PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Enrique Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jose Aldo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mendez comes to the cage accompanied by Juno Reactor - Pistolero. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Mendez
vs
Aldo

175 cm
25
158 lbs
12 - 10 - 0

172 cm
30
157 lbs
14 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 12 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Enrique Mendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jose Aldo!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Robert Twigg and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Aldo cracks Mendez with a right hand to the side of the head.
Mendez fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Mendez moves out of range as Aldo strikes.
A big left from Aldo misses.
Mendez swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Mendez wants to clinch.
Mendez throws a hook to the side of Aldo's head but Aldo sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Aldo throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Mendez walks into a stiff left hand from Aldo.
Mendez moves in looking to clinch but Aldo pushes him off.
Aldo lands with a good body shot.
Aldo lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Mendez at a distance.
Mendez fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aldo throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Aldo swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Aldo throws a right and a left that both miss.

Mendez gets a clinch.
Mendez fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Mendez tries to circle away but Aldo has him pinned against the cage.
Mendez is trying to push Aldo away but Aldo has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Mendez tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Mendez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Mendez pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Aldo scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Aldo swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Aldo feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Mendezs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!

Mendez drives through with a takedown into Aldo's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Aldo manages to escape and get back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mendez looks for a takedown but Aldo sprawls well.
Mendez throws a looping overhand right but Aldo ducks down to avoid it.
Mendez throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Aldo counters with a series of strikes. Mendez will be more careful next time no doubt.
Mendez falls off balance throwing a combination
and Aldo connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
A telegraphed right hand from Mendez misses the target.
A combination from Aldo does no damage.
Mendez takes a swing at Aldo's ribcage but misses.
Mendez throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Aldo throws a hook to the side of Mendez's head but Mendez sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendez gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Aldo throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Aldo throws a big shot that misses.
Mendez moves away from the strike by Aldo.
Aldo throws a body punch but Mendez moves out of range.
Aldo tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Mendez was well out of range. Poor timing from Aldo.
Aldo scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Mendez tries to clinch but Aldo is having none of it.
Aldo connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Mendez's hands.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Mendez.
Mendez misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Aldo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Aldo misses with a hook. Mendez ducked under it nicely.
Mendez shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Aldo but Aldo pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Enrique Mendez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Aldo throws a one two combo.
Nice body punch from Aldo.
Aldo avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Mendez closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Aldo quickly recovers to half guard.
Mendez is breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mendez stalling away here and it's allowed Aldo to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Aldo is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Aldo wriggles free and stands up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Aldo dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Aldo throws an off balance right hand
enabling Mendez to counter with a crisp jab.
Aldo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Mendez manages to avoid it.
Mendez looks to land a right hand but Aldo moved out of range.
Aldo slips under a jab.
Nice shot by Aldo.
Aldo's corner calls for a 1-2. Aldo obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Mendez fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Aldo looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Mendez lands a two punch combo.
Aldo lands a jab to Mendez's midsection.
Aldo tries to bum rush Mendez with a series of wild strikes but Mendez uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A punch combination from Aldo misses.
Aldo ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Aldo misses with an uppercut
and Mendez cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aldo misses with a hook. Mendez ducked under it nicely.
Aldo misses with a body shot.
Aldo on the wrong end of a nice jab.

Mendez moves into the clinch successfully.

Aldo breaks the clinch.
Jose Aldo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Mendez lands a head shot.
Aldo tries to bum rush Mendez with a series of wild strikes but Mendez uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Mendez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Aldo.
Mendez tries to clinch up but Aldo circles away and keeps his distance.
Mendez moves out of range as Aldo strikes.
Mendez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Aldo.
Aldo connects with the punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aldo connects with a good right hand that stumbles Mendez. Mendez circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Aldo lands with an overhand left.

Mendez fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Aldo, pushing him back against the cage.
Aldo tries to break the clinch but Mendez is controlling the position.
Aldo can't break the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Aldo's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Aldo has Mendez pressed against the cage, preventing Mendez from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mendez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Aldo is trying to break the clinch but Mendez is controlling him.
Mendez lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Aldo backwards.

Aldo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nice defenses there by Mendez.
Aldo misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aldo throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Mendez misses with a straight left.
A looping hook to the body misses from Aldo. Mendez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Aldo's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Mendez connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Aldo scrambles back to his feet.
Mendez ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Mendez tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Aldo was well out of range. Poor timing from Mendez.
Mendez uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Aldo.

Mendez drives through and clinches with Aldo against the cage.

Mendez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mendez moves out of range as Aldo strikes.
Nice cross by Mendez.
Aldo works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Aldo.
Mendez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Aldo.
Mendez gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Aldo moves into range and connects with a jab.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Aldo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Aldo swats away the attempt to clinch by Mendez.
Aldo looks to score with a jab to the body but Mendez is just out of range.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Some wild striking there from Mendez.
Aldo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Enrique Mendez will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. 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.

Mendez has Aldo up against the cage in a clinch.

Mendez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mendez throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Mendez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Aldo misses with a few strikes there.
Aldo misses with a straight right.
A big right from Aldo misses.
Aldo lands a really nice looking cross but Mendez seems unphased.
Aldo takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Mendez staying out of range there.
Aldo throws the left hand but Mendez avoids the punch easily.
Mendez throws a right and a left that Aldo avoids nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendez swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Jose Aldo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Aldo lands with a right hand.
Aldo changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Jab, jab by Aldo - just one landing.
Aldo lands a slapping body shot.
Aldo scores with a nice strike.
Aldo lands a body shot.
Mendez looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Aldo steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Mendez.
Mendez misses with a wild body shot.
Mendez moves out of range as Aldo strikes.
Some wild striking there from Aldo.
A big right from Aldo misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Aldo.
Mendez is looking to clinch.
Mendez digs a good body shot into Aldo's ribs.
Mendez shoots in but no luck this time.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Aldo dodges the punch combination from Mendez.
Mendez misses with a hook to the body
and Aldo counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Mendez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Aldo scores with a crisp jab that stopped Mendez in his tracks.
Mendez takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Aldo. Mendez does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aldo dips to his left and cracks Mendez with an uppercut!
Aldo lands a lovely overhand right.
Mendez thuds a left hand into Aldo's body.
Nice straight punches there by Aldo. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Aldo.
Mendez defending well as Aldo loads up on a big left hand.
Mendez misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Aldo darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Aldo swinging wildly here.
A looping hook to the body misses from Aldo. Mendez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Aldo ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Nice shot by Aldo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aldo throws a jab but it's blocked by Mendez.
Mendez takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Aldo misses with a shot to the body

and Mendez counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mendez in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Aldo controls Mendez momentarily but Mendez frees himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mendez stays in close to Aldo's body and controls the position.
Mendez stops Aldo from standing up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Aldo being controlled here, momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jose Aldo.
I think Aldo has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:29
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jose Aldo!
Jose Aldo decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.