PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Xavier Melendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stevie Reyes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melendez kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is El Coo Cooi . Reyes has chosen All the Above as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. 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.

Melendez
vs
Reyes

165 cm
27
169 lbs
14 - 6 - 1

169 cm
30
157 lbs
15 - 9 - 1

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Xavier Melendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Stevie Reyes!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Damien Edna and Summer Carpenter.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Reyes avoids a kick to the body.
Reyes checks a leg kick.
Reyes thuds a left hand into Melendez's body.
Reyes rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Melendez moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Melendez misses with an uppercut. Reyes saw that one coming.
Melendez tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
A combination from Reyes does no damage.
Melendez looks to clinch
and Reyes counters with a two punch combo.
Xavier Melendez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Melendez tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Reyes was well out of range. Poor timing from Melendez.
Reyes stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Melendez.
Melendez looks for the body kick but Reyes saw that one coming.
Melendez fails with the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez throws a sloppy head kick and Reyes moves out of range easily.
Stevie Reyes is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Reyes jabs at Melendez's body.
Reyes just misses with a punch to the body.
Melendez misses with a hook.
Reyes cracks Melendez with a right hand to the side of the head.
Melendez misses with a kick to the body.
Melendez throws a leg kick but Reyes sees it coming and moves out of range.
Reyes moves away from the strike by Melendez.
Melendez misses with a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez misses with an attempted mid kick.
Reyes throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Melendez decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Reyes's guard.
Reyes is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Reyes keeping moving, preventing Melendez from controlling successfully.
Melendez throws a big elbow that misses.
Reyes keeping full guard, as Melendez tries to pass.
Melendez sitting in guard, not really doing much.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Melendez throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Reyes as he jumps to the side.
Reyes keeps the fight on the outside.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Reyes enables Melendez to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Reyes manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Melendez sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Reyes's guard.
Reyes is looking for a sweep. Melendez is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Reyes tries to kick Melendez off but Melendez keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Reyes trying to hold on to Melendez's head to control him but Melendez postures up.
Reyes is not content to let Melendez control the position.
Reyes wants to control but Melendez is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reyes tries to get to full guard but Melendez has control of the leg.
Reyes makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Reyes.
Reyes controls Melendez momentarily but Melendez frees himself.
Melendez won't allow Reyes to sweep him here.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Melendez slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Reyes sneaks back into half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Melendez trying to control the action but Reyes is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xavier Melendez dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Reyes throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Melendez looks for the body kick but Reyes saw that one coming.
Melendez throws a sloppy head kick and Reyes moves out of range easily.
Melendez walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Melendez misses with a wild body shot.
Melendez shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Reyes defends it nicely.
Reyes throws a poor cross that misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Reyes slips under a jab.
Melendez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Reyes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Melendez motions for Reyes to come forward. Melendez throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
A head kick misses from Melendez.
Melendez ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Reyes throws a one two combo.
Reyes scores with a jab to the head.
Melendez throws a nice head kick!
Melendez takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Reyes on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Good work by Reyes as he checks the leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reyes throws a hook but Melendez blocks it.
Melendez lands a nice hook to Reyes's body. Reyes takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Melendez buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Melendez scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Reyes avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Melendez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Reyes cracks Melendez with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Melendez takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Melendez misses with a looping right.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Reyes pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Reyes jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Melendez looks for the body kick but Reyes saw that one coming.
Melendez is trying hard to land a takedown here. Reyes sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Nice straight punches there by Melendez. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Melendez.
Melendez tries a head kick but it misses.
Melendez throws a series of punches but Reyes avoids them all with ease.
Reyes misses with a wild body shot.
Melendez fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Xavier Melendez. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reyes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Melendez manages to avoid it.
Reyes on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Melendez scores with a leg kick.
Sloppy strikes from Melendez. Those never looked like landing.
Melendez attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Melendez moves away from the strike by Reyes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Melendez tries to clinch but Reyes is having none of it.
Melendez stuns Reyes with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xavier Melendez dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Melendez misses with a series of wild punches.
Reyes bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Melendez's head.
Reyes with a jab.
Melendez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Reyes moves out of range of the body kick.
Reyes lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Melendez circles away quickly and effectively.
Reyes pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Melendez back to the cage. Reyes follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Reyes misses with a hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez blocks a jab.
Melendez will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Reyes misses the jab.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Reyes enables Melendez to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Reyes manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Melendez postures up in Reyes's guard and throws a big left but Reyes blocks it.
Reyes is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Melendez throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Melendez 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.
Melendez trying to control the position from guard on top but Reyes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Melendez postures up.
Xavier Melendez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Melendez trying to control but Reyes is working from the bottom.

Xavier Melendez has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Melendez lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Reyes misses with a hook.
A head kick misses from Melendez.
Reyes avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Reyes throws the left hand but Melendez avoids the punch easily.
Reyes throws the left hand but Melendez avoids the punch easily.
Reyes looks to score with a jab to the body but Melendez is just out of range.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Melendez dodges the punch combination from Reyes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez is looking to clinch but Reyes is avoiding it.
Reyes avoids the head kick by Melendez.
Reyes changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
A punch combination from Melendez misses.
Reyes misses with a jab, cross combination.

Melendez scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Reyes is pushing Melendez's head away, looking to escape. Melendez manages to hold on to the position though.
Melendez controlling the position.
Melendez is looking to take a break and control but Reyes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Reyes's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Stevie Reyes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Reyes is looking to regain half guard here but Melendez keeps moving and retains side control.
Xavier Melendez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Melendez advances to full mount.
Reyes throwing hammer fists to the chest of Melendez. What's that going to do exactly?
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Melendez takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Reyes taking shots to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Xavier Melendez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Melendez has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 30:27
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Xavier Melendez!
Xavier Melendez seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.