PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ray Franklin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tork Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tork Mendez has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Ray Franklin's chin.

Franklin
vs
Mendez

200 cm
25
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

186 cm
23
210 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ray Franklin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Tork Mendez!
The judges for this bout are Francis DeMontford, Topper Green and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Franklin wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Mendez looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Franklin jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Mendez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Franklin.
Franklin misses with a double jab.
Mendez closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Franklin lands with a straight right. Mendez didn't see that one coming.
Franklin looks to land a body kick but Mendez moved away.

Franklin shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Mendez's guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Mendez wants to sweep but no luck.

Mendez has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Franklin can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Mendez looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mendez working for a triangle but Franklin defends it easily.
Franklin sitting in guard here, content to control.

Mendez looking for a guillotine here but Franklin defends easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franklin wants to stand but Mendez has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Franklin has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Franklin avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Franklin wants to get up but he can't break Mendez's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Franklin looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendez managing to control the position.
Mendez looking for a sweep. Not yet Mendez, not yet.
Mendez is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Franklin tries to roll over but Mendez keeps him under control.
Franklin wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Mendez is trying to work for a kimura but Franklin is defending well.
Franklin is staying active underneath Mendez, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Still in half guard, Mendez seems content to control.
Mendez throwing shots but Franklin is blocking nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Franklin is staying active underneath Mendez, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Mendez thows a huge punch but Franklin dodges it nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tork Mendez dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Franklin misses with a series of wild punches.
Mendez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A telegraphed right hand from Mendez misses the target.
Franklin jabs Mendez to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Franklin connects with a crisp jab.
Franklin stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Decent striking displayed by Franklin there.
Mendez tries to clinch but Franklin moves out of range.
Mendez uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Franklin.
Franklin lands a lovely overhand right.
Franklin tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Mendez counters with a stiff right hand.
Mendez ducks under a wild hook from Franklin.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Franklin forces Mendez back against the cage and clinches.
Mendez lands a hook that snaps the head of Franklin backwards.
Mendez lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Mendez swings wildly with an uppercut but Franklin uses good head movement to avoid it.
Mendez is looking to control Franklin's arms but Franklin gets an underhook and turns him. Now Mendez has his back to the cage.

Franklin breaks the clinch.
Franklin throws a series of punches but Mendez avoids them all with ease.
Mendez slips a jab and a cross from Franklin.
Tork Mendez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mendez shoots in looking for a takedown. Franklin tries to sprawl out of it but Mendez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Franklin manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Franklin tests Mendez's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Franklin cracks Mendez with an open hand slap.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franklin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mendez's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Franklin connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Mendez scrambles back to his feet.
A swing and a miss from Mendez.

Mendez scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mendez drops an elbow to the side of Franklin's head.
Franklin is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Mendez is looking for a kimura here.
Franklin has hold of Mendez's hands but Mendez slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Franklin is defending against the submission attempts here by Mendez.
Franklin pushes Mendez off looking to stand but Mendez dives back in and keeps control.
Mendez throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Mendez stalling away here and it's allowed Franklin to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Franklin being controlled here, momentarily.
Franklin keeping moving, preventing Mendez from controlling successfully.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mendez working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Tork Mendez will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Franklin scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Mendez moves into range and connects with a jab.
Franklin checks the leg kick nicely there.
Mendez moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Franklin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A punch combination from Mendez misses.
Franklin ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Mendez throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Franklin is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Mendez takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Mendez throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Mendez slips a jab from Franklin.
Mendez shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Franklin defends it nicely.
Franklin throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendez dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Mendez tries to close the distance and clinch but Franklin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Franklin throws the left hand but Mendez avoids the punch easily.
Franklin swings for the body but Mendez moves out of range.
Mendez changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Franklin tries to avoid it but Mendez manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Franklin to the ground. Franklin escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Mendez ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Franklin moves away.
Franklin throws a body kick that misses.
Franklin blocks a low kick nicely.
Franklin throws an overhand right that lands on Mendez's shoulder, as Mendez tries to avoid the shot.
Mendez lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Franklin is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Franklin lands a lovely overhand right.
Mendez shoots and misses
and Franklin counters with a two punch combo.
Ray Franklin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tork Mendez.
Franklin lands with a nice combination. Mendez backs away looking to recover.
Nice body punch from Franklin.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franklin steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Mendez.
Franklin misses with a wild body shot.
Franklin swings for the body but Mendez moves out of range.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mendez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Franklin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mendez tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Franklin manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Franklin jabs Mendez to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Mendez on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Mendez takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Mendez misses with a head kick.

Franklin drives through with a takedown into Mendez's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

Franklin has a momentary lapse of concentration, allowing Mendez to throw up a leg and lock on what appears to be a pretty tight triangle! Franklin is fighting it off but it's all too little too late - Mendez pulls down on the head and he's put Franklin to sleep! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Tork Mendez!