PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Drago Maximov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and RZ Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). RZ Silva has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Maximov
vs
Silva

182 cm
26
211 lbs
8 - 8 - 0

180 cm
29
215 lbs
12 - 10 - 1

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Bad Man Clothing (Nothing Over $40)

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 8 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Drago Maximov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, RZ Silva!
The judges for this bout are Roger Salmon, Micheangelo Fripello and Josh West.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Maximov rushes Silva and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
I was talking to Maximov's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Silva is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Silva tries to break the clinch but Maximov is controlling the position.
Maximov tries to throw a body punch but Silva avoids it by throwing Maximov back against the cage.
Silva blocks an uppercut.
Maximov lands with a light punch inside.
Maximov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Maximov lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Silva backwards.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Silva.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maximov lands a left hand that snaps the head of Silva backwards.
Maximov misses with a punch on the inside.
Maximov taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Maximov.
Maximov makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maximov lands a right hand that snaps the head of Silva backwards.
Maximov lands a shoulder strike.
Maximov working aggressively here.
Maximov tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Silva blocks a body shot from Maximov.
Silva blocks a body shot from Maximov.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Maximov takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Maximov creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Maximov can't find room to land a body shot as Silva controls the action.
Silva blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Silva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Silva lands a slapping body shot.
Maximov tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
RZ Silva is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva scores with a sloppy right hand. Maximov should have avoided that one.
A jab from Silva does it's job there.
The fighters circling - Silva throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Nice takedown defense from Silva. No joy for Maximov on that attempt.
It seemed like Silva was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Maximov moves into the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Maximov.
Nice body punch from Maximov.
Silva stalling in the clinch but Maximov improves position.
Maximov scores with a shot to the side of Silva's head.
A right hook to the body lands for Maximov.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Maximov.
Maximov struggles to land a body shot inside as Silva controls his hands.
Maximov scores with an uppercut up the middle.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maximov has a couple of punches blocked by Silva.
Silva can't break the clinch.
Maximov misses with a punch to the body.
Maximov keeps control of Silva as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Maximov stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Silva is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Maximov to keep the fight standing.
Maximov 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.
Maximov is leaning against Silva and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Maximov pushes Silva back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Maximov lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Maximov pushes off an throws an elbow but Silva leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Silva has had enough of the clinch but Maximov keeps him there for the moment.
Nice body punch from Maximov.
Silva wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva is trying to break the clinch but Maximov has him pressed against the cage.
Maximov tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Silva has had enough of the clinch but Maximov keeps him there for the moment.
Maximov 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.
Maximov lands a body shot.
Maximov lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Silva.
Maximov lands a left hand.
Maximov tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Silva has had enough of the clinch but Maximov keeps him there for the moment.
Silva stalling in the clinch but Maximov improves position.
Silva tries to break free but Maximov pushes him back against the cage.
Silva wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Maximov tries to work over Silva's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Maximov presses Silva against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Silva stuffs the takedown.
Maximov tries to clinch up but Silva circles away and keeps his distance.
Silva looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Silva swats away the attempt to clinch by Maximov.
Silva scores with a sloppy right hand. Maximov should have avoided that one.

Maximov closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Silva prevents a body shot from Maximov.
Maximov scores with a shoulder strike.
Maximov working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A head punch on the inside from Maximov fails to land.
Maximov lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Maximov tries to throw a body punch but Silva avoids it by throwing Maximov back against the cage.
A short right from Maximov.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva blocks an uppercut.
Maximov tries a body shot but Silva blocks it.
Maximov misses with a short punch on the inside.
A short left from Maximov.
Silva's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Maximov lands a left hand that snaps the head of Silva backwards.
Maximov misses with some punches.
Maximov misses with a body punch.
Maximov misses with a hook to the ribs.
Maximov working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Maximov tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Silva's elbow.
Maximov softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Silva working hard to break the clinch.
Maximov working aggressively here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maximov working aggressively here.
Maximov pushes Silva back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Maximov tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Silva's elbow.
Silva blocks a body shot from Maximov.
Maximov doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Maximov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Maximov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Silva can do to turn this around?
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Maximov swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A hook to the body from Maximov.
Maximov pushes Silva back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Maximov cracks Silva with a nice body shot.
Silva blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A hook to the body from Maximov.
Maximov lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Silva.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva blocks a body shot from Maximov.
Silva has had enough of the clinch but Maximov keeps him there for the moment.
Maximov keeps control of Silva as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
A right hook to the body lands for Maximov.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Maximov tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Silva wants to get back to striking at distance but Maximov won't allow it.
Maximov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Maximov.
Silva's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Maximov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Silva blocks an uppercut.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Maximov creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Maximov creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Maximov lands a right hand that snaps the head of Silva backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Maximov.
Maximov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Maximov.
Silva takes a shot to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Maximov tries to land knees in the clinch but Silva avoids the damage to the body.
Silva blocks an uppercut.

Silva gets control of Maximov's arms and successfully pulls guard. Silva will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Maximov loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Maximov has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Silva can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Maximov controls the pace.
Maximov wants to stand but Silva has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Silva had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Maximov defends it easily.
Maximov trying to control but Silva is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Drago Maximov dominated that second round.
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!

Maximov clinches.
A right hook to the body lands for Maximov.
Maximov makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Maximov can't find room to land a body shot as Silva controls the action.
Maximov scores with a shoulder strike.
Silva wants to get back to striking at distance but Maximov won't allow it.
Maximov utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Maximov lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Silva backwards.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Stalling in the clinch from Maximov.
Maximov misses with a punch to the body.
A short right from Maximov.
Maximov throws a head punch that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maximov has a couple of punches blocked by Silva.
Maximov working aggressively here.
A left hand lands to the body for Maximov.
Maximov lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Maximov can't find room to land a body shot as Silva controls the action.
Maximov lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Silva or not.
Maximov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Silva is looking to break free of the clinch but Maximov has double underhooks.
A right hand to the body from Maximov.
Silva takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Maximov lands a right hand that snaps the head of Silva backwards.
Maximov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Maximov lands with a right to the head.
Maximov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
RZ Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Maximov.
Maximov swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Maximov gets through Silva's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Maximov pushes Silva back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A head punch blocked on the inside by Silva.
Maximov throws a knee to the head but misses.
Maximov working aggressively here.
Maximov swings wildly with an uppercut but Silva uses good head movement to avoid it.
Maximov lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Silva backwards.
Maximov working aggressively here.
Silva is looking to control Maximov's arms but Maximov gets an underhook and turns him. Now Silva has his back to the cage.
Silva prevents a body shot from Maximov.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva stalling in the clinch but Maximov improves position.
Maximov gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Maximov misses with a body punch.
Maximov tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Maximov lands a hook to the side of the head.
Maximov lands a hook that snaps the head of Silva backwards.
Silva is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Maximov works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Maximov lands an uppercut.

Silva is rocked!
Maximov lands an uppercut in the clinch that drops Silva to his knees! Maximov keeps firing more shots against his stricken opponent and the referee jumps in to save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:51 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Drago Maximov!
During a confident post fight interview, Drago Maximov thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.