PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mauno Mato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chilo Menga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mato
vs
Menga

170 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
19
155 lbs
4 - 3 - 1

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mauno Mato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chilo Menga!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Frank Dennis and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mato tries to clinch up.

Menga gets a takedown into half guard.
Menga trying to mount his opponent but Mato defends it.
Menga wants to take a breather but Mato is having none of it.
Menga trying to mount his opponent but Mato defends it.
Mato is trying to stand up here but Menga is controlling him well.
Menga tries to pass to full mount but Mato defends it.
Menga is taking a breather. Mato says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Menga stops Mato from getting back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Horrible takedown by Menga or perhaps it was just good defense by Mato which made him look bad.
Mato throws a head kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mato swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Menga swats away the attempt to clinch by Mato.
Mato tries to clinch there but Menga circles away.

Menga looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Mato is breathing heavily.
Mato has hold of Menga's hands but Menga slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Mato is trying to stand up here but Menga is controlling him well.

Menga seems to be looking for submissions.
Mato won't allow Menga to pass to mount.
Mato is trying to stand.

Mato manages to escape and get back to his feet!

Menga drives through with a takedown into guard.
Mato keeping moving, preventing Menga from controlling successfully.
Mato is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Menga wants to pass the guard but Mato is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mato pushes Menga off and gets back to his feet.
Mato throws a head kick that misses.

Menga bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mato prevents Menga from improving position.

Menga wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Mato, who protects the arm well.
Mato pushes Menga away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Menga gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Menga is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Mato has escaped the position, nice work there.
Menga lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Mato down.

Menga is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Mato has escaped the position, nice work there.
Mato is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Menga scores with punches from side control.
Menga wants to control but Mato is keeping him busy.

Menga thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Mato is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Menga asserts his dominance and retains side control.

Mato explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Mato lands with a thumping leg kick.
Mato is looking to clinch.
Mato tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mato feints and then cracks Menga's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Menga down.
Mato fails in his attempt to clinch.

Menga scores with a takedown into Mato's guard.
Mato keeping moving, preventing Menga from controlling successfully.
Mato working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Menga.
Menga controlling from the top position.
Mato keeping full guard, as Menga tries to pass.
Menga working some strikes from top position.

Menga drops back looking for a leg! Mato is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Mato manages to kick Menga off! Menga jumps back into Mato's guard.
Menga wants to control from the top but Mato keeps moving.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mato wants to get back to his feet but Menga is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chilo Menga dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

The fight stays on the outside here - Mato looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Menga scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Menga remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

Menga is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Mato is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Mato is pushing Menga's head away, looking to escape. Menga manages to hold on to the position though.
Menga working the ground and pound.
Mato is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Menga is breathing heavily.
Chilo Menga has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Menga scoring with punches and elbows.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Mato is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mato throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Menga avoids the head kick by Mato.

Menga closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Mato to the mat! Mato manages to get full guard.
Menga trying to control but Mato is working from the bottom.
Menga prevents Mato from getting back to his feet.
Menga wants to control from the top but Mato keeps moving.
Menga pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mato is keeping the position for now.
Menga stops Mato from standing up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Menga shoots in and bounces Mato off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Menga trying to control the position from guard on top but Mato is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mato knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Menga on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Menga prevents Mato from getting back to his feet.
Menga stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mato swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Menga decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Mato, up you get!
Mato tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mato throws a nice looking combination but Menga bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Mato tries to clinch but Menga is having none of it.
Mato tries to close the distance and clinch but Menga swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Menga closes the distance and clinches.

Menga lands a takedown into guard.

Mato is working an open guard so Menga takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mato tries to clinch but Menga moves away

and Menga counters with a nice double leg into side control. Mato won't be happy with that.

Menga thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Menga stands up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mato gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Mato wants to stand up but Menga is controlling him.
Mato being controlled here, momentarily.
Menga wants to control from the top but Mato keeps moving.
Menga stands and throws Mato's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Menga wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mato keeps working.

Menga is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Mato has escaped the position, nice work there.
Mato is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Menga asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Menga cracks Mato with a big right hand but Mato just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Menga prevents Mato from escaping the position.
Menga moves into full mount!
Mato wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Menga lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Mato hang on?
Menga won't let Mato get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.

Mato bucks up and throws Menga to the side - he's got back to his feet. Great escape!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mato tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Menga decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Mato's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Menga prevents Mato from getting back to his feet.
Menga tries to free his leg and advance position but Mato is retaining full guard.
Menga trying to control the position from guard on top but Mato is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Menga stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mato swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chilo Menga showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Mato darts in trying to clinch

and Menga counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Mato is fighting off a takedown attempt but Menga is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Mato to the mat. Mato regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Mato is looking to stand up but Menga isn't so interested in that idea.
Menga slips nicely into half guard.
Menga missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Menga postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Mato to stand up.
Mauno Mato seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mato wants to clinch

and Menga counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Menga trying to mount his opponent but Mato defends it.
Mato is trying to stand up here but Menga is controlling him well.

Menga is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Mato defends it well.
Menga takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Menga prevents Mato from standing back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Menga moves nicely into side control.
Menga cracks Mato with a big elbow.
Menga cracks Mato with a big elbow.
Mato pushes Menga away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Menga gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Menga looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Menga tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Menga has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Menga prevents Mato from escaping the position.
Menga has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Menga wants to control for a moment but Mato uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Menga makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Menga.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mato is looking to stand up but Menga won't let him.

Mato gets to his feet - Menga follows without any prompting.
Menga on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Mato. Mato obviously looking to wear him down.
Mato clinches but Menga breaks the clinch

and Menga counters with a nice double leg into side control. Mato won't be happy with that.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Menga scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Mato to see if he's OK.
Mato is working to avoid the ground and pound but Menga connects with a decent elbow.
Mato is not content to let Menga control the position.
Menga controlling the position.
Mato pushes Menga away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Menga gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Menga works to advance to full mount. Mato defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.

Menga looking to secure an arm triangle but Mato defends it well.
You get the feeling that Mato really doesn't like being in this position too much.

Menga looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Mato wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Menga lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Mato hang on?
Menga is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Mato can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Menga connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Menga scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Mato?

Mato is rocked!
Menga with a couple of short strikes.
Oh Mato is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Menga working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Menga working Mato over with strikes here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Menga looking to finish Mato with some ground and pound. This is bad for Mato!
Menga is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Mato can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Menga has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Menga in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Menga scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Mato wants to get back to his feet.
Menga controlling the pace for now.
Mato is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Mato seems to have got his legs back now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mato is squirming around, avoiding Menga's attempts to control the action.
Mauno Mato has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mato throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chilo Menga comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Menga winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 26:30
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 26:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chilo Menga!