PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Alessio Meridio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Canterbury (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Meridio comes to the cage accompanied by All That Reamins - The Air I Breathe. The crowd seem to be enjoying Canterbury's choice of entrance music: Eminem- Till I Collapse. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Meridio
vs
Canterbury

187 cm
25
183 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

180 cm
23
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

[JMFC] Arashi Fighting Nutrition Q159 Rec/Stamina

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Alessio Meridio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Thomas Canterbury!
The judges for this bout are , and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Meridio clinches up against the cage.
Canterbury fails to pull guard.
Canterbury tries to land knees in the clinch but Meridio avoids the damage to the body.
Canterbury drops down looking for an ankle pick but Meridio pulls his leg out and moves away.
Canterbury misses the jab.

Meridio fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Canterbury, pushing him back against the cage.
Meridio tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Canterbury just stands there and leans against the cage.

Meridio pulls guard effortlessly.
Canterbury throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Meridio works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Meridio holds on and takes a little breather.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Meridio had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Canterbury defends it easily.
Canterbury missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Canterbury postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Canterbury working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Meridio uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Canterbury shoots in looking for a takedown. Meridio tries to sprawl out of it but Canterbury keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Meridio manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Alessio Meridio has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thomas Canterbury.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meridio shoots for a double leg takedown but Canterbury sprawls well. He's pushed Meridio's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Canterbury pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Meridio scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

It looks like Thomas Canterbury has been cut.

Canterbury rushes Meridio and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Meridio pulls guard.
Meridio working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Canterbury.
Canterbury working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Meridio has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Canterbury off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Canterbury pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Canterbury keeps the fight on the outside.
Canterbury misses with a head kick.
Canterbury looks gassed!
Meridio defending well as Canterbury loads up on a big left hand.
Canterbury wants to clinch up but Meridio keeps it at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Canterbury pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Meridio throws a right hand that Canterbury ducks under and follows up with a left that Canterbury also avoids with ease.
Canterbury cracks the inside of Meridio's front leg.
Meridio moves in looking to clinch but Canterbury pushes him off.

Meridio moves into the clinch.

Meridio pulls guard successfully.

Meridio pushes Canterbury off and gets back to his feet.
Meridio circles away from the clinch attempt.
A combination from Meridio does no damage.
Meridio is looking to clinch but Canterbury is avoiding it.
Canterbury looks for the body kick but Meridio saw that one coming.
Meridio throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Meridio closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Meridio stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Canterbury avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Meridio shoots in but no luck this time.
Canterbury keeps the fight on the outside.

Meridio gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Canterbury is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Meridio pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Meridio pulls guard.
Canterbury wants to stand but Meridio is controlling his posture from full guard.
Meridio is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Canterbury working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Canterbury wants to stand but Meridio has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Canterbury looking to sit in guard and control but Meridio gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Meridio pushes down on Canterbury's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Meridio trying to control the action but Canterbury is working from the bottom.
Meridio not doing much here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Meridio is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Canterbury doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Meridio.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alessio Meridio dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Thomas Canterbury's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Meridio rushes Canterbury and presses him up against the cage.
Canterbury throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Meridio blocks it with crossed arms.
Canterbury tries to pull guard but Meridio won't allow it.
Canterbury wants to get back to striking at distance but Meridio won't allow it.
Canterbury is trying to break the clinch but Meridio has him pressed against the cage.
Canterbury can't break the clinch.
Meridio jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Canterbury walks away with a smile on his face. Meridio gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
A head kick misses from Canterbury.
Canterbury has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Canterbury there as he acknowledges the shot.

Meridio closes the distance and clinches.

Meridio pulls guard.
Canterbury is breathing heavily.
Canterbury is looking to work some ground and pound but Meridio has wrist control.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Meridio holds on and takes a little breather.
Meridio wants to sweep here but Canterbury controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Meridio is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Meridio is working for takedown but Canterbury is calmly controlling the position for now.
Meridio slows down the pace here.
Meridio fails to pull the fight into his guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alessio Meridio. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Meridio escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Meridio scores with a leg kick.
Meridio misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Meridio moves into the clinch.

Meridio breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Meridio misses with the combination.
Meridio closes the distance looking to clinch

and Canterbury counters by moving into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Meridio's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Meridio scores with a one two! Canterbury had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Meridio tries to clinch there but Canterbury circles away.
Meridio throws a head kick but Canterbury moves out of range.
Canterbury leaves Meridio with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Canterbury throws a head kick that misses.
Meridio shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Canterbury sprawls well. Canterbury wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Meridio gets slowly back to his feet.
Meridio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Canterbury swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Canterbury shoots in looking for a takedown. Meridio tries to sprawl out of it but Canterbury keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Meridio manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Meridio misses with a wild combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Canterbury looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Meridio is fending him off so far but Canterbury persists. Nope, Meridio circles away and we're back to standing.

Meridio clinches up with Canterbury and pushes him back against the cage.
Canterbury tries to land a knee to the head but Meridio blocks with his arms.
Canterbury tries to pull guard but Meridio holds him up against the cage and eventually Canterbury drops back down to his feet.

Meridio breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Meridio is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Canterbury's half guard.
Canterbury is looking to escape.
Canterbury wants to get back to full guard.
Meridio working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Meridio is looking to take a break and control but Canterbury is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Meridio missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Canterbury wants to get back to his feet.
Meridio throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Meridio 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.
Meridio trying to control the action but Canterbury is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alessio Meridio dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Thomas Canterbury's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Meridio escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Meridio throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Canterbury.
Canterbury throws a lazy head kick

and Meridio counters by clinching up.
Canterbury is trying to break the clinch but Meridio has him pressed against the cage.
Meridio wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Meridio jumps into guard, dragging Canterbury to the mat.
Meridio is trying to control the position but Canterbury postures up.
Canterbury postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Canterbury looking to sit in guard and control but Meridio gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Meridio looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Meridio stands up and waves to Canterbury to follow him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Canterbury throws a series of punches but Meridio moves out of range.
Meridio closes the distance looking to clinch
and Canterbury counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Meridio is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Meridio tries to clinch but Canterbury is having none of it.

Meridio shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Meridio won't let Canterbury get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Meridio blocks Canterbury's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
You get the feeling that Canterbury really doesn't like being in this position too much.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Meridio punishing his opponent with strikes.
Meridio trying to control but Canterbury is having none of it.
Meridio working the ground and pound effectively.
Meridio sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Meridio cracks Canterbury with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Meridio trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Meridio has hold of Canterbury's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Canterbury manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

Meridio working for a submission but Canterbury is keeping him at bay.
Meridio can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Canterbury is looking to escape.
Thomas Canterbury has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Meridio controlling his opponent.
Meridio lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Canterbury hang on?
Meridio looking to finish Canterbury with some ground and pound. This is bad for Canterbury!

Meridio is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Canterbury is surviving well by controlling Meridio's body position as best he can.
Alessio Meridio is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Meridio controlling the position easily from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alessio Meridio showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Meridio 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alessio Meridio!