Combate alum Melissa Martinez entered the octagon for the first time since 2022 at UFC Vegas 99, looking for her first win in the promotion against Alice Ardelean.
Ardelean, like “Super Mely,” was in search of her first UFC win, after the fighter with a strong social media following dropped her debut last time out.
Martinez circled on the outside early in the opening round, showing superior footwork and head movement. Ardelean looked to walk her down and was finally able to fire off a kick followed by a combination up top. Martinez was able to counter, and stay on her horse, with her movement continuing to be her biggest asset. Ardelean however found more success cutting off the cage as the round wore on, in what turned out to be a closer round than expected. Especially thanks to Alice Ardelean holding the edge in power when the pair did come together and trade.
Martinez launched a left hand that was a little off the mark early in round two, as the pair picked up right where they had left off. Ardelean was doing a better job cutting off the cage now, forcing “Super Mely” to just barely escape more than once. Ardelean also threatned to catch a leg, but couldn’t dump Martinez. They slowed a step as the round progressed, and Martinez proved able to hold her own in the standup, though she was still out-struck by Ardelean outside of low kicks.
Round three saw Ardelean continue to chase Melissa Martinez. Martinez worked her jab and fired low kicks, but had a lot less on her punches when she did connect. Ardelean finally closed the distance mid-round and got herself a body lock in place, looking for a takedown. Martinez defended, back against the fence, pushing Ardelean’s head back. At some point, Ardelean had been split open, but the worse damage came a moment later — a kick that folded Ardelean over. Ref Keither Peterson called it a low blow, coming in and halting the action of a time out. Replays however showed the kick was legal, and Peterson got them fighting again, though a chance to finish had been stolen from Martinez.
With Ardelean benefitting from the recovery time, the pair wound up going the distance. Martinez broke out some flashy kicks, and no doubt won the third round. Luckily, given the ref error, the judges awarded her all three rounds – a bit of a stretch, but the outcome still felt right in the end.
Official Result: Melissa Martinez def. Alice Ardelean by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
