PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Alex Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bernard McGinn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Silva
vs
McGinn

178 cm
20
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
20
163 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alex Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bernard McGinn!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Konstantin Menshow and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
McGinn fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Silva appears to be looking for a big counter.
McGinn has a takedown stuffed.

Silva moves into the clinch.
McGinn changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Silva fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Alex Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bernard McGinn.
McGinn shoots in but Silva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Silva swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
The fight stays on the outside here - Silva looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
McGinn throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Silva's waist but Silva gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing McGinn off to one side.
McGinn keeps the fight on the outside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Silva has McGinn up against the cage in a clinch.
McGinn wants a takedown but no success here.
Silva will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning McGinn up against the cage.
Silva fails to pull guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva manages to break the clinch.
Silva misses with a head kick.

McGinn looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Silva has his feet on McGinn's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Silva tries to clinch up but McGinn circles away and keeps his distance.

Silva drives through and clinches with McGinn against the cage.
Silva tries to pull guard but McGinn won't allow it.
McGinn has Silva pressed against the cage, preventing Silva from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
McGinn tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
McGinn lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Silva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Silva gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows McGinn to score an easy takedown into full guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Silva has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva keeping full guard, as McGinn tries to pass.
McGinn trying to control the position from guard on top but Silva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
McGinn might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Silva haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McGinn won't allow Silva to get back to his feet.
McGinn trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
Silva wants to get back to his feet but McGinn is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

McGinn looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Silva!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by McGinn.
Silva is not content to let McGinn control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
McGinn scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Silva to see if he's OK.
Silva is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
McGinn working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
An elbow from McGinn crashes against the mat.

McGinn thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
McGinn in side control, throwing shots but Silva defends.
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 Alex 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.

Silva wants to clinch.
A combination from Silva does no damage.
Silva shoots in looking for a takedown but McGinn manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Silva's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Silva throws a shot to the body.

McGinn bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Check out the look on McGinn's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Silva looks to move to half guard but instead McGinn has passed into mount! Damn!
McGinn fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
McGinn in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Silva is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
McGinn tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Oh Silva is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva wants to control but McGinn is having none of it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
McGinn connects with a bit shot that sees Silva covering up! More strikes from McGinn and the referee jumps in to stop the fight! McGinn is our winner by TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:24 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Bernard McGinn!
An out of breath Bernard McGinn thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.
The defeated Alex Silva had this to say: 'I'll keep training and I want the revenge.'.