PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mike Sheilds (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Xavier Melendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sheilds's entrance music is Scars - Papa Roach. A fine choice. Melendez has chosen El Coo Cooi as his entrance music. Mike Sheilds has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sheilds
vs
Melendez

179 cm
19
164 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

165 cm
20
169 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

MFS Outfitters ™

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mike Sheilds!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Xavier Melendez!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Ben Zyskovitsi and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sheilds tries to clinch but Melendez is having none of it.
Sheilds tries to clinch but Melendez moves out of range.
Sheilds is looking to clinch.
Sheilds misses with a few strikes there.
Melendez blocks a low kick nicely.
Sheilds takes one to the side of the head.
Melendez avoids a punch combination nicely.
Melendez swats away the attempt to clinch by Sheilds.

Melendez feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Melendez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sheilds works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Melendez sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Sheilds's guard.
Sheilds controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Sheilds tries to kick Melendez off but Melendez keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez working over Sheilds with some ground and pound. Sheilds looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Melendez working over Sheilds with some ground and pound. Sheilds looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Sheilds is in trouble now - Melendez has advanced to mount!
Melendez avoids the attempt from Sheilds to control.
Sheilds in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Melendez throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Melendez working Sheilds over with strikes here.

It looks like Mike Sheilds has been cut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melendez with good strikes from the mount here!
Melendez lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Sheilds hang on?

Sheilds is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sheilds is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
A nice elbow there by Melendez.
Melendez working Sheilds over with strikes here.
Melendez avoids the attempt from Sheilds to control.
Melendez has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Sheilds tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sheilds is in a horrible position here. Melendez smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melendez dominating with strikes here.
Sheilds keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Sheilds takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Melendez landing punches.
Melendez prevents Sheilds from getting the reversal.
Melendez misses with a head shot.
Melendez sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Melendez scores with a couple of good head shots there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sheilds wants to hold on but Melendez pushes him away.
Melendez lands a big elbow.
Melendez fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Oh Sheilds is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Sheilds is wriggling around trying to escape.
Sheilds seems to have got his legs back now.
Sheilds is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Sheilds can't escape the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sheilds in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

Mike Sheilds's cut is getting worse.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sheilds is trying desperately to improve position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xavier Melendez dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Mike Sheilds's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

A slow jab from Sheilds misses its intended target.
Melendez swats away the attempt to clinch by Sheilds.
Sheilds is looking to clinch.
Sheilds tries a low kick but Melendez avoids it.
Melendez misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sheilds fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sheilds connects with a single shot there.
Sheilds is looking to clinch but Melendez is avoiding it.
Melendez avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Melendez staying out of range there.
Sheilds falls off balance throwing a combination

and Melendez counters with a series of strikes that sends Sheilds to the canvas! Melendez follows down into guard, looking to finish the fight!
Sheilds working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez wants to pass the guard but Sheilds is keeping the position.
Melendez prevents Sheilds from getting back to his feet.
Melendez advances to half guard.
Melendez winds up and cracks Sheilds with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Sheilds is refusing to be controlled, as Melendez sits in half guard.
Melendez misses with a head shot. Sheilds uses the momentum to regain guard.

Sheilds has his feet on Melendez's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sheilds tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Melendez counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Sheilds is looking to improve his position.
Melendez sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Sheilds defending well though.
Melendez thows a huge punch but Sheilds dodges it nicely.
Sheilds blocking the ground and pound attempt from Melendez.
Xavier Melendez has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sheilds is looking to control Melendez's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sheilds avoid being mounted?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sheilds is not content to let Melendez control the position.
Sheilds blocking the ground and pound attempt from Melendez.
Sheilds is looking to escape.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sheilds looks to clinch

and Melendez counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Melendez.
Melendez prevents Sheilds from getting back to his feet.
Sheilds keeping moving, preventing Melendez from controlling successfully.
Melendez connects with a couple of short punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Melendez throws a big right hand that misses.
Sheilds working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Melendez.
Sheilds keeping full guard, as Melendez tries to pass.
Sheilds pulls Melendez in close to his closed guard and prevents Melendez from doing any damage or advancing position.
Sheilds lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Melendez!
Melendez has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Sheilds unloads with some shots from mount but Melendez bucks and avoids them well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xavier Melendez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Mike Sheilds's cut.
That's time! 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.

A combination from Sheilds does no damage.
Sheilds swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Melendez counters with a left and a right that stings Sheilds.
Sheilds scores with a leg kick.
Sheilds misses with a body shot.
Sheilds throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Melendez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Melendez scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Sheilds throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Melendez.
Sheilds looks to clinch

and Melendez counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Melendez.
Melendez stands and throws Sheilds's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Melendez working the ground and pound.
Sheilds is trying to control Melendez's posture but Melendez avoids it.
Melendez throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Sheilds works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melendez not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Melendez wants to work for an arm triangle but Sheilds is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Melendez takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Melendez throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Sheilds is trying to control but can't.
Melendez thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Mike Sheilds has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Xavier Melendez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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.
Melendez stalling.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Sheilds throws a right hand that Melendez ducks under and follows up with a left that Melendez also avoids with ease.
Mike Sheilds is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sheilds throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Sheilds throws a combination that misses
and Melendez makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Sheilds misses with a double jab

and Melendez counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Melendez trying to control but Sheilds is working from the bottom.
Sheilds can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Melendez controls the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sheilds looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Melendez puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

Melendez has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Sheilds defend it? Melendez steps over the head and cranks it - Sheilds is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Melendez!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:46 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Xavier Melendez!