PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between William Lee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Guillermo Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lee comes to the cage accompanied by Welcome to the Jungle by Guns and Roses. The key to victory for William Lee has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Lee
vs
Mendez

190 cm
27
197 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

185 cm
22
185 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Knockout power

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 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, William Lee!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Guillermo Mendez!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Igor Prikhodko and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Lee enables Mendez to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Lee manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Mendez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Lee works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Lee looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Lee looking to control.
Lee preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Mendez wants to control from the top but Lee keeps moving.
Mendez might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Lee haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Mendez is looking to work some ground and pound but Lee has wrist control.
Mendez wants to control from the top but Lee keeps moving.
Lee has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Lee is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Mendez defends well.
Mendez working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendez stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Lee swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Mendez throws a big right hand that misses.
Mendez throwing strikes but missing.
Mendez won't allow Lee to sweep him here.
Lee trying to control the position.
Mendez trying to control the position from guard on top but Lee is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lee wants to sweep here but Mendez controlling him for the moment.
Mendez has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Mendez distracts Lee with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Mendez wants to control from the top but Lee keeps moving.
Mendez passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mendez is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Mendez is thwarting Lee's attempts to control the position.

Mendez is trying to work for a kimura but Lee is defending well.
Lee is looking for a sweep. Mendez is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Mendez is thwarting Lee's attempts to control the position.
Mendez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Lee keeps working.

Lee is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mendez pulls his head out easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendez thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Lee's head.

Mendez is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Lee trying to control but Mendez postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lee wants to improve his position but Mendez is controlling well.
Mendez wants to control but Lee is keeping him busy.
Lee has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Mendez is working away from the top position though.

Mendez is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Lee is just riding it out for now. Mendez eventually gives up the hold.

Mendez is trying to work for a kimura but Lee is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Lee is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mendez pulls his head out easily.
Lee wants to control but Mendez is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Mendez is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Lee sees it coming and defends easily.
Mendez is pressing down on Lee's thigh, looking to free his foot. Lee is holding on for now.

Mendez is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lee slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Guillermo Mendez dominated that round.
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.

Lee misses with a wild combination.
Mendez with the counter takedown but Lee avoids it easily.

Mendez closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Mendez moves into full mount!
Mendez trying to control but Lee is having none of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mendez looking to finish with strikes here!
Mendez tries to control but Lee wriggling away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee regains half guard.

Lee actively working from the bottom here.
Lee wants to improve his position but Mendez is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mendez is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Lee is just riding it out for now. Mendez eventually gives up the hold.
Mendez missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Mendez is looking for a kimura but Lee is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Mendez to get the leverage.
Mendez wants to pass the guard but Lee is defending well.
Lee is refusing to be controlled, as Mendez sits in half guard.
Lee tries to get to full guard but Mendez has control of the leg.

Mendez is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

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 is looking to take a break and control but Lee is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Mendez is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Lee doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Mendez.

Mendez is working for a submission of some sort.

Mendez is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Lee tries to get to full guard but Mendez has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee trying to control from the bottom.

Mendez is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Lee has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Mendez is working away from the top position though.
Lee wants to improve his position but Mendez is controlling well.

Lee actively working from the bottom here.
Lee throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Mendez is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

Mendez is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

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.
Mendez prevents Lee from improving his position.
Nice strikes from Mendez there.

Mendez is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Lee defends it well.

Lee is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mendez pulls his head out easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Mendez looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Mendez has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Mendez is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Lee sees it coming and defends easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Guillermo Mendez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Lee clinches up against the cage.
Lee wants a takedown but no success here.
Lee tries to pull guard but Mendez won't allow it.
Lee has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Mendez avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for William Lee. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Lee drags the fight down to the ground.
Mendez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Lee keeping full guard, as Mendez tries to pass.
Mendez landing some decent shots from guard.
Mendez wants to control from the top but Lee keeps moving.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee keeping full guard, as Mendez tries to pass.

Mendez is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Lee is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Lee has escaped and now he's on top!

Lee is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Guillermo Mendez has got the better of the ground game so far.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lee trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

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

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Guillermo Mendez!
In defeat, William Lee stepped up to the mic, saying 'I'll be back stronger than ever.'.