Keri Melendez vs. Mandy Polk
The undefeated Melendez returns to the Bellator cage looking to improve to 4-0, but draws her most experienced foe to date in Mandy Polk. Melendez, who is the wife of former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, is a decorated kicker with a slew of striking skills. The “Queen of the Scrap Pack” has had all her MMA bouts held under the Bellator banner. Being that she is already 35-years-old, a mother, and has dealt with a plethora of serious injuries, time is not on the side of the inexperienced fighter. Despite these obstacles, Melendez is a very talented fighter. On the feet, Melendez is a sharp shooter, who packs crushing power despite her slim frame. She uses great vision to slide just out of range of her opponent’s strikes and in position to fire off fast and accurate counter shots. Her jab is one of the best in all of women’s MMA with her overhand right and left hook being big threats to flatten the women she shares the cage with. While Melendez hands are great, her feet might be just as good. She throws hard kicks to all areas of her opponent’s body. Melendez isn’t just a striker, though she has been training in BJJ with the Cesar Gracie crew for years and it shows. She submitted Tiani Valle in their bout and showed an ability to escape submission attempts from Dakota Zimmerman in their matchup.
Polk is an International Federation of Body Builders competitor, who is so absolutely shredded. She gives Hannah Goldy and Ariane Carnelossi a run for their money. Michael Schiavello once described her physique as “her deltoids are like a bunch of bananas.” The 37-year-old holds a 6-4 professional record and has won her last three bouts. She is a veteran of the Legacy Fighting Alliance and has faced high competition like Ultimate Fighting Championship standout Mackenzie Dern and the late Katy Collins. Polk looks very uncomfortable on her feet. She throws a lot of punches but appears to be very stiff. Her strikes are very slow and lacks power because she throws “arm punches.” The Tennessee native looks for the clinch, where she can overpower them with her brute strength. She looks for the takedown by reaching down for a leg or attempting a throw. She is a big threat with submission, having won four bouts by this method.
This bout is Melendez’s fight to lose. While Polk is a formidable opponent who might have the edge in experience, strength and likely the submission department, she isn’t nearly the athlete the Hawaiian is. Melendez is going to need to keep her distance and pick apart Polk with her superior striking. Look for Melendez to play the Matador for the first few minutes of the bout, picking her shots when they present itself. Eventually she finds Polk’s kills switch and drops her with perfectly timed right hand. She follows it up with some more strikes. Melendez by first round TKO.
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