PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Shang Chi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Xavier Melendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Melendez's choice of entrance music: El Coo Cooi . Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Chi
vs
Melendez

179 cm
26
170 lbs
9 - 2 - 0

165 cm
27
169 lbs
15 - 6 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

BioPharm Nutrition

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 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Shang Chi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Xavier Melendez!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Skip Squint and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some bone on bone action there as Chi checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Melendez on the wrong end of a nice jab.

It looks like Xavier Melendez has been cut.
Shang Chi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Chi 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.
Chi ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Melendez has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Chi.
Chi lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Chi misses with a straight left.
Chi jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Melendez looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

Melendez tries to keep at a distance but Chi has taken the fight into the clinch.
Chi misses with a punch on the inside.
Melendez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Chi lands a nice uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Melendez blocks a body shot from Chi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez goes for a takedown in the clinch but Chi prevents it.
Melendez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Melendez tries for a takedown. No joy.
Chi is working Melendez over against the cage.
Melendez leaning against his opponent.
Chi tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Melendez taking a breather.
Chi lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Melendez backwards.
Chi gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Melendez.
Shang Chi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Xavier Melendez.
Melendez lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Chi presses Melendez against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Melendez is trying to maintain a safe position but Chi gets an underhook and turns Melendez into the cage.
Melendez is trying to break free.
Melendez blocks a body shot from Chi.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Chi.
Chi lands with a short punch from the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Melendez misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Melendez struggles to land a body shot inside as Chi controls his hands.
Chi throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Chi digs a right hand underneath Melendez's ribcage. Melendez let out a lung full of air as it connected.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chi tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Melendez's elbow.
Chi tries to work over Melendez's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Chi gets through Melendez's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Chi misses with a punch to the body.
Melendez wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Melendez prevents a body shot from Chi.
Melendez can't break the clinch.
Melendez misses with a hook from the clinch.
Chi has a couple of punches blocked by Melendez.
Melendez is trying to force a seperation but Chi has the dominant position.
Chi throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Melendez's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chi blocks an uppercut.
Melendez lands a shoulder strike.
Chi missing with knees to the body.
Melendez lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Chi or not.
Chi lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Melendez or not.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Chi struggles to land a body shot inside as Melendez controls his hands.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Chi lands an uppercut.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A nice left hand lands by Chi.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Melendez misses with a body punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shang Chi dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Xavier Melendez's cut.
That's time! Chi's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Chi throws a leg kick which misses Melendez's front leg but catches the back leg as Melendez tries to avoid it.
Chi throws a leg kick
and Melendez counters with an outside leg kick.
Chi throws a looping overhand right but Melendez ducks down to avoid it.

Chi has managed to clinch.
Chi misses with a punch on the inside.
A right hook to the body lands for Chi.
Chi tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Melendez's elbow.
Melendez is trying to force a seperation but Chi has the dominant position.
Melendez effectively controlling the action here.
Melendez misses with a hook from the clinch.
Melendez wants to break the clinch but can't.
Chi lands an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Chi.
Melendez changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Chi fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Chi scores with a crisp jab that stopped Melendez in his tracks.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Chi misses with a few strikes there.
Chi misses the jab.
Melendez tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Chi is able to avoid easily.
Chi wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Melendez lands a front kick.
Melendez fails with a takedown attempt.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Chi.
Melendez keeps the fight on the outside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Chi connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Melendez throws a sloppy head kick and Chi moves out of range easily.
Melendez takes one to the side of the head.
Melendez throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Melendez fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

Melendez moves into the clinch successfully.
Melendez has a couple of punches blocked by Chi.
A right hand to the body from Chi.
A body shot lands from Chi.
Chi lands with a light punch inside.
Chi missing with knees to the body.
Chi has a couple of punches blocked by Melendez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chi is working Melendez over against the cage.
Chi lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Melendez backwards.
Melendez tries to stall but Chi uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Melendez misses with a hook from the clinch.
Melendez leaning his opponent against the cage.
Chi can't find room to land a body shot as Melendez controls the action.
Chi working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Chi throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Melendezs head.

Melendez is rocked!
Melendez misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chi is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Chi misses with some punches.
Chi lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
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!
Melendez has a couple of punches blocked by Chi.
Chi misses with a body punch.
Melendez misses with a punch on the inside.
A right hand to the body from Melendez.
Melendez scores with a hook to the body.

Melendez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Chi closes the distance and clinches.
Chi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Chi misses with a body punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shang Chi dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Xavier Melendez's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Chi throws a right and a left that Melendez avoids nicely.
Good shot there by Chi.
Chi stuffs the takedown.
Chi swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Melendez.
Shang Chi is winning the standup battle so far.
Chi throws a leg kick that misses.
Melendez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Chi lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Melendez has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Melendez and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Melendez lands a jab-cross combination.
A good leg kick by Melendez.
Chi with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Melendez misses with a head kick.
Melendez drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
An inside leg kick lands from Chi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Melendez pivots, looking for a leg kick but Chi is out of range and Melendez settles back down.

Melendez shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Chi napping and manages to drive through into side control!
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Melendez looks up at the clock and then as Chi takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Melendez smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Chi on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Melendez with the ground and pound but Chi regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Nice strikes from Melendez there.
Melendez wants to pass to mount but Chi is defending the position.
Melendez is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Chi trying to control from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Chi manages to get to full guard.
Melendez postures up in Chi's guard and throws a big left but Chi blocks it.
Chi will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Chi bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Melendez's guard.
Melendez wants to sweep here but Chi controlling him for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Melendez working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Chi has passed into side control.
Melendez is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Chi is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Melendez bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Melendez trying to control the position from guard on top but Chi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Xavier Melendez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Melendez trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Chi manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melendez trying to keep a closed guard but Chi is proving a slippery customer.
Shang Chi is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Chi wants to stand but Melendez is controlling his posture from full guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Melendez throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Chi escapes and throws Melendez's legs to the side, diving into side control!

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Xavier Melendez.
I think Chi 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:28
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shang Chi!
A relieved looking Shang Chi thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.