Melissa Martinez
"Super Mely"Career Averages
Win Methods (1)
Loss Methods (2)
Fight History
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatima Kline | 1 | 92 of 181 | 50% | 95 of 187 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:40 |
| Melissa Martinez | 0 | 44 of 119 | 36% | 52 of 129 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:32 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fatima Kline | 0 | 32 of 64 | 50% | 32 of 65 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Melissa Martinez | 0 | 17 of 38 | 44% | 17 of 38 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:01 | |
| 2 | Fatima Kline | 0 | 35 of 67 | 52% | 38 of 72 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:37 |
| Melissa Martinez | 0 | 18 of 54 | 33% | 26 of 64 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:31 | |
| 3 | Fatima Kline | 1 | 25 of 50 | 50% | 25 of 50 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:03 |
| Melissa Martinez | 0 | 9 of 27 | 33% | 9 of 27 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatima Kline | 92 of 181 | 50% | 57 of 132 | 26 of 35 | 9 of 14 | 75 of 160 | 12 of 14 | 5 of 7 |
| Melissa Martinez | 44 of 119 | 36% | 23 of 89 | 15 of 18 | 6 of 12 | 44 of 118 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fatima Kline | 32 of 64 | 50% | 19 of 45 | 8 of 10 | 5 of 9 | 31 of 63 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
| Melissa Martinez | 17 of 38 | 44% | 9 of 25 | 6 of 8 | 2 of 5 | 17 of 38 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Fatima Kline | 35 of 67 | 52% | 17 of 45 | 14 of 17 | 4 of 5 | 24 of 54 | 11 of 13 | 0 of 0 |
| Melissa Martinez | 18 of 54 | 33% | 10 of 43 | 5 of 5 | 3 of 6 | 18 of 53 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Fatima Kline | 25 of 50 | 50% | 21 of 42 | 4 of 8 | 0 of 0 | 20 of 43 | 0 of 0 | 5 of 7 |
| Melissa Martinez | 9 of 27 | 33% | 4 of 21 | 4 of 5 | 1 of 1 | 9 of 27 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
Expert Picks (4)
Angelo believes Fatima Kline will get the fight to the ground and avoid Martinez's power strikes. He notes Kline's grappling is dangerous and she has good takedowns, while Martinez's takedown defense is decent but her back is vulnerable. He is confident Kline wins but refuses to bet at -400 odds, calling it insane.
Big Brady is extremely confident in Fatima Kline, calling her one of the best prospects in WMMA. He highlights her striking, grappling background, and dominant ground and pound. He notes that Melissa Martinez was outgrappled by Elise Reed, the worst grappler in the division, and expects Kline to get a takedown and finish. He picks Kline by second-round submission.
The host expects Kline to dominate Martinez using a grapple-heavy approach and finish her within two and a half rounds. Kline is a heavy favorite at -400, indicating strong confidence in her victory. The host emphasizes her grappling advantage as the key to the finish.
The MMA Guru picks Fatima Kline, citing her physicality and size advantage (5'6" vs 5'2"). He notes she is a -1200 favorite and expects her to use grappling to secure a submission in the early rounds, referencing her recent first-round submission win over Victoria Dudakova. He believes Melissa Martinez's win over Alice Ardelean was competitive and that Kline will be too physical.
Oct 19, 2024
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melissa Martinez | 0 | 72 of 145 | 49% | 78 of 151 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Alice Ardelean | 0 | 92 of 224 | 41% | 103 of 240 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:41 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melissa Martinez | 0 | 18 of 42 | 42% | 18 of 42 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Alice Ardelean | 0 | 27 of 71 | 38% | 29 of 73 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:02 | |
| 2 | Melissa Martinez | 0 | 29 of 56 | 51% | 29 of 56 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Alice Ardelean | 0 | 45 of 90 | 50% | 48 of 94 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:04 | |
| 3 | Melissa Martinez | 0 | 25 of 47 | 53% | 31 of 53 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Alice Ardelean | 0 | 20 of 63 | 31% | 26 of 73 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:35 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melissa Martinez | 72 of 145 | 49% | 33 of 90 | 18 of 29 | 21 of 26 | 72 of 145 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Alice Ardelean | 92 of 224 | 41% | 59 of 179 | 15 of 21 | 18 of 24 | 91 of 222 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melissa Martinez | 18 of 42 | 42% | 10 of 29 | 3 of 8 | 5 of 5 | 18 of 42 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Alice Ardelean | 27 of 71 | 38% | 17 of 60 | 2 of 2 | 8 of 9 | 26 of 70 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Melissa Martinez | 29 of 56 | 51% | 13 of 36 | 6 of 9 | 10 of 11 | 29 of 56 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Alice Ardelean | 45 of 90 | 50% | 31 of 70 | 9 of 12 | 5 of 8 | 45 of 90 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Melissa Martinez | 25 of 47 | 53% | 10 of 25 | 9 of 12 | 6 of 10 | 25 of 47 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Alice Ardelean | 20 of 63 | 31% | 11 of 49 | 4 of 7 | 5 of 7 | 20 of 62 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Martinez (-135), Ardelean (+114)
Round 1
From the heaviest weight class to the lightest we go, as two strawweights looking to make their most of their second chance at a first impression. Martinez (7-1, 0-1 UFC), out of Combate Americas-turned-Combate Global, will take on European Instagram influencer Ardelean (9-6, 0-1 UFC). The two with fairly high finish rates come together with referee Keith Peterson making sure there is no nonsense to deal with. There is no glove touch, with the two women instead ready to get down to business. Ardelean takes to the center of the cage and chases Martinez around, landing a low kick and avoiding a right hand. The Romanian walks into clean left, and she charges winging punches that largely miss the mark. Martinez slips a right over the top and dodges the counter, staying out the outside with her guard up. Ardelean absorbs a left hand as she keeps pacing forward, and her counter is not there. Leg kicks are traded, and Ardelean motions that she was poked in the eye but Peterson does not say anything. Martinez strafes from side to side, not allowing Ardelean to determine a pattern, which results in a lot of chasing and little action for lengthy stretches. Ardelean swarms her way forward with three right hands, and all three hit air. Martinez potshots her from afar, not letting Ardelean sit down on her punches or hit her flush. Ardelean pokes out a jab, and Martinez pushes her back with a front kick to the chest. Martinez puts two punches on the chin, drawing a grin from Ardelean. Martinez is constantly a moving target, dodging and weaving but not before she nails Ardelean with a left hook. Ardelean pays her back with a right hook, but it is not a full connect. They go after leg kicks, and Ardelean runs forward only to swing her way into nothing. Martinez clips Ardelean coming in, and Ardelean tries and fails to tie her up. Martinez strings a few punches together into a front kick, and she nicks an advancing Ardelean with a left at the bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Round 2
Ardelean is a bit more aggressive than the first round, swinging her way forward rather than leading with her face. Martinez counters her effectively, even getting off an axe kick when Ardelean stands in front of her. Ardelean looks to get up close and personal, only to get kicked in the face again. Ardelean tries to use the foot in her grill to push Martinez against the wire, but Martinez skirts away to get her footing. Ardelean is consistently chasing her but not cutting her off entirely, although she has landed more cleanly in this round than practically anything she connected with in the previous frame. Martinez throws low kicks from both sides, and Ardelean responds with one and smiles. The Romanian marches forward, with a right hand that smacks into Martinez’ cheek. Ardelean sits down on a punch, only to get met with a right hand on the button. Ardelean is still all smiles, even when Martinez tags her with another left and a right. Martinez whiffs on a one-two, and Ardelean rushes after her with fists flying and a low kick that connects. Martinez kicks her in the ribs, and she is out of the way before more than a quick right gets to her. Martinez winds up two left hands, and Ardelean is in her face with power punches back her direction. Martinez steps in with a solid left hand, and she dodges a spinning attempt from her opponent. Martinez connects with a left that makes Ardelean consider changing levels, and Martinez pushes her away and kicks her in the leg and body. Ardelean reaches out with a few punches, and a right does get off before Martinez slides away. As Ardelean comes after her, Martinez turns her back and runs to get a bit of space. Martinez smacks her in the face with a head kick, and as Ardelean charges, Martinez drills her with an axe kick, narrowly misses a second and pushes off with a high side kick. As Martinez is kicking away, the horn sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Ardelean
Round 3
To start off the last round, Ardelean is amped up and ready to let her hands fly. Ardelean strings together multiple combinations, and Martinez breaks them up with counters or consistent footwork and movement. Martinez pushes out with a teep kick and then turns her kicks to throw one to the body, and Ardelean shrugs them all off to keep rushing forward. Ardelean connects with a low kick, only for Martinez to counter with a solid left hook. Ardelean keeps after her opponent, and Martinez dances out of harm’s way without absorbing anything harsher than a body shot. Ardelean uses the momentum to grab hold of Martinez, throwing punches on her way forward to wrap her arms around her adversary. When Ardelean pushes Martinez against the fence, Martinez slashes her with a few short elbows that open up Ardelean’s right eyebrow. Martinez breaks away in the clinch, and she kicks Ardelean in the ribs while taking a right hand over the top. Martinez slips to the side, stabs her toes out to the liver, and Ardelean bends over and is in big trouble. Martinez rushes after her to finish the job, and Peterson calls time to review the strike to determine if it was low. The replays show it was a clean blow, and Peterson starts them up against instead of waving the fight off—due to the rules, he could not call it a TKO as it was initially considered a foul, but it could have gone to a technical decision. Ardelean has gathered herself enough to continue, and they start spamming kicks. Martinez uses an axe kick and a few side kicks to keep Ardelean from getting to her, but Ardelean still wants to clinch up. Martinez keeps moving on the outside, whipping high-risk kicks at her opponent until the match concludes.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (30-27 Martinez)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (30-26 Martinez)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (29-28 Martinez)
The Official Result
Melissa Martinez def. Alice Ardelean via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Expert Picks (7)
Angelo leans towards Alice Ardelean, citing her constant forward pressure, threat of takedowns, and the fact that she's coming off a short-notice win he thought she deserved. He notes Melissa Martinez is returning from a two-year layoff due to a knee injury, which could be a factor. However, he is hoping the line moves so Martinez becomes a big favorite, allowing him to bet on Ardelean via a plus 3.5 round spread. He is not fully confident in the moneyline pick but sees value in the prop.
Big Brady picks Alice Ardelean by decision, but is hesitant. He notes Martinez has poor takedown defense and ground game, as seen in her loss to Elise Reed, and Ardelean can replicate that. However, Martinez has been away for two years and may have improved. He doubts he'll bet on this fight.
Connor agrees with Zane, picking Martinez. He notes that Ardelean's game falls apart after five minutes, while Martinez doesn't fall apart. He thinks Martinez can survive the early aggression and take over as Ardelean tires.
This fight was not discussed in the transcript.
Martinez has a striking advantage but will struggle with the aggressiveness and grappling of Ardelean. Ardelean should be able to wrangle Martinez, drag her to the ground, and keep her in uncomfortable positions. If Ardelean showcases a more assertive approach like she did in the first and second round of her last matchup, she should get the win on the scorecards.
The Guru initially considers Melissa Martinez due to her youth but ultimately picks Alice Ardelean as a decent underdog. He notes Ardelean looked okay against Shauna Bannon and trains at a decent gym, while Martinez lost to Elise Reed in her debut. He expects Ardelean to be too physical and get takedowns.
Zane picks Martinez because she doesn't fall apart as the fight goes on, unlike Ardelean who gets tired after five minutes. He notes that Ardelean's aggression will likely lead to clinch exchanges, and Martinez is well-equipped to survive early aggression. He thinks Martinez's durability and ability to maintain will be key.
Sep 10, 2022
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elise Reed | 0 | 45 of 78 | 57% | 63 of 96 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 2:42 |
| Melissa Martinez | 1 | 38 of 70 | 54% | 65 of 99 | 3 of 3 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 3:35 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elise Reed | 0 | 16 of 28 | 57% | 21 of 33 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:06 |
| Melissa Martinez | 1 | 9 of 23 | 39% | 25 of 41 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:32 | |
| 2 | Elise Reed | 0 | 19 of 31 | 61% | 23 of 35 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:42 |
| Melissa Martinez | 0 | 13 of 24 | 54% | 15 of 26 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:45 | |
| 3 | Elise Reed | 0 | 10 of 19 | 52% | 19 of 28 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:54 |
| Melissa Martinez | 0 | 16 of 23 | 69% | 25 of 32 | 3 of 3 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 2:18 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elise Reed | 45 of 78 | 57% | 10 of 38 | 17 of 21 | 18 of 19 | 37 of 67 | 6 of 8 | 2 of 3 |
| Melissa Martinez | 38 of 70 | 54% | 15 of 44 | 17 of 19 | 6 of 7 | 20 of 51 | 12 of 13 | 6 of 6 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elise Reed | 16 of 28 | 57% | 5 of 14 | 6 of 9 | 5 of 5 | 15 of 27 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
| Melissa Martinez | 9 of 23 | 39% | 2 of 16 | 5 of 5 | 2 of 2 | 7 of 21 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 1 | |
| 2 | Elise Reed | 19 of 31 | 61% | 4 of 15 | 8 of 9 | 7 of 7 | 16 of 26 | 3 of 5 | 0 of 0 |
| Melissa Martinez | 13 of 24 | 54% | 5 of 13 | 6 of 8 | 2 of 3 | 9 of 19 | 4 of 5 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Elise Reed | 10 of 19 | 52% | 1 of 9 | 3 of 3 | 6 of 7 | 6 of 14 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 3 |
| Melissa Martinez | 16 of 23 | 69% | 8 of 15 | 6 of 6 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 11 | 7 of 7 | 5 of 5 |
Expert Picks (8)
Angelo picks Melissa Martinez, citing her legitimate power, solid takedown defense, and clinch throws. He notes Elise Reed is active but has lost via grappling, and while Reed is technical, Martinez's toughness and power should prevail. However, he is not placing a moneyline bet because Martinez is making her UFC debut.
Big Brady admits he is usually an Elise Reed hater due to her poor takedown defense and ground game, but notes that Melissa Martinez does not wrestle, so Reed's weakness won't be exploited. He highlights Martinez's three-year layoff and ring rust concerns, while Reed has fought better competition. He calls it a super close fight and takes the dog Reed by decision.
Cody leans towards Elise Reed as a dog, noting that Martinez has not fought in three years and that her grappling looked weak. He believes if it's a stand-up fight, it's 50-50, so he takes the underdog. However, he is not betting it and says there are better spots.
Daniel Levi picks Melissa Martinez but with low confidence. He notes that Reed has UFC experience and decent standup, but Martinez has been out since 2019 and is unproven. He expects a standup fight and predicts Martinez wins a controversial split decision.
Jacob disagrees, picking Elise Reed as the more technical striker. He thinks Martinez is raw with looping shots and no head movement, while Reed has volume, speed, and technical boxing. He believes if it stays a striking match, Reed's technicality will land more. However, he admits if it becomes a brawl, Martinez's toughness wins, and he might sprinkle a small bet on Reed.
The host picks Melissa Martinez but is hesitant due to her being a UFC newcomer and the line being somewhat accurate. He expects Martinez to be faster, more dynamic, and carry more power, likely winning a decision. He notes both women are strikers and doesn't expect grappling.
Paul leans towards Melissa Martinez, noting her kickboxing background and that she has been active in kickboxing. He believes she will use leg kicks to slow Reed's movement. However, he says the price is not good and it's probably a stay-away fight.
The MMA Guru picks Melissa Martinez to win by decision, specifically 29-28. He believes Martinez will win the first two rounds with better striking and takedowns, possibly getting submission attempts, while Elise Reed's experience may help her take the third round. He notes that women's fights often go to decision.
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