PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Richard Dawkins (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dante Melendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dante Melendez has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Richard Dawkins's chin.

Dawkins
vs
Melendez

176 cm
19
165 lbs
3 - 3 - 1

173 cm
24
171 lbs
8 - 9 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

CEC Nutrition Q159 (*$75*)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Richard Dawkins!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Dante Melendez!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Patrick Alders and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Melendez keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Melendez fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Dawkins throws a series of punches but Melendez moves out of range.
Melendez just misses with a punch to the body.
Dawkins scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Melendez cracks the inside of Dawkins's front leg.
Dawkins throws a series of punches but Melendez moves out of range.
Melendez avoids the body shot from Dawkins.
Dawkins throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Melendez.
Dawkins pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Dawkins scores with a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Dawkins misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Melendez.
Melendez avoids a punch combination nicely.
Melendez misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Melendez throws a nice looking combination but Dawkins bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Melendez needs to keep his hands up - Dawkins had a free shot at his head there.
Melendez waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Dawkins.
Dawkins misses with a few strikes there.
Dawkins loads up on a big right hand but Melendez slips the punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dawkins tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Melendez was well out of range. Poor timing from Dawkins.
Dawkins throws a predictable looking body shot
enabling Melendez to counter with a crisp jab.
No joy there for Melendez, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Dawkins misses with a jab, cross combination.
Dawkins is looking to wear down Melendez with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Dawkins tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Melendez was well out of range. Poor timing from Dawkins.
Melendez misses with a body shot
and Dawkins counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Left hook, right uppercut from Dawkins.
Richard Dawkins seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dawkins throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Melendez.
Melendez shoots in but Dawkins avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Melendez pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dawkins throws out a loose jab but Melendez uses good head movement to avoid it.
Melendez slips a straight right by Dawkins.
Nice defenses there by Melendez.
Melendez takes a swing at Dawkins's ribcage but misses.
Melendez misses with a hook.
Dawkins lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Melendez circles away quickly and effectively.
Dawkins throws a head kick but Melendez moves out of range.
Dawkins's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Melendez connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Dawkins scrambles back to his feet.
Dawkins bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melendez tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Dawkins swivels and escapes.
Richard Dawkins has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dante Melendez.
A punch combination from Dawkins misses.
Dawkins misses with a few strikes there.
Melendez looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Dawkins looks to land a combination but Melendez avoids it well.
Melendez misses with a two punch combination.
Dawkins defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Melendez.
Melendez throws out a loose jab but Dawkins uses good head movement to avoid it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dawkins misses with a double jab.
Dawkins lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Richard Dawkins dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Dawkins goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Dawkins is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Melendez.
Melendez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Dawkins.
Dawkins avoids the body shot from Melendez.
Dawkins misses with a combination
and Melendez counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Dawkins misses with a jab, cross combination.
Richard Dawkins is winning the standup battle so far.
Dawkins slips under a jab from Melendez.
Melendez misses with a right hand
and Dawkins counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Richard Dawkins is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Melendez throws the left hand but Dawkins avoids the punch easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Dawkins misses with a jab, cross combination.
Melendez throws a right hand that misses
and Dawkins counters with a two punch combo.
Some wild striking there from Dawkins.
Melendez scores with a nice right hand.
Dawkins throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Nice body punch from Melendez.
Melendez loads up on a big right hand but Dawkins slips the punch.
Dawkins misses with a body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dawkins misses with a few strikes there.
Dawkins scores with a jab to the body.
Dawkins ducks under a wild hook from Melendez.
Melendez shoots in looking for a takedown. Dawkins tries to sprawl out of it but Melendez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Dawkins manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Dawkins lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Melendez circles away quickly and effectively.
Melendez waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Dawkins.
Melendez scores with a punch to the head.
A combination from Dawkins does no damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Melendez is defended easily by Dawkins.
Dawkins fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Melendez manages to avoid it.
Dawkins misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Dawkins tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Dawkins thows a left - swing and a miss!

Melendez scores a takedown into full mount!
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Dawkins is bucking up trying to escape but Melendez cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dawkins keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Dawkins bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Melendez wants to sweep here but Dawkins controlling him for the moment.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Dawkins throws a big right hand that misses.
Dawkins throws a big elbow that misses.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Melendez can do anything to dispel that myth.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Melendez manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
BOOM! Melendez connects with a massive shot to the dome!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dante Melendez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Melendez drives through with a takedown into Dawkins's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Melendez stops Dawkins from standing up.
Dawkins manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Melendez manages to get himself to full guard.
Dawkins has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Dawkins stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Melendez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Melendez keeping moving, preventing Dawkins from controlling successfully.
Melendez pulls Dawkins in to control the position.

Dawkins decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Melendez, up you get!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Melendez shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Melendez was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Melendez looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

Dawkins is rocked!

It looks like Richard Dawkins has been cut.
Melendez loads up with a big shot that hurts Dawkins! He's pulled Melendez in close but Melendez has postured up and lands more strikes. Can Dawkins survive? More strikes from Melendez and Dawkins is out! The ref jumps in to save him! Brutal ground and pound!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:35 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Dante Melendez!
A very excited looking Dante Melendez made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.