PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Randy Couture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Davi Melo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Couture
vs
Melo

186 cm
22
204 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

195 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Randy Couture!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Davi Melo!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Paulo Santos and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Melo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Couture moves away.
Couture throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
An inside leg kick lands from Couture.
Couture uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Melo.

Couture rushes Melo and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Melo wants to get back to striking at distance but Couture won't allow it.

Couture breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Melo misses with a straight left.
Melo misses with a jab, cross combination.
Melo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Couture.
Couture avoids the body shot from Melo.

Couture shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Couture wants to pass to mount but Melo is defending the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Couture takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Couture is working for a submission of some sort.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Couture stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Couture's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Couture throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Couture is trying to control the action in half guard but Melo is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Couture sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Melo defending well though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Couture decides to stand up.
Melo stuns Couture with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

Couture drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Melo seems a little lost for a moment, as Couture dominates the positioning.
Couture throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

Couture stands up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Couture dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Melo scores with a sloppy right hand. Couture should have avoided that one.
Couture avoids the body shot from Melo.
Couture tries to close the distance and clinch but Melo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Melo!
Melo misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Couture is trying hard to land a takedown here. Melo sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Couture misses the shot to the body.
The fighters circling - Melo throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
The fight stays on the outside here - Couture looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Melo stuffs the takedown.
Nice body punch from Melo.
Couture keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Melo.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Melo defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Couture.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randy Couture. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Melo fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Couture.

Couture shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Melo manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture won't allow Melo to get back to his feet.
Melo wants to sweep here but Couture controlling him for the moment.
Couture wants to control from the top but Melo keeps moving.
Couture stops Melo from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Melo keeping moving, preventing Couture from controlling successfully.
Melo is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Couture trying to control the position from guard on top but Melo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes 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.
Nice sprawl there from Melo as Couture shoots in.
Melo misses the shot to the body.
Couture takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Randy Couture is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Melo lands with a nice body punch.
Couture on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Melo stuns Couture with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Melo misses the shot to the body.
Couture slips a jab and a cross from Melo.
Melo thows a body shot but no joy.
Melo connects with a crisp jab.
Melo lands with a nice body punch.
Melo thows a body shot but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Couture.
A punch combination from Melo misses.
Nice body punch from Melo.
Melo is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Couture rather than just go for the knockout.
Melo lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Melo takes a swing at Couture's ribcage but misses.
Melo just misses with a punch to the body.
Melo tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Couture was well out of range. Poor timing from Melo.
Melo cracks Couture with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Melo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Couture manages to avoid it.
Melo bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Couture's head backwards.
Melo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Melo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Couture.
Melo misses the shot to the body.
Melo misses with a few strikes there.
Davi Melo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Melo tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Couture was well out of range. Poor timing from Melo.
Davi Melo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Couture takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Couture avoids the body shot from Melo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Davi Melo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Couture's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Couture keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Couture avoids a punch combination nicely.
Melo just misses with a punch to the body.
Couture misses with an uppercut.
Couture shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Couture moves in looking to clinch but Melo pushes him off.
Melo throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Melo throws a right and a left that both miss.
Melo just misses with a punch to the body.
Melo misses with a shot to the body

and Couture counters with a single leg into guard. Melo didn't expect that.
Melo keeping moving, preventing Couture from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Melo really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Couture. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melo is trying to keep Couture in close.
Couture trying to control the position from guard on top but Melo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Melo wants to stand but Couture is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Couture throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Couture in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Couture controls from within his opponent's guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Melo connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Melo just misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melo misses with a body punch

and Couture counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Couture trying to control but Melo is working from the bottom.
Melo is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Couture works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Couture throws a strike but Melo avoids it easily and moves to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melo is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Couture gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Melo just misses with a punch to the body.
Davi Melo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Melo lands a nice hook to Couture's body. Couture takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Couture takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Melo throws a right hand that Couture ducks under and follows up with a left that Couture also avoids with ease.
Couture takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Melo has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Melo fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Couture looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Melo lands a body shot.
Melo swings for the body but Couture moves out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Randy Couture showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Couture has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Randy Couture!