PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Wanderlei Menezes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pat Foley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wanderlei Menezes has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Menezes
vs
Foley

180 cm
25
156 lbs
5 - 8 - 0

170 cm
23
147 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
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 5 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wanderlei Menezes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pat Foley!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Thiago Cunha and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Foley throws a right hand that Menezes ducks under and follows up with a left that Menezes also avoids with ease.
Menezes avoids a punch combination nicely.
Foley tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Foley throws a series of punches but Menezes avoids them all with ease.
Foley fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Foley throws a right and a left that both miss.
Some wild striking there from Foley.
Foley stuffs the takedown.

Foley darts in and clinches Menezes up against the cage.

Foley tightens his grip and picks Menezes up, before dumping him to the ground. Menezes manages to land in guard.
Menezes utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Menezes looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Menezes wants to stand and escape but Foley is having none of it.
Menezes is pulling down on Foley's head. It's preventing any offense from Foley, at least for the moment.

We're going to have a standup here because Wanderlei Menezes wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Foley avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A lazy left from Foley finds it's target.

Foley drives through and clinches with Menezes against the cage.
Foley throws a punch but it's blocked by Menezes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Foley misses with a short punch on the inside.
Foley wants to break free but Menezes has control.
Foley tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Foley wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Menezes has him pressed against the cage.

Menezes turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Menezes throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Foley is being controlled here.
Menezes misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Menezes wants to control but Foley is keeping him busy.
Menezes throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Foley works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Menezes missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Foley has hold of Menezes's hands but Menezes slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Menezes controlling the action here.
Menezes works his way into full mount!
Menezes 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.
Menezes tries to push Foley's head away but Foley is holding on tight.
Menezes sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Menezes in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Menezes trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Foley is looking to get to half guard.
Menezes working the ground and pound effectively.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Menezes lands a heavy elbow.
Menezes has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Foley's face.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wanderlei Menezes dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Foley throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Foley waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Menezes.
Menezes tries to clinch up but Foley circles away and keeps his distance.
Menezes wants to clinch up but Foley keeps it at a distance.
Menezes closes the distance but Foley moves to the side
and Foley counters with an outside leg kick.
A leg kick checked by Foley.
No joy there for Foley, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Menezes wants to clinch.
A combination from Foley does no damage.
Menezes is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Menezes checks the leg kick nicely there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Menezes is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Menezes tries to clinch but Foley moves away

and Foley counters with a crisp one two that drops Menezes! Foley thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Menezes to his feet! Menezes is in big trouble!

Menezes is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Foley fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Menezes, pushing him back against the cage.
Oh Menezes is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Menezes tries to score a body lock takedown but Foley shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Menezes lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Menezes seems to have got his legs back now.
I was talking to Menezes's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Menezes.

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

Menezes moves into range and clinches up with Foley.

Menezes works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Foley pulls Menezes in close to prevent any damage.
Menezes wants to control from the top but Foley keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Wanderlei Menezes.
Foley works over Menezes's head and body with a nice combination.

Foley moves into the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Foley.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Menezes blocks an uppercut.
Menezes fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Menezes lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Foley fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Foley swings wildly with an uppercut but Menezes uses good head movement to avoid it.
Menezes tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Menezes goes for a takedown attempt but Foley pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Menezes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Foley swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Foley throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Menezes. Foley does a little dance to reset his feet.

Foley gets a clinch.

Menezes works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Menezes postures up and lands a big shot to Foley's brow.
Menezes trying to control but Foley is working from the bottom.
We've been informed that Foley has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Menezes with a flurry of punches that miss.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Menezes wants to control from the top but Foley keeps moving.
Wanderlei Menezes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Menezes not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Pat Foley will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Menezes misses with a few strikes there.
Menezes is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Foley will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Foley does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Menezes wants to clinch.

Menezes gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Foley misses with a hook from the clinch.
Foley fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Menezes lands with a left to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Menezes.
Foley prevents a takedown attempt there.
Foley throws a head punch that misses.
Foley throws an elbow that misses.
Menezes can't get the takedown.
Foley blocking some punches.
Foley can't break the clinch.
Foley throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Menezess head.
Menezes tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Foley smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wanderlei Menezes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Foley changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Menezes tries to avoid it but Foley manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Menezes to the ground. Menezes escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A bone on bone clash there as Menezes blocks the leg kick.
Foley shoots in looking for a takedown. Menezes tries to sprawl out of it but Foley keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Menezes manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Foley misses with a few strikes there.
Foley throws a series of punches but Menezes avoids them all with ease.
Foley stalks Menezes and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Menezes's face. Menezes staggers backwards, shaken.
Foley throws a half hearted mid kick.
Foley takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Some wild striking there from Foley.

Menezes throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Foley was covering up waiting for the punch and Menezes finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Menezes working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Foley's head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Menezes is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Menezes working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Menezes trying to control the position from guard on top but Foley is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Menezes throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Foley avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Menezes is stalling in the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Menezes throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Foley keeping moving, preventing Menezes from controlling successfully.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Menezes sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Foley's guard.
Menezes missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Menezes is trying to work for a kimura but Foley is defending well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Menezes content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wanderlei Menezes showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Menezes has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wanderlei Menezes!