GFC 18: Mendes vs. Rector PBP Commentary

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Adam Fitch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lex Lee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fitch comes to the cage accompanied by HEALTH - TEARS. Adam Fitch could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Lex Lee's chin.

Fitch
vs
Lee

190 cm
19
220 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

200 cm
28
260 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Powerful takedowns
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Torment Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Adam Fitch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lex Lee!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fitch lands a leg kick that knocks Lee off balance momentarily.
Lee looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Fitch is fending him off so far but Lee persists. Nope, Fitch circles away and we're back to standing.
Fitch misses with a few strikes there.
Fitch lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Lee at a distance.
Fitch lands with a cross.
Lee looks winded!
Fitch fails with the takedown.
A head kick misses from Fitch.

Fitch gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Fitch breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Lee shoots in for a double leg but Fitch sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Lee fails with a takedown attempt.
Adam Fitch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Lex Lee.
Lee is trying hard to land a takedown here. Fitch sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Adam Fitch seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Fitch landing knees to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Fitch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Fitch as Lee tries to tie him up.

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

Fitch closes the distance and clinches.
Lee is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Fitch digs a right hand underneath Lee's ribcage. Lee let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Lee doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Fitch escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Fitch fails with the takedown.

Fitch lands a left and a right that send Lee crashing to the mat, dazed. Fitch thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

It looks like Lex Lee has been cut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Fitch throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Lee shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Fitch sprawls well. Fitch wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Lee gets slowly back to his feet.
Fitch connects with a stiff jab that staggers Lee - oh and he follows up with a huge uppercut that knocks him out cold! Man, that was brutal!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:05 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Adam Fitch!
Adam Fitch took to the microphone after his victory and thanked his sponsors, Torment Fightwear for their support in the buildup to the fight.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
72%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Gilbert Melendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tom Yabo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melendez comes to the cage accompanied by 2Pac-Ballad of a Dead Soulja. Tom Yabo has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Gilbert Melendez's chin.

Melendez
vs
Yabo

175 cm
26
165 lbs
3 - 1 - 1

175 cm
18
160 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

CEC Nutrition Q160

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 3 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Gilbert Melendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tom Yabo!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Melendez misses with the combination.
Yabo throws a right and a left that Melendez avoids nicely.
Yabo throws the kick towards the body but Melendez avoids it.
Yabo throws a series of punches but Melendez moves out of range.
Nice defenses there by Melendez.

Melendez shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Melendez was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Melendez sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Melendez has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Melendez moves to take his opponent's back.
What can Yabo do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yabo trying to control the action but Melendez just sinks the hooks in.
Yabo is really stuck here.
What can Yabo do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
Yabo trying to control the position but Melendez manages to sink in the hooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Yabo.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Gilbert Melendez just wasn't active enough.
Yabo just misses with a punch to the body.
Melendez shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Yabo pinned against the cage. Yabo gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Melendez.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yabo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez avoids the body shot from Yabo.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Melendez.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gilbert Melendez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yabo throws a body punch but Melendez moves out of range.
A head kick misses from Yabo.
Yabo thows a body shot but no joy.
Yabo looks to land a left hand but Melendez moved out of range nicely.
Yabo tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Melendez was well out of range. Poor timing from Yabo.
Yabo looks to throw the jab but Melendez is out of range.
Yabo takes a swing at Melendez's ribcage but misses.

Melendez closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melendez content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Melendez's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Yabo is trying to get back to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yabo being controlled for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Yabo scores with a three punch combo!
Yabo is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Melendez rather than just go for the knockout.
Yabo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Yabo lands a nice shot to the body.
Yabo misses the shot to the body.

Melendez decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Melendez is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Yabo is trying to maintain the position but Melendez is very close to passing his half guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Melendez controlling the action here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gilbert Melendez has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Yabo tries to keep at a distance but Melendez has taken the fight into the clinch.
Melendez is leaning against Yabo and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Yabo has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Yabo misses with a punch on the inside.

Melendez manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Yabo must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Melendez keeping moving, preventing Yabo from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Melendez is on top in guard.
Melendez stays in close to Yabo's body and controls the position.
Melendez slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Yabo seems a little lost for a moment, as Melendez dominates the positioning.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Melendez has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Yabo is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Gilbert Melendez just wasn't active enough.
Yabo misses with a few strikes there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yabo digs a good hook to Melendez's body.
Yabo swinging wildly here.
Yabo throws a right and a left that Melendez avoids nicely.
Melendez showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Yabo.
Yabo throws a one two combo.
Melendez looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Melendez dives in and scores a takedown into Yabo's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Melendez is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gilbert Melendez 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!

Melendez avoids a punch combination nicely.

Melendez closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Yabo is looking for a sweep.
Melendez has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Melendez controlling his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yabo is desperately trying to improve his position but Melendez has a good base and remains in mount.
Melendez controlling from the full mount.

We're going to have a standup here because Gilbert Melendez wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Melendez throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Yabo tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Melendez is in Yabo's guard.
Melendez controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Yabo is trying to control the position but Melendez postures up.
Melendez passes Yabo's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Melendez takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yabo wants to control but Melendez is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Yabo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Melendez works his way into full mount!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Melendez content just to control the position here.
Melendez seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Yabo for as long as he can get away with.
Melendez is dominating on the ground here - he's now on his opponent's back, looking to sink in the hooks. Yabo is in real trouble.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Gilbert Melendez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez is hanging on to Yabo's back as he tries to escape.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Gilbert Melendez.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Melendez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melendez remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Melendez has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Yabo!
Tom Yabo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Melendez sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gilbert Melendez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Melendez, 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gilbert Melendez!
Gilbert Melendez thanked the fans post fight for their support.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
51%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rayden Warmaster (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nick Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Warmaster comes to the cage accompanied by The Warrior. Diaz is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Deftones - Feiticeira. On his way into the cage it seems that Rayden Warmaster has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Rayden Warmaster seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Warmaster
vs
Diaz

185 cm
28
185 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

225 cm
27
185 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent MT
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rayden Warmaster!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Nick Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Warmaster moves into range and clinches up with Diaz.
Diaz can't break the clinch.
Diaz is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Warmaster lands a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Warmaster.
A frustrated look appears on Diaz's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Warmaster lands a damaging elbow.
Diaz takes an elbow to the temple.

Diaz is rocked!
Warmaster lands an elbow inside that Diaz shrugs off.
Diaz is still on wobbly legs! Can Warmaster finish him?

Warmaster lands a vicious elbow to the side of Diaz's head that scrambles his senses and sends him wobbling down to the canvas! Warmaster tries to finish him with strikes but Diaz still seems able to defend himself so Warmaster steps back and lets Diaz get back to his feet - he wants no part of the ground game.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Warmaster pushes Diaz up against the cage in a clinch.
Warmaster throws 2 knees - Diaz can't escape Warmaster's clinch. As Diaz tries to escape again Warmaster whips his head left to meet with another knee! That's knocked out Diaz's gum shield and as Diaz falls to the floor, the referee steps in to end the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:33 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Knee). Rayden Warmaster!
A relieved looking Rayden Warmaster thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Co-main event

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Velcrow Mercades (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Carter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Mercades might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to The Baddest- Krispy Kreme. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Mercades
vs
Carter

183 cm
26
153 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

170 cm
21
154 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Reaper Combatwear

Go 2 Sleep Fight Gear
Heroic Combat Gear (Laundry service)

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 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Velcrow Mercades!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Matt Carter!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mercades showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Carter.

Carter looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Carter advances position into side control!
Mercades gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Carter working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Mercades tries to buck Carter off but he can't manage it.
Carter scoring with strikes but Mercades is staying in there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Carter working Mercades over with strikes here.
Carter is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Carter throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Mercades because Carter loaded up on that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mercades sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Mercades is looking to improve his position.
Carter missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Carter missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Carter with the ground and pound but Mercades uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Mercades will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Carter stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mercades swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Carter postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Mercades is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Carter, into his guard.
Mercades throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carter is pulling down on Mercades's head to control his posture.

Mercades gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Mercades is looking to score with low kicks.

Carter shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Carter was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Carter lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Carter goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Mercades turns into him and now he's in Carter's guard.
Mercades is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mercades preventing the sweep.
Mercades wants to control from the top but Carter keeps moving.
Mercades stopping the sweep attempt from Carter.
Carter is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Carter preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Mercades trying to control but Carter is working from the bottom.

Carter scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carter throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Mercades sees it coming and avoids it easily.

Carter drives through with a takedown into Mercades's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Mercades preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Carter lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Carter decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Carter shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Carter throws a big elbow that misses.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Carter with a flurry of punches that miss.
Carter trying to control but Mercades is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Carter dominated that 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.

Carter lands a really nice looking cross but Mercades seems unphased.

Carter drops Mercades with a beautiful combination! Mercades stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Carter is looking for the KO!

Mercades is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Carter lands a jab.
Oh Mercades is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Mercades throws a low kick but it's checked well by Carter.
Carter lands with a big right hook that stumbles Mercades - he's out on his feet here! Carter follows up with another monster hook that separates Mercades from consciousness! Mercades falls, almost in slow motion to the canvas! Carter stands and admires his work as the crowd go wild.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:23 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Matt Carter!
Jumping up and down and very excited, Matt Carter waved his t-shirt featuring Go 2 Sleep Fight Gear's logo in front of the cameras.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Main event

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Chad Mendes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andre Rector (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Andre Rector is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Mendes
vs
Rector

175 cm
26
146 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

150 cm
22
135 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Very confident

Torment Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Chad Mendes!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Andre Rector!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rector clinches.
Mendes is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Rector stops a takedown attempt from Mendes.
Rector prevents the takedown attempt.
Rector is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Mendes is defending well.

Rector gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Mendes is not content to let Rector control the position.

Mendes looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Rector is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's one minute gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Andre Rector hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Mendes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chad Mendes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mendes with a poor takedown

and Rector counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rector.
Rector engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Andre Rector.
Mendes will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rector feints and as Mendes raises his hands in defense, Rector changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
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!
Rector stands and throws Mendes's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Mendes struggling a bit here.
Mendes is trying to improve his position.
Rector tries to move to mount but Mendes blocks the move with his legs.
Mendes regains half guard.
Rector wants to stand but Mendes has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Rector controlling the pace.
Mendes is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Rector's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Rector's back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mendes has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Rector has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!

Rector is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Mendes gets his way!
Mendes landing with strikes.

Mendes looking to break Rector's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Rector remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Mendes will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Mendes looking for the RNC.
Mendes punches the canvas rather than the man.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendes tries to keep control of the position but Rector is staying busy.
Rector tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!

Mendes has hold of Rector's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Rector manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Mendes 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.

Mendes looking to secure an arm triangle but Rector defends it well.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rector is looking to improve his position but Mendes isn't that keen on the idea.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rector will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Mendes fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Rector shoots in looking for a takedown. Mendes tries to sprawl out of it but Rector 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.
Chad Mendes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mendes moves in looking to clinch but Rector pushes him off.
Mendes with a lazy takedown attempt

and Rector counters by moving into the clinch.
Mendes tries to land knees in the clinch but Rector avoids the damage to the body.
Mendes drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Rector gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chad Mendes. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Rector gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes trying to control the position.
Rector must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Rector controlling from the top position.
Rector trying to control but Mendes is working from the bottom.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Andre Rector hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Mendes is looking to clinch but Rector is avoiding it.
No luck for Rector with that takedown attempt.
Mendes stuffs the takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mendes looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Rector!
Mendes working Rector over with strikes here.

Mendes goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Rector turns into him and now he's in Mendes's guard.

Mendes is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rector is aware though and is defending well.
Chad Mendes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rector seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

Mendes is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rector is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rector is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rector's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

Mendes has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Rector is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Mendes.

Rector is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Mendes knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mendes is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Mendes gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendes wants to control but Rector is keeping busy.
Rector trying to control from half guard but Mendes is working away.

Mendes looking for submissions off his back.
Rector wants to control but Mendes is keeping him busy.
Rector is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mendes is not content to let Rector control the position.
Well, if Rector is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Andre Rector will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

No luck with that takedown attempt from Mendes.
Mendes fails with an attempt to clinch.

Rector forces Mendes back against the cage and clinches.
Mendes is pressed up against the cage. Rector has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Mendes down to the mat. Mendes avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Mendes shoots in looking for a takedown. Rector tries to sprawl out of it but Mendes keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rector manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Mendes stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Mendes wants it to stay on the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes misses with a takedown attempt

and Rector counters with a shoot takedown. Mendes fights it but they end up in guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chad Mendes. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Mendes is looking for a triangle but Rector pushes his legs off easily.
Mendes trying to control the position.
Rector sitting in guard here, content to control.

Mendes looking for a guillotine here but Rector defends easily.
Rector trying to control but Mendes is working from the bottom.
Rector pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mendes is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendes has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Mendes is trying to keep Rector in close.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Rector fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Mendes, pushing him back against the cage.

Rector lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Rector controlling the action here.
Mendes is staying active underneath Rector, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rector is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Mendes trying to hold on to Rector's head to control him but Rector postures up.
Well, if Rector is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Andre Rector was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Mendes moves in looking to clinch but Rector pushes him off.
Rector has a takedown stuffed.
Mendes misses with a body punch
and Rector counters with a nice uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendes dives in and grabs Rector's left leg, looking for a takedown. Rector pushes down on Mendes's head and hops out.

Rector has managed to clinch.
Rector wants to take the fight to the mat but Mendes manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Rector takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Rector works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

Mendes throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rector wants to control from the top but Mendes keeps moving.

Mendes has his foot on Rector's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Rector works his way back into a safe position though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Mendes has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rector can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Mendes working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Rector doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Rector manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Mendes shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rector but Rector pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mendes doesn't manage to clinch there - Rector circles away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Mendes is defended easily by Rector.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rector drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Rector controls the pace.
Let's hope that Rector has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Rector pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mendes is keeping the position for now.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Andre Rector hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Rector shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Mendes as he jumps to the side.
Rector avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendes tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Rector counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Mendes tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rector stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mendes swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rector trying to control but Mendes is working from the bottom.
Mendes throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mendes looking to control.
Rector preventing the sweep.
Rector looking to pass the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rector sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Mendes's guard.
Rector is keen to just control but Mendes is a slippery customer.
Mendes gets full guard.
Mendes will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Rector is absolutely dripping with sweat - he looks exhausted.
Mendes is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rector stops Mendes from standing up.
Rector distracts Mendes with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Mendes had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Rector defends it easily.

Mendes throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rector looking to pass the guard.
Rector showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Mendes is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rector trying to control the position from guard on top but Mendes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Mendes is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rector is aware though and is defending well.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rector trying to control but Mendes is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Andre Rector.
Rector tries to clinch but Mendes moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andre Rector dominated that fourth round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Rector is defended easily by Mendes.
Rector wants to land a leg kick but Mendes is out of range.
Mendes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rector paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mendes gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Rector counters with a shoot takedown. Mendes fights it but they end up in guard.
Rector trying to control but Mendes is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

Mendes pushes a forearm under Rector's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Rector is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:27 of round 5, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Chad Mendes!
Chad Mendes retains his featherweight title!