PBP Commentary

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

Melendez
vs
Dziki

166 cm
24
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

155 cm
25
146 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Arden Melendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Janusz Dziki!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Darius Henderson and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dziki will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Dziki shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Melendez as he jumps to the side.
Dziki doesn't manage to clinch there - Melendez circles away.
Melendez throws a head kick that misses.

Melendez fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Dziki, pushing him back against the cage.
Melendez is trying to stall.
Melendez tries to land knees in the clinch but Dziki avoids the damage to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Melendez breaks the clinch.
Melendez moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Melendez changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Dziki should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Melendez misses with a double jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dziki tries to clinch there but Melendez circles away.
Dziki uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Melendez.
Dziki throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Melendez clinches up against the cage.
Melendez wants a takedown but no success here.
Dziki can't get the takedown.
Arden Melendez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Janusz Dziki.
Dziki is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Melendez pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Melendez tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Dziki avoids it.

Dziki has clasped his hands together around Melendez's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Dziki cracks Melendez with a big elbow.
Melendez is trying to improve his position.
Dziki looking to control but instead Melendez has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dziki throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Melendez misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Dziki seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dziki stops Melendez from getting back to his feet.
Dziki takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Dziki's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Melendez on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Dziki throws an elbow that misses. Melendez uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Dziki's guard. Nice move by Melendez!

Melendez drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Melendez jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Dziki has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Melendez is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
Dziki looking for a takedown.
Dziki has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Melendez after a bit of a struggle.
Dziki doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Melendez working hard to break the clinch.
Melendez is working for takedown but Dziki is calmly controlling the position for now.
Melendez gets underhooks to prevent Dziki's takedown attempt.
Melendez wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dziki turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Melendez manages to work his way to half guard, despite Dziki's best efforts.
Dziki is taking a breather. Melendez says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Dziki trying to control the action but Melendez is working from the bottom.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Melendez looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Melendez is breathing heavily.
Melendez is trying to control but can't.
Melendez is not content to let Dziki control the position.
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 Arden Melendez will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Dziki moves out of range of the strikes.
Dziki steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Melendez.
Melendez uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Dziki has time to react.

Dziki has Melendez up against the cage in a clinch.
Dziki tries to score a body lock takedown but Melendez shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Melendez tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Dziki has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Melendez regains guard immediately.

Melendez has his feet on Dziki's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Melendez swats away the attempt to clinch by Dziki.
Dziki avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Melendez tries to land a body kick

and Dziki counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Melendez has one foot on Dziki's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez misses with a left hand

and Dziki counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Melendez!
Dziki is looking to take a break and control but Melendez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Melendez struggling a bit here.
Dziki happy to just control the position for now.
Dziki is putting a hurting on Melendez here, landing some big shots from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez gets back to half guard.
Dziki is taking a breather. Melendez says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Dziki is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Dziki trying to control from half guard but Melendez is working away.
Dziki content to control rather than advance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Melendez looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Dziki controlling the pace.

Melendez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Dziki pulls his head out easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Melendez misses with some strikes from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Melendez tries to sprawl but Dziki drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Dziki trying to control from Melendez's half guard. Melendez has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

Melendez working for a triangle but Dziki defends it easily.
Dziki lands a couple of digs.
Melendez looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Dziki is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Janusz Dziki will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Dziki closes the distance and clinches.

Melendez is fighting off a takedown attempt but Dziki is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Melendez to the mat. Melendez regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

Melendez is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Melendez has his foot on Dziki's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Dziki works his way back into a safe position though.
Dziki is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
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.
Dziki postures up and lands a big shot to Melendez's brow.
Dziki with a nice head shot there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dziki is stalling in the full guard.

Melendez working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Dziki doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Dziki manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Dziki looking to pass the guard.

Melendez throws his legs up looking for a submission but Dziki uses it to pass to side control.
Dziki moves into full mount!
Dziki sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez tries to reverse the position but Dziki maintains control.
Dziki is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Dziki in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Dziki controlling from mount.
Dziki has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Melendez's face.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Dziki controlling the pace for now.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Dziki has eaten all the pies!
Dziki trying to control but Melendez is having none of it.
Dziki really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Melendez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Dziki controlling from the full mount.
Melendez is bucking up trying to escape but Dziki cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
The referee warns Melendez that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Janusz Dziki has got the better of the ground game so far.
Melendez is in all sorts of trouble here.
Dziki takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
BOOM! Dziki connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Dziki scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Melendez tries to hold on but Dziki pushes him away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Janusz Dziki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Dziki has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 John Mangel scores the fight 28:29
Judge Darius Henderson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Janusz Dziki!