PBP Commentary

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

Zeitzer
vs
Silva

194 cm
23
210 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

186 cm
21
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ivan Zeitzer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Thiago Silva!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Aleksandr Martynov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Silva forces Zeitzer back against the cage and clinches.

Silva escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Silva rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Zeitzer moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
A slapping leg kick lands for Zeitzer.
Silva misses with a head kick.
Zeitzer throws a series of punches but Silva avoids them all with ease.
Silva tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Zeitzer circles away from the clinch attempt.
Silva shoots in for a double leg but Zeitzer sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Zeitzer throws a series of strikes that have Silva backpedaling.

It looks like Thiago Silva has been cut.
Nice takedown defense from Zeitzer. No joy for Silva on that attempt.
Zeitzer closes the distance and clinches up with Silva, looking for a takedown. Zeitzer pushes Silva against the cage but Silva circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Zeitzer throws a left and a right that both miss

and Silva counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Silva wants to control from the top but Zeitzer keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zeitzer wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva drops back, looking for a kneebar! Zeitzer looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Zeitzer looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Zeitzer!
Silva is looking to reverse the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zeitzer scores with punches from side control.

Zeitzer has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Silva is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Zeitzer.
Silva looks gassed!
Zeitzer swats away the attempt to clinch by Silva.
Silva takes one on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zeitzer misses with a wild combination.
Zeitzer throws a combination that misses
and Silva counters with a big head kick but Zeitzer shrugs it off.
Zeitzer lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Zeitzer misses with a takedown attempt

and Silva counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Silva.

Silva has gone for a leg lock! Zeitzer slips out almost immediately though and dives into Silva's guard.

Zeitzer stands and steps away. Silva gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Donk. Zeitzer catches Silva right on the button with a cross.

Zeitzer feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Zeitzer wants to pass the guard but Silva is keeping the position.
Zeitzer has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Zeitzer makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Silva is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Zeitzer lands a couple of digs.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Zeitzer lands a couple of elbows.

Zeitzer gets to his feet. Silva looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Silva on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Zeitzer lands a body shot.
Zeitzer lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Silva takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Silva gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Zeitzer from controlling successfully.
Zeitzer is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Silva is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Zeitzer in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Zeitzer scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
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!
Silva keeping moving, preventing Zeitzer from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Zeitzer dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Thiago Silva's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Zeitzer shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Silva counters with a body kick that stops Zeitzer in his tracks momentarily.
Zeitzer lands a jab to Silva's midsection.
Zeitzer uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Silva has time to react.
Zeitzer attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Zeitzer lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Zeitzer throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Zeitzer changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Silva tries to avoid it but Zeitzer manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Silva to the ground. Silva escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Zeitzer!
Zeitzer avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Zeitzer misses with the combination.
Zeitzer throws a leg kick but Silva moved away.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Zeitzer lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Zeitzer.
Zeitzer fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ivan Zeitzer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zeitzer falls off balance throwing a combination
and Silva counters with a left and a right that stings Zeitzer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zeitzer lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.
Silva wants to clinch.

Silva shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Zeitzer moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Zeitzer manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Silva manages to get himself to full guard.
Silva not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Silva is working an open guard so Zeitzer takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Silva takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Zeitzer shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Zeitzer lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Zeitzer throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Zeitzer lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Zeitzer lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Zeitzer.
Zeitzer shoots for a double leg takedown but Silva sprawls well. He's pushed Zeitzer's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Zeitzer moves in looking to clinch but Silva pushes him off.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Zeitzer!
Zeitzer shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Silva as he jumps to the side.
Silva takes one to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zeitzer has taken the fight to the clinch.

Zeitzer breaks the clinch.
Zeitzer misses with a double jab

and Silva counters with a takedown into side control.
Zeitzer manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Zeitzer manages to get to full guard.
Zeitzer bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Silva's guard.
Silva working a defensive guard but Zeitzer passes into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zeitzer looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Zeitzer wants to control but Silva is keeping him busy.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Zeitzer lands a nice short elbow.

Silva looking for submissions off his back.

Zeitzer escapes and gets back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Zeitzer lands a right hook to the body.
Zeitzer looks to land a combination but Silva avoids it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Zeitzer dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Thiago Silva's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Zeitzer keeps the fight on the outside.
Zeitzer scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Zeitzer misses with a head kick.
Zeitzer shoots in but Silva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Silva misses with a jab, cross combination.
Zeitzer lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Silva closes the distance and clinches up with Zeitzer, looking for a takedown. Silva pushes Zeitzer against the cage but Zeitzer circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Zeitzer fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Silva sprawls well initially but Zeitzer persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Silva is looking for a sweep. Zeitzer is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Zeitzer trying to control the action but Silva is working from the bottom.
Silva takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zeitzer takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Zeitzer stops Silva from getting back to his feet.
Zeitzer sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Silva defending well though.
Well, if Zeitzer is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Zeitzer thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Silva's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Zeitzer is tying to control. Silva wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Zeitzer passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Silva!
Zeitzer trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Zeitzer working the ground and pound effectively.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zeitzer prevents Silva from getting the reversal.
Zeitzer with good strikes from the mount here!

Silva is rocked!
Zeitzer lands with some strikes.
Silva is still in real trouble! Can Zeitzer finish him?
Silva can't escape the position.
Silva seems to have recovered his senses.
Zeitzer lands with some strikes.

That has opened up Thiago Silva's cut even more.
Zeitzer with a couple of short strikes.
Silva is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zeitzer in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Zeitzer unloading with bombs!

The cut above Thiago Silva's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Zeitzer loads up with a big shot that hurts Silva! He's pulled Zeitzer in close but Zeitzer has postured up and lands more strikes. Can Silva survive? More strikes from Zeitzer and Silva is out! The ref jumps in to save him! Brutal ground and pound!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:51 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Ivan Zeitzer!