PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Gilbert Melendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Roy Brandon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melendez comes to the cage accompanied by Eminem - Survival. Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the prize buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Melendez
vs
Brandon

175 cm
29
165 lbs
12 - 4 - 2

175 cm
20
165 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

//buriedALIVE// Fight Gear
LOD: Affordable Quality

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 12 - 4 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Gilbert Melendez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Roy Brandon!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Melendez looks for a takedown but Brandon sprawls well.
Brandon throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Melendez counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Brandon's guard now.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Brandon wants to control the position but Melendez says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Melendez thows a huge punch but Brandon dodges it nicely.
Brandon is looking to control Melendez's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Brandon avoid being mounted?
Melendez is trying to control. Brandon wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Brandon trying to control but Melendez postures up.
Melendez is looking to advance position but Brandon won't allow it.
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.
Brandon tries to get to full guard but Melendez has control of the leg.
Brandon regains full guard. Nicely done.
Brandon working a defensive guard here.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Brandon can do anything to dispel that myth.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Brandon can't keep his opponent in guard - Melendez advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Brandon is looking to improve his position.
Melendez is thwarting Brandon's attempts to control the position.
Brandon is looking to get back to is feet but Melendez passes into side control.
Melendez controls the position.
Brandon is trying to get back to half guard.
Melendez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Brandon keeps working.
Brandon can't do much from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez throws a strike aimed at the side of Brandon's head but Brandon avoids it well.
Melendez controls the position.

Melendez stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Roy Brandon is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Brandon throws a leg kick that misses.
Brandon throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Horrible takedown by Melendez or perhaps it was just good defense by Brandon which made him look bad.
Melendez moves out of range as Brandon throws a body kick.

Melendez decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Brandon is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Well, if Melendez is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

Melendez is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Brandon sees it coming and defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Brandon is looking to control Melendez's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Brandon avoid being mounted?
Melendez wants to take a breather but Brandon is having none of it.
Melendez wants to get back to his feet.
Melendez tries to pass to full mount but Brandon defends it.
Brandon regains full guard. Nicely done.
Brandon keeping full guard, as Melendez tries to pass.
Brandon is pulling down on Melendez's head to control his posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Brandon looking to hit a scissor sweep but Melendez is one step ahead there.
Brandon keeps trying to improve his position.
Brandon keeping moving, preventing Melendez from controlling successfully.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Brandon looks to throw the jab but Melendez is out of range.
Brandon defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Melendez.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gilbert Melendez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Brandon tries to bum rush Melendez with a series of wild strikes but Melendez uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Melendez takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Melendez moves out of range of the body kick from Brandon.
Brandon rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Melendez counters with a straight right hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Gilbert Melendez will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Brandon scores with the left hand. Melendez knows he should have avoided that one.
Gilbert Melendez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Brandon tries to close the distance and clinch but Melendez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Brandon throws a front kick aimed at Melendez's knee but Melendez avoids it well.
A punch combination from Brandon misses.

Melendez shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Brandon's guard.
Brandon wants to stand up but Melendez is controlling him.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Melendez is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Brandon is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Melendez advances to half guard.
Melendez moves into full mount! Brandon won't be happy about that!
Brandon really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez content just to control the position here.

Melendez is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Brandon to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Brandon shrugs it off.
Brandon is looking to get to half guard.
Melendez with the ground and pound from mount.
Brandon tries to lock up and control but Melendez gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Melendez controlling his opponent.
Brandon is looking to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez landing strikes from the mount and Brandon is in trouble!
Brandon wants to control but Melendez is having none of it.

Melendez wants to finish this one by submission but Brandon is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Melendez.
Melendez looking to control and managing it successfully.
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!
Brandon gets back to half guard.
Melendez trying to control the pace.
Melendez'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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Melendez is looking for a kimura but Brandon is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Melendez to get the leverage.
Melendez looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Brandon is not content to let Melendez control the position.
Melendez looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Brandon is looking to improve his position.
Brandon trying to control here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Brandon wants to improve his position but Melendez is controlling well.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Gilbert Melendez just wasn't active enough.
Melendez tries to clinch up.
Brandon darts in trying to clinch

and Melendez counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Brandon!
Melendez in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Brandon is trying to control Melendez's posture but Melendez avoids it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Melendez swings around for an armbar but Brandon sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Melendez's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gilbert Melendez dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Brandon attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

Melendez gets a takedown into half guard.
Brandon is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Brandon is staying active underneath Melendez, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Melendez keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Brandon is positioning himself well to prevent Melendez advancing to mount.
Brandon is looking for a sweep. Melendez is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Melendez looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Brandon misses with a double jab.
Roy Brandon seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A left lands for Brandon.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Brandon, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Brandon misses with a wild combination.
Brandon's coach down at Choppy's School Of Hard Knocks was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Brandon's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Melendez fails with an attempt to clinch.
A combination from Brandon does no damage.
Brandon throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Melendez.
Melendez fails in his attempt to clinch.
Melendez showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Brandon.
Melendez seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Melendez dives in for a single leg takedown but Brandon sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Melendez is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Brandon is defending well.
Brandon looking to stall.

Melendez is trying to trip Brandon. He has hold of a leg but Brandon is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Melendez persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Melendez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Brandon is keeping the position for now.
Melendez is pushing down on Brandon's leg trying to pass to half guard. Brandon is fighting to maintain full guard but Melendez has managed to sneak the leg through.
Melendez trying to control from half guard but Brandon is working away.
Brandon is trying to get back to full guard.
Brandon blocking the ground and pound attempt from Melendez.
Roy Brandon has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Melendez tries to pass the half guard into mount. Brandon knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Melendez perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Gilbert Melendez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez works his way into full mount!
Melendez content just to control the position here.
Melendez looking to control but Brandon is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Gilbert Melendez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Brandon is looking to improve his position but Melendez isn't that keen on the idea.
Melendez trying to control but Brandon is having none of it.
Melendez content just to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melendez seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Brandon for as long as he can get away with.
Melendez has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Gilbert Melendez wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Brandon misses with a few strikes there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gilbert Melendez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Melendez, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gilbert Melendez!
An out of breath Gilbert Melendez thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.