PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Eddie Melo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bobby Tupper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melo's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Max Webster- Toronto Tontos. 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
Tupper

182 cm
26
174 lbs
10 - 10 - 1

170 cm
30
186 lbs
8 - 14 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

KAISER Nutrition - Q160/$250

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 10 - 1, fighting out of London, Eddie Melo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bobby Tupper!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A low kick from Melo misses
and Tupper counters with a two punch combo.
Melo lands a jab to the head.
Melo misses the jab.
Despite the aggression on Tupper's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Melo throws a hook to the side of Tupper's head but Tupper sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Melo has been working on his boxing with his coaches at All Elite Coach Specialist in the buildup to the fight.
Tupper wants to clinch
and Melo counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Tupper is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Tupper stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Melo.
Tupper avoids the body shot from Melo.

Tupper has taken the fight to the clinch.

Tupper escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Tupper chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Melo can pounce on him.
Melo cracks Tupper with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Melo throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Melo throws a wild body kick that Tupper sees coming a mile off.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Tupper! But no joy.

Melo gets tackled into the cage by Tupper. Tupper maintains the clinch.

Tupper breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Tupper misses with a head kick.
Tupper tries to clinch up.
Tupper stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Melo.
Melo blocks a head kick by Tupper.
Tupper wants to clinch up but Melo keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tupper tries to close the distance and clinch up but Melo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Melo connects with a jab.
Tupper throws a leg kick but Melo checks it.
A solid leg kick lands there for Tupper.
A good leg kick by Tupper.
Melo lands with a straight right. Tupper didn't see that one coming.
Tupper tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Melo tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Tupper was well out of range. Poor timing from Melo.

Tupper instigates a clinch.
Melo is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Tupper lands an elbow inside.

It looks like Eddie Melo has been cut.
Melo misses with a hook from the clinch.
Melo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Tupper backwards.
A short right from Melo on the inside.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Melo throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Tuppers head.

Tupper pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Tupper keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Melo.
Melo throws a low kick but Tupper moves out of range easily.
Tupper throws a body shot but no joy.
Tupper throws a sloppy head kick and Melo moves out of range easily.
A jab from Melo misses.
Eddie Melo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tupper looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Melo lands a jab.
Melo scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Melo misses with a hook. Tupper ducked under it nicely.
Tupper throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

Tupper closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Melo working aggressively here.
Melo misses with a short punch on the inside.
Melo working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Melo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Melo pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Tupper lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Tupper.
Melo half committed to a counter leg kick.
Melo connects with a body shot that sends Tupper's belly button to the back.
Melo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Some bone on bone action there as Tupper checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Tupper takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tupper looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Melo is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tupper displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Melo throws out the jab.
Melo throws an overhand right that lands on Tupper's shoulder, as Tupper tries to avoid the shot.
Melo takes a head kick and keeps coming.

Tupper moves into the clinch successfully.

Tupper manages to break the clinch.
Tupper throws a head kick that misses.
Tupper fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tupper throws a leg kick which misses Melo's front leg but catches the back leg as Melo tries to avoid it.
Melo slips a jab and a cross from Tupper.
Melo keeps the fight on the outside.

Tupper closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Melo lands a shoulder strike.
Melo misses with a short punch on the inside.

Melo manages to break the clinch.
Good leg kick by Melo there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Melo with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Melo lands with a shot to the body.
Tupper throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Melo sees it coming and avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melo thows a body kick. Tupper tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Melo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Tupper manages to avoid it.
Tupper is looking to clinch.
Melo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Melo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Tupper manages to avoid it.
Melo throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Tupper is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tupper tries to move into range but Melo moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Melo looks to land a right hand but Tupper moved out of range.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Tupper goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Tupper fails with an attempt to clinch.
Melo thinks about countering with a body kick.
Melo throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Tupper's head.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Melo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Tupper looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Nice straight punches there by Melo. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Melo.

Tupper is rocked!
Melo circles and sees the opportunity to plant his feet and throw a really nice straight left hand that drops Tupper to the canvas! Tupper doesn't know where he is but he's trying to survive - Melo keeps piling on the pressure and forces the referee to step in! This one is aaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Eddie Melo!
After winning the bout, Eddie Melo thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.