PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Pierre Ragout Mendy (ranked 2304 p4p, 2082 weight class) and Yoji Anjo Anjo (ranked 326 p4p, 292 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Mendy
vs
Anjo

188 cm
29
178
13 - 7 - 0

188 cm
23
178
9 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

PWNAGE

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Pierre Ragout Mendy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Yoji Anjo Anjo!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Aafke Stam and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mendy throws a leg kick that is checked

and Anjo counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Anjo.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Anjo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Anjo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mendy works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Mendy is pulling down on Anjo's head. It's preventing any offense from Anjo, at least for the moment.
Mendy has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Mendy keeping moving, preventing Anjo from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mendy is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Anjo trying to control the position from guard on top but Mendy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendy lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Mendy lands a couple of digs.
Mendy throws a big elbow that misses.

Anjo working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Mendy doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Mendy manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Anjo has control of Mendy's left arm, preventing Mendy from doing any damage.
Mendy forces his way into half guard.
Anjo trying to control from the bottom.
Mendy sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Anjo defending well though.

Anjo has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Mendy is on him like a limpet, forcing Anjo back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendy tries for a takedown. No joy.
Anjo looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Mendy wants to take the fight to the mat but Anjo manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Mendy has Anjo pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Anjo manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pierre Ragout Mendy. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Mendy breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Anjo dives in for a single leg takedown but Mendy sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
The fighters circling - Mendy throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Anjo shoots in for a takedown but Mendy shows good takedown defense.
Mendy stuffs the takedown.

Anjo looking to score a takedown here. Mendy is defending well but Anjo drives through and ends up in Mendy's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Anjo's corner is telling him to maintain position.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Mendy holds on and takes a little breather.
Mendy wants to get back to his feet but Anjo is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Mendy looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anjo won't allow Mendy to sweep him here.
Mendy wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Anjo manages to pass to side control.

Anjo seems to be working for a kimura but Mendy defends the submission attempt.
Anjo wants to take a breather but Mendy is having none of it.
Mendy slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Mendy not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Anjo being controlled here momentarily.
Mendy wants to stand up but Anjo is controlling him.
Anjo with a flurry of punches that miss.
Anjo wants to control from the top but Mendy keeps moving.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Anjo gets a clinch.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Anjo is working for takedown but Mendy is calmly controlling the position for now.
Anjo stops a takedown attempt from Mendy.
Anjo looking for a takedown.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Yoji Anjo Anjo dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Mendy has a takedown stuffed.
Anjo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mendy is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Mendy throws a shot to the body.
Anjo shoots in for a takedown but Mendy shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Mendy lunges at Anjo with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Anjo's hand.
Mendy swings for the body but Anjo moves out of range.
Anjo shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Mendy connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Mendy stuffs the takedown.
Pierre Ragout Mendy has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoji Anjo Anjo.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Mendy's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Mendy misses with a looping right.
The fight stays on the outside here - Anjo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendy looks to score with a jab to the body but Anjo is just out of range.
And Anjo tries to counter it with a takedown but Mendy pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Mendy slaps away a takedown attempt from Anjo, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Mendy throws a half hearted mid kick.
Anjo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Mendy.
Mendy throws a right hand that Anjo ducks under and follows up with a left that Anjo also avoids with ease.

Mendy gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Anjo trying to control but Mendy is working from the bottom.
Anjo preventing the sweep.

Mendy kicks Anjo off and gets to his feet.
Pierre Ragout Mendy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mendy throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Mendy closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
You can see the frustration on Anjo's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendy works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Mendy cracks Anjo with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Mendy working the ground and pound from side control.
Mendy advances to mount.
Mendy avoids the attempt from Anjo to control.
Pierre Ragout Mendy overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Mendy working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Mendy landing strikes from the mount and Anjo is in trouble!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mendy swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Anjo is now in Mendy's guard. A big mistake from Mendy there, giving up the dominant position!
Mendy seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
Mendy looking to hit a scissor sweep but Anjo is one step ahead there.
Anjo prevents Mendy from getting back to his feet.
Anjo is fighting to break Mendy's control of his arms but Mendy is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Anjo wants to control from the top but Mendy keeps moving.
Anjo might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Mendy haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendy is pulling down on Anjo's head. It's preventing any offense from Anjo, at least for the moment.
Anjo trying to control the position from guard on top but Mendy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Anjo slips nicely into half guard.
Anjo is looking to take a break and control but Mendy is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Mendy wants to improve his position but Anjo is controlling well.
Mendy tries to kick Anjo off but Anjo keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Anjo is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Pierre Ragout Mendy dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Mendy circles away from the clinch attempt

and Mendy counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Anjo manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Mendy keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
Mendy prevents a takedown attempt there.

Mendy breaks the clinch.
The fighters circling - Mendy throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Anjo moves away from the strike by Mendy.
Mendy takes a swing at Anjo's ribcage but misses.
Mendy tests Anjo's chin there with a solid looking shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Anjo avoids a punch combination nicely.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Anjo is defended easily by Mendy.
Pierre Ragout Mendy is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendy fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Mendy misses the shot to the body.
A leg kick checked by Anjo.
Mendy throws a hook to the side of Anjo's head but Anjo sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Anjo is defended easily by Mendy.
Pierre Ragout Mendy has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoji Anjo Anjo.
Mendy defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Anjo.
Anjo tries to clinch but Mendy moves out of range.
Mendy throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Anjo on the side of the head.
Anjo tries to clinch up.
Mendy misses with the combination.
Mendy lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendy swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Mendy is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Anjo can do to turn this around?
Anjo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Anjo will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Mendy changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Anjo looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Anjo is working to avoid the ground and pound but Mendy connects with a decent elbow.
Anjo sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Anjo is looking for a sweep. Mendy is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Mendy wants to lay and pray for a moment but Anjo keeps working.

Mendy is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Anjo sees it coming and defends easily.
Anjo is refusing to be controlled, as Mendy sits in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anjo slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Mendy working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Anjo's head.
Mendy stopping the sweep attempt from Anjo.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Mendy's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Mendy is working Anjo over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Mendy sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Mendy trying to control but Anjo is working from the bottom.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Anjo is on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendy is looking to sweep but instead, Anjo has passed into half guard.
Anjo working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Mendy is trying to maintain the position but Anjo is very close to passing his half guard.
Mendy is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Anjo is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Anjo keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Anjo is looking for a kimura here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pierre Ragout Mendy showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Mendy 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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 29:28
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pierre Ragout Mendy!
The defeated Yoji Anjo Anjo had this to say: 'I feel good! '.