Elise Reed vs Melissa Martinez — Fight recap

Elise Reed defeated Melissa Martinez by unanimous decision in Round 3 at 5:00, using timely wrestling and the fight’s only knockdown to separate herself on the scorecards. Martinez landed more significant strikes overall, connecting on 45 of 78 compared with Reed’s 38 of 70, but Reed’s cleaner power moments and perfect takedown efficiency gave her the stronger scoring case.

Reed completed all three of her takedown attempts and accumulated 3:35 of control time, while Martinez went 1-for-2 on takedowns and recorded 2:42 of control. Martinez found consistent success attacking the legs, landing 18 of 19 attempts, whereas Reed focused more heavily on the body, connecting with 17 of 19.

The tactical pattern shifted between Martinez’s higher-volume kickboxing at range and Reed’s ability to close distance, dictate clinch exchanges, and control where key portions of the fight unfolded. Martinez remained accurate and competitive, but Reed’s knockdown, positional control, and efficient grappling provided the more decisive moments across three rounds.

The result moved Reed forward in the UFC strawweight division.