PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Renan Melo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Smith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melo comes into the arena with Fireball - Pitbull blaring out of the sound system. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Melo
vs
Smith

159 cm
27
145 lbs
18 - 9 - 0

167 cm
27
141 lbs
16 - 9 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Arcticus University: London

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 18 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Renan Melo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Matt Smith!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Melo drives through and clinches with Smith against the cage.
Melo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Smith smiles and moves away.

Smith gets a clinch.
Melo misses with a punch to the body.
Melo misses with the head strike.
Melo tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Smith's elbow.
Melo works on Smith's body with a couple of short punches.
Melo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Melo tries to work over Smith's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Smith prevents a body shot from Melo.
Smith lands a shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith lands an elbow that stopped Melo in his tracks for a moment.
Melo struggles to land a body shot inside as Smith controls his hands.
Melo misses with a hook to the ribs.
Melo has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Smith avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Melo avoids the elbow strike from Smith, against the cage.
Smith missing with knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Melo breaks the clinch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Melo. Smith does a little dance to reset his feet.
Matt Smith is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Smith blocks a jab.
Smith tries to close the distance and clinch but Melo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Smith fakes the leg kick and cracks Melo in the body.
Nice uppercut lands for Smith. That snapped Melo's head back.
Melo lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Smith lands a leg kick that knocks Melo off balance momentarily.
Melo lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Smith fails in his attempt to clinch.
Melo misses with a hook. Smith ducked under it nicely.
Melo tries to clinch up.

Melo closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Smith quickly recovers to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Smith is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Smith wants to control but Melo is keeping busy.
Melo misses with a head shot. Smith uses the momentum to regain guard.
Melo wants to control from the top but Smith keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melo is pushing down on Smith's leg trying to pass to half guard. Smith is fighting to maintain full guard but Melo has managed to sneak the leg through.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Smith can do anything to dispel that myth.
Melo moves nicely into side control.
Smith really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Melo. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Smith is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Melo's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Melo frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

Melo goes for an armbar but Smith turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Smith.

Melo looking for subs off his back but Smith has passed one foot through into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith prevents Melo from improving his position.
Still in half guard, Smith seems content to control.
Melo wants to improve his position but Smith is controlling well.
Melo manages to get to full guard.

Melo has his foot on Smith's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Smith works his way back into a safe position though.
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 Renan Melo will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Smith is looking to clinch.
Melo avoids a kick to the body.
Smith displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Melo throws out the jab.
Smith moves into range and connects with a jab.
Melo throws an off balance right hand

and Smith counters by moving into the clinch.
Smith creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Melo's defenses.
Still in the clinch, Melo scores with a nice short uppercut.
Smith throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Melo makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Smith lands a nice elbow.
Smith lands a hook to the side of the head.
Melo misses with a hook to the ribs.
Smith tries to work over Melo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Matt Smith seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

Melo manages to break the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Smith keeps the fight on the outside.
Smith misses with a low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melo misses with a hook.
Smith swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Nice defenses there by Melo.
Smith is looking to slow Melo down with leg kicks.
Melo connects with a right hand. Smith shakes it off.
A big left from Melo misses.
Melo lands with a right hand.
Melo scores with a hook to the body. Smith takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Smith scores with a kick to the midsection.
Smith lands a front kick.
Melo is looking to clinch.
Melo is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Smith.
Renan Melo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Smith tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Melo was well out of range. Poor timing from Smith.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith slips under a jab from Melo.
Renan Melo is winning the standup battle so far.
Melo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Smith moves away.
Smith is looking to clinch but Melo is avoiding it.
Melo appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Melo misses with a looping right.
Melo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Smith moves away.
Melo uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Smith.
Melo turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Melo slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

Smith moves into range and clinches up with Melo.
Smith blocks a body shot from Melo.
Smith misses with an elbow over the top.
Melo takes a knee right on the jaw!

It looks like Renan Melo has been cut.
Melo blocks a body shot from Smith.
Melo can't break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melo tries to throw a body punch but Smith avoids it by throwing Melo back against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Smith.
Smith lands an elbow that stopped Melo in his tracks for a moment.
Melo swings wildly with an uppercut but Smith uses good head movement to avoid it.
Smith swings wildly with an uppercut but Melo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Smith tries to land a knee to the head but Melo blocks with his arms.
Smith lands a nice elbow.
Melo jumps guard but Smith stands there with Melo around his waist. Melo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Smith misses with a knee strike.
Melo tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Smith just stands there and leans against the cage.
Melo misses with a punch to the body.
Melo misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Smith lands a hook to the side of the head.
Melo lands with a right to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith prevents a body shot from Melo.
Melo misses with a body punch.
Melo misses with a hook to the ribs.
Smith prevents a body shot from Melo.
Melo digs a right hand into Smith's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Smith's gas tank.
Smith looking to throw knees to the head but Melo is blocking nicely.
Smith pushes off an throws an elbow but Melo leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Melo can't find room to land a body shot as Smith controls the action.
Melo lands a body punch in the clinch.
Melo can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Renan Melo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Melo misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Smith obliges.
Melo takes an elbow to the forehead.
Melo misses with the head strike.

Melo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Melo wants to slow Smith down by chopping away at his legs.
Smith turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Smith showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Renan Melo's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

A looping hook to the body misses from Melo. Smith does a little dance to reset his feet.
Smith steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Melo.
Melo walks forward, straight into a front kick from Smith.
Melo jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Melo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Smith manages to avoid it.
Smith tries to counter by closing the distance.
Smith lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Melo scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

Melo rushes Smith and presses him up against the cage.
Melo tries to work over Smith's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Melo struggles to land a body shot inside as Smith controls his hands.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith lands an elbow that stopped Melo in his tracks for a moment.
Smith throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Smith scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Melo jumps guard but Smith turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Smith lands an elbow inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Melo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Melo up against the cage.
Melo is leaning against Smith and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Melo misses with a punch to the body.
Melo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Smith backwards.
Come on Smith - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

Melo jumps into guard, dragging Smith to the mat.
Smith must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Melo looking to hit a scissor sweep but Smith is one step ahead there.

Melo looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Smith passes into half guard.
Smith seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that Smith has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Melo is trying to control but Smith manages to pass to mount!
Smith trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Melo tries to lock up and control but Smith gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melo is trying to escape the mount.
Smith takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Melo is working to get back to half guard.
Melo manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Smith is controlling the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melo gets back to full guard.
Melo is trying to control the position but Smith postures up.
Smith wants to control from the top but Melo keeps moving.
Melo wants to sweep but no luck.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Smith wants to pass the guard but Melo is keeping the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Matt Smith.
I think Smith 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matt Smith!
Matt Smith made sure to mention his sponsor, Arcticus University: London in his post fight interview.