PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Adriano Silva (ranked 1622 p4p, 82 weight class) and Ezekiel Ithamar (ranked 1797 p4p, 92 weight class). Ithamar has chosen Yamma Ensemble Psalms 104 as his entrance music. Adriano Silva has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Silva
vs
Ithamar

176 cm
30
135 lbs
14 - 8 - 0

176 cm
21
145 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

Good takedowns
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Adriano Silva!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ezekiel Ithamar!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Edson Gomes and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silva defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Ithamar.

Ithamar looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Silva is wriggling around but Ithamar manages to pass to half guard.

Ithamar throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Ithamar not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Ithamar tries to pass the half guard into mount. Silva knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ithamar is taking a breather. Silva says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
It looks like Ithamar might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Silva definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Ithamar passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Silva!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ithamar controlling the position easily from mount.
Silva is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Silva wants to control but Ithamar is having none of it.
Ithamar is landing with some decent strikes but Silva is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Ithamar tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Ithamar prevents Silva from getting the reversal.
Ithamar looking to control and managing it successfully.
Ithamar has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ithamar pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Silva is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Ithamar breaks from Silva's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Ithamar controlling from mount.
Silva really wants to buck Ithamar off and get back to his feet.
Ithamar avoids the attempt from Silva to control.
Silva sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Silva is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Silva is in trouble now - Ithamar has advanced to mount!
Ithamar landing shots from mount.
Ithamar landing strikes from the mount.
Ithamar sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Ithamar with the ground and pound from mount.
Ithamar looking to control but Silva is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Ithamar controlling from the full mount.
Ithamar 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ithamar looking to finish Silva with some ground and pound. This is bad for Silva!
Ithamar controlling from the full mount.

Ithamar working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Ithamar raining down hammerfists from mount.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ithamar controlling the pace for now.
Ithamar fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Ithamar wants to control the pace but Silva is squirming around nicely.
Ithamar putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ezekiel Ithamar dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Silva misses with a straight right.
Silva tries to score a power double leg takedown but Ithamar sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Silva somewhat.
Silva keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ithamar dives in for a single leg takedown but Silva sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Silva looks for a takedown but Ithamar sprawls well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ithamar shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Ithamar was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Silva is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Ithamar trying to control the action but Silva is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Check out the look on Ithamar's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Ithamar controlling the position from side mount.
Ithamar lands a few punches from side control.

Ithamar is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Silva knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
A lull in the action here as Ithamar stalls from top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ithamar thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Ithamar in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Silva really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Ithamar postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Ithamar controls the position.
Ithamar working the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Ithamar advances to full mount.
Ezekiel Ithamar has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ithamar looking to control and managing it successfully.
Silva is in a horrible position here. Ithamar smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ithamar tries to control but Silva wriggling away.
Ithamar looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Ithamar controlling the pace for now.
Silva in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Ithamar scores with a couple of good head shots there.

Silva is rocked!

Silva defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Ithamar.
Oh Silva is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ithamar looking to control but Silva is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ezekiel Ithamar showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Ithamar.
Silva seems to have got his legs back now.
Silva shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Ithamar sprawls well. Ithamar wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Silva gets slowly back to his feet.
A big right from Silva misses.

Ithamar shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Ithamar is pressing down on Silva's thigh, looking to free his foot. Silva is holding on for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ithamar looking for a submission but Silva manages to get full guard, putting an end to that submission attempt.
Ithamar looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Ithamar keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Silva's head.
Ithamar stays in close to Silva's body and controls the position.
Ithamar passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Ithamar seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Ithamar looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Silva tries to kick Ithamar off but Ithamar keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Ithamar seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Ithamar 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.
Ithamar with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Let's hope that Ithamar has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ithamar slips a nice elbow through Silva's hands, connecting with Silva's forehead.
Ithamar stops Silva from getting back to his feet.

Ithamar is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Ithamar is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Ithamar is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva is desperately trying to improve his position but Ithamar has a good base and remains in mount.
Ithamar controlling the position easily from mount.
Ithamar unloading with bombs!
Ithamar tries to control but Silva wriggling away.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ithamar lands with some strikes.
Ithamar looking to finish Silva with some ground and pound. This is bad for Silva!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ezekiel Ithamar really 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.

Ithamar gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Ithamar drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Silva gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Ithamar wants to take the fight to the mat but Silva manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Silva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Ithamar clinches up against the cage.
Ithamar drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Silva gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Adriano Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ezekiel Ithamar.

Ithamar has clasped his hands together around Silva's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ithamar is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Silva knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Silva tries to bench press Ithamar off him but Ithamar keeps the position.
It's got to the stage where if one of these guys blows hard enough, the other might fall over.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ithamar staying calm.

Ithamar has hold of Silva's arm. He's looking for a kimura. Silva seems comfortable defending it but Ithamar has shifted his position slighty and is cranking on the arm! Silva is real pain and he's forced to tap out! Silva is disgusted with himself for not defending it better but Ithamar couldn't care less - he's delighted!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:27 of round 4, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Ezekiel Ithamar!
Ezekiel Ithamar is the new bantamweight champion!
In his post fight interview, Ezekiel Ithamar gave a big smile as he said 'But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, "Whoever obeys them will live by them," and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness.'.