This is the UFC 181 live blog for Anthony Pettis vs. Gilbert Melendez, a lightweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday night
Pettis, who has won four of his past five fights, will face Melendez, who is 1-1 in the UFC, on the main card.
Check out the UFC 181 live blog below.
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Round 1: The referee is John McCarthy. Both fighters open orthodox and Melendez is pressing right away. He tries for a takedown against the fence. Pettis separates and throws a head kick, which Melendez blocks. Melendez gets it on the second attempt, however. Pettis stands, but Melendez is close to taking his back. Pettis finally separates, but Melendez gives him no space and puts him on the canvas. Pettis eventually separates again, but Melendez is back on him, pressing him into the fence. Pettis scores a flying knee after he stuffs a shot in the middle of the cage. Melendez shots against the fence with Pettis’s back there, but Pettis stuffs it. Hard body kick scores twice for Pettis.
MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Melendez
Round 2: Pettis is being pressured back, but he’s turning a bit more. Melendez eats a punch and looks momentarily wobbled, but drives forward. He can’t get the takedown and now he’s eating shots from Pettis. He presses Pettis into the fence again, but no luck. Body kick for Melendez scores, but here comes trouble. Pettis scores two hard punches, including a right hand that stops him momentarily. Melendez rescrambles for a takedown, but Pettis jumps on a guillotine. It looks tight. Very tight. Pettis rolls into mount with the choke locked on and incredibly, Melendez taps.
Anthony Pettis def. Gilbert Melendez via submission (guillotine) at 1:53 of round 2