PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Neil Mendoza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hatsu Hioki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Mendoza
vs
Hioki

168 cm
19
151 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

181 cm
22
149 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Improved boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

Kangaroo Muscle

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Neil Mendoza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hatsu Hioki!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mendoza misses with a jab, cross combination.
Hioki slips a jab and a cross from Mendoza.
Neil Mendoza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mendoza swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Mendoza throws a right hand that Hioki ducks under and follows up with a left that Hioki also avoids with ease.
Mendoza fails to land with a series of punches.
A punch combination from Mendoza misses.
Hioki lands a high kick!
A left and a right from Mendoza both land. Nice combination.

It looks like Hatsu Hioki has been cut.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Hioki.
Mendoza waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Hioki.
Mendoza misses with a few strikes there.
Mendoza misses with an uppercut. Hioki saw that one coming.

Hioki drives through with a takedown into guard.

Hioki 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.
Hioki pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mendoza is keeping the position for now.
Hioki advances to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hioki passes to side control.
Hioki cracks Mendoza with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Hioki in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Hioki working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendoza gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Mendoza gets back to full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Mendoza is on top in guard.
Mendoza preventing the sweep.
Mendoza has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Mendoza wants to pass the guard but Hioki is keeping the position.
Mendoza might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Mendoza avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Hioki wants to sweep but no luck.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mendoza knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Hioki on the ground.

Hioki working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Mendoza doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Mendoza manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Hioki looks gassed!

Mendoza 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 two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Hioki can't keep his opponent in guard - Mendoza advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Hioki gets back to full guard.
Mendoza wants to pass the guard but Hioki is keeping the position.

Mendoza 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.
Hioki manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Mendoza manages to get himself to full guard.
Hioki won't allow Mendoza to sweep him here.
Mendoza working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hioki.
Hioki stands and throws Mendoza's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Mendoza tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hioki wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Hioki has knee on belly and moves into mount.

Hioki is working for a guillotine from mount but Mendoza frees his head quite easily.
Mendoza is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hioki with good strikes from the mount here!

Hioki with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Mendoza tries to reverse the position but Hioki maintains control.
Hioki punching from mount but Mendoza doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Mendoza regains half guard.

Hioki is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Mendoza looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Hioki works his foot free and advances to mount.

Hioki looking for a guillotine from mount but Mendoza is having none of it.
Hioki dominating with strikes here.
A nice elbow there by Hioki.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hioki looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Hioki dominating with strikes here.
Hioki is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Hioki moves to the back.
Hioki throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Mendoza!

Mendoza preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Hioki.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hioki misses with an elbow to the head.
Mendoza is in bad spot here.
Hioki lands strikes to the head.
Mendoza is taking damage to the body and head.

Hioki is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Mendoza knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Mendoza for a finish.
Mendoza breaks Hioki's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Hioki lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Mendoza!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A nice elbow there by Hioki.
Mendoza is trying to escape the mount but Hioki keeps good control and instead manages to take Mendoza's back.
Mendoza rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Mendoza slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hatsu Hioki dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Hatsu Hioki's cut.
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.

Mendoza paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Mendoza is looking to clinch.
Mendoza misses with a wild combination.
Hioki plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Hioki ducks under a wild hook from Mendoza.
Mendoza throws an overhand right that lands on Hioki's shoulder, as Hioki tries to avoid the shot.
Hioki throws a nice head kick!
Mendoza throws a jab but it's blocked by Hioki.
Hioki lands with a thumping leg kick.
Mendoza lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hioki.
Hioki throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Neil Mendoza is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mendoza throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Hioki throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Some wild striking there from Mendoza.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mendoza stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Hioki.
Hioki swinging wilding here.
Mendoza tries to clinch there but Hioki circles away.
Mendoza is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Mendoza's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendoza lands with an overhand left.
Mendoza jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Hioki tries to clinch there but Mendoza circles away.
Mendoza throws a lazy right hand but Hioki sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Mendoza tries to clinch
and Hioki counters with a head kick.
Mendoza throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Mendoza misses with a wild combination.
Mendoza throws a series of punches but Hioki avoids them all with ease.

Hioki shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Hioki was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Mendoza is trying desperately to improve position.
Hioki punching from mount but Mendoza doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Hioki looking to finish with strikes here!
Mendoza is trying desperately to improve position.
Mendoza prevents Hioki from taking his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendoza can't escape the position.

Hioki looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Mendoza manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Hioki is looking for a kimura but Mendoza is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Hioki to get the leverage.
Hatsu Hioki has got the better of the ground game so far.
Mendoza makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Mendoza.
Mendoza working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hioki.

Hioki drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Hioki jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Mendoza working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hioki.
Hioki stopping the sweep attempt from Mendoza.

Mendoza is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Hioki pushes down on Mendoza's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Hioki scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Hioki is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Mendoza doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Hioki.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hioki is working for a kimura but Mendoza is defending it quite comfortably.
Hioki works his way into full mount!
Mendoza tries to reverse the position but Hioki maintains control.

Hioki is working close to his opponent, looking to work a submission by the looks of things. Oh, he's managed to get a guillotine from mount as his opponent reached up! That looks tiiiiight! Will he tap? YES, he's tapped! Impressive submission by Hioki!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:49 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Hatsu Hioki!