PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rafael Melartin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kenny Rogers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melartin comes into the arena with Pennywise- Homesick blaring out of the sound system. Rogers is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Flea - Pea. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Melartin
vs
Rogers

168 cm
22
142 lbs
5 - 2 - 1

150 cm
23
135 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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 5 - 2 - 1, fighting out of London, Rafael Melartin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Kenny Rogers!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Richard Clark and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rogers uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Melartin.
Melartin misses with a straight left.
Melartin misses the jab.
Melartin swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Melartin connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Melartin misses the shot to the body.
Melartin throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Melartin throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Rogers avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sloppy strikes from Melartin. Those never looked like landing.

Rogers closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Melartin to the mat! Melartin manages to get full guard.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Rogers in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Rogers stands up over Melartin, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rogers connects with a couple of short punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rogers wants to pass the guard but Melartin is keeping the position.
Melartin is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Melartin avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rogers is working Melartin over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rogers throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Melartin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Rogers wants to control from the top but Melartin keeps moving.
Rogers pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Melartin is keeping the position for now.
Rogers stopping the sweep attempt from Melartin.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melartin trying to strike off his back.
Melartin is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Rogers cracks Melartin with a solid left hand.
Melartin utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rogers loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rogers is looking to work some ground and pound but Melartin has wrist control.
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!
Rogers trying to control the position from guard on top but Melartin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Melartin is controlling Rogers's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rogers showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Melartin managing to control the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Jab, jab by Melartin - just one landing.
Melartin falls off balance throwing a combination
and Rogers counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
A swing and a miss from Melartin.
Melartin scores with a crisp jab that stopped Rogers in his tracks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jab, jab by Melartin - just one landing.
Rogers on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Melartin stuns Rogers with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

Melartin changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Rogers looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Melartin wants to control but Rogers is keeping him busy.

Melartin is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rogers knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Rogers is looking for a sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Rafael Melartin will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Rogers misses with a body shot.
Melartin staying out of range there.
Rogers misses with a body shot.
Melartin tries to bum rush Rogers with a series of wild strikes but Rogers uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Melartin dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rafael Melartin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Melartin jabs Rogers right on the nose. Rogers blinks but takes it well.
A looping hook to the body misses from Melartin. Rogers does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rogers uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Melartin.
Rogers takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Rogers shoots in for a takedown but Melartin shows good takedown defense.
Rogers ducks under a wild hook from Melartin.

Melartin decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rogers slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Melartin controls from within his opponent's guard.
Melartin has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rogers preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Melartin scoring with punches to the head and body.
Rogers is trying to control the position but Melartin postures up.
Melartin looking to sit in guard and control but Rogers gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rogers scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melartin throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Melartin with a couple of shots from the bottom there - nothing Rogers can't handle though.
Melartin keeping full guard, as Rogers tries to pass.
Rogers is looking to advance position but Melartin has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Rogers sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Rogers is doing well to control the position and prevent Melartin from advancing to side control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Melartin controlling the action here.
Melartin frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melartin tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Melartin fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Rogers really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rogers has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Melartin throwing strikes here but Rogers is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Melartin wants to control the pace but Rogers is squirming around nicely.
Rogers really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melartin throws some wild stikes that Rogers manages to avoid easily.
Melartin takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Rogers is working to get back to half guard.
Melartin throwing strikes here but Rogers is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Rogers keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Melartin lands a nice shot to the head.
Rogers can't escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Melartin dominated that second round.
That's time! Melartin's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Melartin scores with a jab. Rogers acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
A left lands for Melartin.
Melartin tests Rogers's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Melartin lands a slapping body shot.
Melartin misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rogers.
Melartin misses with a wild body shot.
Melartin throws a predictable looking body shot

and Rogers counters with a takedown into side control.

Rogers is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Melartin is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Melartin sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rogers wants to control but Melartin is keeping him busy.
Melartin won't allow Rogers to pass to mount.
Melartin is staying active underneath Rogers, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Rogers sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Melartin defending well though.
Melartin has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rogers is working away from the top position though.
Rogers thows a huge punch but Melartin dodges it nicely.
Rogers is thwarting Melartin's attempts to control the position.

Rogers seems to be working for a kimura but Melartin defends the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melartin trying to control here.
Melartin wants to get back to full guard.

Rogers seems to be working for a kimura but Melartin defends the submission attempt.
Melartin is trying to get back to full guard.
Melartin regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Rogers.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rogers looking to pass the guard.
Rogers makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rogers loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Melartin is looking to stand up but Rogers isn't so interested in that idea.
Rogers seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Rogers with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Melartin avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rogers trying to control but Melartin is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rogers sitting in guard here, content to control.
Rogers throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rogers stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Melartin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Melartin controls Rogers momentarily but Rogers frees himself.
Rafael Melartin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Melartin thows a body shot but no joy.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Melartin with a nice cross.
Rogers is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Melartin.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kenny Rogers comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Melartin has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 29:28
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rafael Melartin!