PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rafael Mendes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Phoenix Moffatt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Mendes
vs
Moffatt

175 cm
19
169 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

178 cm
22
163 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Rafael Mendes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Phoenix Moffatt!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Yves DeLean and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Moffatt throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Mendes gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Moffatt pushes off an fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Mendes tries to stall but Moffatt uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Moffatt can't break the clinch.
Mendes jumps guard but Moffatt stands there with Mendes around his waist. Mendes gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Moffatt looking to throw knees to the head but Mendes is blocking nicely.
Mendes can't get the takedown.
Mendes drops down looking for an ankle pick but Moffatt pulls his leg out and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rafael Mendes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Moffatt wants to clinch but Mendes slips to the side

and Mendes counters by clinching up.

Mendes pulls guard effortlessly.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mendes is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Mendes wants to sweep but no luck.
Moffatt wants to stand but Mendes is controlling his posture from full guard.
Moffatt looks gassed!
Mendes pulls Moffatt in close to his closed guard and prevents Moffatt from doing any damage or advancing position.
Mendes wants to get back to his feet but Moffatt is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes has a closed guard, preventing Moffatt from standing up.

Mendes manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Moffatt misses with a two punch combination.

Mendes clinches.
Moffatt tries to land a knee to the head but Mendes blocks with his arms.

Mendes breaks the clinch.
Mendes lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Mendes.

Mendes decides to stand back up. Mendes steps back and let's Moffatt get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendes turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

Mendes gets a takedown into half guard.
Moffatt is trying to stand up here but Mendes is controlling him well.
Mendes wants to pass the guard but Moffatt is defending well.
Mendes takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Moffatt keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Mendes content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Moffatt tries to kick Mendes off but Mendes keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendes takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mendes prevents Moffatt from standing back up.
Moffatt keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Moffatt is looking to escape.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Mendes shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Moffatt tries to kick Mendes off but Mendes keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Mendes gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Moffatt looks to clinch

and Mendes counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Mendes.

Moffatt escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Moffatt throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Mendes counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Moffatt wants to stand and escape but Mendes is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Mendes dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Mendes changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Moffatt tries to avoid it but Mendes manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Moffatt to the ground. Moffatt escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Moffatt misses with a double jab

and Mendes counters by moving into the clinch.

Mendes manages to break the clinch.
Mendes misses with a takedown attempt - Moffatt sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Moffatt gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Mendes gets to his feet. Moffatt looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Moffatt tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Mendes checks a leg kick.

Mendes instigates a clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mendes turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Moffatt is trying to get back to his feet.
Rafael Mendes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Mendes sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Moffatt is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Moffatt is trying to buck Mendes off.
Mendes is staying tight to Moffatt's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Moffatt tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Moffatt is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

Mendes with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Moffatt is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moffatt is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Mendes looking to control but Moffatt is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Mendes looking to control and managing it successfully.

Mendes looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Moffatt's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Mendes tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
You get the feeling that Moffatt really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Mendes takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Moffatt is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Moffatt blocking the ground and pound.
Moffatt's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Mendes dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Moffatt wants to clinch but Mendes slips to the side
and Mendes counters with a leg kick.
Moffatt closes the distance looking to clinch

and Mendes moves into the clinch.
Moffatt misses with a knee strike.
Mendes blocks the elbow strike.
Moffatt managing to block the knees to the body from Mendes.

Mendes breaks from the clinch.

Mendes closes the distance and clinches.
Mendes landing knees to the head.
Mendes tries to pull guard but Moffatt holds him up against the cage and eventually Mendes drops back down to his feet.

Mendes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Mendes clinches up with Moffatt and pushes him back against the cage.
Mendes blocks an elbow strike.
Mendes unloads a knee to the mid-section. Moffatt lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Mendes has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Moffatt uses from the top position.
Mendes trying to control the position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Moffatt preventing the sweep.
Mendes tries to strike from the bottom.
Mendes is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Moffatt would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Moffatt decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Mendes misses with a head kick.
Moffatt throws a left and a right that both miss
and Mendes counters with a left and a right that stings Moffatt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Mendes gets a clinch.
Moffatt pushes off an fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Moffatt tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Moffatt creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Mendes's defenses.
Moffatt misses with an elbow strike.
Mendes is trying to break the clinch but Moffatt has him pressed against the cage.
Moffatt tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Moffatt scores with a knee to the head.
Mendes fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Mendes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A combination from Moffatt does no damage.
Moffatt pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Mendes closes the distance and clinches.
Moffatt wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Moffatt gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Mendes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rafael Mendes. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Mendes has clasped his hands together around Moffatt's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Mendes misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendes throwing shots but missing, from side control.

Mendes stands up.

Mendes has managed to clinch.
Moffatt lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Mendes blocks the elbow strike.

Mendes escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Moffatt tries to clinch up

and Mendes moves into the clinch.
Mendes wants a takedown.
Moffatt landing knees to the head.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Moffatt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A knee to the head by Moffatt.
Moffatt misses with a knee to the head.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Moffatt.
Moffatt using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Mendes has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Mendes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Moffatt throws a sloppy head kick and Mendes moves out of range easily.
Moffatt tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Mendes closes the distance and clinches.

Mendes escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Mendes scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Moffatt looks like he's trying to stand up.
Phoenix Moffatt has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mendes wants to stand up but Moffatt has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Rafael Mendes is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Mendes slows the pace down in half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rafael Mendes showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Mendes 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 30:27
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rafael Mendes!