PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Paulao Maluko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Edson Mendes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Maluko
vs
Mendes

183 cm
25
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
18
188 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Decent elbows
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Paulao Maluko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Edson Mendes!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Paulo Santos and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Maluko moves into the clinch.
Maluko creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Mendes's defenses.

It looks like Edson Mendes has been cut.
Maluko lands a damaging elbow.

Maluko manages to break the clinch.

Maluko moves into range and clinches up with Mendes.
Maluko lands a knee to the body.
Maluko lands an elbow just above Mendes 's eye.

Maluko manages to break the clinch.
Maluko misses with a jab, cross combination.
Maluko throws a quick inside leg kick.
Mendes looks gassed!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Maluko clinches up with Mendes and pushes him back against the cage.
Mendes takes an elbow to the temple.
Maluko lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Knees in the clinch landing for Maluko.
Knees to the body from Maluko.
Maluko is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Maluko landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Maluko lands an elbow just above Mendes 's eye.

Maluko escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Maluko pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Maluko moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maluko using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Maluko crunches a lovely knee into Mendes's ribcage.
Mendes takes a knee right on the jaw!
Maluko lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Maluko lands an elbow inside that Mendes shrugs off.
Mendes takes a knee to the side of the body.
Maluko lands an elbow just above Mendes 's eye.
Maluko lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Maluko lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Maluko comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Maluko lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Maluko's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Maluko gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Maluko gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Maluko creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Mendes's defenses.
Maluko lands a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendes takes an elbow to the forehead.
Maluko landing knees to the head.

Maluko breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Maluko takes the fight into the clinch.
Maluko lands an elbow just above Mendes 's eye.
Mendes jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Maluko walks away with a smile on his face. Mendes gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Paulao Maluko is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Maluko throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A slapping leg kick lands for Maluko.
Maluko wants to clinch.
Maluko throws a sloppy head kick and Mendes moves out of range easily.
Mendes blocks the body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maluko fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Mendes, pushing him back against the cage.
Maluko lands an elbow inside that Mendes shrugs off.
Mendes tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Maluko just stands there and leans against the cage.
Maluko lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

Maluko's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Maluko throws a sloppy head kick and Mendes moves out of range easily.

Maluko has Mendes up against the cage in a clinch.

Maluko escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mendes shoots in but Maluko avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Paulao Maluko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Edson Mendes.
Mendes doesn't manage to clinch there - Maluko circles away.

Maluko clinches with his opponent.
Mendes tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Maluko just stands there and leans against the cage.
Maluko unloads a knee to the mid-section. Mendes lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maluko lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Maluko landing knees to the head.
Mendes takes an elbow to the temple.

Maluko breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Maluko is looking to land body kicks.
Maluko lands a nice looking body kick.
A nice leg kick lands there from Maluko.

Maluko closes the distance and pushes Mendes back into the cage.
Maluko gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Maluko comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Maluko crunches a lovely knee into Mendes's ribcage.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Maluko scores a nice knee to the body.

Maluko breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Maluko lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
A bone on bone clash there as Mendes blocks the leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulao Maluko dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Edson Mendes's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Maluko explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Mendes is defended easily by Maluko.
Maluko tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Maluko lands a head kick!
Mendes takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.

Maluko gets a clinch.
Maluko tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Mendes takes a knee to the side of the body.
Maluko scores a nice knee to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Maluko utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Maluko lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Maluko obliges.

Maluko breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Maluko instigates a clinch.
Mendes takes an elbow to the forehead.
Maluko gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Maluko breaks from the clinch.
Maluko lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Maluko delivers a nice body kick.
Mendes takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Maluko is looking to slow Mendes down with leg kicks.
Mendes takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Maluko throws a head kick that misses.
Maluko cracks the inside of Mendes's front leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maluko throws a head kick that misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Maluko looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Maluko misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mendes fails to land the takedown.
A solid leg kick lands there for Maluko.
Maluko misses with a series of wild punches.

Maluko rushes Mendes and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Mendes tries to pull guard but Maluko won't allow it.
Paulao Maluko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Edson Mendes.
Mendes takes an elbow to the temple.

Maluko breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maluko moves into the clinch successfully.
Nice elbow from Maluko.
Maluko lands a nice knee to the body.
Maluko lands a nice elbow.

Maluko breaks the clinch.
Mendes's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Maluko lands an elbow that stopped Mendes in his tracks for a moment.
Mendes takes an elbow to the temple.
Maluko lands a good knee to the midsection. Mendes won't want to take too many of those.
Mendes jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Maluko walks away with a smile on his face. Mendes gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Maluko throws a right hand that Mendes ducks under and follows up with a left that Mendes also avoids with ease.
Maluko misses with a two punch combination.
Maluko bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendes blocks the elbow strike.
Maluko throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Mendes blocks it with crossed arms.
Mendes fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Mendes takes an elbow to the forehead.
Maluko tries to land knees in the clinch but Mendes avoids the damage to the body.
Mendes tries to pull guard but Maluko won't allow it.
Maluko tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Mendes avoids it.
Maluko throws an elbow that misses.

Maluko breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Mendes looks for a takedown but Maluko sprawls well.
Mendes swats away the attempt to clinch by Maluko.
Maluko tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulao Maluko dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Edson Mendes's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Maluko moves into the clinch successfully.

Maluko breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Maluko misses with a low kick.

Maluko has Mendes up against the cage in a clinch.
Maluko with a knee to the head.

Maluko breaks from the clinch.
Maluko misses with a kick to the body.
Maluko tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mendes paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Maluko pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Maluko wants to clinch.
Mendes tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Maluko swivels and escapes.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maluko swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Maluko tries to close the distance and clinch but Mendes swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Maluko tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mendes swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Nice takedown defense from Maluko. No joy for Mendes on that attempt.

Maluko has Mendes up against the cage in a clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Maluko obliges.
Maluko unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Maluko connects with a knee to the head.
Mendes tries to pull guard but Maluko won't allow it.
Paulao Maluko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Edson Mendes.

Maluko breaks the clinch.
Maluko tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Maluko tries to clinch up.
Mendes avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maluko lands a head kick. Mendes smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Mendes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mendes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mendes closes this distance looking for a takedown but Maluko circles away.
Maluko throws a push kick but Mendes slaps the foot to one side.
Maluko throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Mendes.
Maluko wants to land a leg kick but Mendes is out of range.
Maluko tries to clinch but Mendes is having none of it.
Mendes shoots in looking for a takedown. Maluko tries to sprawl out of it but Mendes keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Maluko manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Maluko tries to clinch but Mendes moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maluko throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Maluko clinches.
Mendes takes a knee right on the jaw!
Maluko with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Maluko is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mendes can do to turn this around?

Mendes pulls guard effortlessly.

Mendes is working actively from the bottom, looking for submissions. He's escaped his hips to the side and he's going for an armbar! Maluko has his hands clasped together but Mendes extends an breaks Maluko's desperate grasp, forcing a tap out due to armbar! Nice BJJ displayed there by Mendes.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:41 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Edson Mendes!