PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Anderson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cheng Xiao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Anderson Silva has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Silva
vs
Xiao

187 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

210 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
KO power

Dangerous GnP
Excellent boxer
Determined

Team S.W.A.T.
Malicious Intent Fight Gear

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Anderson Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Cheng Xiao!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Paulo Santos and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Xiao misses with a double jab.
Xiao throws a series of punches but Silva avoids them all with ease.
Xiao misses with the combination.

Silva looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Xiao!

Silva is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Xiao has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Xiao is trying desperately to improve position.
Xiao is trying to stand.
Xiao is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Xiao is looking to improve his position but Silva isn't that keen on the idea.
Xiao tries to improve his position but instead Silva has taken his back!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Xiao has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Xiao looks gassed!
Silva controlling well, preventing Xiao from escaping the position.

Silva working for the choke.

Silva is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Xiao is defending well though. Silva let's go of the attempt for now.

Xiao is trying to get back to his feet. He's worked up on to his knees and now he's on his feet with his head on the canvas, trying to shake Silva off. It looks like it's working - Silva slides off, much to his dismay, and we're back to standing! Xiao displaying calm under pressure there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Xiao avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Xiao fails to land with a series of punches.
Xiao doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Silva counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Silva changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Xiao tries to avoid it but Silva manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Xiao to the ground. Xiao escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Xiao lands a jab-cross combination.
Silva shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Xiao pinned against the cage. Xiao gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Xiao is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Xiao goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

Silva closes the distance and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anderson Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Xiao is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Xiao is trying to break the clinch but Silva has him pressed against the cage.
Xiao wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Silva gets control of Xiao's arms and successfully pulls guard. Silva will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Xiao stands up from Silva's guard - Xiao perhaps looking for a knockout.
Cheng Xiao seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Xiao misses with a looping left.
Xiao's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Xiao duly obliges.
Silva fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Xiao will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Silva fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Xiao connects with a good right hand that stumbles Silva. Silva circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Xiao throws a series of punches but Silva moves out of range.
Xiao throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Silva.
Xiao stuffs the takedown.
Xiao misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Xiao misses with a double jab
and Silva counters with an outside leg kick.
Xiao misses with a double jab
and Silva counters with a big head kick but Xiao shrugs it off.
Xiao connects with a single shot there.
Silva looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Xiao is fending him off so far but Silva persists. Nope, Xiao circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anderson Silva 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.

Xiao looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Xiao misses with a straight left.
Xiao misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Cheng Xiao is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Xiao rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Silva moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Silva shoots in for a double leg but Xiao sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Xiao throws a hook but Silva avoids it easily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Silva.
Xiao swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Silva counters with a takedown into side control.
Xiao is trying to get back to his feet.
Xiao is looking to reverse the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Xiao struggling a bit here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Xiao pushes Silva away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Silva gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Silva tries for a kimura but Xiao is defending well.
Silva tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Xiao is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Silva asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Xiao tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Silva wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Xiao throws a combination that misses

and Silva counters with a shoot takedown. Xiao fights it but they end up in guard.
Silva tries to free his leg and advance position but Xiao is retaining full guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Xiao can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silva wants to control from the top but Xiao keeps moving.
Xiao has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Silva has passed into side control.
Xiao wants to get back to his feet.
Xiao tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Silva softening up his opponent with strikes here.
Xiao is in bad spot here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva lands a shot to the body.
Silva missing with strikes from the back.
Xiao trying to get back to his feet but Silva is in full control for now.

Xiao defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Silva's arms.
Silva is hanging on to Xiao's back as he tries to escape.
Xiao covering up well and avoiding damage.
I really don't envy Xiao right now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Xiao breaks Silva's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Silva controls Xiao momentarily but Xiao frees himself.

Xiao avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Silva trying to control the position.

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

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Xiao stalks Silva and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Silva's face. Silva staggers backwards, shaken.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anderson Silva dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Xiao catches Silva with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
No joy there for Xiao, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Some wild striking there from Xiao.

Silva looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Xiao pushes Silva off but Silva dives into side control.
Silva scoring with punches from side control.
Xiao is pushing Silva's head away, looking to escape. Silva manages to hold on to the position though.

Xiao throws Silva to one side and escapes!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Xiao throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Xiao goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Xiao throws a combination that misses
and Silva makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Xiao throws a series of strikes that have Silva backpedaling.
A punch combination from Xiao misses.
Xiao swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Silva counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Silva shoots in and drives through. Xiao sprawls well.
Xiao swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Silva circles away from the clinch attempt

and Silva counters with a takedown into side control.
Silva gets to mount! Xiao was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Xiao is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Xiao tries to buck Silva off but Silva takes his back!
Xiao is trying to stand back up.
Silva controlling well, preventing Xiao from escaping the position.
Xiao controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Xiao is in bad spot here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Silva is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Xiao knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Xiao for a finish.
Xiao is trying to stand back up.
Silva is working the ground and pound. Can Xiao escape?
Xiao wants to get back to his feet.
Anderson Silva overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Xiao is in bad spot here.
Xiao trying to get back to his feet but Silva is in full control for now.
Xiao is trying to break free.
Silva trying to control momentarily.
Xiao wants to escape the position.
Cheng Xiao has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Anderson Silva is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Xiao is trying to stand back up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anderson 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27

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