PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Edward Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aleksandr Fedorov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mendez comes to the ring accompanied by Big Pun-Dream Shatterer. Fedorov comes into a darkened arena with his song building. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8kANB2XBYU&feature=related kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Mendez
vs
Fedorov

189 cm
23
180 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

190 cm
19
180 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid 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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Edward Mendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Aleksandr Fedorov!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Hirohito Nitta and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Fedorov rushes Mendez and presses him up against the ropes.
Fedorov lands a shoulder strike.

Fedorov breaks the clinch.

Fedorov feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Fedorov avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Mendez looking for a guillotine here but Fedorov defends easily.
Fedorov tries to free his leg and advance position but Mendez is retaining full guard.

Mendez is looking for a triangle but Fedorov pushes his legs off easily.
Fedorov wanted to stand there but Mendez had control of the position.
Fedorov trying to control the position from guard on top but Mendez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Fedorov might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Mendez kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mendez throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Fedorov wants to stand but Mendez is controlling his posture from full guard.

Fedorov gets to his feet - Mendez follows without any prompting.

Fedorov shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Mendez napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Mendez tries to improve position but can't.
Fedorov creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Mendez sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Fedorov trying to control the position but Mendez is working away.
Mendez is trying to get back to half guard.

Fedorov looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Fedorov's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Mendez is refusing to be controlled, as Fedorov sits in half guard.

Fedorov moves into side control, avoiding a weak kimura attempt from Mendez.
Mendez is breathing heavily.
Mendez is looking for a sweep.

Fedorov decides to stand up, so the ref orders Mendez to his feet.

Fedorov shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Fedorov is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Fedorov's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Fedorov got a little sloppy there for a moment and Mendez has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Fedorov has managed to get both his arms back between Mendez's legs - danger averted.

Mendez working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Fedorov doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Fedorov manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Fedorov has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Mendez is proving hard to escape from.
Fedorov postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Mendez looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Fedorov pushes down on Mendez's leg and manages to get into half guard.

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.

Fedorov is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Fedorov wants to take a breather but Mendez is having none of it.
Fedorov trying to control the pace.
Mendez is refusing to be controlled, as Fedorov sits in half guard.
Mendez tries to roll over but Fedorov keeps him under control.
Fedorov controlling the pace.
Mendez tries to roll over but Fedorov keeps him under control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aleksandr Fedorov dominated that round.
That's time! Mendez's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Fedorov gets the takedown into side control.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Fedorov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mendez keeps working.
Mendez is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Fedorov wants to stand but Mendez is controlling his arm.
Mendez manages to work his way to half guard, despite Fedorov's best efforts.

Fedorov 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 is refusing to be controlled, as Fedorov sits in half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mendez looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Fedorov wants to free his trapped foot but Mendez is holding on for dear life with his legs.

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

and Fedorov decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Mendez's guard.
Fedorov controls from within his opponent's guard.

Mendez has his foot on Fedorov's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Fedorov works his way back into a safe position though.
Fedorov is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Mendez keeping moving, preventing Fedorov from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fedorov controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Fedorov stands up and waves to Mendez to follow him.
Mendez fails with the takedown

and Fedorov counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
The fighters are pressed against the ropes, as the pace of the fight slows.

Fedorov pulls guard successfully.
Mendez stopping the sweep attempt from Fedorov.
Mendez postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Fedorov utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Mendez accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Mendez postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Fedorov really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Mendez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Mendez chips away with some ground and pound.
Fedorov controlling the position.

Fedorov wriggles free and stands up.

Fedorov looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Fedorov decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Mendez, up you get!
Mendez with a lazy takedown attempt

and Fedorov counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Edward Mendez. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Mendez looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Fedorov seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

Mendez actively working from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Mendez looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Fedorov tries to pass to full mount but Mendez defends it.
Fedorov works his way into full mount!
Mendez keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mendez is squirming around, avoiding Fedorov's attempts to control the action.
Fedorov sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aleksandr Fedorov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Fedorov scores a takedown into full mount!
Mendez is looking to get to half guard.
Fedorov sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Mendez regains half guard.

Fedorov is trying to work for a kimura but Mendez is defending well.
Aleksandr Fedorov has got the better of the ground game so far.
Fedorov wants to control but Mendez is keeping him busy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Fedorov trying to pass the guard but Mendez defending well.

Mendez looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fedorov wants to stand but Mendez has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Fedorov is trying to control the action in half guard but Mendez is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Mendez looking for submissions off his back.
Still in half guard, Fedorov seems content to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Mendez misses with a takedown attempt

and Fedorov counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Mendez!
Fedorov throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Mendez is trying desperately to improve position.
Mendez is working hard here to advance position.
Edward Mendez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fedorov throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Fedorov trying to control but Mendez is having none of it.
Mendez working to try and regain half guard.

Fedorov working for a guillotine from mount but Mendez is in no mood to give up.
Fedorov trying to control but Mendez is having none of it.

Fedorov stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendez fails with the takedown

and Fedorov counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Fedorov must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Fedorov wants to control from the top but Mendez keeps moving.
Fedorov wanted to stand there but Mendez had control of the position.
Fedorov trying to control the position from guard on top but Mendez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Mendez working for a triangle but Fedorov defends it easily.
Fedorov advances to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Mendez looking for submissions off his back.
Mendez is refusing to be controlled, as Fedorov sits in half guard.
Fedorov content to control rather than advance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aleksandr Fedorov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Fedorov has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight for Aleksandr Fedorov!
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight for Aleksandr Fedorov!
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight for Aleksandr Fedorov!

Aleksandr Fedorov wins by unanimous decision!