PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kendall Cross (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anthony Melendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Cross
vs
Melendez

166 cm
24
144 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

168 cm
25
143 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Determined

KAISER Nutrition (160!/220$)

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kendall Cross!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Anthony Melendez!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Jonathan Paton and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A bone on bone clash there as Melendez blocks the leg kick.
Cross checks the leg kick nicely there.
Cross stuns Melendez with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Melendez shoots and misses
and Cross counters with a nice body shot.
Cross has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Ground Zero, Las Vegas (LOD) in the buildup to the fight.
Melendez fails with the takedown
and Cross counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Cross thuds a left hand into Melendez's body.
Cross lands a leg kick that knocks Melendez off balance momentarily.
Cross lands a jab to Melendez's midsection.
Melendez tries for a takedown but Cross circles away easily
and Cross counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Kendall Cross has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anthony Melendez.
Cross works Melendez's body with a nice hook.
Melendez has his takedown stuffed
enabling Cross to counter with a crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Cross thuds a left hand into Melendez's body.
Melendez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Cross counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Cross lands a front kick.
Melendez takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Cross is looking to wear down Melendez with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Melendez blocks a leg kick.
Melendez with a lazy takedown attempt
and Cross counters with a right hand to the body.
Cross fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Melendez on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Melendez tries for a takedown but Cross circles away easily
and Cross counters with a straight right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez checks a leg kick.
Cross scores with a hook.
Melendez misses with a takedown attempt
and Cross counters with a left to the body.
Jab by Cross.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Melendez takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Melendez misses with a takedown attempt
and Cross counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Melendez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Cross connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Cross thuds a left hand into Melendez's body.
Cross throws a right and a left that Melendez avoids nicely.
Melendez swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A lazy left from Cross finds it's target.
Cross lands a nice shot to the body.
Melendez doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Cross counters with a nice body shot.
Melendez wants to clinch
and Cross counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Melendez with a lazy takedown attempt
and Cross counters with a nice body shot.
Melendez takes one on the button.
Melendez doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Cross counters with a nice body shot.
Cross scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Cross stalks Melendez and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Melendez's face. Melendez staggers backwards, shaken.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melendez closes the distance looking to clinch
and Cross counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Melendez has his takedown stuffed
and Cross counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Kendall Cross is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Melendez with a poor takedown
and Cross counters with a left to the body.
Melendez takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Melendez with a poor takedown
and Cross counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Melendez looks winded!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cross shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Melendez eats them both and turns towards Cross to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Cross misses with a jab, cross combination.
Melendez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Cross counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kendall Cross dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Cross lands a jab to Melendez's midsection.
Cross lands with a nice body punch.
Anthony Melendez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cross throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Melendez shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Cross counters with a one-two to the body.
Cross looks to land a combination but Melendez avoids it well.
Melendez shoots and misses
and Cross cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Melendez is trying desperately to land a takedown but Cross is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Melendez.
Cross lands with a nice body punch.
Cross scores with a one two! Melendez had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

Melendez is rocked!
Melendez tries for a takedown but Cross circles away easily
and Cross counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Melendez is still on wobbly legs! Can Cross finish him?
Kendall Cross has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anthony Melendez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez fails with the takedown
and Cross counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Melendez seems to have recovered his senses.
Melendez takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Anthony Melendez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Melendez doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Cross counters with a left and a right that stings Melendez.
Melendez is breathing heavily.
Melendez shoots and misses

and Cross counters with a crisp one two that drops Melendez! Cross thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Melendez to his feet! Melendez is in big trouble!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Melendez throws a head kick that misses.
Melendez tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Cross counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Melendez fails with the takedown
and Cross counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good exchange - Cross coming out on top.
Kendall Cross is winning the standup battle so far.
Melendez takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Cross stuns Melendez with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Cross fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Cross fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Melendez is out of range.
Melendez tries for a takedown but Cross circles away easily
and Cross counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Melendez fails with the takedown
and Cross counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Cross lands a nice looking body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez looks to clinch
and Cross counters with a nice body shot.
Melendez shoots and misses
and Cross counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Cross ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Cross is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Melendez wants to clinch but Cross slips to the side
and Cross counters with a two punch combo.
Cross works Melendez's body with a nice hook.
Melendez tries to clinch up
and Cross counters with a nice body shot.
Cross lands a slapping body shot.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with eachother but Melendez might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Cross has got the better of the exchanges.
Melendez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Cross counters with a left to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cross lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Melendez takes a shot to the body in his stride.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Melendez with a lazy takedown attempt
and Cross counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Melendez thinking.
Melendez takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Cross comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Cross works Melendez's body with a nice hook.
Melendez with a lazy takedown attempt
and Cross counters with a right hand to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A shot to the liver by Cross. Beautiful body shot.
Jab, jab by Cross - just one landing.
Cross closes the distance and lands a one-two.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kendall Cross dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Melendez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Cross counters with a three punch combo that has Melendez backing up. Melendez nods at Cross to acknowledge the strikes.
Melendez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Melendez dodges the punch combination from Cross.
Melendez tries for a takedown but Cross circles away easily
and Cross counters with a good low kick that Melendez was not able to check.
Cross chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Cross is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Melendez can do to turn this around?
Cross scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Cross scores with a hook to the body. Melendez takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Cross cracks a nice hook into Melendez's ribs.
Melendez takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Melendez moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Cross counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Kendall Cross has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anthony Melendez.
Cross lands a nice looking body shot.
Cross works the jab nicely.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Cross checks a leg kick.
A nice combination there by Cross.
Cross lands a head shot.
Cross's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Cross duly obliges.
Cross scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Cross thuds a left hand into Melendez's body.
Cross cracks a nice hook into Melendez's ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cross lands with a straight right. Melendez didn't see that one coming.
Cross scores with a body shot.
Melendez tries to clinch there but Cross circles away.
Cross scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cross scores with a jab to the body.
Cross looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Melendez tries for a takedown but Cross circles away easily
and Melendez takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Cross throws a low kick, looking for Melendez's leg but Melendez calmly moves out of range.
Melendez has his takedown stuffed
and Melendez takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cross lands a jab to Melendez's midsection.
Cross digs a good body shot into Melendez's ribs.
Cross lands a right hook to the body.
Melendez takes one on the button.
Cross scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Melendez doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Cross counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Cross scores with a shot to the body.
Cross lands a slapping body shot.
Melendez with a poor takedown
and Cross cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cross connects with a body shot.
Cross throws a front kick aimed at Melendez's knee but Melendez avoids it well.
Melendez doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Cross counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Cross dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Melendez. That did some damage!
Cross digs a good hook to Melendez's body.
Cross scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Melendez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Cross counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Anthony Melendez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cross fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Melendez looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kendall Cross showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cross has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 30:27
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 30:27
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kendall Cross!
Kendall Cross was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.