PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Middle Bear (ranked 3843 p4p, 3156 weight class) and Casey Silk (ranked 332 p4p, 283 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Bear
vs
Silk

175 cm
30
144
5 - 7 - 0

176 cm
26
152
4 - 3 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Shadow Realm NYC

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Middle Bear!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Casey Silk!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, Joseph Jones and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bear gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Silk is pressed up against the cage. Bear has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Silk down to the mat. Silk avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Bear tries to close the distance and clinch up but Silk swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bear looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Silk stuffs the takedown attempt from Bear. Bear gets slowly back to his feet.
Bear tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Silk paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bear has a takedown stuffed.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Middle Bear. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Silk decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Silk controlling the action here.
Bear is trying to get back to full guard.
Bear moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bear throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

Silk got a little sloppy there for a moment and Bear has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Silk has managed to get both his arms back between Bear's legs - danger averted.
Bear controls Silk momentarily but Silk frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silk lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Silk landing some decent shots from guard.
Silk wants to control from the top but Bear keeps moving.
Silk works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Bear has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Silk is working away from the top position though.
Bear flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Bear tries to roll over but Silk keeps him under control.

Bear actively working from the bottom here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bear tries to roll over but Silk keeps him under control.
Bear has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silk lands with a punch from half guard.
Bear punching from the bottom.
Bear is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Bear looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Silk scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Bear looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Silk is nestled in close to Bear, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Bear wants to control but Silk is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Bear makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Bear.
Bear wants to sweep here but Silk controlling him for the moment.
Silk pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bear is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bear bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Silk's guard.

Silk looking to control.
Silk might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Bear haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bear is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Bear wants to control from the top but Silk keeps moving.
Silk looking for a sweep. Not yet Silk, not yet.

Bear is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Silk is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Silk has escaped and now he's on top!

Silk trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Silk wants to control from the top but Bear keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Bear looking for a guillotine here but Silk defends easily.

Bear throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Bear escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Silk gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Bear looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Silk scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Silk seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Silk landing with the ground and pound.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Casey Silk dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Bear tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Silk walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Bear checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Bear keeps the fight on the outside.
As Silk tries to get set, Bear tries to push him back and clinch up but Silk manages to avoid the attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Bear looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Bear closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Silk quickly recovers to half guard.
Silk regains full guard. Nicely done.
Silk will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Silk controlling Bear's posture.
Bear trying to control but Silk is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silk not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silk keeping full guard, as Bear tries to pass.
Silk utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Bear passes Silk's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Bear is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Silk defends it well.
Silk blocking the ground and pound attempt from Bear.
Bear is looking to take a break and control but Silk is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Silk trying to hold on to Bear's head to control him but Bear postures up.

Bear seems to be working for a kimura but Silk defends the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silk is looking for a sweep. Bear is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Silk missing with punches from the bottom.
Silk tries to roll over but Bear keeps him under control.
Silk is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Bear scores with a couple of nice shots.
Bear passes the guard and advances to mount!
Silk tries to reverse the position but Bear maintains control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bear is looking to work his way around to Silk's back. He needs to be careful though, as he's in danger of losing this dominant position.
Silk is working to get back to half guard.
Bear takes Silk's back. Could be looking for a rear naked choke here - either way, Silk is in trouble.

Bear looking to break Silk's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Silk remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Bear will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!

Bear has the hooks in and he's looking for a rear naked choke here. Silk is defending well but eventually Bear manages to get an arm under the chin and he's locked on the RNC! Silk has no choice but to tap now! He does! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Middle Bear!
Middle Bear 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.