PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Xavier Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yrjo Pierre (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Xavier Silva has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Silva
vs
Pierre

193 cm
21
185 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

180 cm
23
183 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

Solid

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 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Xavier Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Yrjo Pierre!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Tiny Johnson and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Silva shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Good leg kick by Pierre there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

Pierre gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Pierre keeping full guard, as Silva tries to pass.

Silva drops back, looking for a kneebar! Pierre looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Pierre looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Pierre!
Silva is trying to work for a sweep but Pierre has mounted him!
Silva is trying to escape the mount.
Pierre landing strikes, looking to finish!
Silva sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Pierre throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pierre is looking to take a break and control but Silva is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Pierre perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Pierre is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Pierre working over Silva with some ground and pound. Silva looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silva is looking for a sweep. Pierre is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Nice strikes from Pierre there.
Pierre looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Pierre has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Pierre scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Silva looking for a sweep but Pierre has passed into full mount! Oh no!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pierre controlling his opponent.
Pierre lands a big shot there that rocks Silva but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Pierre prevents Silva from getting the reversal.
Pierre trying to control but Silva is having none of it.
Pierre lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Silva hang on?
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Silva is looking to improve his position but Pierre isn't that keen on the idea.
Pierre manages to capitalize on a mistake by Silva to take his back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pierre lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Silva hold on?!
Pierre has Silva flattened out and is raining down punches.
Silva can't escape the position.
Pierre lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
Pierre is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Pierre trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
I would not like to be Silva right now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva is in bad spot here.
Pierre lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Silva hold on?!
Silva tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Pierre prevents Silva from getting the reversal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Pierre with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Silva gets back to half guard.
Silva is pressing down on Pierre's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Silva looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Silva looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Silva had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Pierre is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Silva Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Pierre's back instead.

Silva has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Pierre has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Pierre trying to control the position but Silva manages to sink in the hooks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Yrjo Pierre will probably get the nod.
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.

Pierre looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Silva!
Silva is looking to improve his position but Pierre isn't that keen on the idea.
Silva is working hard here to advance position.
Pierre tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Pierre looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Pierre prevents Silva from getting the reversal.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pierre can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Silva is looking to escape.
Silva working to try and regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva gets back to half guard.
Silva is trying to get back to full guard.

Pierre decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

Pierre closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Silva actively working from the bottom here.

Pierre postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Silva to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pierre gets caught flat footed, as Silva shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Silva pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pierre is keeping the position for now.

Silva has gone for a leg lock! Pierre slips out almost immediately though and dives into Silva's guard.
Pierre wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Yrjo Pierre has got the better of the ground game so far.
Silva working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Pierre.
Pierre content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

Silva throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Pierre escapes and throws Silva's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Silva is not content to let Pierre control the position.
Pierre passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Silva!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva is trying to escape the mount.
Pierre trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Silva gets back to half guard.
Silva wants to get back to full guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

Pierre is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Silva wants to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Pierre is trying to control the action in half guard but Silva is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Pierre working over Silva with some ground and pound. Silva looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Silva moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Pierre slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Pierre won't allow Silva to sweep him here.

Silva throws his legs up looking for a submission but Pierre uses it to pass to side control.
Silva tries to buck Pierre off but Pierre is having none of it.
Silva manages to work his way to half guard, despite Pierre's best efforts.
Silva gets full guard.
Silva wants to sweep here but Pierre controlling him for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yrjo Pierre showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Pierre with a poor takedown

and Silva counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Pierre!

Silva swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Pierre is now in Silva's guard. A big mistake from Silva there, giving up the dominant position!
Silva keeping moving, preventing Pierre from controlling successfully.
Silva is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Pierre is trying to stand up here but Silva is controlling him well.

Silva wants to work for an arm triangle but Pierre is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Silva is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Pierre wants to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Silva is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Silva is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Silva seems to be working for a kimura but Pierre defends the submission attempt.

Silva is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Pierre is just riding it out for now. Silva eventually gives up the hold.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Silva is thwarting Pierre's attempts to control the position.
Silva prevents Pierre from improving his position.
Silva missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Silva passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Pierre!
Pierre avoids a series of strikes thrown by Silva.
Pierre slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Pierre tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

Silva wants to work for an arm triangle but Pierre is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Pierre punching from the bottom.

Silva is looking for a kimura but Pierre is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Silva to get the leverage.

Silva is looking for a kimura here.

Silva is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Pierre has managed to free his arm - good work.

Pierre is defending against the submission attempts here by Silva.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Silva works his foot free and advances to mount.

Silva is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Pierre can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Pierre really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Pierre wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Silva.

And that's the end of the fight!
Xavier Silva showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Pierre has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yrjo Pierre!