PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Omar Mendes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lars De Groot (ranked 0 p4p, 0 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.

Mendes
vs
De Groot

158 cm
27
144 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

150 cm
22
144 lbs
8 - 2 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Omar Mendes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Lars De Groot!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Elvis Blanc and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

De Groot has managed to clinch.

De Groot's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Mendes uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by De Groot.
De Groot fails to land with a series of punches.
De Groot scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Mendes throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Mendes tries to keep at a distance but De Groot has taken the fight into the clinch.
Mendes is trying to force a seperation but De Groot has the dominant position.
Mendes tries to break free but De Groot pushes him back against the cage.
A right hook to the body lands for De Groot.

De Groot manages to break the clinch.
Mendes throws a sloppy head kick and De Groot moves out of range easily.
Mendes misses with a double jab
enabling De Groot to counter with a crisp jab.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from De Groot, right into the meat.
De Groot throws a nice head kick!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes misses with the combination.
De Groot lands with a nice body kick.
A right-left combo lands from De Groot.
Mendes throws a poor cross that misses
and De Groot counters with a good low kick that Mendes was not able to check.
A head kick misses from Mendes.
De Groot looks to land a combination. Mendes sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
De Groot misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A head kick by Mendes misses
and De Groot counters with a big head kick but Mendes shrugs it off.

Mendes is rocked!
A slapping leg kick lands for De Groot.
Oh Mendes is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
This has been an exciting period of action!
De Groot lands with an uppercut that bounces Mendes off the cage and back into range.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

De Groot's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

De Groot moves into range and clinches up with Mendes.
Mendes is trying to force a seperation but De Groot has the dominant position.

De Groot breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
An inside leg kick lands from De Groot.
Mendes seems to have got his legs back now.
De Groot showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Mendes.
De Groot blocks a jab.
De Groot throws a sloppy head kick and Mendes moves out of range easily.
De Groot throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

De Groot has closed the distance and engaged Mendes in a clinch.

De Groot escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mendes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from De Groot.
Mendes looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
De Groot moves forwards but Mendes connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Mendes rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but De Groot moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
De Groot pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendes throws a head kick that misses.
De Groot connects with a right hand. Mendes shakes it off.
Mendes on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
A head kick misses from Mendes.
De Groot's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and De Groot duly obliges.
De Groot scores with a body shot.
Mendes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Mendes throws a head kick that misses.
De Groot pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A punch combination from Mendes misses.
Mendes misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mendes is breathing heavily.
Mendes on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
De Groot works over Mendes's head and body with a nice combination.
Mendes lands a head kick!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
De Groot lands a head kick!
Mendes misses with a body kick.
De Groot scores with a slapping inside leg kick.

De Groot has Mendes up against the cage in a clinch.

De Groot pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
De Groot goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Mendes looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
De Groot lands a leg kick that knocks Mendes off balance momentarily.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
De Groot slips a jab and a cross from Mendes.
De Groot scores with a head kick.
De Groot closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

De Groot throws a one two combo.
De Groot pulls out of a head kick attempt.
De Groot moves in looking to clinch but Mendes pushes him off.
Mendes moves out of range of the body kick.
De Groot scores with a sloppy right hand. Mendes should have avoided that one.
Mendes misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Mendes misses with a head kick.
Mendes lands with a nice combination. De Groot backs away looking to recover.
Mendes lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
De Groot misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Mendes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from De Groot.
De Groot avoids the head kick by Mendes.
De Groot looks to land a combination. Mendes sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Groot lands with a slapping head kick.
Mendes blocks the body kick.
De Groot moves into range and connects with a jab.
De Groot throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
A combination from Mendes does no damage.
De Groot throws a right and a left that both miss.
De Groot wants to clinch.
De Groot pivots, looking for a leg kick but Mendes is out of range and De Groot settles back down.
A head kick misses from De Groot.
De Groot walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Mendes lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but De Groot circles away quickly and effectively.
Nice body punch from De Groot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendes swings for the body but De Groot moves out of range.
Mendes misses with a wild combination.
Omar Mendes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mendes misses with a series of wild punches.
A big left from Mendes misses.
De Groot pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Mendes looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Mendes throws an uppercut from half a mile away. De Groot sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Some wild striking there from Mendes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
De Groot misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
De Groot fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
De Groot fakes the leg kick and cracks Mendes in the body.

De Groot rushes Mendes and presses him up against the cage.

De Groot pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mendes takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Mendes gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Mendes lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Mendes tries to bum rush De Groot with a series of wild strikes but De Groot uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A combination from Mendes does no damage.

De Groot clinches up with Mendes and pushes him back against the cage.
A short uppercut from De Groot.

De Groot breaks the clinch.
De Groot avoids a punch combination nicely.
De Groot misses with a few strikes there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

De Groot has taken the fight to the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mendes looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

De Groot breaks from the clinch.
De Groot fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
De Groot lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.

De Groot closes the distance and clinches.
De Groot prevents Mendes from breaking the clinch.
Mendes is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Mendes is looking to break free of the clinch but De Groot has double underhooks.

De Groot's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

De Groot clinches up against the cage.

De Groot escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mendes misses with a straight left.
A punch combination from Mendes misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lars De Groot showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

De Groot misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Mendes misses with a looping right.
De Groot fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Mendes on the side of the head.
Mendes throws a sloppy head kick and De Groot moves out of range easily.

De Groot moves into the clinch.
Mendes takes a shot to the head.

De Groot breaks from the clinch.
De Groot fails to land with a series of punches.

De Groot closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Mendes working hard to break the clinch.
De Groot has Mendes pressed against the cage, preventing Mendes from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

De Groot escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A left and a right from Mendes both land. Nice combination.
Mendes swinging wildly here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and De Groot counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
De Groot uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Mendes.
A jab from De Groot finds it's way through Mendes's defenses.
Mendes misses with a double jab.

Mendes gets tackled into the cage by De Groot. De Groot maintains the clinch.
Mendes tries to break the clinch but De Groot is controlling the position.
De Groot is struggling to control the position.

De Groot escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mendes fails to land with a series of punches.
De Groot fails to land with a series of punches.
Mendes takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
The fighters circling - De Groot throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Mendes rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but De Groot moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
De Groot misses with a series of wild punches.
De Groot throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Mendes's head.
Mendes throws a series of strikes that have De Groot backpedaling.
Mendes misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Lars De Groot seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Mendes dodges the punch combination from De Groot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Mendes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Mendes slips a jab and a cross from De Groot.
A nice inside leg kick there by De Groot. That's going to slow Mendes down.
Mendes takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
De Groot fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Mendes throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendes throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Mendes swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and De Groot counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
De Groot throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
De Groot will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Mendes's hands are dropping dangerously low here and De Groot connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Mendes scrambles back to his feet.
De Groot has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
De Groot is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
De Groot throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
De Groot tries to close the distance and clinch but Mendes swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
De Groot misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mendes throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
De Groot avoids the head kick by Mendes.
Mendes keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendes goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Mendes throws a shot from downtown. De Groot moves away and avoids it.
Mendes throws a series of punches but De Groot moves out of range.
Mendes throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by De Groot.

De Groot clinches up against the cage.
Omar Mendes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

De Groot breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
De Groot plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
De Groot throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Mendes.
Mendes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mendes takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
De Groot blocks a head kick by Mendes.
De Groot scores with a head kick. Mendes tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Mendes throws a poor cross that misses
and De Groot counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lars De Groot comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well De Groot has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 William Peck scores the fight 27:30
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lars De Groot!
A determined Lars De Groot didn't want to dwell on this fight in his post fight interview. Instead he was more keen to state he wants a title shot. Let's see if he gets it!