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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Melvin Rich (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anthony Melendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!
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| 170 cm
25
142 lbs
2 - 0 - 0 |
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168 cm
27
143 lbs
3 - 3 - 0 |
Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Cardio machine |
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BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Determined |
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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
2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Melvin Rich!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Anthony Melendez!
The judges for this bout are Joseph Jones, Franklyn Lucas and Russell Pearce.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Melendez fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Rich changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Melendez tries to avoid it but Rich manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Melendez to the ground. Melendez escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Melendez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Rich counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Melendez managing to control the position.
Rich postures up in Melendez's guard and throws a big left but Melendez blocks it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Melendez trying to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rich lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rich throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Melendez works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Rich trying to control the position from guard on top but Melendez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Rich is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Melendez is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Melendez keeping full guard, as Rich tries to pass.
Melendez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Melendez doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Melendez striking from his own guard.
Rich drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Rich jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Rich with a flurry of punches that miss.
Melendez avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rich is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Melendez shoots and misses
and Rich counters with a nice body shot.
Melvin Rich has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Anthony Melendez.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Melendez.
Rich closes this distance looking for a takedown but Melendez circles away.
Melendez shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Rich defends it nicely.
Rich shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Rich was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Rich wants to control but Melendez is keeping him busy.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rich throws an elbow but Melendez slips to the side and avoids it well.
Rich is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Melendez has escaped the position, nice work there.
Melendez struggling a bit here.
Rich goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Melendez rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Rich's guard! Nice work there by Melendez!
Melendez not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Rich working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Melendez.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melendez slips nicely into half guard.
Melendez seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Rich does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Melendez controlling the action here.
Rich is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Melendez pulls his head out easily.
Rich 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.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rich is staying active underneath Melendez, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Melvin Rich dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!
Melendez moves into the clinch successfully.
Melendez tries to circle away but Rich has him pinned against the cage.
Rich lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Melendez is looking to improve his position.
Rich is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Melendez defends it well.
Rich prevents Melendez from improving his position.
Melendez moves into full guard.
Rich looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Melendez 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.
Rich throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Rich looking to pass the guard.
Rich throws a strike but Melendez rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Melendez is in close to Rich's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Rich looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rich looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Melendez looking to sit in guard and control but Rich gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rich missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Rich trying to control but Melendez is working from the bottom.
Rich postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Melendez is controlling Rich's posture.
Rich with a nice head shot there.
Rich postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Melendez is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Rich, into his guard.
Melendez trying to control the position from guard on top but Rich is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rich working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Melendez has passed into half guard!
Rich is trying to maintain the position but Melendez is very close to passing his half guard.
Melendez is keen to just control but Rich is a slippery customer.
Melendez is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Rich is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Melendez can do to turn this around?
Melendez is landing with some decent strikes but Rich is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rich is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Melendez raining down shots from the mount!
Melendez landing strikes, looking to finish!
Melendez is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Melendez looking to control and managing it successfully.
Melendez can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rich is looking to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Anthony Melendez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Rich's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Melendez.
Rich darts in looking for a takedown but Melendez gets double underhooks and turns Rich into the cage.
Melendez jabs at Rich's body.
Rich looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Anthony Melendez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Melendez dives in and grabs Rich's left leg, looking for a takedown. Rich pushes down on Melendez's head and hops out.
Rich tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Melendez swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Melvin Rich. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Melendez closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Rich did well to prevent Melendez getting side control.
Anthony Melendez has got the better of the ground game so far.
Melendez is controlling the pace.
Melendez uses his free foot to push down on Rich's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Rich.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Rich's face.
Melendez sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Melendez wants to control the pace but Rich is squirming around nicely.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Melendez in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Melendez controlling his opponent.
Rich tries to hold on but Melendez postures up.
Rich is squirming around, avoiding Melendez's attempts to control the action.
Rich is in a horrible position here. Melendez smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Melendez looking to control and managing it successfully.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez with some aggressive grappling here, looking for the finish.
Rich throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Melendez fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Melendez is landing with some decent strikes but Rich is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Melendez trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Melendez is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rich throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Melendez controlling his opponent.
Rich takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Melendez in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Melendez lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Melendez trying to control but he's not successful this time.
And that's the end of the fight!
Anthony Melendez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Melendez 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 Joseph Jones scores the fight 27:29
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 27:29
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 27:29
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Anthony Melendez!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
31% |
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