PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Royce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and antonio silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie comes into the arena with Royce Gracie blaring out of the sound system. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Gracie
vs
silva

185 cm
22
176 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
19
170 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight 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, Royce Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, antonio silva!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Alexandre Firmino and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Gracie.
silva takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
silva stops Gracie from passing to mount.
silva tries to buck Gracie off but Gracie is having none of it.
silva is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
silva trying to remain calm as Gracie controls from the top position.

Gracie tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Gracie connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused silva some visible discomfort.

Gracie thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
silva sneaks back into half guard.

Gracie is looking for a kimura here.

Gracie is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Gracie is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
silva moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

silva looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
silva manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Gracie working to try and regain half guard.
Gracie slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back.

silva is working for a kimura but Gracie is defending it quite comfortably.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie wants to control but silva is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Gracie regains full guard. Nicely done.
Gracie trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Gracie has his foot on silva's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. silva works his way back into a safe position though.

Gracie is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Gracie escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. silva gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gracie looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Gracie working for a triangle but silva defends it easily.
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gracie manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
silva manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Gracie is looking for a kimura but silva is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Gracie to get the leverage.
Gracie looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
silva makes his way to full guard. A much better position for silva.

silva working for a triangle but Gracie defends it easily.
Gracie is pushing down on silva's leg trying to pass to half guard. silva is fighting to maintain full guard but Gracie has managed to sneak the leg through.

Gracie is looking for a kimura here.
Gracie passes to full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie with the ground and pound from mount.
Gracie unloading with bombs!

Gracie is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. silva can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Gracie fails to move to back control.
silva is desperately trying to improve his position but Gracie has a good base and remains in mount.
silva wants to control but Gracie is having none of it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Gracie wants to finish this one by submission but silva is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Gracie.

Gracie is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but silva is surviving well by controlling Gracie's body position as best he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Royce Gracie 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.

Gracie throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
silva tries for a takedown but Gracie circles away easily

so Gracie counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Gracie trying to control but silva is working from the bottom.

silva is looking for a triangle but Gracie pushes his legs off easily.
silva utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Gracie avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
silva can't keep his opponent in guard - Gracie advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

Gracie is looking for a kimura but silva is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Gracie to get the leverage.
Gracie lands with a punch from half guard.
Gracie tries to pass the half guard into mount. silva knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Gracie is trying to work for a kimura but silva is defending well.
Gracie uses his free foot to push down on silva's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for silva.
Gracie has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of silva's face.

Gracie jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but silva manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Gracie tries for a kimura but silva is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
silva is not content to let Gracie control the position.

Gracie thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Gracie tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Gracie misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

Gracie is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but silva is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
silva gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

silva is defending against the submission attempts here by Gracie.
Gracie working over silva with some ground and pound. silva looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
silva is staying active underneath Gracie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Gracie looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks silva with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The fighters are battling for position here. silva manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Gracie pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. silva is keeping the position for now.
Gracie is in close to silva's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Gracie trying to control but silva is working from the bottom.
Gracie forces his way into half guard.

Gracie seems to be working for a kimura but silva defends the submission attempt.

silva is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Gracie pulls his head out easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

silva actively working from the bottom here.
silva moves into full guard.

silva pushes a forearm under Gracie's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Gracie is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:44 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). antonio silva!