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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did MenaRD say to its date? You're a mean one to be with.

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MenaRD
Current team
TeamRed Bull eSports
Weibo Gaming
Game(s)Street Fighter series
Guilty Gear Strive
Injustice 2
Personal information
NameSaul Leonardo Mena II
Born (1999-08-28) 28 August 1999 (age 26)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
NationalityDominican Republic
Career information
Playing career2015–present
Team history
2016–2017REFORCE eSports
2017Magitek Esports
2017–2019Rise Nation
2019–2024Bandits Gaming
2024–2025Team Falcons
2024–presentRed Bull eSports
2025–presentWeibo Gaming
Career highlights and awards
Medal record
Esports
Representing  Dominican Republic
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place2026 Santo DomingoStreet Fighter 6

Saul Leonardo Mena II (born 28 August 1999), better known as MenaRD, is a Dominican professional fighting game player residing in the United States. MenaRD mainly specializes in Street Fighter and has also competed in Injustice 2 and Guilty Gear Strive. He won the EVO championship four times with Street Fighter 6 and won the Capcom Cup in 2017 in 2023, both with Street Fighter V. He also represented the Dominican Republic national team at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, earning a gold medal.

Professional career

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2017

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MenaRD began to gain prominence during the Capcom Pro Tour 2017. He won his first 2017 CPT event at Game Over Tournament 2017. He also competed in the Latin American region finals and the SoCal Regionals 2017, finishing in fourth place in the latter.[1]

MenaRD was able to qualify for the Capcom Cup despite the high cost and difficulty of traveling to the United States during the Capcom Pro Tour, coupled with the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria. Sponsored by The Rise Nation, he was ranked 25th when the tournament began.[2] MenaRD's first round was against Ibuki-player Ho Kun Xian.[3]

Playing with the character Birdie, MenaRD managed to remain on the winner's side for the majority of his run through the tournament, defeating high-level players such as Xian, Kazunoko, Umehara in the quarter-finals, and Itabashi Zangief in the semi-finals.[4] MenaRD was knocked out of the winner's side in the next round by Tokido, who was playing with the character Akuma. After winning the loser's final against Nemo, MenaRD faced Tokido once again and managed to reset the bracket with a 3-2 match. Tokido controlled the fighting space using Akuma's ranged fireball attacks and tried to keep MenaRD at a distance in order to frustrate him. However, using unique quirks of Birdie that are difficult to anticipate, MenaRD could unpredictably close the distance, consistently leaping forward to execute a special attack. MenaRD won the last match of the Grand Finals 3–1.[5][6]

2023

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In February 2023, MenaRD won Capcom Cup IX, becoming the first gamer to win the Capcom Cup twice.[7][8] In August, he competed in Evo 2023, where he lost to the Street Fighter 6 tournament to Angrybird.[9][10]

2024

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In April 2024, MenaRD won the SF6 tournament at Evo Japan 2024.[11] He also competed in Evo 2024 and the 2024 Esports World Cup, where he was eliminated in the first phase in the latter.[12] On 24 August 2024, he won Cream City Convergence 2024.[13]

2025

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In May 2025, MenaRD won the SF6 tournament in Evo Japan 2025.[14][15] Three months later, he competed at Evo 2025, where he defeated Kakeru in the final.[16][17] Additionally, he was nominated for the Best Esports Athlete at The Games Awards 2025, but did not win.[18]

2026

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At Evo 2026, MenaRD won the Street Fighter 6 tournament, becoming the first player to win back-to-back Street Fighter 6 championships at Evo.[19][20]

National team career

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In August 2026, MenaRD competed for his country at the Street Fighter 6 tournament of the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, where he won the gold medal.[21][22]

References and notes

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  1. ↑ Lee, Timothy (September 25, 2017). "SCR: MvCI debuts, Echo Fox dominates Tekken". ESPN.
  2. ↑ Glaze, Virginia (December 6, 2017). "Fighters of the Caribbean: Mono and RISE – MenaRD Head to Capcom Cup". Red Bull GmbH.
  3. ↑ Lee, Timothy (December 8, 2017). "First round of Capcom Cup promises to excite". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018.
  4. ↑ "MenaRD, campeón de la Capcom Cup". December 11, 2017.
  5. ↑ Lee, Timothy (December 11, 2017). "MenaRD takes down Tokido to win Capcom Cup". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018.
  6. ↑ Van Allen, Eric (December 11, 2017). "Saul Mena Takes Down Evo Champ To Win $250K Capcom Cup". Compete. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018.
  7. ↑ ""This is just the beginning": MenaRD wins second Capcom Cup after intense run". esports.gg. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Capcom Cup IX Recap". Capcom Pro Tour. February 23, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Evo 2023 continued trend of record-setting attendance and set new records in Fighting Game viewership with Street Fighter 6". Esports Charts. August 11, 2023.
  10. ↑ "EVO SF6 Finals: In bird versus bull, wings win as AngryBird takes EVO title". esports.gg. August 7, 2023.
  11. ↑ "The People's Champ: MenaRD". Red Bull. June 27, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Street Fighter 6 at the Esports World Cup 2024: Schedule, stream, and results". August 6, 2024.
  13. ↑ "「CAPCOM Pro Tour 2024 Cream City Convergence」Results！". Capcom Pro Tour. August 28, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Every champion from EVO Japan 2025". ESPN. April 13, 2025.
  15. ↑ "This Dominican Gamer Just Won the Biggest Tournament Ever!". Remezcla. May 13, 2025.
  16. ↑ "MenaRD wins Street Fighter 6 Evo 2025! The first look at C. Viper". esports.gg. August 4, 2025.
  17. ↑ "MenaRD wins third Evo championship after dominating Street Fighter 6 Top 8". Esports Insider. August 4, 2025.
  18. ↑ Lewis, Claire (December 11, 2025). "Here are all The Game Awards 2025 winners". Polygon. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  19. ↑ Partridge, Jon (June 29, 2026). "How MenaRD conquered EVO 2026 to become a back-to-back SF6 champ". Red Bull. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  20. ↑ Lyons, Ben (June 30, 2026). "MenaRD retains Street Fighter 6 title at Evo 2026". Gamereactor. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Abinader highlights MenaRD's triumph in the Central American Games: "We are also gold in eSports"". De Último Minuto. August 8, 2026. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
  22. ↑ "MenaRD makes history and wins the first gold for the DR in eSports". De Último Minuto. August 8, 2026. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
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