PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mauricio Shogun (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Victor Melo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melo is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Who let the dogs out. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Shogun
vs
Melo

182 cm
22
205 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

184 cm
20
214 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mauricio Shogun!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Victor Melo!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Alexandre Firmino and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shogun looks for a takedown but Melo sprawls well.

Melo gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Melo has his foot on Shogun's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Shogun works his way back into a safe position though.

Shogun decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Shogun shoots for a double leg takedown but Melo sprawls well. He's pushed Shogun's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Melo has a takedown stuffed.

Melo closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Shogun tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Melo trying to control the position but Shogun is working away.
Shogun is looking to regain half guard here but Melo keeps moving and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melo cracks Shogun with a big right hand but Shogun just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

Melo is trying to get an arm triangle but Shogun is defending well.
Melo looks gassed!
Shogun throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.
Shogun is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Melo's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Melo is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Shogun defends it well.
Shogun wants to improve his position but Melo is controlling well.

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.
Shogun wants to control but Melo is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Shogun works his way to full guard. Good work.
Shogun wants to sweep here but Melo controlling him for the moment.
Shogun throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Shogun keeping moving, preventing Melo from controlling successfully.
Shogun trying to keep a closed guard but Melo is proving a slippery customer.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Shogun gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Melo counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mauricio Shogun. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Shogun pushes Melo off looking to stand but Melo dives back in and keeps control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melo trying to control from half guard but Shogun is working away.
Shogun is positioning himself well to prevent Melo advancing to mount.
Shogun has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Melo is working away from the top position though.

Melo wants to work for an arm triangle but Shogun is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Shogun actively working from the bottom here.

Melo is working for a submission of some sort.
Shogun moves into full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Shogun avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Melo stopping the sweep attempt from Shogun.
Shogun is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Melo is controlling him.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Melo on the wrong end of a nice jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Victor Melo will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Shogun fails with an attempt to clinch.
Shogun fails with the takedown

and Melo counters with a nice double leg into side control. Shogun won't be happy with that.
The ground and pound from Melo seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Shogun is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Nice strikes from Melo there.

Shogun is defending against the submission attempts here by Melo.
Melo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Shogun does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Melo is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shogun gets full guard.
Shogun bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Melo's guard.

Shogun decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Melo, up you get!
Shogun shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Melo counters with a shoot takedown. Shogun fights it but they end up in guard.
Shogun is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Melo is controlling him.
Melo trying to control but Shogun is working from the bottom.
Shogun is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Melo is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Shogun is keeping the position for now.
Shogun throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Shogun is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Melo stops Shogun from standing up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Shogun misses with a takedown attempt - Melo sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mauricio Shogun. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Melo looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Shogun taking some punishment here, with Melo in his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melo thows a huge punch but Shogun dodges it nicely.
The fighters are battling for position here. Shogun manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Shogun looking for subs off his back but Melo has passed one foot through into half guard.
Melo winds up and cracks Shogun with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Shogun is defending against the submission attempts here by Melo.
Shogun is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Melo looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Shogun tries to get to full guard but Melo has control of the leg.

Shogun actively working from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Victor Melo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

The fight stays on the outside here - Shogun looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Shogun clinches but Melo breaks the clinch

and Melo counters with a takedown into side control.
Shogun tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Shogun sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

Melo is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Shogun defends it well.
Shogun missing with punches from the bottom.
Shogun pushes Melo off looking to stand but Melo dives back in and keeps control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Shogun is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Melo pulls his head out easily.
Shogun blocking the ground and pound attempt from Melo.
Melo with the ground and pound but Shogun uses the opportunity to regain guard.

Shogun has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Melo off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Shogun has his takedown stuffed

and Melo counters with a single leg into guard. Shogun didn't expect that.
Melo trying to control the position from guard on top but Shogun is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Shogun scrambles and gets back to his feet.

Melo drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shogun is trying to keep Melo in close.
Shogun keeping moving, preventing Melo from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Melo postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Shogun is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Melo, into his guard.

Melo looking for a guillotine here but Shogun defends easily.

Melo has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Shogun can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shogun stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Melo swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Shogun 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.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Shogun decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Melo, up you get!
Melo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Melo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Shogun misses with a takedown attempt

and Melo counters with a takedown into side control.

Melo is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Shogun is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Melo tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Melo has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

And that's the end of the fight!
Victor Melo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Melo winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Seu Braga scores the fight for Victor Melo!
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight for Victor Melo!
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight for Victor Melo!

Victor Melo wins by unanimous decision!