PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Anton Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Maximus Franco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Maximus Franco has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Anton Mendez's chin.

Mendez
vs
Franco

161 cm
18
151 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

175 cm
17
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Anton Mendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Maximus Franco!
The judges for this bout are Dillan Fox, Gregory Folan and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mendez shoots in and bounces Franco off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Franco can do anything to dispel that myth.
Franco looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mendez is one step ahead there.
Mendez might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Franco utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Mendez lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Mendez with a nice head shot there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franco has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Mendez has passed into side control.
Franco is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco wants to control the action here but instead Mendez manages to pass to full mount!
Franco is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mendez prevents Franco from getting the reversal.
Mendez could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Franco tries to lock up and control but Mendez gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Mendez unloading with bombs!
Franco can't escape the position.
Franco wants to control but Mendez is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Franco keeps trying to improve his position.
Franco tries to hold on but Mendez postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franco is in all sorts of trouble here.
Franco wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.

Mendez working for a submission but Franco is keeping him at bay.
Franco can't escape the position.

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.
Franco tries to hold on but Mendez pushes him away.
Mendez thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Mendez sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Franco wants to hold on but Mendez pushes him away.
Franco can't escape the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Franco tries to hold on but Mendez postures up.
Mendez prevents Franco from getting the reversal.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anton Mendez dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

No luck for Franco with that takedown attempt.
Mendez connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Franco momentarily.

Franco shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Mendez manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Franco postures up in Mendez's guard and throws a big left but Mendez blocks it.
Franco working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Mendez is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Franco is trying to control but Mendez manages to pass to mount!
Mendez punishing his opponent with strikes.
Franco can't escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco tries to hold on but Mendez postures up.
Franco is working to get back to half guard.
Franco is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Franco is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Mendez is staying active.
Franco is desperately trying to improve his position but Mendez has a good base and remains in mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Franco sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Mendez is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Franco is trying to control but Mendez manages to pass to mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendez landing shots from mount.
Franco keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Franco is still trying to improve position.
Franco wants to control but Mendez is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco is desperately trying to improve his position but Mendez has a good base and remains in mount.
Mendez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Franco can do to turn this around?
Franco tries to hold on but Mendez pushes him away.

Mendez looking for a guillotine from mount but Franco is having none of it.
Mendez misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Franco keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anton Mendez dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Franco has his takedown stuffed
and Mendez counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Franco with a lazy takedown attempt
and Mendez counters with a nice uppercut.

Franco drives through with a takedown into Mendez's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Franco must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Franco trying to control but Mendez is working from the bottom.
Mendez wants to stand and escape but Franco is having none of it.

Mendez manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.

Mendez manages to break the clinch.
Franco tries for a takedown but Mendez circles away easily
letting Mendez counter with a right hand.
Anton Mendez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Maximus Franco.
Franco shoots and misses
and Mendez counters with a nice uppercut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Franco fails with the takedown
enabling Mendez to counter with a crisp jab.
Franco takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
The fighters circle momentarily. Mendez darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Mendez scores with the left hand. Franco knows he should have avoided that one.

Mendez shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Franco scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Mendez manages to mount him!
Anton Mendez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Mendez is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The referee warns Franco that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mendez landing punches.
Maximus Franco has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez cracks Franco with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Franco is trying to escape the mount.
Mendez working the ground and pound effectively.
Franco really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Mendez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Franco holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Mendez tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Franco tries to hold on but Mendez pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franco is working to get back to half guard.
Mendez has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Mendez landing strikes from the mount.
Franco tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Mendez avoids the attempt from Franco to control.
Franco keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendez throwing strikes here but Franco is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Franco tries to hold on but Mendez postures up.
Mendez in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Franco is desperately trying to improve his position but Mendez has a good base and remains in mount.
Mendez lands with some strikes.
Mendez working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Anton Mendez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Mendez looking to control but Franco is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anton 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 Dillan Fox scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 30:27

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