PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jeff Lawless (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Louie Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Louie Mendez is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Lawless
vs
Mendez

175 cm
24
169 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

176 cm
25
174 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jeff Lawless!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Louie Mendez!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Roosa Järviläinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lawless swats away the attempt to clinch by Mendez.

Mendez closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Mendez breaks the clinch.
Lawless misses with a takedown attempt - Mendez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Mendez throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
letting Lawless counter with a right hand.
Lawless swats away the attempt to clinch by Mendez.
Lawless lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Lawless misses with a double jab.
No luck for Lawless with that takedown attempt.
Lawless moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Lawless looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jeff Lawless. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mendez closes the distance but Lawless moves to the side
and Lawless counters with a left and a right that stings Mendez.
Mendez tries to clinch up.
Lawless works Mendez's body with a nice hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendez is looking to clinch but Lawless is avoiding it.
Lawless fails with a takedown attempt.
Mendez stuffs the takedown attempt from Lawless. Lawless gets slowly back to his feet.
Mendez doesn't manage to clinch there - Lawless circles away.
Mendez wants to clinch.
Lawless's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Lawless duly obliges.
Mendez doesn't manage to clinch there - Lawless circles away.
Mendez is looking to clinch.
Mendez misses with a combination
and Lawless counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Mendez tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Lawless manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Mendez tries to clinch up but Lawless circles away and keeps his distance.
Lawless fails with a takedown attempt.
Mendez tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Lawless counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Mendez tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Lawless counters with a nice uppercut.
Mendez wants to clinch but Lawless slips to the side
and Lawless counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Mendez tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Lawless manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Mendez tries to clinch
enabling Lawless to counter with a crisp jab.
Lawless connects with a body shot that sends Mendez's belly button to the back.
Mendez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mendez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Lawless swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Lawless gets tackled into the cage by Mendez. Mendez maintains the clinch.

Mendez breaks the clinch.
Mendez tries to clinch but Lawless is having none of it.
Lawless throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Mendez's waist but Mendez gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Lawless off to one side.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lawless shoots in for a takedown but Mendez shows good takedown defense.
Mendez defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Lawless.
Mendez tries to clinch but Lawless moves out of range.

Mendez clinches.
Mendez digs a right hand into Lawless's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Lawless's gas tank.

Mendez breaks from the clinch.
Mendez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
No luck for Lawless with that takedown attempt.
Lawless circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mendez falls off balance throwing a combination
and Lawless counters with a one-two to the body.
Mendez closes the distance but Lawless moves to the side
and Lawless counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Mendez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mendez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendez moves in looking to clinch but Lawless pushes him off.
Mendez falls off balance throwing a combination
and Lawless counters with a left and a right that stings Mendez.
Mendez tries to clinch but Lawless moves out of range.

Mendez has managed to clinch.

Mendez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mendez falls off balance throwing a combination
and Lawless counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Lawless misses with a series of wild punches.
Mendez wants to clinch
and Mendez takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Mendez tries to close the distance and clinch but Lawless swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Mendez fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mendez tries to clinch but Lawless moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Louie Mendez will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Mendez tries to clinch but Lawless moves out of range.

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

Mendez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Lawless avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mendez wants to clinch
and Lawless counters with a stiff right hand.
Lawless misses with a few strikes there.
Lawless stalks Mendez and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Mendez's face. Mendez staggers backwards, shaken.

Mendez drives through and clinches with Lawless against the cage.

Mendez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Lawless lands with a nice combination. Mendez backs away looking to recover.
Mendez tries to clinch but Lawless moves out of range.
Lawless lands a jab.
Lawless swats away the attempt to clinch by Mendez.
Lawless fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Mendez avoids it really well and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mendez rushes Lawless and presses him up against the cage.

Mendez breaks the clinch.
Mendez misses with a double jab
and Lawless counters with a one-two to the body.
Lawless closes this distance looking for a takedown but Mendez circles away.
Mendez fails in his attempt to clinch.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Mendez!

It looks like Jeff Lawless has been cut.
Lawless avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mendez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Lawless swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lawless shoots in looking for a takedown but Mendez manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Lawless's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jeff Lawless. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lawless circles away from the clinch attempt.

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

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Lawless counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Mendez tries to close the distance and clinch but Lawless swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Mendez pushes Lawless up against the cage in a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Mendez manages to break the clinch.
Mendez throws a head kick that misses.
Mendez wants to clinch up but Lawless keeps it at a distance.
Mendez tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Lawless counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Mendez thinking.
Louie Mendez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Lawless shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Mendez as he avoids it easily.
Mendez misses with a combination
and Lawless counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Jeff Lawless is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lawless swats away the attempt to clinch by Mendez.
Mendez looks to clinch
and Lawless counters with a series of strikes. Mendez will be more careful next time no doubt.
Lawless avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lawless will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Lawless tries to score a power double leg takedown but Mendez sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Lawless somewhat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendez throws a left and a right that both miss
and Lawless counters with a one-two to the body.
Mendez is breathing heavily.
Mendez tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Lawless manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Lawless with a body punch. A glancing blow.

Mendez drives through and clinches with Lawless against the cage.
Lawless wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Mendez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Lawless keeps the fight on the outside.
Lawless looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Mendez is fending him off so far but Lawless persists. Nope, Mendez circles away and we're back to standing.
Lawless circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mendez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Lawless is working the combinations to good effect here.
Lawless looks to land a combination but Mendez avoids it well.
Mendez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Mendez tries to clinch but Lawless moves out of range.
Mendez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mendez keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

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.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Mendez manages to break the clinch.
Lawless shoots in looking for a takedown. Mendez tries to sprawl out of it but Lawless keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Mendez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Lawless has a takedown stuffed.
Mendez doesn't manage to clinch there - Lawless circles away.
Mendez doesn't manage to clinch there - Lawless circles away.
Mendez displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Lawless.
Mendez is looking to clinch but Lawless is avoiding it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Louie Mendez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jeff Lawless'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. This is the final round!

Mendez doesn't manage to clinch there - Lawless circles away.
Mendez has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Lawless works over Mendez's head and body with a nice combination.
Mendez tries to close the distance and clinch but Lawless swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Mendez tries to clinch there but Lawless circles away.
Mendez falls off balance throwing a combination
and Lawless counters with a left to the body.
Lawless shoots in looking for a takedown. Mendez tries to sprawl out of it but Lawless keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Mendez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Mendez fails in his attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lawless with a lazy takedown attempt
and Mendez counters with a series of strikes that really hurt Lawless! The ref looks into his eyes and sees nobody home - he's called the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:46 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Louie Mendez!