PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jacob Andrews (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and AJ Melo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jacob Andrews has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Andrews
vs
Melo

195 cm
21
200 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

189 cm
26
220 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

TITAN

Fight Club Clothing est. 09™

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 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jacob Andrews!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, AJ Melo!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fray, Chris Saunders and Ryoma Takatsuka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Andrews keeps the fight on the outside.
Andrews looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Andrews has his takedown stuffed

and Melo counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Melo digs a right hand into Andrews's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Andrews's gas tank.
Andrews is working for a takedown up against the ropes. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Melo lands a hook that snaps the head of Andrews backwards.
Melo has Andrews pressed up against the ropes and is working for takedown. Andrews manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Melo drops down looking for an ankle pick but Andrews pulls his leg out and moves away.

Melo moves into the clinch successfully.

Melo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Melo has closed the distance and engaged Andrews in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Andrews backwards.
Andrews blocks an elbow strike from Melo.
Melo changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Andrews fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Jacob Andrews has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of AJ Melo.
Andrews shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Melo as he avoids it easily.
Melo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Melo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Andrews trying to stall but Melo improves his position.
Melo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Andrews smiles and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Andrews shoots in for a double leg but Melo sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Melo tries to close the distance and clinch but Andrews swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
AJ Melo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Andrews tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Melo swivels and escapes.
Melo scores with a punch to the head.
Andrews moves out of range of the body kick.
Andrews showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Melo.

Melo rushes Andrews and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short left from Melo.
A nice left hand lands by Melo.

Melo breaks the clinch.
Melo tries to clinch up but Andrews circles away and keeps his distance.
Andrews misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Melo darts in and clinches Andrews up against the ropes.
Melo works on Andrews's body with a couple of short punches.
Melo can't get the takedown.
Melo is working Andrews over against the ropes.

Melo successfully pulls guard.
Andrews in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melo is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Andrews is controlling him.
Melo controlling Andrews's posture.
Melo looking to hit a scissor sweep but Andrews is one step ahead there.
Andrews trying to control but Melo is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

AJ Melo dominated that round.
That's time! Andrews's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Melo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Andrews smiles and moves away.
Melo wants to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Andrews doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Andrews takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Melo tries to clinch but Andrews moves out of range.
Melo looks to clinch
and Andrews counters with a left and a right that stings Melo.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melo misses with an attempted mid kick.
Some bone on bone action there as Andrews checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Andrews shoots for a takedown but Melo saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Melo fails in his attempt to clinch.

Melo drives through and clinches with Andrews against the ropes.
Andrews is working for a takedown up against the ropes. He can't get it on this occasion though.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jacob Andrews. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Melo gets through Andrews's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Andrews jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Melo walks away with a smile on his face. Andrews gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Melo manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Andrews circles away from the clinch attempt.

Melo closes the distance and clinches.

Melo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Melo closes the distance and clinches.
Melo lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Andrews backwards.
Andrews avoids a wild elbow strike from Melo.
Melo lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Andrews backwards.
Andrews tries to pull guard but Melo holds him up against the ropes and eventually Andrews drops back down to his feet.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Andrews dodges an elbow strike from Melo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Andrews tries to pull guard but Melo forces him back to his feet, against the ropes.

Melo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Melo rushes Andrews and presses him up against the ropes.
Melo lands a left hand.
Melo lands a body punch.
Andrews's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Melo tries to land a knee to the head but Andrews blocks with his arms.
AJ Melo seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Melo creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Andrews is fighting off a takedown attempt but Melo is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Andrews to the mat. Andrews regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Melo wants to control from the top but Andrews keeps moving.
Melo tries to stand but Andrews is controlling from the bottom.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melo seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Melo really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Andrews. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Melo has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Andrews is proving hard to escape from.

The ref stands the fighters back up. AJ Melo was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Melo closes the distance and clinches.
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!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Melo prevents the takedown attempt.
Melo gets through Andrews's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Melo has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Andrews uses from the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

AJ Melo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Melo has managed to clinch.
Melo gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Andrews.
Melo lands a hook to the side of the head.

Melo manages to break the clinch.
Melo tries to clinch up but Andrews circles away and keeps his distance.
Andrews takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Jacob Andrews seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Melo circles away from the clinch attempt.

Melo rushes Andrews and presses him up against the ropes.
Melo prevents Andrews from breaking the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melo tries to land knees in the clinch but Andrews avoids the damage to the body.
Melo prevents the takedown attempt.
Melo pressing his opponent against the ropes.
A nice left hand lands by Melo.
Melo lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Andrews backwards.

Melo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Andrews tries to clinch but Melo moves away

and Melo counters by clinching up.
Andrews's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Andrews working hard to break the clinch.
Melo scores with a nice hook to the head.
Melo stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Melo makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
With the two fighters working up against the ropes, Melo just misses with a elbow thrown towards Andrews's brow.
Andrews takes a shot to the head.

It looks like Jacob Andrews has been cut.
Melo pushes Andrews back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.

Melo breaks from the clinch.
Melo looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Andrews tries to clinch there but Melo circles away.

Melo closes the distance and pushes Andrews back into the ropes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Melo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
AJ Melo is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Melo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Melo lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Melo looking to throw knees to the head but Andrews is blocking nicely.
Melo softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
Andrews is trying to pull guard but Melo has him pressed against the ropes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jacob Andrews. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Melo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Andrews backwards.
Melo working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Andrews wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Melo.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Melo lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Andrews.
Melo jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Andrews walks away with a smile on his face. Melo gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Andrews keeps the fight on the outside.
Melo is looking to clinch but Andrews is avoiding it.
Andrews swings widly with a right hand
and Melo counters with a three punch combo that has Andrews backing up. Andrews nods at Melo to acknowledge the strikes.
Melo tries to clinch up but Andrews circles away and keeps his distance.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Melo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Jacob Andrews has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Melo fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Andrews, pushing him back against the ropes.

And that's the end of the fight!
AJ Melo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Melo has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Colin Fray scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... AJ Melo!