PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Cruz Mendes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vedran Russo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Mendes
vs
Russo

177 cm
25
155 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

183 cm
26
155 lbs
3 - 2 - 1

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Cruz Mendes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Vedran Russo!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Roger Salmon and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fighters circle momentarily. Mendes darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Mendes plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Russo shoots in and drives through. Mendes sprawls well.
Mendes tests Russo's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Mendes throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Mendes lands a lovely overhand right.
Mendes keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Russo fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Mendes avoids it really well and circles away.
Cruz Mendes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Vedran Russo.
Russo thows a body shot but no joy.
Russo shoots in looking for a takedown. Mendes tries to sprawl out of it but Russo 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Mendes misses with a head kick.
Mendes throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Mendes lands with a straight right. Russo didn't see that one coming.
Mendes fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Russo avoids it really well and circles away.
Mendes shoots in looking for a takedown. Russo tries to sprawl out of it but Mendes keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Russo manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Mendes lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Russo 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 Russo off to one side.
An inside leg kick lands from Mendes.
Russo tries to close the distance and clinch but Mendes swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Mendes misses with a looping right.
Russo takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.

Russo clinches with his opponent.
The referee is keeping an eye on Russo - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Russo trying to land knees to the body.

Russo breaks from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Russo tries a head kick but it misses.
Cruz Mendes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Russo shoots in for a takedown but Mendes shows good takedown defense.
Mendes moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Russo takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Mendes works the jab nicely.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Russo is defended easily by Mendes.
Mendes throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Crunch! Mendes slams his shin into Russo's torso.
Mendes throws a nice head kick!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendes uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Russo blocks a head kick by Mendes.
Russo moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Russo tries to clinch there but Mendes circles away.
A thudding body kick lands there by Mendes!
Russo throws a right and a left that Mendes avoids nicely.
Mendes takes a swing at Russo's ribcage but misses.
Mendes slaps away a takedown attempt from Russo, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Russo steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Mendes. That one must have hurt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Russo moves in looking to clinch but Mendes pushes him off.
Mendes looks to throw a body kick
and Russo counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cruz Mendes dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Mendes throws a body kick that misses.
Russo shoots in but no luck this time.
Mendes shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Russo pinned against the cage. Russo gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Russo shoots in looking for a takedown. Mendes tries to sprawl out of it but Russo 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.
Russo shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Mendes fails with the takedown.
Russo takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes throws a big shot that misses.
Cruz Mendes is winning the standup battle so far.
Russo on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Mendes. Mendes obviously looking to wear him down.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Mendes.
Mendes misses with a leg kick.
Russo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Mendes.
Russo has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Mendes.
Mendes misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mendes shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Russo as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cruz Mendes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Russo fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Russo fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendes feints and then cracks Russo's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Russo down.
A slapping leg kick lands for Mendes.
Mendes scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Russo doesn't seem bothered though.
Russo displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Mendes.
Decent striking displayed by Mendes there.
Russo avoids the head kick by Mendes.
Vedran Russo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Russo blocks a head kick by Mendes.
Mendes throws a lazy right hand but Russo sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Russo tries to clinch there but Mendes circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Russo fails with the takedown.
Russo has a takedown stuffed.
A lazy left from Mendes finds it's target.
Mendes shoots in looking for a takedown but Russo manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Mendes's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Mendes connects with a high kick.
Mendes lands with a cross.
Mendes goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Russo shoots in and drives through. Mendes sprawls well.
Russo looks for a takedown but Mendes sprawls well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendes lands a nice looking body kick.
Russo shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Russo is breathing heavily.
Crunch! Mendes slams his shin into Russo's torso.
Russo moves out of range of the body kick from Mendes.
Russo misses with a series of wild punches.
A head kick misses from Mendes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Russo walks into a jab.
Russo avoids a kick to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cruz Mendes dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Russo shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Mendes as he jumps to the side.
Russo blocks a jab.
Mendes with a jab.
Russo shoots for a takedown but Mendes saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Mendes lands the left hand.
Mendes scores with a jab to the jaw.
Russo shoots in looking for a takedown but Mendes manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Russo's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Cruz Mendes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Vedran Russo.
Mendes tries for a takedown but Russo sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Mendes slips a jab and a cross from Russo.
Decent striking displayed by Mendes there.
Mendes looks to land a body kick but Russo moved away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes scores with a nice body kick.
Mendes swings for the body but Russo moves out of range.
Mendes dips to his left and cracks Russo with an uppercut!
Russo shoots in looking for a takedown. Mendes tries to sprawl out of it but Russo 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 keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Russo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A cross from Mendes lands.
Mendes throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Russo on the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Russo dives in and grabs Mendes's left leg, looking for a takedown. Mendes pushes down on Russo's head and hops out.
Mendes shoots in for a takedown but Russo shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Mendes throws a hook to the side of Russo's head but Russo sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Mendes stuffs the takedown.
Russo fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Mendes avoids it really well and circles away.
Russo moves out of range as Mendes throws a body kick.
Russo avoids a kick to the body.
Nice body kick there by Mendes.
Mendes misses with a head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Russo shoots in for a takedown but Mendes shows good takedown defense.
Mendes wants to clinch.
Mendes plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
A head kick misses from Mendes.
Russo is trying desperately to land a takedown but Mendes is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Russo.
Russo sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Mendes throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Mendes connects with a leg kick. Russo looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
An inside leg kick lands from Mendes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Russo shoots in for a double leg but Mendes sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Russo displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Mendes.
Russo shoots in for a double leg but Mendes sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Russo shoots in but no luck this time.
Nice body kick from Mendes.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Russo.
Russo takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Vedran Russo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mendes keeps Russo at a distance using the push kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cruz Mendes showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Mendes, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Josh West scores the fight for Cruz Mendes!
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight for Cruz Mendes!
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight for Cruz Mendes!

Cruz Mendes wins by unanimous decision!
After the fight, Cruz Mendes was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.