PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Frederico Fernandes (ranked 4298 p4p, 6591 weight class) and Bakary Mensah (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Fernandes might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Born to be wild. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Fernandes
vs
Mensah

175 cm
20
145
0 - 0 - 0

169 cm
21
145
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Frederico Fernandes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Bakary Mensah!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Josh West and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mensah avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mensah is looking for the big counter here.

Fernandes forces Mensah back against the cage and clinches.
Mensah drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Fernandes gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Mensah.
Fernandes pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

Fernandes escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Fernandes wants to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mensah stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Mensah wants it to stay on the feet.
And Mensah tries to counter it with a takedown but Fernandes pushes his down on his head and steps out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fernandes tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Mensah manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Fernandes plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Fernandes pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Fernandes tries to clinch up but Mensah circles away and keeps his distance.
Mensah with the counter takedown but Fernandes avoids it easily.
Fernandes with the inside leg kick.
Fernandes connects with a leg kick.
Mensah swats away the attempt to clinch by Fernandes.
Mensah changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Fernandes misses with a head kick.
Mensah is looking for the big counter here.
Fernandes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mensah paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Fernandes fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fernandes throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mensah thinks about the counter body kick.
Fernandes wants to clinch but Mensah slips to the side
and Mensah counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Fernandes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Fernandes looks for a takedown but Mensah sprawls well.
Mensah feints a counter leg kick.
Fernandes tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Mensah counters with a series of strikes. Fernandes will be more careful next time no doubt.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Fernandes tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Mensah counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fernandes tries to clinch but Mensah moves out of range.
Mensah changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Fernandes tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Fernandes tries to clinch up.

Fernandes gets a clinch.
Mensah wants a takedown.
Frederico Fernandes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bakary Mensah.
Mensah prevents a body shot from Fernandes.
Mensah is working for takedown but Fernandes is calmly controlling the position for now.
Mensah tries for a takedown. No joy.
Fernandes working hard to break the clinch.
Fernandes lands an uppercut.
Fernandes digs a right hand into Mensah's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Mensah's gas tank.
Fernandes taking a breather.

Fernandes escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fernandes misses with a body kick.

Fernandes moves into the clinch.
Mensah has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Fernandes after a bit of a struggle.
Mensah blocks the elbow strike.
Fernandes is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Fernandes misses with a body punch.
Fernandes is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Mensah is working for takedown but Fernandes is calmly controlling the position for now.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Fernandes is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Mensah is defending well for now.
Fernandes throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Fernandes wants to get back to striking at distance but Mensah won't allow it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Frederico Fernandes dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Good standup being displayed there by Fernandes as he connects with a hook.
Fernandes throws a lazy head kick
and Mensah counters with a two punch combo.
Frederico Fernandes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A head kick misses from Fernandes.
Mensah tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Fernandes tries to clinch but Mensah moves out of range.
Fernandes moves in looking to clinch but Mensah pushes him off.
Mensah avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Fernandes tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mensah with the counter takedown but Fernandes avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Fernandes moves in looking to clinch but Mensah pushes him off.
Mensah feints the counter takedown.
Fernandes throws a big shot that misses.
Mensah tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Fernandes throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Fernandes throws a right and a left that Mensah avoids nicely.
Mensah is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fernandes doesn't manage to clinch there - Mensah circles away.
As Fernandes backs off Mensah throws a huge counter combo but Fernandes manages to avoid it all.
Mensah circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mensah is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
The fight stays on the outside here - Fernandes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Despite the aggression on Mensah's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Fernandes looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Mensah tries a quick counter leg kick but Fernandes is wise to it.
Fernandes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mensah swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mensah circles away from the clinch attempt.
Fernandes fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mensah changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
An inside leg kick lands from Fernandes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fernandes shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Mensah as he jumps to the side.
Mensah circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mensah lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Fernandes fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mensah with the counter takedown but Fernandes avoids it easily.
Fernandes tries to clinch up.
As Fernandes backs off Mensah throws a huge counter combo but Fernandes manages to avoid it all.
Fernandes shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Mensah as he avoids it easily.
Mensah drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Fernandes defends it well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Frederico Fernandes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Fernandes tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Mensah manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Mensah tries a quick counter leg kick but Fernandes is wise to it.
Fernandes tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Mensah counters with a three punch combo that has Fernandes backing up. Fernandes nods at Mensah to acknowledge the strikes.
Mensah circles away from the clinch attempt.
Fernandes wants to clinch

and Mensah counters with a nice double leg into side control. Fernandes won't be happy with that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mensah controlling from side mount.
Mensah is continuing to stall.
Mensah's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Fernandes is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

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.
Mensah throws a strike aimed at the side of Fernandes's head but Fernandes avoids it well.
Fernandes is being controlled here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sloppy strikes there by Mensah.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Bakary Mensah showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Fernandes wants to clinch.
Mensah unleashes a big counter combination but Fernandes bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Fernandes wants to clinch
and Fernandes takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Fernandes tries to clinch up.
Mensah throws a counter combo.
Fernandes goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Mensah drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Fernandes defends it well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Fernandes looks for the body kick but Mensah saw that one coming.
Mensah circles away from the clinch attempt
and Mensah counters with a right hand to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mensah circles away from the clinch attempt.
Fernandes tries for a takedown but Mensah sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Mensah throws a counter combo.

Fernandes fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Mensah, pushing him back against the cage.
Mensah avoids a wild elbow strike from Fernandes.
Fernandes pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Fernandes misses with an elbow over the top.
Mensah tries for a takedown. No joy.
Mensah tries for a takedown but Fernandes manages to get underhooks.
Knees to the body from Fernandes.
Mensah looking for a takedown.
Frederico Fernandes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bakary Mensah.
Fernandes throws an elbow that misses.
Fernandes crunches a lovely knee into Mensah's ribcage.
Mensah is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Fernandes pulls him back up using the underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fernandes throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Fernandes manages to break the clinch.
Fernandes wants to clinch up but Mensah keeps it at a distance.
Mensah is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Fernandes is looking to clinch but Mensah is avoiding it.
Fernandes backing away here, and Mensah unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Fernandes tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Mensah manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Fernandes fails with a takedown attempt.
Mensah is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.

Fernandes gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fernandes wants to break the clinch but can't.
Fernandes tries to land a knee to the head but Mensah blocks with his arms.
Mensah wants a takedown but no success here.
Mensah avoids the elbow strike from Fernandes, against the cage.
Fernandes stops a takedown attempt from Mensah.
Fernandes tries to work over Mensah's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Frederico Fernandes has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Mensah wants to take the fight to the mat but Fernandes manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Fernandes breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Fernandes feints and then cracks Mensah's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Mensah down.
Fernandes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mensah paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Frederico Fernandes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mensah keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
As Fernandes backs off Mensah throws a huge counter combo but Fernandes manages to avoid it all.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fernandes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mensah swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mensah is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Fernandes tries to clinch up but Mensah circles away and keeps his distance.

Fernandes instigates a clinch.
Fernandes lands a left hand.
Fernandes tries to stall but Mensah uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Fernandes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Fernandes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mensah paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mensah feints the counter takedown.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Fernandes gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Mensah counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Fernandes thinking.
Fernandes tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Mensah manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frederico Fernandes showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Fernandes has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 29:28
Judge Josh West scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frederico Fernandes!
In his post fight interview, Frederico Fernandes started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.