PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lee Stroud (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Melbye (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melbye comes into a darkened arena with his song building. The Beast and the Harlot kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Matt Melbye is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Stroud
vs
Melbye

190 cm
22
220 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

183 cm
20
215 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid 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 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Lee Stroud!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Matt Melbye!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Joseph Jones and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Stroud, as that shot connected.
A punch combination from Melbye misses.
Stroud tries to close the distance and clinch but Melbye swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Stroud fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Stroud tries to close the distance and clinch but Melbye swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Stroud drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Stroud tries to free his leg and advance position but Melbye is retaining full guard.
Stroud preventing the sweep.
Melbye keeping moving, preventing Stroud from controlling successfully.
Melbye wants to sweep but no luck.
Melbye is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Stroud looking to pass the guard.
Stroud throwing strikes from guard but Melbye blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Melbye showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Stroud.
Melbye throws a series of punches but Stroud avoids them all with ease.
A combination from Melbye does no damage.
Melbye fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Stroud!
Stroud is trying hard to land a takedown here. Melbye sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Stroud closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Stroud is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Melbye sees it coming and defends easily.
Stroud is breathing heavily.
Melbye is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Stroud stops Melbye from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melbye works his way to full guard. Good work.
Stroud keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Melbye's head.
Stroud stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Melbye swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Melbye has momentary wrist control but Stroud slips an elbow through the middle.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Stroud thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Stroud looking to pass the guard.
Stroud throwing strikes but missing.
Stroud postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melbye preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
The fight stays on the outside here - Stroud looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Stroud is looking to clinch but Melbye is avoiding it.
A telegraphed right hand from Stroud misses the target.
Melbye shoots in for a double leg but Stroud sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Stroud tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Melbye was well out of range. Poor timing from Stroud.
Stroud throws a series of strikes that have Melbye backpedaling.

It looks like Matt Melbye has been cut.

Stroud gets a takedown into half guard.
Stroud tries to pass the half guard into mount. Melbye knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Stroud is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Stroud thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Melbye's head.
Stroud is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Melbye trying to control here.
Stroud is pressing down on Melbye's thigh, looking to free his foot. Melbye is holding on for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stroud is thwarting Melbye's attempts to control the position.
Stroud frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lee Stroud dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Matt Melbye's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Stroud shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Melbye is trying to escape the mount.
Stroud landing strikes from the mount and Melbye is in trouble!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Stroud wants to finish this one by submission but Melbye is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Stroud.
Melbye tries to lock up and control but Stroud gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Stroud with a couple of short strikes.
Melbye is breathing heavily.
Stroud looking to finish Melbye with some ground and pound. This is bad for Melbye!
Melbye regains half guard.
Melbye has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Stroud is working away from the top position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stroud works his foot free and advances to mount.
Stroud working Melbye over with strikes here.
Melbye taking shots to the head.
Lee Stroud overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Stroud trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Stroud lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Stroud controlling his opponent.
Stroud lands with some strikes.
Stroud with shots to the head and body - Melbye looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Stroud stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.

Melbye gets caught flat footed, as Stroud shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Stroud postures up.
Melbye keeping moving, preventing Stroud from controlling successfully.
Stroud makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Stroud passes Melbye's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Stroud throwing shots but Melbye is blocking nicely.
Stroud is trying to control the action in half guard but Melbye is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Stroud uses his free foot to push down on Melbye's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Melbye.
Melbye is wriggling around trying to escape.
Melbye wants to hold on but Stroud pushes him away.
Melbye is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melbye is bucking up trying to escape but Stroud cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Melbye tries to lock up and control but Stroud gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Stroud lands a big elbow.

Stroud is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Melbye has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Melbye wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Melbye has given up his back here. Will Stroud look for the submission or keep pounding away?
Stroud cracks Melbye with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Melbye from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
A lull in the action here.

Stroud is looking for the choke from the back position but Melbye is controlling his hands well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stroud is trying to stick to Melbye's back but Melbye is turning into Stroud. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Stroud's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Melbye.
Stroud has control of Melbye's left arm, preventing Melbye from doing any damage.

Stroud looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Melbye has picked Stroud up and slammed him! Stroud can't keep hold of the triangle and Melbye manages to pass to side control!
Stroud is looking for a sweep.
Stroud looking for a sweep but Melbye has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Stroud really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Melbye looking to control but Stroud is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stroud sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Stroud has hold of Melbye's hands but Melbye slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lee Stroud dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Matt Melbye's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Stroud closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Stroud jumps guard but Melbye stands there with Stroud around his waist. Stroud gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Stroud breaks from the clinch.

Stroud shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Melbye tries to lock up and control but Stroud gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Stroud is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Melbye can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Stroud landing shots from mount.
Melbye is looking to get to half guard.
Stroud working the ground and pound effectively.
Stroud is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Melbye can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Stroud working the ground and pound effectively.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stroud punishing his opponent with strikes.

Stroud throws some shoulder strikes here and then postures up. Oh, he's gone for an armbar! Melbye has his hands clasped together but Stroud breaks the hold and Melbye is forced to tap! This one is aaaaaaaaaaall over! That was lightning fast by Stroud!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:29 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Lee Stroud!