PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alexey Potapenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva has chosen Roots Bloody Roots - Sepultura as his entrance music. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Potapenko
vs
Silva

195 cm
28
260 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

192 cm
31
251 lbs
17 - 20 - 0

Great wrestler
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

Good takedowns
Brawler
Knockout power

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexey Potapenko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 20 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rodrigo Silva!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Illya Tyunina and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva dives in and grabs Potapenko's left leg, looking for a takedown. Potapenko pushes down on Silva's head and hops out.
A quick step to the side and Potapenko tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.

Silva tries to sprawl but Potapenko drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Potapenko working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Ground and pound from Potapenko.

Silva looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Nice strikes from Potapenko there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Potapenko seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Silva is rocked!

Potapenko is working for a kimura but Silva is defending it quite comfortably.
Silva is still in real trouble! Can Potapenko finish him?
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Potapenko is stalling here. Silva is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Potapenko seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Silva has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Silva seems to have recovered his senses.
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 tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Silva has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Potapenko sneaks out the side door and pushes Silva away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Silva has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Potapenko is landing a low percentage of strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva misses with a takedown attempt
and Potapenko counters with a left and a right that stings Silva.

Potapenko decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Nice strikes from Potapenko there.
Silva tries to get to full guard but Potapenko has control of the leg.
Potapenko unloads with some huge strikes here! Silva is out! Potapenko wins by brutal knockout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:44 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Alexey Potapenko!