PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Wanderlei Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Diego Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Silva
vs
Rua

181 cm
19
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

186 cm
20
196 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

Demonic Drugs
Demonic Drugs

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wanderlei Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Diego Rua!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Leandro Rodrigues and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Silva moves into the clinch.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rua blocks it with crossed arms.
Silva lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Silva gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Rua.
Rua tries to pull guard but Silva holds him up against the cage and eventually Rua drops back down to his feet.
Rua has Silva pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Silva manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Wanderlei Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Diego Rua.
Rua tries to pull guard but Silva holds him up against the cage and eventually Rua drops back down to his feet.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rua tries to pull guard but Silva holds him up against the cage and eventually Rua drops back down to his feet.
Silva prevents the takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua jumps guard but Silva stands there with Rua around his waist. Rua gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Silva is pressed up against the cage. Rua has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Silva down to the mat. Silva avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Silva looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Rua!
Silva controlling the pace for now.
The referee warns Rua that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silva controlling the pace for now.
Silva is looking to stand but Silva has his arms wrapped tightly around him, looking to prevent the damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Silva stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.

Silva clinches up with Rua and pushes him back against the cage.
Rua is working for takedown but Silva is calmly controlling the position for now.
Rua looks gassed!
Rua tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Silva just stands there and leans against the cage.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Silva smiles and moves away.
Diego Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Silva wants to clinch up but Rua keeps it at a distance.
Rua avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rua as he avoids it easily.
Silva shoots in looking for a takedown. Rua tries to sprawl out of it but Silva keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rua manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Rua keeps the fight on the outside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Rua tries for a takedown but Silva circles away easily

and Silva counters with a takedown into side control.
The referee asks Silva politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Silva prefers to stall for the moment though.
Silva wants to stand but Rua is controlling his arm.
Rua can't do much from the bottom here.
Silva in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Silva wants to stand but Rua has his arm trapped.
Rua is trying to control Silva's posture but Silva avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva is looking to take a break and control but Rua is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rua is looking to reverse the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Silva fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Rua fails with the takedown

and Silva counters by moving into the clinch.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but Rua blocks with his arms.
Silva with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Silva managing to block the knees to the body from Rua.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wanderlei Silva dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Silva tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Wanderlei Silva is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Silva shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Silva doesn't manage to clinch there - Rua circles away.
Rua misses with a takedown

and Silva counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Rua trying to strike off his back.
Silva trying to stand up but can't free himself from Rua's guard.
Rua can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Silva controls the pace.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

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

Rua has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Silva can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva stands and steps away. Rua gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Silva shoots in but Rua avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Rua clinches up with Silva and pushes him back against the cage.
Rua can't get the takedown.
Silva misses with a knee strike.

Rua successfully pulls guard.
Silva wanted to stand there but Rua had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Rua is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Silva decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Rua gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Silva counters with a takedown into side control.
Wanderlei Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Diego Rua.
Silva is staying tight to Rua's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Rua struggling a bit here.
Silva throwing shots but missing, from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Silva decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Silva changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rua tries to avoid it but Silva manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rua to the ground. Rua escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Rua with a poor takedown

and Silva counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Rua tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Silva smiles and moves away.
Silva wants to clinch but Rua slips to the side

and Rua counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Silva wants to get back to his feet.

Rua wants to work for an arm triangle but Silva is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Rua stops Silva from getting back to his feet.

Silva makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rua scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Silva trying to hold on to Rua's head to control him but Rua postures up.
Silva tries to roll over but Rua keeps him under control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silva trying to control here.
Silva is trying to stand.

Rua looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Silva is trying to maintain the position but Rua is very close to passing his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wanderlei Silva dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Rua misses with a takedown attempt - Silva sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Rua gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Silva counters with a shoot takedown. Rua fights it but they end up in guard.

Silva stands and steps away. Rua gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Silva wants to clinch but Rua slips to the side

and Rua moves into the clinch.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua fails to pull guard.
Wanderlei Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Diego Rua.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Silva connects with a nasty looking knee right to Rua's face.
Rua struggles to land a body shot inside as Silva controls his hands.
Rua jumps guard but Silva stands there with Rua around his waist. Rua gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but Rua blocks with his arms.
A knee to the head by Silva.
Rua tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
Rua jumps guard but Silva stands there with Rua around his waist. Rua gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Silva connects with a knee to the head.
Rua is trying to drag Silva to the mat but Silva just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Silva with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's two 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 with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
Rua tries to pull guard but Silva won't allow it.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rua has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Silva stops a takedown attempt from Rua.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Rua blocks it.
Silva looking to throw knees to the head but Rua is blocking nicely.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Rua blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva misses with a knee strike.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rua has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Silva throws a knee to the head but misses.
Silva with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Silva smiles and moves away.

Silva pushes Rua up against the cage in a clinch.
Rua tries to pull guard but Silva won't allow it.
Rua fails to pull guard.
Rua jumps guard but Silva stands there with Rua around his waist. Rua gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Silva tries a knee to the head but Rua blocks it.
Wanderlei Silva is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Silva looking to throw knees to the head but Rua is blocking nicely.
Silva tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Silva tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rua fails to pull guard.
Silva misses with a knee to the head.
Diego Rua has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Silva with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Silva throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rua blocks it with crossed arms.
Silva using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rua has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wanderlei Silva showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Silva, 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wanderlei Silva!