PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Fernando Mendes (ranked 6230 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hector Lopez (ranked 25719 p4p, 0 weight class). Lopez has chosen Rockstar as his entrance music. Hector Lopez is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Mendes
vs
Lopez

178 cm
19
143 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

169 cm
18
143 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
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 Rio de Janeiro, Fernando Mendes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Hector Lopez!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Thiago Cunha and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lopez throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Mendes's waist but Mendes gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Lopez off to one side.

Mendes fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Lopez, pushing him back against the cage.
Mendes lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Lopez throws a punch but it's blocked by Mendes.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Lopez.
Lopez misses with a hook from the clinch.
Mendes is looking to take this one to the mat.
Mendes tries to break free but Lopez pushes him back against the cage.
Mendes blocks an elbow strike from Lopez.
Lopez working aggressively here.
Lopez tries for a takedown but Mendes manages to get underhooks.
Lopez misses with a punch on the inside.
Lopez is defending well against a takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
With the fighters up against the cage, Lopez throws an elbow but misses.
Mendes looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Lopez has a couple of punches blocked by Mendes.

Mendes pulls Lopez into guard.
Mendes keeping full guard, as Lopez tries to pass.
Lopez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mendes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Lopez postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Mendes is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Lopez, into his guard.

Mendes is looking to work some ground and pound but Lopez has wrist control.
Mendes controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Lopez looking to control.
Mendes controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Lopez throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendes slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Lopez wants to get back to his feet but Mendes passes into half guard.
Lopez taking some punishment here, with Mendes in his half guard.
Lopez is looking for a sweep. Mendes is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Lopez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mendes pulls his head out easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mendes is working for a kimura but Lopez is defending it quite comfortably.

Lopez has guillotine here! It looks pretty tight! Could this be all over! No, Mendes escapes and passes into side control at the same time. Nice work there by Mendes!
Mendes taking a breather here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Lopez throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.
Mendes throws a strike aimed at the side of Lopez's head but Lopez avoids it well.
Lopez can't do much from the bottom here.
Lopez is trying to improve his position.
Lopez is being controlled here.

Mendes tries for a kimura but Lopez is defending well.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mendes passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Lopez!
Mendes controlling from the full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fernando Mendes dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Mendes fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Mendes stuffs the takedown attempt from Lopez. Lopez gets slowly back to his feet.
Lopez tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Mendes swivels and escapes.
Mendes swats away the attempt to clinch by Lopez.
Mendes fails with a takedown attempt.
Lopez slaps away a takedown attempt from Mendes, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Mendes closes the distance and pushes Lopez back into the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lopez wants a takedown but no success here.
Fernando Mendes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hector Lopez.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Lopez.
Mendes can't break the clinch.
Mendes wants to get back to striking at distance but Lopez won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez fails to pull guard.
Lopez throws a punch but it's blocked by Mendes.
Mendes blocks an elbow strike from Lopez.
Mendes tries for a takedown but Lopez manages to get underhooks.
Mendes stalling in the clinch.
Lopez tries to circle away but Mendes has him pinned against the cage.
Mendes avoids a wild elbow strike from Lopez.
Mendes dodges an elbow strike from Lopez.
With the fighters up against the cage, Mendes throws an elbow but misses.

Mendes breaks the clinch.
Lopez shoots in looking for a takedown. Mendes tries to sprawl out of it but Lopez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Mendes manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Mendes darts in looking for a takedown but Lopez gets double underhooks and turns Mendes into the cage.
Fernando Mendes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lopez fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Mendes avoids it really well and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lopez is looking to clinch.
Lopez shoots for a takedown but Mendes saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Lopez is breathing heavily.

Mendes gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Mendes manages to escape and get back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Mendes gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Mendes pulls guard successfully.
Mendes keeping moving, preventing Lopez from controlling successfully.

Lopez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Mendes had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Lopez defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendes is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Mendes is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Mendes controlling the action here.
Lopez strikes from the bottom but Mendes passes into mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendes thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Lopez wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Mendes missing with strikes from the back.
We've been informed that Lopez has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Lopez trying to get back to his feet but Mendes is in full control for now.
Mendes is not going to allow Lopez to sit and survive in this position.
Mendes trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Lopez doesn't escape.
Mendes is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Lopez can do to turn this around?
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mendes seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Lopez for as long as he can get away with.
Lopez tries to roll but Mendes sticks to his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fernando Mendes dominated that second round.
That's time! Mendes's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Lopez is looking to clinch.
Lopez shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Mendes as he avoids it easily.

Mendes clinches up against the cage.

Mendes jumps into guard, dragging Lopez to the mat.
Lopez looking to sit in guard and control but Mendes gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Lopez is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Mendes is controlling him.
Lopez tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Lopez being controlled here, momentarily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Mendes thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Mendes pushing down on Lopez's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Mendes not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Mendes missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Mendes works his foot free and advances to mount.

Mendes is working for a guillotine from mount but Lopez frees his head quite easily.
Lopez throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Lopez is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Lopez wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Mendes has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Lopez's body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendes avoiding Lopez 's attempts to control his hands.
Mendes throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.

Mendes is persistently looking for the submission but Lopez is defending it well.
Mendes biding his time, looking for the opening.
Lopez trying to control but not successfully.
Fernando Mendes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Lopez rolls, trying to escape but Mendes keeps control of the position.
Lopez avoids the strikes from Mendes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lopez showing good submission defense here.

Mendes is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Lopez has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Mendes biding his time, controlling Lopez.
Mendes not allowing Lopez to control his hands.
Mendes trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Lopez doesn't escape.

Mendes working for a choke but Lopez is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Mendes is hanging on to Lopez's back as he tries to escape.
Mendes slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.

Mendes is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Mendes is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lopez looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fernando Mendes showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Mendes has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:26
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:26
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fernando Mendes!