PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rafa Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kyle Laidlaw (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Silva
vs
Laidlaw

173 cm
18
147 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
26
129 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rafa Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kyle Laidlaw!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Emerson Jorge and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva throws a head kick that half lands.
Laidlaw changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Silva tries to avoid it but Laidlaw manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Silva to the ground. Silva escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Laidlaw rushes Silva and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Laidlaw manages to break the clinch.
Silva avoids the head kick by Laidlaw.
Laidlaw is looking to clinch but Silva is avoiding it.
Laidlaw pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Laidlaw is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Laidlaw has a takedown stuffed.
Laidlaw closes this distance looking for a takedown but Silva circles away.
Rafa Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kyle Laidlaw.
Silva attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Laidlaw shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Silva defends it nicely.
Laidlaw tries to close the distance and clinch up but Silva swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Crunch! Silva slams his shin into Laidlaw's torso.
Silva scores with a head kick.
Silva fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Silva tries to work over Laidlaw's front leg with a kick but Laidlaw checks it.
Silva defending well as Laidlaw loads up on a big left hand.
Laidlaw on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Laidlaw takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Kyle Laidlaw seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A lazy body kick from Laidlaw
and Silva counters with a nice low kick that buckles Laidlaw's knee momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Laidlaw moves into the clinch.

Laidlaw jumps guard.
Silva trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Laidlaw holds on and takes a little breather.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Laidlaw is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Silva has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Laidlaw seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Laidlaw blocks the body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva motions for Laidlaw to come forward. Silva throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Silva tries to keep at a distance but Laidlaw has taken the fight into the clinch.
Silva wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Laidlaw looking for a takedown.
Laidlaw looks gassed!
Silva is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Silva wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Laidlaw has him pressed against the cage.

Laidlaw's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Laidlaw closes this distance looking for a takedown but Silva circles away.
Silva feints and then cracks Laidlaw's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Laidlaw down.
Laidlaw wants to clinch up but Silva keeps it at a distance.

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.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Silva. Laidlaw shrugs it off though.
A chopping leg kick lands by Silva.
Silva lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Laidlaw.
Silva moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Laidlaw on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Silva. Silva obviously looking to wear him down.
Good leg kick by Silva there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Laidlaw tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Laidlaw closes this distance looking for a takedown but Silva circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafa Silva dominated that round.
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 lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Laidlaw on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Silva throws a head kick that misses.
Laidlaw tries to bum rush Silva with a series of wild strikes but Silva uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Kyle Laidlaw is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Laidlaw.
Laidlaw tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Laidlaw is breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laidlaw misses with a takedown
and Silva counters with a nice low kick that buckles Laidlaw's knee momentarily.
A solid leg kick lands there for Silva.
Silva connects with a solid leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva scores with a nice body kick.
Silva thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Laidlaw if he has to take too many more of those.
Laidlaw takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Silva lands a nice looking body kick.
Silva throws a front kick that sends Laidlaw stumbling back into the cage.
Laidlaw's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Silva dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Laidlaw. That did some damage!
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Silva.
Laidlaw on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
A thudding body kick lands there by Silva!
Silva chopping away at his opponent's legs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva connects with a leg kick. Laidlaw looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Laidlaw stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Silva.
Silva throws a nice outside leg kick.
Silva moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Silva plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Laidlaw takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Silva throws a head kick that misses.
Silva lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Laidlaw blocks a head kick by Silva.
Laidlaw takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva throws a nice inside leg kick.
Laidlaw stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Silva.
Rafa Silva is winning the standup battle so far.
Laidlaw takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Silva throws a leg kick which misses Laidlaw's front leg but catches the back leg as Laidlaw tries to avoid it.
Silva fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Laidlaw.
Silva scores with a head kick. Laidlaw tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Silva lands a head kick. Laidlaw smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Silva connects with an inside leg kick.
Silva is looking to slow Laidlaw down with leg kicks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
That kick from Silva tenderised Laidlaw's leg. Laidlaw is trying to keep his angry face on.
Laidlaw on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Silva.
Laidlaw sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Laidlaw takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Silva lands a nice leg kick that just misses Laidlaw's sensitive parts.
Laidlaw takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Good leg kick by Silva there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Silva lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Laidlaw has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Laidlaw and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Silva throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Laidlaw.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafa Silva dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Silva lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Silva chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Laidlaw shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Silva as he avoids it easily.
Silva goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Silva feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Laidlaw's calf.
Silva displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Laidlaw.
Silva goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Laidlaw takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Silva looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Silva fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Laidlaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A chopping leg kick lands by Silva.
Laidlaw has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Silva.
Silva pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Silva turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Silva fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Laidlaw.
Good leg kick by Silva there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Silva throws a nice outside leg kick.
Silva lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Silva throws a head kick but Laidlaw moves out of range.
Laidlaw has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Silva.
Silva lands a front kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
A nice leg kick lands there from Silva.
A solid body kick from Silva.
Silva connects with an inside leg kick.
Silva lands a nice leg kick that just misses Laidlaw's sensitive parts.
Silva throws a leg kick which misses Laidlaw's front leg but catches the back leg as Laidlaw tries to avoid it.
Silva lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Silva lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Silva feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Laidlaw's calf.
Silva lets loose with a powerful body kick. Laidlaw will feel that in the morning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva lands with a thumping leg kick.
Silva moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Silva moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Silva throws a front kick aimed at Laidlaw's knee but Laidlaw avoids it well.
Silva connects with a solid leg kick.
Silva moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Crunch! Silva slams his shin into Laidlaw's torso.
Silva throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Silva turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
An inside leg kick lands from Silva.
Silva turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Silva throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Laidlaw.
Silva throws a leg kick which misses Laidlaw's front leg but catches the back leg as Laidlaw tries to avoid it.
Laidlaw takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Rafa Silva is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Silva fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Silva thuds his shin into the meat of Laidlaw's side.
Laidlaw takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Laidlaw has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Silva.
Kyle Laidlaw has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Laidlaw walks forward, straight into a front kick from Silva.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rafa Silva showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Silva, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:26
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rafa Silva!