PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Shogun Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Hurtado (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Silva comes to the cage accompanied by PRIDE FC Opening Theme. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Silva
vs
Hurtado

187 cm
21
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

175 cm
24
184 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Enjoys gardening

Ultimate Fighting Gear
Brute

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Shogun Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Hurtado!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Mauricio Rocha and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hurtado tries to close the distance and clinch but Silva swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hurtado tries to clinch up
and Silva counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Rodrigo Hurtado seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Silva circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hurtado tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hurtado fails with an attempt to clinch.

Hurtado gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Silva tries to score a body lock takedown but Hurtado shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Hurtado creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Silva's defenses.

It looks like Shogun Silva has been cut.
Knees to the body from Hurtado.
Hurtado is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Silva is defending well for now.

Silva manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Silva is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Hurtado stands and steps away. Silva gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Silva closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hurtado lands an elbow just above Silva 's eye.
Hurtado tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Hurtado breaks the clinch.
Hurtado tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Silva paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hurtado moves out of range as Silva strikes.
Silva shoots in but no luck this time.
Hurtado wants to clinch.
Hurtado doesn't manage to clinch there - Silva circles away.
Hurtado tries to clinch up but Silva circles away and keeps his distance.
Sloppy strikes from Silva. Those never looked like landing.

Hurtado clinches.
Silva tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shogun Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hurtado manages to pull guard.
Silva trying to control but Hurtado is working from the bottom.
Silva is looking to advance position but Hurtado has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hurtado gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Hurtado stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Hurtado wants it to stay on the feet.
Silva is breathing heavily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Silva shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hurtado as he jumps to the side.
Hurtado tries to clinch up.
Hurtado moves in looking to clinch but Silva pushes him off.
Silva misses with a hook.

Hurtado takes the fight into the clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Hurtado.
Hurtado utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hurtado pulls guard successfully.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Hurtado is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hurtado is looking to stand up but Silva isn't so interested in that idea.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Hurtado is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hurtado wants to get back to his feet but Silva is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Silva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hurtado swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Shogun Silva just wasn't active enough.

Hurtado closes the distance and pushes Silva back into the cage.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Silva avoiding damage as Hurtado throws knees to the body.
Hurtado tries to pull guard but Silva won't allow it.
Hurtado leaning his opponent against the cage.
Hurtado lands a good knee to the midsection. Silva won't want to take too many of those.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Silva jumps guard but Hurtado turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Silva is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Silva goes for a takedown in the clinch but Hurtado prevents it.
Hurtado landing knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Hurtado dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Shogun Silva's cut.
That's time! Silva's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Hurtado is looking to clinch.

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

Hurtado manages to pull guard.
Silva will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Silva throws a strike but Hurtado rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Silva tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Silva has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Hurtado is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Silva.
Silva tries to bench press Hurtado off him but Hurtado keeps the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Hurtado presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!

Hurtado is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Hurtado is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Silva throws a poor cross that misses

and Hurtado counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Hurtado just misses with a elbow thrown towards Silva's brow.
Silva goes for a takedown in the clinch but Hurtado prevents it.
Silva managing to block the knees to the body from Hurtado.
Silva avoiding damage as Hurtado throws knees to the body.
Hurtado missing with knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knees in the clinch landing for Hurtado.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hurtado lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Silva is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Hurtado to keep the fight standing.
Silva tries to pull guard but Hurtado holds him up against the cage and eventually Silva drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shogun Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva working hard to break the clinch.
Hurtado tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Silva looking for a takedown.
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!
Hurtado landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Hurtado jumps guard.

Hurtado pushes Silva off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Hurtado tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Silva paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Hurtado has Silva up against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hurtado with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Hurtado landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Hurtado jumps guard.
Silva throws a strike but Hurtado rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Hurtado stands up and waves to Silva to follow him.
Silva swats away the attempt to clinch by Hurtado.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva swinging wildly here.
Silva misses with a low kick.
Hurtado wants to clinch.
Hurtado fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hurtado tries to close the distance and clinch but Silva swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Silva gets a clinch.
Silva can't break the clinch.

Hurtado escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Hurtado instigates a clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Silva tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Hurtado smiles and moves away.
Hurtado tries to clinch but Silva moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Hurtado showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Shogun Silva's cut.
That's time! Silva's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Hurtado avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Silva lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

Silva moves into range and clinches up with Hurtado.
A frustrated look appears on Silva's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Silva fails to pull guard.
Silva changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Hurtado fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Hurtado tries to clinch but Silva is having none of it.
Hurtado shoots in for a takedown but Silva shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Silva gets tackled into the cage by Hurtado. Hurtado maintains the clinch.
Silva is trying to pull guard but Hurtado turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shogun Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Silva is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Hurtado to keep the fight standing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Hurtado's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hurtado shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Silva pinned against the cage. Silva gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Silva throws a head kick that misses

and Hurtado holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Hurtado tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Silva avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hurtado misses with a knee strike.
Silva tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Hurtado manages to pull guard.
Silva postures up in Hurtado's guard and throws a big left but Hurtado blocks it.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Silva accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Rodrigo Hurtado has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hurtado keeping moving, preventing Silva from controlling successfully.
Silva wants to pass the guard but Hurtado is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva trying to control but Hurtado is working from the bottom.

We're going to have a standup here because Shogun Silva wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Hurtado tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Silva counters with a takedown into side control.
Hurtado is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Silva asserts his dominance and retains side control.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Silva throws a strike aimed at the side of Hurtado's head but Hurtado avoids it well.

Silva goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Hurtado has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Silva but great work by Hurtado.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hurtado stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Hurtado doesn't manage to clinch there - Silva circles away.

Hurtado gets a clinch.
Hurtado lands an elbow inside that Silva shrugs off.
Hurtado looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Hurtado blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Silva blocks the elbow strike.
Silva on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hurtado is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva has had enough of the clinch but Hurtado keeps him there for the moment.
Silva is trying to push Hurtado away but Hurtado has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Silva drags the fight down to the ground.

Silva looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Hurtado passes into side control.
Silva can't do much from the bottom here.
Shogun Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rodrigo Hurtado is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Hurtado stands up and we're back to a striking position.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Shogun Silva.
Well Hurtado has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rodrigo Hurtado!