PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Guilherme Cunha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jokke Mela (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mela comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Da Rockwilder kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cunha
vs
Mela

163 cm
25
140 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

170 cm
24
144 lbs
10 - 4 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

c-s

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Guilherme Cunha!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jokke Mela!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mela fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Mela does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Mela.
Cunha is looking to regain half guard here but Mela keeps moving and retains side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mela working the body and head with strikes.
A lull in the action here.
Cunha is looking for a sweep.
Mela wants to control but Cunha is keeping him busy.
Cunha is trying to improve his position.

Mela is trying to get an arm triangle but Cunha is defending well.
Mela working the body and head with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cunha is letting Mela control him for a moment.
Mela working the head with strikes.
Cunha is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Mela is working Cunha over with some ground and pound from side control.
Cunha manages to get back to half guard.
Cunha wants to improve his position but Mela is controlling well.
Mela is looking to take a break and control but Cunha is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Mela is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Mela has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mela is trying to control. Cunha wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Cunha is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Mela's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Mela's back!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Cunha is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Mela defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Cunha is breathing heavily.
Cunha not allowing Mela to control his hands.
Mela has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Cunha avoiding Mela 's attempts to control his hands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cunha is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Mela turns into Cunha and is now in his guard.
Mela pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Cunha is keeping the position for now.
Mela trying to control but Cunha is working from the bottom.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Jokke Mela.
Cunha tries for a takedown but Mela circles away easily
and Mela makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Cunha walks into a stiff left hand from Mela.
Cunha doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Mela counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Mela moves into range and connects with a jab.
Cunha has his takedown stuffed
and Mela counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Guilherme Cunha. That's going to take a lot out of him.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Cunha enables Mela to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Cunha manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Mela trying to control but Cunha is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jokke Mela dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Cunha takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Mela lands a nice looking body shot.
Cunha tries for a takedown but Mela circles away easily

and Mela decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Cunha's guard.
Mela passes Cunha's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Cunha is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Mela scores with a couple of nice shots.
Mela moves into full mount! Cunha won't be happy about that!
Mela trying to control but he's not successful this time.
A nice elbow there by Mela.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mela wants to control the pace but Cunha is squirming around nicely.
Mela takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mela moves to the back position.
Mela lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
Cunha is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Mela slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.

Mela looking for the choke but no joy.
Cunha manages to reverse the position and now he's in Mela's guard. Nice work there by Cunha.
Mela trying to keep a closed guard but Cunha is proving a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cunha advances position into side control!
Mela is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Cunha is controlling him well.

Cunha is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Mela has escaped the position, nice work there.

Cunha goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Mela rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Cunha's guard! Nice work there by Mela!
Mela slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mela trying to control the position from guard on top but Cunha is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Mela sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Cunha's guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Mela in particular looking to stall.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Jokke Mela was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Mela lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
A shot to the liver by Mela. Beautiful body shot.
Mela lands with an uppercut that bounces Cunha off the cage and back into rage.
Cunha has his takedown stuffed
and Mela counters with a right hand to the body.
Cunha on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Cunha takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

Mela is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Cunha's half guard.
Mela is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Mela is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cunha tries to improve his position but instead Mela has taken his back!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jokke Mela showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Mela looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Cunha takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Cunha takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Mela lands a lovely overhand right.
Cunha misses with a takedown

and Mela decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Cunha's guard.
Cunha wants to sweep here but Mela controlling him for the moment.
Mela advances position into side control!
Mela is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Mela wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cunha keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Mela is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Cunha knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Mela decides to stand back up. Mela steps back and let's Cunha get back to his feet.
Cunha misses with a takedown
and Mela counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Mela with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Mela throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Jokke Mela is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cunha takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Mela connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Mela lands a nice looking body shot.
Mela jabs Cunha to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Mela is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Cunha rather than just go for the knockout.
Mela lands with a right hand.

Mela changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Cunha looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Mela moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

Mela decides to take the fight back to the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cunha has his takedown stuffed

and Mela decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Cunha's guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Guilherme Cunha. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mela is stalling in the full guard.

Cunha looking for subs off his back but Mela has passed one foot through into half guard.

Cunha looking for submissions off his back.
Guilherme Cunha has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mela slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that Mela has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Cunha is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Cunha looking for submissions off his back.
Mela has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mela is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

And that's the end of the fight!
Jokke Mela comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Mela has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 26:30
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 26:30
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jokke Mela!