PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Limson Silva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Limson Silva has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Silva
vs
Rodrigo Nogueira

198 cm
20
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
180 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Limson Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Luis Engracia and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nogueira fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Silva wants to clinch up but Nogueira keeps it at a distance.
Silva lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Nogueira circles away quickly and effectively.
Silva lands a head shot.
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.
Silva is looking to clinch.
Nogueira scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Nogueira connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Silva tries for a takedown but Nogueira circles away easily

and Nogueira decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Silva's guard.
Silva is breathing heavily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nogueira controlling from the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva trying to control the position.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Nogueira from controlling successfully.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Nogueira accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Nogueira wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Nogueira throws a big right hand that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nogueira wants to pass the guard but Silva is keeping the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Silva fails with the takedown

and Nogueira counters with a shoot takedown. Silva fights it but they end up in guard.
Silva tries to strike from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Nogueira is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Nogueira from controlling successfully.
Silva is adopting a defensive guard.
Nogueira won't allow Silva to sweep him here.

Silva is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Nogueira is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nogueira slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Silva clinches but Nogueira breaks the clinch

and Nogueira counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Silva trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Nogueira wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.
Silva avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Silva throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Nogueira wants to control from the top but Silva keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nogueira wants to stand but Silva has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Nogueira stands up over Silva, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Nogueira wants to stand but Silva has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Nogueira throws a nice looking combination but Silva bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Nogueira shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Silva pinned against the cage. Silva gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Silva thows a leg kick but Nogueira checks it

and Nogueira counters with a takedown into side control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Silva trying to remain calm as Nogueira controls from the top position.
Nogueira lands a decent elbow from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Silva shoots and misses

and Nogueira decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Silva's guard.
Nogueira with a flurry of punches that miss.

Nogueira decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Silva tries for a takedown but Nogueira circles away easily

and Nogueira counters by moving into the clinch.

Nogueira pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Silva tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Nogueira swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Limson Silva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nogueira checks a leg kick.

Nogueira gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Nogueira manages to pull guard.
Nogueira is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Nogueira uses his free foot to push down on Silva's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Silva.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silva wants to control but Nogueira is having none of it.
Nogueira controlling his opponent.
Silva is in a horrible position here. Nogueira smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Silva tries to lock up and control but Nogueira gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Nogueira working Silva over with strikes here.
Nogueira lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Nogueira is going olschool here, as he tries to force Silva to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Silva shrugs it off.
Silva is in a horrible position here. Nogueira smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

Nogueira goes for an armbar but Silva turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Silva.

Nogueira working for a triangle but Silva defends it easily.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Nogueira is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nogueira escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Silva gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Silva would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Nogueira is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Nogueira tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Nogueira throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Silva stands and steps away. Nogueira gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Limson Silva is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silva gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Nogueira moves into the clinch.
Silva looking to stall.
Silva has Nogueira pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Nogueira manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Nogueira lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Silva.

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

Nogueira rushes Silva and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Silva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Silva misses with a takedown
and Nogueira counters with a thumping low kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Silva's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Silva shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Nogueira counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Nogueira escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Nogueira fails with a takedown attempt.
Nogueira with a poor takedown
and Silva counters with a thumping low kick.
Nogueira shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Silva but Silva pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Limson Silva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Silva fails with the takedown
and Nogueira counters with a low kick, right behind Silva 's knee.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nogueira shoots in but Silva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Silva tries to clinch up

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nogueira throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Silva works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has got the better of the ground game so far.
Nogueira working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Silva keeping moving, preventing Nogueira from controlling successfully.
Silva will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Nogueira landing with the ground and pound.

Silva working for submissions but it's allowed Nogueira to get to half guard.
Nogueira is nestled in close to Silva, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

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.
Silva is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Nice strikes from Nogueira there.
Nogueira is trying to control the action in half guard but Silva is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Nogueira might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Silva kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

Silva has one foot on Nogueira's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Silva fails with an attempt to clinch.

Nogueira has closed the distance and engaged Silva in a clinch.
Silva is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Nogueira is keeping busy.

Nogueira pulls guard effortlessly.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nogueira has his foot on Silva's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Silva works his way back into a safe position though.
Silva preventing the sweep.
Silva wants to control from the top but Nogueira keeps moving.

Nogueira working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Silva doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but Nogueira is tightening it up a little... Silva has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Silva reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Silva taps out! nice BJJ there by Nogueira!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:37 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira!