PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hector Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nyrkki Hippa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mendez
vs
Hippa

181 cm
22
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
215 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Hector Mendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Nyrkki Hippa!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Yves DeLean and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mendez decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Mendez throwing shots but Hippa is blocking nicely.
Mendez sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Mendez could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Hippa blocking the ground and pound attempt from Mendez.
Hippa is trying to stand back up but Mendez is controlling him
Hippa works his way to full guard. Good work.
Mendez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Mendez landing with the ground and pound.
Mendez throws a strike but Hippa rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Hippa accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Mendez working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendez throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Mendez holds on and takes a little breather.
Mendez is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Hippa pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mendez is keeping the position for now.
Hippa wants to get up but he can't break Mendez's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Mendez changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Hippa looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Mendez lands a nice forearm strike.
Hippa is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Hippa looks gassed!
Sloppy strikes there by Mendez.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Hippa managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Mendez.
Mendez in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Mendez lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Mendez throwing shots but missing, from side control.
You can see the frustration on Hippa's face as Mendez controls the position.
Hippa tries to improve position but can't.
Hippa takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Mendez working the ground and pound but Hippa is defending the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hippa takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Mendez working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Mendez landing strikes.
Mendez is chipping away with strikes.
Mendez looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Hippa is avoiding damage well.
Mendez landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mendez working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Hippa defending against the ground and pound.
Hippa takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Mendez working the ground and pound.
Mendez scores with a couple of short elbows.
Mendez in side control lands a decent elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hippa takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Mendez scores with punches from side control.
Mendez lands a decent elbow from side control.
Mendez landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Mendez prevents Hippa from escaping the position.
Mendez wants to control but Hippa is keeping him busy.
Mendez scoring with punches and elbows.
Hippa is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mendez tries to move into full mount but can't pass Hippa's legs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hector Mendez 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.

Mendez closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Hippa to the mat! Hippa manages to get full guard.
Mendez throwing strikes from guard but Hippa blocks nicely.
Mendez with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Mendez cracks Hippa with a solid left hand.
Hippa keeping moving, preventing Mendez from controlling successfully.
Mendez postures up in Hippa's guard and throws a big left but Hippa blocks it.
Mendez with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mendez trying to control the position from guard on top but Hippa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hippa is breathing heavily.
Mendez throws and elbow that misses. Hippa uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Mendez's guard. Nice move by Hippa!
Mendez wants to sweep here but Hippa controlling him for the moment.
Mendez on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Mendez tries to get out of the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendez not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Mendez has a closed guard, preventing Hippa from standing up.
Mendez trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Hippa gets caught flat footed, as Mendez shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Mendez throws a big right hand that misses.
Mendez wants to control from the top but Hippa keeps moving.
Mendez is stalling in the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez thows a big elbow that misses.
Mendez content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Mendez landing some decent shots from guard.
Hippa wants to stand up but Mendez is controlling him.
Mendez looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Mendez throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendez controlling from the top position.
Hippa has momentary wrist control but Mendez slips an elbow through the middle.
Hippa being controlled here, momentarily.
Mendez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Mendez slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Mendez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hippa works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

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.
Mendez working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Hippa's head.
Mendez wants to control from the top but Hippa keeps moving.
Mendez with a flurry of punches that miss.
Mendez slips nicely into half guard.
Hippa wants to control but Mendez is keeping busy.
Mendez trying to control from half guard but Hippa is working away.
Mendez performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Mendez's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hector Mendez dominated that second round.
That's time! Mendez's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Mendez shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Mendez was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Hippa working to try and regain half guard.
Mendez controlling the pace for now.
Hippa tries to lock up and control but Mendez gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Mendez landing strikes from the mount and Hippa is in trouble!
Mendez lands a big elbow.
Mendez controlling the position easily from mount.
Hippa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mendez has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Hippa's face.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendez takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Hector Mendez just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Mendez feints and as Hippa raises his hands in defense, Mendez changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Mendez stands up over Hippa, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Hippa preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Mendez postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Mendez connects with a couple of short punches.
Mendez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hippa is keeping the position for now.
Mendez trying to control the position from guard on top but Hippa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mendez content to stall in guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez scoring with punches to the head and body.
Mendez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hippa works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Mendez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hippa is keeping the position for now.
Mendez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Mendez trying to control the position from guard on top but Hippa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hippa is trying to control the position but Mendez postures up.
Mendez postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendez with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Mendez postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Mendez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Mendez scoring with some ground and pound.
Mendez trying to control the position from guard on top but Hippa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mendez postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Mendez trying to control the position from guard on top but Hippa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mendez in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Mendez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hippa is keeping the position for now.
Mendez postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendez lands a couple of digs.
Mendez postures up.
Mendez wants to pass the guard but Hippa is keeping the position.
Mendez landing with the ground and pound.
Nyrkki Hippa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mendez wants to pass the guard but Hippa is keeping the position.
Mendez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Mendez cracks Hippa with a solid left hand.
Mendez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hippa can do to turn this around?
Mendez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hector Mendez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hector Mendez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Mendez 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:26
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 30:26
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hector Mendez!