PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Oliveira Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Benito Salizar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mendez comes into the arena with Rihanna - We Found Love ft. Calvin Harris blaring out of the sound system. The key to victory for Ricardo Oliveira Mendez has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Oliveira Mendez
vs
Salizar

190 cm
25
206 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

190 cm
23
205 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Oliveira Mendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Benito Salizar!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Seu Braga and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mendez moves into the clinch successfully.
Mendez working hard to break the clinch.
Salizar is trying to drag Mendez to the mat but Mendez just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Mendez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mendez throws a head kick that Salizar semi-blocks.
Salizar fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Salizar shoots in looking for a takedown. Mendez tries to sprawl out of it but Salizar 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.
Salizar shoots in but Mendez avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Ricardo Oliveira Mendez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Benito Salizar.
Mendez tries to clinch there but Salizar circles away.
Salizar misses with a combination
and Mendez makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendez lands a jab to the nose.
No joy there for Mendez, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nice sprawl there from Mendez as Salizar shoots in.
Salizar shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Mendez but Mendez pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Salizar has a takedown stuffed.
Salizar looks gassed!
Salizar showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Mendez.
Salizar will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Mendez keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez misses with a head kick.
Mendez scores with a nice body kick.
Mendez is looking to slow Salizar down with leg kicks.
Mendez misses with a wild combination.
Mendez shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Salizar eats them both and turns towards Mendez to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Ricardo Oliveira Mendez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Mendez instigates a clinch.
Mendez landing knees to the body.
Mendez lands a knee to the head.
Salizar keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Mendez's efforts to push away.
Mendez pushes off an throws an elbow but Salizar leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salizar takes an elbow to the forehead.
Mendez landing knees to the body.

Mendez breaks from the clinch.
Mendez moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Mendez is looking to clinch.
Mendez throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Salizar misses with a takedown
and Mendez counters with a series of strikes. Salizar will be more careful next time no doubt.
Mendez throws a head kick that half lands.
Mendez looks to land a combination but Salizar avoids it well.
Mendez will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Salizar misses with a lunging right hand
and Mendez counters with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Salizar circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mendez throws a head kick that half lands.

Mendez clinches with his opponent.

Mendez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Salizar circles away from the clinch attempt.
Salizar circles away from the clinch attempt

and Salizar counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Salizar goes for a takedown in the clinch but Mendez prevents it.
Mendez unloads a knee to the mid-section.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Oliveira Mendez dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Mendez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Salizar gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Mendez lands a damaging elbow.
Mendez throws an elbow that misses.
Mendez blocks a body shot from Salizar.
Salizar is trying to drag Mendez to the mat but Mendez just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Salizar drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Mendez gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Salizar prevents Mendez from breaking the clinch.

Mendez breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salizar slips a jab and a cross from Mendez.
Mendez throws a right and a left that both miss.
Salizar shoots for a double leg takedown but Mendez sprawls well. He's pushed Salizar's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Ricardo Oliveira Mendez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Benito Salizar.
Salizar is breathing heavily.
Salizar fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Mendez lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Mendez swats away the attempt to clinch by Salizar.
Mendez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mendez leaves Salizar with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Mendez looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ricardo Oliveira Mendez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Salizar backs up against the cage.
Mendez lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Salizar backs up against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Salizar throws a right hand that Mendez ducks under and follows up with a left that Mendez also avoids with ease.
Mendez pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Salizar back to the cage. Mendez follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

Mendez clinches.
Mendez lands an elbow inside.

Mendez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Mendez looks to land a combination. Salizar sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Salizar tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Mendez manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Mendez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salizar looks for a takedown but Mendez sprawls well.
Salizar avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mendez is looking to clinch but Salizar is avoiding it.
Mendez throws a right and a left that both miss.
Salizar wants to clinch up but Mendez keeps it at a distance.
Mendez goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Mendez lands with a slapping head kick.
Mendez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Salizar can do to turn this around?

Mendez gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Mendez wants to break free but Salizar has control.
Mendez is defending well against a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendez lands a damaging elbow.
Mendez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Mendez scores a nice knee to the body.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Mendez.
Mendez throws a knee to the head but misses.
Salizar is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Mendez gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Mendez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Salizar's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Mendez connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Salizar scrambles back to his feet.
Mendez scores with a one two! Salizar had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mendez fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mendez stuns Salizar with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Salizar takes a kick to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Oliveira Mendez dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

A kick lands to the mid section there for Mendez.
Mendez closes the distance looking to clinch

and Salizar counters with a shoot takedown. Mendez fights it but they end up in guard.
Mendez is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Salizar stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mendez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Salizar takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Salizar thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salizar postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Salizar cracks Mendez with a solid left hand.
Salizar is standing up over Mendez. Mendez looks to escape but Salizar dives into side control.
Salizar trying to control the action but Mendez is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Salizar decides to stand back up.
Ricardo Oliveira Mendez is winning the standup battle so far.
Mendez tries to clinch but Salizar moves out of range.
Mendez throws a right and a left that both miss.
Salizar bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Salizar shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Mendez but Mendez pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mendez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Salizar paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mendez throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salizar shoots in and drives through. Mendez sprawls well.
Mendez throws a head kick that misses.
Salizar fails to land the takedown.
Ricardo Oliveira Mendez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Benito Salizar.
Salizar keeps the fight on the outside.
Mendez throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Salizar keeps the fight on the outside.
Salizar shoots in and drives through. Mendez sprawls well.
Salizar takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Mendez!
Ricardo Oliveira Mendez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mendez scores with the left hand. Salizar knows he should have avoided that one.
Mendez pushes Salizar away with a front kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mendez rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Salizar moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Some wild striking there from Mendez.
A head kick misses from Mendez.
Mendez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Salizar will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Salizar takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A chopping leg kick lands by Mendez.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mendez throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Salizar's head.
Benito Salizar has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Salizar dodges the punch combination from Mendez.
Mendez lands a lovely overhand right.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ricardo Oliveira Mendez.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Mendez, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 for Ricardo Oliveira Mendez!
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight for Ricardo Oliveira Mendez!
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight for Ricardo Oliveira Mendez!

Ricardo Oliveira Mendez wins by unanimous decision!
After winning the bout, Ricardo Oliveira Mendez thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.