Tag: Benson Henderson

Bellator 227 Full Report

This weekend Bellator had a double -header, taking place in Ireland and California. The first of two shows took place on Friday, with the country’s own James Gallagher in the main event. 

Bout 1: Ian Coughlan (1-0) vs. Constantin Gnusariov (2-0-1) (Welterweight)

The first preliminary bout was undefeated welterweights in Ian Coughlan and Constantin Gnusariov facing off. Early on, Gnusariov secured a takedown. While he didn’t do much, Gnusariov kept top position and landed some shots from above until the round ended.Within the first 15 seconds of the second round, Gnusariov got yet another takedown. Coughlan tried for an armbar on the ground but couldn’t get it. Coughlan took top position in the final minute of the round. Gnusariov found himself in a guillotine when shooting for a takedown in the third round. Later on, Coughlan tried for an armbar again but wasn’t successful. When consulting the official scorecards, it was Constantin Gnusariov who got the unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Coughlan 9 9 10 28
Gnusariov 10 10 9 29

Bout 2: Dylan Logan (3-3) vs. Adam Gustab (4-4) (Featherweight)

The second fight saw Ireland’s Dylan Logan face Adam Gustab. Early on, Logan had some decent striking. Up against the cage, Logan got on Gustab’s back. Back into a standing clinch, Logan was the fighter applying more pressure. Both fighters traded hard punches in the final 30 seconds of the first round. Gustab was clearly the better striker. Just like in the first round, Logan got on Gustab’s back while standing up. On the bottom position on the ground, Logan put in a triangle choke which ended the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Logan 10
Gustab 9

Bout 3: Blaine O’Driscoll (7-2) vs. Jake Hadley (4-0) (Flyweight)

Moving down to the flyweight division, the third fight was Blaine O’Driscoll versus the undefeated Jake Hadley. O’Driscoll was throwing hard strikes early on. His striking was interrupted by Hadley scoring a takedown. Halfway through the round they went back to stand-up where O’Driscoll got a few more punches in before Hadley got another takedown. Hadley got another takedown with a minute left in the first round, although when they got back up again O’Driscoll was stringing together good punches. Right off the bat in the final round Hadley tried for a takedown. They stood back up and then got down, with O’Driscoll trying and failing to secure a guillotine choke. A takedown was countered by Hadley, taking O’Driscoll’s back. Hadley stayed on O’Driscoll’s back even though O’Driscoll got up and down many times. While standing up, Hadley tried for a rear naked choke which made O’Driscoll tap out.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
O’Driscoll 10 10
Hadley 9 9

Bout 4: Philip Mulpeter (9-6) vs. Keith McCabe (3-4-1) (Welterweight)

In an Ireland versus Ireland matchup, Keith McCabe faced Philip Mulpeter. Early on in the fight it was Mulpeter who was coming forward with strikes. McCabe had decet moments every once in a while, counter-punching Mulpeter. There was a pause near the final minute of the first round as McCabe was hit in the groin. After a round and a half of standup, Mulpeter landed a trip takedown. They returned to the fast-paced stand-up before Mulpeter got another takedown in the final minute of the second round. The tempo of strikes thrown near the end of the final round were somehow near the same speed as in the first round. When the final bell went, the small crowd was very appreciative. The scorecards were a split decision, giving the fight to Philip Mulpeter (30-27 McCabe, 29-28 Mulpeter & 29-28 Mulpeter).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Mulpeter 10 10 10 30
McCabe 9 9 9 27

Bout 5: Lee Chadwick (25-14-1) vs. Karl Moore (8-2) (Light Heavyweight)

The next preliminary fight had a very experienced fighter in Lee Chadwick versus Karl Moore. It’s odd that someone like Chadwick would be so low on a card. The first round saw Moore out-strike Chadwick. There was a moment where Chadwick claimed there was a low blow, but he wasn’t given a pause and quickly had to snap back into fighter-mode as Moore was charging at him. The second round saw Chadwick frequently pin Moore up against the cage. The third round was similar for Chadwick, putting Moore against the cage and being in control for most of the time. The fight looked to the scorecards to find a winner, with Karl Moore getting a split decision victory (30-27 Moore, 29-28 Chadwick & 29-28 Moore).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Chadwick 9 10 10 29
Moore 10 9 9 28

Bout 6: Ilias Bulaid (0-0) vs. Vitalic Mairboroda (0-0) (Featherweight)

The next fight saw two fighters make their professional MMA debuts. Bulaid was applying the pressure throughout the round, although Mairboroda was in it as well. There was a pause in the final minute of the first round, as Mairboroda was hit in the groin. When they resumed there was only a few moments left. Bulaid threw a knee to the head which dropped Mairboroda and ended the fight. 

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Bulaid
Mairboroda

Bout 7: Ryan Roddy (7-1-1) vs. Patrik Pietila (11-7) (Lightweight)

The next fight saw lightweights Ryan Roddy and Patrik Pietila face off. Roddy landed a takedown in the second minute but they got up shortly after. Pietila dropped Roddy with a punch but he recovered. Pietila showcased his chin more than anything in the first round, eating punches and surviving. Roddy went for a takedown in the first minute of the second round, although they got up right after. Roddy got another takedown early in the final round, this time keeping the fight on the ground for a significant amount of time. Roddy let lots of ground and pound go in the final round, also attempting chokes on the ground. The fight went the distance with Ryan Roddy walking away with the victory by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27 & 29-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Roddy 8 9 10 27
Pietila 10 10 9 29

Bout 8: Richie Smullen (4-1-1) vs. Sean Tobin (6-3) (Featherweight)

Finishing off the preliminary part of the card was Richie Smullen and Sean Tobin. Smullen got a takedown in the opening seconds of the fight. He got on Tobin’s back and put in a rear naked choke which took him out cold.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Smullen
Tobin

Bout 9: Frans Mlambo (7-4) vs. Dominique Wooding (6-2) (Bantamweight)

The main card started with a bantamweight fight between Frans Mlambo and Dominique Wooding. Mlambo had sharp striking early on, dropping Wooding while counter-punching. Mlambo put Wooding up against the cage in a standing clinch. A pause came after Mlambo kneed Wooding in the groin accidentally. The fight resumed back in the middle of the cage. Wooding got his first takedown, although Mlambo got up and landed elbows to the head while pinned up against the cage. Most of the second round was up against the cage. There was another groin strike, this time to Mlambo which interrupted the action against the cage. Mlambo missed a spinning back kick which woke up the pretty quiet crowd. Mlambo put Wooding up against the cage in another standing clinch. Wooding was coming forward with strike when back in the stand-up, but Mlambo continued to show his strong counter-punching. When consulting the scorecards it was Frans Mlambo who walked away with the victory (30-27, 30-27 & 30-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Mlambo 10 10 10 30
Wooding 9 9 9 27

Bout 10: Leah McCourt (2-1) vs. Kerry Hughes (3-4) (Featherweight)

In one of the only women’s MMA fights of the evening, Leah McCourt fought Kerry Hughes. In the second minute of the fight they went against the cage. McCourt landed a hip toss takedown to take the back of Hughes. She eventually put in a rear naked choke which made the referee step in and end the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
McCourt
Hughes

Bout 11: Norbert Novenyi Jr. (3-0) vs. Will Fleury (6-1) (Middleweight)

Undefeated Norbert Novenyi Jr. challenged his undefeated record against Will Fleury in the next fight. Fleury got a takedown in the second minute of the round. He tried for an armbar before they stood up, just not being able to secure it though. Novenyi Jr. dropped Fleury with a counter overhand right, although Fleury recovered quite quickly. Fleury took more shots including more overhand rights. Fleury started to bleed at the mouth. Novenyi continued to have success with the overhand right. He took Fleury to the ground with successful striking again. Fleury got his own takedown with a minute and a half in the second round. It was clear by the third round that Fleury was behind on the scorecards. Novenyi Jr. started to taunt in the final round, which was a much less active one than the two before. Looking at the scorecards to find a winner, it was Norbert Novenyi Jr. who walked away with the win. He did more dances after the decision. (30-26, 30-26 & 30-27)

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Novenyi Jr. 10 10 10 30
Fleury 9 9 9 27

Bout 12: Kiefer Crosbie (6-1) vs. Hugo Pereira (4-2) (Catchweight 165 lbs.)

Before the next fight we saw UFC fighter Conor McGregor arrive in the crowd. The next fight was a catchweight 165 lbs fight between Kiefer Crosbie and Huge Pereira. This was the co-main event for the DAZN broadcast. Being in his home country, Crosbie was obviously the fan favourite. Early on, Pereira put Corsbie up against the cage. Crosbie had lots of control throughout the pretty quiet round. In the final round, Pereira had top position against Crosbie. Pereira got on Crosbie’s back while standing up. Crosbie slipped out and went into a clinch against the cage. Crosbie finished the round throwing some strikes on the ground as it concluded. When going to the scorecards it was Kiefer Crosbie who got the win (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Crosbie 10 10 9 29
Pereira 9 9 10 28

Bout 13: Benson Henderson (27-8) vs. Myles Jury (17-4) (Lightweight)

The DAZN main event was Benson Henderson versus Myles Jury. This was Jury’s first fight since being released from the UFC. The first round was a slow and methodical one, with Henderson having the better stand-up. Jury had a better second round, being the more engaging of the two. Henderson had a real focus on low kicks throughout the fight. Henderson’s cleanest shot in the whole fight was a straight left which landed in a two punch combo in the final round. The fight went the distance, staying in stand-up the whole time besides when Henderson slipped for a moment. When going to decision, it was Benson Henderson who got a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Henderson 10 9 10 29
Jury 9 10 9 28

The rest of the card was not televised in North America, but here was the results, as per Tapology.

Bout 14: Peter Queally def. Ryan Scope via Round 2 TKO

Bout 15: Michael Page def. Richard Kiely via Round 1 KO

Bout 16: James Gallagher def. Roman Salazar via Round 1 Submission

Bout 17: Danni Neilan def. Camila Rivarola via Decision (Postlim)

Bout 18: Ciaran Clarke def. George Courtney via Round 3 Submission (Postlim)

Bellator 208 Full Report: Fedor To Meet Bader In Bellator Heavyweight GP Finals

The Preview

After Bellator put on Bellator 208 the previous night, they come back with Bellator 208 on Saturday. The main event of this show was Chael Sonnen (30-15-1) fighting Fedor Emelianenko (37-5) in the second semi-final match of the promotions Heavyweight Grand Prix. Last night was the first part of the round, with Ryan Bader beating Matt Mitrione in a very decisive bout. The angle of the advertisements leading up to this show was Chael Sonnen being very patriotic and wanting to fight a Russian. Sonnen very much carried the promotion for this show, even dressing as Uncle Sam for the ads and promotional photos.

Alongside the main event, the main card had four other bouts. The co-main event is Saad Awad (23-9) versus Benson Henderson (25-8). Awad is on a four fight win streak heading into this bout. Henderson won his last fight but has had a very 50/50 tenure in Bellator so far. Another Heavyweight bout besides the main event that is booked is Cheick Kongo (28-10-2) versus Timothy Johnson (12-4). Johnson is making his Bellator debut, but not against an easy opponent. Kongo hasn’t lost since 2015, picking up 6 wins since then. The other two bouts on the main card are Alexander Shlemenko (57-11) versus Anatoly Tokov (26-3) in a battle of the Russians, and Henry Corrales (15-3) versus Andy Main (12-3-1). That’s the fight that started the card.

A Recap of The Show

  1. The Featherweight fight between Henry Corrales and Andy Main began the main card. The whole first round was stand up fighting. Both fighters were slow and methodical with Corrales starting to pick up the pace in the final 40 seconds. The crowd booed with two minutes left in the round out of disapproval. With just over two minutes left in the second round Main landed a trip, but it was all for nothing since they were both back on their feet seconds later. Commentator Big John McCarthy had it 2-0 Corrales at this point, but on my scorecard I had it tied. The scorecards ended up not mattering once Corrales dropped Main with a left hook in a combination.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Corrales 10 9
Main 9 10
  1. The battle of the two Russians was next on the card in the Middleweight class. Anatoly Tokov fought Alexander Shlemenko. Tokov kept control in the first round, being dominant against the cage and on the ground. Early in the second round the fight was paused after Tokov got kicked between the legs. It did not take him long to be ready to resume the bout. The rest of the second round seemed very much like the first. It felt like both of these guys had clocked out at this point. The fight went the distance with the judges all scoring it 30-27 for Tokov.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Tokov 10 10 10 30
Shlemenko 9 9 9 27
  1. The first of two Heavyweight bouts on the main card was Cheick Kongo versus Tim Johnson. This fight was ended with just over a minute gone by. Johnson got rocked by a shot which made him fall into Kongo’s arms. Kongo finished the fight on the ground shortly after.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Kongo
Johnson
  1. The co-main event was Benson Henderson versus Saad Awad. In the first round Awad showed good defense on the ground. He almost got caught in a rear naked choke when trying to complain to the ref about Henderson grabbing gloves. Henderson had better stand up (predominantly kicks) and ground game. There was a close call at the end of round two where Awad had to survive a chokehold for 15 seconds. He was very much saved by the bell. In the final round, the fight was paused because of Henderson grabbing the cage. The rest of the round was much like the two before.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Henderson 10 10 10 30
Awad 9 9 9 27
  1. The main event of the evening was Chael Sonnen versus Fedor Emelianenko in the semi-finals of Bellator’s Heavyweight GP. When they were given the opportunity to touch gloves in the middle they didn’t, but once asked a second time did. Only seconds into the bout Sonnen got dropped by a punch. Fedor refused to go to the ground until Chael landed a takedown. Fedor was absolutely all over Chael for the first three minutes. Sonnen seemed to gain some control in the fight when he landed a takedown with two minutes to go. With 30 seconds left in the first round Fedor would not stop throwing punches down on Sonnen who was shelling up on the floor. The ref intervened and that ended the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Sonnen
Emelianenko

Looking Ahead

Walking away from this Bellator show the promotion has a championship match set up. In January Ryan Bader will battle against Fedor Emelianenko to crown a new Bellator Heavyweight Champion. This is a wish come true for Bader, who said on Friday that he wants to face Fedor. Bellator takes some time off after a doubleheader weekend. Bellator returns on November 15th for Bellator 209. A championship bout in Patricio Freire versus Emmanuel Sanchez main events that card.