PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Justin Hodges (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wanderlei Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Hodges
vs
Silva

189 cm
29
215 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

181 cm
26
193 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Justin Hodges!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Wanderlei Silva!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Chris Downing and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Hodges.
Good work by Silva as he checks the leg kick.
Silva doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Hodges counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A right-left combo lands from Hodges.
No luck for Silva with that takedown attempt.
Silva wants to clinch.
Hodges throws a right hand that misses

and Silva moves into the clinch.
Silva tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Hodges avoids it.
Hodges is pressed up against the cage. Silva has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Hodges down to the mat. Hodges avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Justin Hodges has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Wanderlei Silva.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Silva.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Silva.
Nice sprawl there from Hodges as Silva shoots in.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva with a lazy takedown attempt
and Hodges cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hodges thows a body shot but no joy.
Hodges bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Silva's head.
Nice defenses there by Silva.
A shot to the body from Hodges misses

and Silva counters by moving into the clinch.
Silva fails to pull guard.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Silva drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Hodges gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Silva looks gassed!
Silva tries to pull guard but Hodges won't allow it.

Hodges works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Hodges trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hodges slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Silva looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hodges stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Silva swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Hodges got a little sloppy there for a moment and Silva has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Hodges has managed to get both his arms back between Silva's legs - danger averted.
Hodges knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Silva on the ground.
Hodges works over Silva with some ground and pound from guard.
Hodges controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Hodges slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Hodges tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Hodges lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hodges tries to advance to mount but can't.
Silva is trying to improve his position.
Hodges tries to advance to mount but can't.
Hodges working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Hodges remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Hodges scores with punches from side control.
Silva on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Hodges is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Silva will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva is looking for a sweep.
Hodges controls the position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hodges landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Check out the look on Hodges's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Hodges working the body and head with strikes.
Hodges wants to lay and pray for a moment but Silva keeps working.
Hodges tries to advance to mount but Silva denies him.
Silva tries to bench press Hodges off him but Hodges keeps the position.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
You can see the frustration on Silva's face as Hodges controls the position.
Silva prevents Hodges from moving into mount.
Hodges looks up at the clock and then as Silva takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Hodges smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Justin Hodges dominated that round.
That's time! Hodges's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Hodges connects with a body shot.
Silva throws a nice outside leg kick.

Hodges darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Silva is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Hodges is just content to waste time from the top position. Silva takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Hodges connects with a couple of short punches.
Hodges pushes down on Silva's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Hodges wants to free his trapped foot but Silva is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Silva looking for submissions off his back.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Hodges wants to take a breather but Silva is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hodges lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Hodges prevents Silva from improving his position.
Nice strikes from Hodges there.
Silva tries to roll over but Hodges keeps him under control.
Hodges scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Hodges takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Hodges is pressing down on Silva's thigh, looking to free his foot. Silva is holding on for now.
Silva moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Silva keeping full guard, as Hodges tries to pass.
Hodges passes easily into side control. Nice work.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hodges working the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hodges is trying to get an arm triangle but Silva is defending well.
Hodges is looking to take a break and control but Silva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hodges is putting a hurting on Silva here, landing some big shots from side control.
Silva is being controlled here.
Silva tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hodges wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Hodges working the ground and pound.
The referee asks Hodges politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Hodges prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Hodges working the ground and pound.

Hodges tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Silva is looking for a sweep.
Hodges slows the pace down.
Hodges cracks Silva with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Hodges is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Silva can do to turn this around?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hodges staying calm.
Hodges working the ground and pound from side control.

Hodges is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Silva is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Hodges controls the position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Silva is trying to improve his position.
Hodges is looking to take a break and control but Silva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Hodges in side control lands a decent elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Justin Hodges dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Silva tries to score a power double leg takedown but Hodges sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Silva somewhat.

Hodges shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Hodges trying to control from half guard but Silva is working away.
Hodges looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Silva looking for submissions off his back.
Hodges is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Silva takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Silva is refusing to be controlled, as Hodges sits in half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hodges pulls his head out easily.
Hodges performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

Silva is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hodges pulls his head out easily.
Hodges 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.

Hodges seems to be working for a kimura but Silva defends the submission attempt.
Hodges wants to pass to mount but Silva is defending the position.
Hodges lands strikes from half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Hodges in particular looking to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva is staying active underneath Hodges, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

We're going to have a standup here because Justin Hodges wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Hodges lands a nice shot that snaps Silva's head back.
Silva takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Justin Hodges seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hodges displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Silva.
Hodges lands a really nice looking cross but Silva seems unphased.
Silva gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Hodges scores with a one two! Silva had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hodges feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Silvas jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Hodges throws a looping overhand right but Silva ducks down to avoid it.
Justin Hodges is winning the standup battle so far.
A slow jab from Hodges misses its intended target.
Good standup being displayed there by Hodges as he connects with a hook.
Silva looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

Hodges decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Hodges controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Hodges is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hodges trying to mount his opponent but Silva defends it.
Hodges looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Justin Hodges has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Hodges.

And that's the end of the fight!
Justin Hodges showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Hodges, 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 30:26
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Justin Hodges!
Justin Hodges retains his light heavyweight title!