After main Workforce Bandits to victory on the Road Fighter League 2025 US Finals, MenaRD has cemented his standing as one of many collection’ biggest gamers of all time… however he’s not performed but.
Dominican Road Fighter professional Saul Leonardo ‘MenaRD’ Mena II boasts a laundry checklist of achievements that few different combating recreation gamers can match. He’s a three-time Evo champion, on high of being the one individual in historical past to ever win Capcom Cup twice.
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He’s been on a tear in 2025, successful Evo Japan, Evo Las Vegas, and even taking dwelling the Road Fighter League US Professional-US Finals in a shocking Grand Finals set towards fellow combating recreation star Victor ‘Punk’ Woodley.
This match, particularly, confirmed simply how dominant Mena has grow to be. He appeared to have a solution for Punk’s each transfer, even when his opponent switched characters from Cammy to Akuma in a last-ditch effort to interrupt his psychological obtain.
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We bought the possibility to talk with MenaRD after this thrilling victory, the place we requested him how he feels about becoming a member of Road Fighter legends like Daigo, Tokido, and Nuki within the GOAT class.
MenaRD is embracing his standing as the brand new GOAT of Road Fighter
Surprisingly, Mena revealed that he’s at peace with this label, and mentioned that he’s bought way more he’d like to perform in his profession. Particularly, he talked about that he needs to win his third Capcom Cup, take Evo France, and at last earn the title of Esports World Cup Champion.
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“Actually, it’s a reasonably loopy factor,” he admitted. “It’s one thing that I at all times considered after I was younger, however now it’s a actuality, and it’s been a actuality for some time. I simply suppose there’s extra to do. There’s at all times one other factor to do, and I gotta maintain motivated and play daily to attain larger issues.
“Now it’s a matter of, I really feel at peace. I really feel good that I used to be capable of assist my pals, but when I had misplaced, I used to be going to really feel fairly dangerous. So it’s about that. It’s about having that peace and incomes that reduction now.”
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MenaRD says Daigo “isn’t ready” for his expertise in long-awaited FT10 match
One among these “larger issues” he’d like to perform is probably the largest achievement a Road Fighter participant can attain: beating Daigo Umehara in a first-to-ten set.
Daigo was Japan’s first-ever skilled gamer and is without doubt one of the 5 Gods of combating video games. Whereas his aggressive outcomes have waned with Road Fighter’s most up-to-date titles, his expertise in Third Strike, the Alpha collection, and SFIV stay uncontested.
Daigo is thought for ‘downloading’ gamers in prolonged units, particularly first-to-ten battles, the place he’s whittled down a few of Road Fighter’s biggest abilities so harshly that they’ve shed tears.
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Earlier this yr, MenaRD put ahead an official request to Daigo asking for a first-to-ten exhibition match. It’s been months since then, with nothing organized on the time of writing… however Mena is assured that it’ll occur quickly. And when it does, he’s positive that he’ll win.
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“I believe it’s coming this yr,” he informed us. “I’m keen to attend eternally, however I believe it’s coming this yr.
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“I’m extraordinarily assured, 10 out of 10. I really feel like he’s going to return stronger than what everyone thinks, however I believe no person is aware of how sturdy I’m going to return for that set, so he’s not going to be ready for me.”
Now, all that’s left is for Mena to organize for Capcom Cup and the Road Fighter League World Finals, the place Workforce Bandits will face off towards the EU’s Ninjas in Pyjamas and the as-yet undetermined workforce from Japan.
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