PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Heath Chappell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paco Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mendez has chosen La Puerta Negra as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Chappell
vs
Mendez

170 cm
23
135 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

170 cm
19
144 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)

Tokyo United Fightwear

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 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Heath Chappell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Paco Mendez!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Colin Fray and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Chappell tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mendez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mendez misses with a looping left.
Mendez throws a sloppy head kick
and Chappell counters with an outside leg kick.
Mendez's coach down at Hilo Training Center was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Mendez's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Mendez tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Chappell looks to clinch
and Mendez counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Chappell throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Chappell has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Chappell there as he acknowledges the shot.
A clash of legs there as Mendez blocks the low kick.
Mendez scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Mendez circles away from the clinch attempt
and Mendez connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Chappell tries to close the distance and clinch but Mendez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Chappell doesn't manage to clinch there - Mendez circles away.
Chappell wants to clinch.
Chappell definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Mendez connects with a body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Chappell connects with a high kick.

It looks like Paco Mendez has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Chappell forces Mendez back against the cage and clinches.
Mendez lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Chappell backwards.
Chappell is trying to break the clinch but Mendez has him pressed against the cage.

Chappell breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Good shot there by Mendez.
Mendez cracks Chappell with an open hand slap.
Mendez lands with a hook. Chappell tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Mendez misses with a straight right.
Mendez throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Chappell takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

Chappell is rocked!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mendez lands the left hand.
Oh Chappell is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Chappell closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Chappell seems to have got his legs back now.
Chappell misses with a knee strike.
Chappell landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Chappell has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chappell misses with a knee to the head.
Chappell on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Stalling in the clinch from Mendez.
Mendez keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Chappell's efforts to push away.
Mendez lands with a light punch inside.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Chappell obliges.
Chappell looking to throw knees to the head but Mendez is blocking nicely.
Mendez lands a body punch in the clinch.
Mendez keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Chappell's efforts to push away.
Mendez keeps control of Chappell as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Chappell misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Mendez.
Chappell misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Mendez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chappell tries to circle away but Mendez has him pinned against the cage.
Mendez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Chappell with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Chappell is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Mendez is defending well for now.

Mendez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A combination from Mendez does no damage.
Chappell wants to clinch but Mendez slips to the side
and Mendez counters with a three punch combo that has Chappell backing up. Chappell nods at Mendez to acknowledge the strikes.
Nice uppercut lands for Mendez. That snapped Chappell's head back.
Mendez is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Chappell had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Mendez throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mendez tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Chappell was well out of range. Poor timing from Mendez.
Nice defenses there by Chappell.
Mendez jabs Chappell to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Paco Mendez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mendez looks to land a right hand but Chappell moved out of range.
Chappell doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Chappell tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chappell tries to clinch
and Mendez counters with a straight right hand.
Chappell cracks the inside of Mendez's front leg.
Mendez pivots, looking for a leg kick but Chappell is out of range and Mendez settles back down.
Chappell tries to clinch up but Mendez circles away and keeps his distance.
Chappell takes one on the button.
Mendez digs a good body shot into Chappell's ribs.
Chappell is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Mendez has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Chappell.
Mendez ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Chappell moves away.
Mendez misses with a looping right.
Chappell tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Mendez manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Chappell fails with an attempt to clinch.
Mendez slips a straight right by Chappell.
Chappell wants to clinch.
Chappell avoids the body shot from Mendez.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paco Mendez dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Paco Mendez's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Mendez with a hook.
Paco Mendez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Mendez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mendez lands a nice hook to Chappell's body. Chappell takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Chappell tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Mendez manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Mendez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mendez swings for the body but Chappell moves out of range.
Chappell takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Mendez avoids the head kick by Chappell.
Mendez pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Mendez with a hook.
A looping hook to the body misses from Mendez. Chappell does a little dance to reset his feet.
Mendez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Chappell fails with an attempt to clinch.
A decent looking cross lands there for Mendez.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Chappell wants to clinch up but Mendez keeps it at a distance.
Mendez throws a leg kick
and Chappell counters with a good low kick that Mendez was not able to check.
Chappell pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendez throws a body punch but Chappell moves out of range.
Mendez lands a lovely overhand right.
Mendez blocks a head kick by Chappell.
Mendez will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Mendez avoids the head kick by Chappell.
Chappell throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Chappell is looking to clinch.
Mendez misses with a hook to the body
and Chappell counters with a head kick. That will keep Mendez thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Mendez looks to score with a jab to the body but Chappell is just out of range.

Chappell clinches with his opponent.
Chappell misses with a knee strike.
Mendez stalling in the clinch.
Mendez lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Chappell obliges.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Mendez takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Chappell connects with a nasty looking knee right to Mendez's face.
Chappell using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Mendez has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Mendez stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Chappell unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Mendez avoiding damage as Chappell throws knees to the body.
Mendez is looking to break free of the clinch but Chappell has double underhooks.
Chappell misses with a knee to the head.

Chappell's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Chappell takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Mendez connects with a body shot that sends Chappell's belly button to the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chappell darts in trying to clinch
and Mendez counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Mendez scores with a jab to the body.
Chappell throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Chappell checks the leg kick nicely there.
Mendez connects with a nice looking jab.
Chappell pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Mendez comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Mendez blocks the body kick.
Mendez works Chappell's body with a nice hook.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mendez scores with a jab to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mendez cracks Chappell with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
The fight stays on the outside here - Chappell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Mendez's jab looks to have found its range, popping Chappell under the eye.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendez ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Chappell moves away.
Mendez moves out of range of the body kick.
Chappell tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mendez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Chappell doesn't manage to clinch there - Mendez circles away.
Mendez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Chappell tries to clinch there but Mendez circles away.
Mendez thows a leg kick but Chappell checks it
and Chappell counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Mendez is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Mendez avoids a kick to the body.
Chappell wants to clinch but Mendez slips to the side
and Mendez counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Mendez throws an overhand right that drops Chappell like a sack of potatoes! Mendez dives in to finish the fight with more strikes and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:46 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Paco Mendez!
Paco Mendez was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.