PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Bessant (ranked 2380 p4p, 2293 weight class) and Alex Silva (ranked 312 p4p, 303 weight class). Alex Silva told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Bessant
vs
Silva

180 cm
33
214
15 - 11 - 0

186 cm
32
218
14 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

FEEBLE FIGHTWEAR
Brooklyn Apothecary

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 15 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Bessant!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Alex Silva!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, Russell Pearce and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva misses with a hook.
Bessant was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Silva showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Bessant.
Bessant walks into a left hand.
Bessant defending well as Silva loads up on a big left hand.
Silva swings for the body but Bessant moves out of range.
Bessant is looking for a counter combo.
Nice defenses there by Bessant.
Bessant swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Alex Silva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A chopping leg kick lands by Bessant.
Bessant looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Donk. Silva catches Bessant right on the button with a cross.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva with a jab.
Silva fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Bessant was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Silva fails with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva throws a right hand that misses
and Bessant counters with a series of strikes. Silva will be more careful next time no doubt.
Bessant lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Silva misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Bessant.

Silva gets the takedown into side control.
Bessant is looking to reverse the position.
Silva tries to move into full mount but can't pass Bessant's legs.
Bessant knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Silva on the ground.
You can see the frustration on Bessant's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Bessant tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Silva wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Bessant is not content to let Silva control the position.
Bessant is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Silva controlling the action here.
Silva looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Bessant with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

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!

Silva is looking for a kimura but Bessant is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Silva to get the leverage.
Bessant is staying active underneath Silva, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Bessant tries to roll over but Silva keeps him under control.
Bessant trying to hold on to Silva's head to control him but Silva postures up.
Bessant is not content to let Silva control the position.
Bessant is trying to control but can't.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Silva in particular looking to stall.
Bessant is looking for a sweep. Silva is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Bessant keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva winds up and cracks Bessant with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Silva slows the pace down in half guard.
Bessant trying to control here.
Silva not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Silva scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Silva looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Silva throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Silva wants to pass to mount but Bessant is defending the position.
Bessant keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Silva perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Silva seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Bessant does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Bessant trying to control from the bottom.
Silva is keen to just control but Bessant is a slippery customer.
Silva is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bessant is refusing to be controlled, as Silva sits in half guard.
Silva is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Silva dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Bessant walks into a left hand.
Silva with a poor takedown
and Bessant counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Bessant thows a left - swing and a miss!
Silva drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Bessant defends it well.
Silva shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Bessant takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Silva scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Bessant doesn't seem bothered though.
Silva misses with an uppercut. Bessant saw that one coming.
Silva throws an off balance right hand
and Bessant connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Silva throws a looping overhand right but Bessant ducks down to avoid it.
Silva lands a slapping body shot.
Bessant has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Silva finds it's way round the side to connect with Bessant's head.
Bessant steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Silva.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Silva lands a jab to Bessant's midsection.
Silva digs a good body shot into Bessant's ribs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva misses with an uppercut
and Bessant connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Bessant uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Silva.
Bessant keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Bessant cracks Silva with an open hand slap.
Silva swings widly with a right hand
and Bessant counters with a stiff right hand.
Silva misses with a right hand
and Bessant counters with a two punch combo.
Silva throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Silva dives in and scores a takedown into Bessant's guard.

Bessant wriggles free and stands up.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Silva throws out a loose jab but Bessant uses good head movement to avoid it.
Bessant wants to land a leg kick but Silva is out of range.
Silva takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Silva throws a jab but it's blocked by Bessant.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva swings for the body but Bessant moves out of range.
Bessant swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Silva swings and misses with a shot to the body
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Silva has his takedown stuffed
and Bessant counters with a nice body shot.
John Bessant has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Silva.
Bessant misses with a head kick.
Silva misses with a right hand
and Bessant counters with a nice low kick that buckles Silva's knee momentarily.
Bessant on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Silva throws a sloppy body shot
and Bessant counters with a nice uppercut.
Silva gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Silva swings widly with a right hand
and Bessant connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Bessant throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Bessant takes one on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Bessant went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Silva scores with a hook to the body. Bessant takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Silva scores with a hook to the body. Bessant takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Silva throws the left hand but Bessant avoids the punch easily.
Bessant is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
A big right from Silva misses.
Silva fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Bessant avoids it really well and circles away.
Bessant is looking to counter punch.
Silva throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Bessant counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Silva swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Bessant counters with a stiff right hand.
Silva's corner calls for a 1-2. Silva obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Silva throws a body punch but Bessant moves out of range.
John Bessant is winning the standup battle so far.
Bessant with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Silva to score with a decent uppercut.

It looks like John Bessant has been cut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Silva throws a body punch but Bessant moves out of range.
Bessant went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Silva misses with a wild body shot.
Silva misses with a hook
and Bessant counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Bessant closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Silva throws a body shot but no joy.
Bessant throws a quick counter kick to the body but Silva avoids it.
Silva jabs at Bessant's body.
Silva slips a jab from Bessant.
Silva tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Bessant misses with a hook.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Silva misses with a hook. Bessant ducked under it nicely.
Silva misses with a body shot
and Bessant counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Silva throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Bessant sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Bessant was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Silva throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that John Bessant will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on John Bessant's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Silva takes a swing at Bessant's ribcage but misses.
Bessant walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Nice takedown defense from Bessant. No joy for Silva on that attempt.
Silva scores with a crisp jab that stopped Bessant in his tracks.
Silva throws a sloppy body shot
and Silva takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Silva throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Bessant is looking to counter punch.
Silva misses with a jab to the body
and Silva takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Silva misses with a body shot
and Bessant counters with a leg kick.
Silva changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Bessant tries to avoid it but Silva manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Bessant to the ground. Bessant escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva throws a predictable looking body shot
and Bessant counters with a perfectly timed head kick, knocking Silva out cold! Wow, that took some serious skill and not a little luck! Bessant is taking it in his stride though, strolling around like it's no big deal. What a guy.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). John Bessant!
John Bessant was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.