April 29, 2026. The Kemonomichi
The most anticipated match in Street Fighter history was just played. This match was not just a battle between two legends, but a battle of generations: The Old Guard vs The New.
Let’s break it down.
The Players
In one corner, a player that needs no introduction: Daigo Umehara. If you’re not that familiar with the fighting game community (FGC), you might still recognize the name from one of the most iconic moments in gaming history: Evo Moment 37. Chances are, if you can name one Street Fighter player, it’s Daigo. He’s ‘The Beast’, the ‘Final boss,’ the hero of the FGC, and personal idol of his challenger: MenaRD.
On the other side, The Bull. In a game dominated by Japanese players (in no small part due to Daigo’s influence) the Dominican MenaRD emerged as an unlikely champion. He burst onto the scene during the SFV era in 2017, winning Street Fighter’s prestigious tournament: Capcom Cup.
In 2021, Mena became the only player to ever win Capcom Cup twice (and in two different games no less), solidifying his status as one of the greats. In his (relatively) short time competing so far, Mena has won almost every major tournament there is to win.
Mena’s dominance has ushered in not only a Street Fighter renaissance in his home country, but a new era of Street Fighter as a whole. Despite everything in his way, MenaRD has emerged as the king of the modern era and one of the of the undisputed greatest of all time.
The Challenge
It came in the form of a tweet, February 2025:
Then silence. Until, a little over a year later:
The stage was set.
Despite being widely seen as the greatest to ever pick up a controller, The Beast entered the match as the underdog. They played in the most recent iteration of Street Fighter, SF6, in which Mena has dominated both Daigo and the rest of his competition. But the outcome was never certain for one reason: This was a First-to-10 (FT10).
A FT10 match is the most grueling and revealing of any competitive format — No matter what, the better player wins.
In his 30+ years of competing, Daigo had never lost a First to Ten.
Conquering the Beast in this format would be one of Mena’s many ‘firsts’, but despite all his other accomplishments, Mena said, “Beating Daigo in this set… will be the biggest win of my life. This is what it’s all about.”
The Match
On April 29th, the most anticipated match in FGC history would be played in Tokyo. As the crowd poured into the sold out arena, and the undercards played out, anticipation built. Would Mena dominate as expected, or would Daigo shock the world? Would it be a true passing of the torch, or one last triumphant hurrah for the old guard?
Daigo drew first blood and quickly went up 2 games. The crowd was in shock, was the old Daigo back?
But Mena clawed his way back and it was all tied up at 5-5. The players checked their notes and collected themselves.
Mena began to pull away.
Daigo took one more but for the rest of the match, Mena had full control.
10-6, and history was made. MenaRD - Victory!
The Road to Evo
For MenaRD, this match is just the beginning of an even more exciting weekend: Evo Japan 2026, set to be the largest Street Fighter tournament in history. Mena is the defending champion of both EVO Japan and EVO Las Vegas, and the only player to ever win EVO Japan twice (in 2024 and 2025). If there’s anyone with a target on their head, it’s The Bull.
All of us at SAN Sound are excited to see Mena crush it at EVO Japan 2026. Possibly even more than what we’ve both got in store for you this year. With our recent launch of HARDWIRE, be on the lookout for something on the horizon between MenaRD and HARDWIRE.
Watch the replay of Mena vs Daigo here and tune into EVO Japan 2026 on May 1 to 3.
Interested in HARDWIRE? Join the waitlist here