is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Dante Silva will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

James dives in and scores a takedown into Silva's guard.
Silva avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Silva has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but James can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
James is in close to Silva's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Silva seems keen to control James's posture.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
James throws a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
James lands a couple of digs.
James distracts Silva with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
James trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
Silva bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in James's guard.

James had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Silva defends it easily.
Silva trying to control but James is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

James had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Silva defends it easily.
Our spies down at at Montreal Fighter's Gym (4.5* Sparring) inform us that James has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?
Silva scoring with punches to the head and body.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but James is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

James has his foot on Silva's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Silva works his way back into a safe position though.
Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but James is retaining full guard.
Silva passes James's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Silva wants to lay and pray for a moment but James keeps working.
Silva is thwarting James's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

James actively working from the bottom here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
James throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Silva is pressing down on James's thigh, looking to free his foot. James is holding on for now.
Silva is controlling the pace.

James looking for submissions off his back.

Silva is working for a kimura but James is defending it quite comfortably.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

James looking for submissions off his back.
Silva seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but James does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
James regains full guard. Nicely done.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Silva pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. James is keeping the position for now.
James is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tommy James comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think James has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tommy James!
An intense looking Tommy James took to the microphone post fight and gave a little speech: 'I want to thank all you fans for coming out tonight, Fury for helping me be strong, Modern Wear Apparel for making me look so good, the gang at Montreal Fighter's Gym, all of my loved ones back home, and Kyle F for letting me fight here in the HMFL!! Thank you!!'.