Bellator 235: Barnett vs. Markes Full Report

In Bellator’s first of two evenings in Honolulu, Hawaii, they presented Bellator 235. Set to main event the card was MMA veteran Josh Barnett and Ronny Markes. During the show, people found out that Barnett was not cleared to fight, making the new main event Toby Misech and Erik Perez. Partnering up with the United Service Organizations, the theme of the show was “Salute The Troops.” Before the four-fight main card, Bellator 235 had three preliminary bouts.

Quick Results:

Prelims:

Bout 1: Cass Bell def. Pierre Daguzan via Unanimous Decision

Bout 2: Joseph Creer def. Ty Gwerder via Unanimous Decision

Bout 3: Hunter Ewald def. Brysen Bolohao via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 1:42)

Main Card

Bout 4: Joey Davis def. Chris Cisneros via TKO, Hammerfists (RD 1, 3:55)

Bout 5: Tywan Claxton def. Braydon Akeo via Unanimous Decision

Bout 6: Alejandra Lara def. Veta Arteaga via Unanimous Decision

Bout 7: Toby Misech def. Erik Perez via KO, Ground and Pound (RD 1, 0:54)

Bout 1: Cass Bell (4-0) vs. Pierre Daguzan (5-3) (Bantamweight)

Kicking off the preliminary card, undefeated Cass Bell fought Pierre Daguzan. The fight was the Bellator debut for Daguzan. Bell threw many kicks early on, including one which Daguzan caught. When another kick was caught in the second minute, Daguzan got a takedown from it. They got back up almost right after. While Daguzan didn’t get hurt too much, Bell did more work in the first round. There was some odd error where the first round was only three minutes long as opposed to five.

Daguzan caught another kick in the second round, getting his second takedown of the fight. He swept Bell by holding one leg while kicking the other. As they were getting back up, Bell landed a spinning back fist which hurt Daguzan. Bell landed a good counter-left straight halfway through the second round.

Daguzan caught another kick early in the final round. He took Bell down with it, but never got to the ground himself. They stood back up shortly after. Bell shot for a takedown, eventually securing it and getting on Daguzan’s back. Bell had a ton of time to work on the ground, starting to look for a rear naked choke. Daguzan got up, eventually returning to stand-up. Bell shot for another takedown halfway through the round, with Daguzan completely stopping it this time. On the way back to the feet, Bell landed another spinning back fist. They threw strikes for the rest of the round, although nothing landed clean besides a couple of punches from Bell at the end of the round. Getting the first decision victory of his young career, Cass Bell defeated Pierre Daguzan via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Bell	10	10	10	30
Daguzan	9	9	9	27

Bout 2: Ty Gwerder (4-0) vs. Joseph Creer (6-1-1) (Middleweight)

In the next fight, undefeated Ty Gwerder made his Bellator debut against Joseph Creer. The two fighters went into a body lock after a minute of striking. Gwerder tried for a takedown but couldn’t get it. A pause came after Gwerder was hit in the groin while up against the cage. They resumed after a short break. They resumed in stand-up as opposed to back up against the cage. Creer landed some good knees in the clinch. Both fighters had their moments with striking. Creer got a body lock takedown as the first round ended.

Heading into the second round, this fight become the longest one yet with Gwerder’s professional career. Creer went for a single leg takedown in the first minute after coming forward with punches. He eventually secured it. Both fighters did ground and pound. Creer got on Gwerder’s back. Gwerder stopped throwing punches and prioritized fighting off a rear naked choke attempt. The choke never got under Gwerder’s chin, but he spent a long time fighting it off. Gwerder eventually flipped over, taking top position before standing up and returning to striking. Creer tagged Gwerder with a straight. As expected, both fighters were fatigued. Creer threw Gwerder back to the ground and got on his back again.

The first two minutes of the third round saw somewhat slow-paced striking. Creer got another takedown, being dominant on the ground for three minutes. He tried for a kimura, but didn’t get much progress on it before the fight clock ran out., Ending the undefeated professional MMA record of Ty Gwerder, Joseph Creer got a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27 & 29-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Gwerder	9	9	9	27
Creer	10	10	10	30

Bout 3: Hunter Ewald (0-0) vs. Brysen Bolahao (0-1) (Catchweight 180 lbs)

In the final fight of the brief preliminary card, Hunter Ewald made his pro debut against Brysen Bolahao. Ewald was putting on the pressure early, backing Bolahao up against the fence. He shot for a takedown after 30 seconds of stand-up. Still standing up, Ewald got on Bolahao’s back. He eventually got a takedown, then started to search for a rear naked choke. It didn’t take long for Ewald to secure the choke, making Bolahao tap out. Getting a quick and fast win, Hunter Ewald had a successful professional MMA debut.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ewald
Bolahao

Bout 4: Joey Davis (6-0) vs. Chris Cisneros (19-10) (Welterweight)

Kicking off the main card, Joey Davis attempted to stay undefeated, facing the much more experienced Chris Cisneros. Davis got a double leg takedown in the first 10 seconds of the fight. Davis landed lots of strikes from top position, but not enough in succession to end the fight. Cisneros was cut on the forehead, bleeding quite a bit from it. Davis turned up the intensity of strikes with about a minute to go, eventually doing enough for the referee to intervene. With a dominant and bloody performance, Joey Davis advanced his record to seven wins.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Davis
Cisneros

Bout 5: Tywan Claxton (5-1) vs. Braydon Akeo (3-0) (Featherweight)

Returning from his first loss as a pro, Tywan Claxton fought the still undefeated Braydon Akeo in the next bout. The first few minutes of the fight were slow, with both fighters turning up the head with two minutes to go. They went into a clinch after Claxton whiffed a wailing punch.

Akeo caught a leg early in the second round, trying to trip the other leg of Claxton. He couldn’t do it however, as Claxton recovered and went into a clinch. They returned to striking with three minutes to go.

Akeo tried for a takedown early in the third round, putting a body lock on Claxton. Going up against the fence, Claxton took control of the fight, landing strikes periodically. They got off the fencing halfway through the round. Akeo shot for a takedown, which Claxton stopped, putting Akeo up against the fence before dumping him to the floor. They got back up, but Claxton kept Akeo up against the cage. Claxton got another takedown in the final minute of the fight. He got on Akeo’s back and tried for a rear naked choke, but ran out of time before being able to finish the fight. Bouncing back from his September loss, Tywan Claxton put on a dominant performance (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Claxton	10	10	10	30
Akeo	9	9	9	27

Bout 6: Alejandra Lara (8-3) vs. Veta Arteaga (5-3) (Flyweight)

In the co-main event slot of the evening, Alejandra Lara and Veta Arteaga faced off in a potential fight to find the next Flyweight Championship challenger. Right as the fight started, both fighters didn’t waste time to throw fists. Lara was landing good kicks to the body early on. Lara put Arteaga up against the cage for a minute or so. The next time that Lara put Arteaga up against the cage, she landed some elbows. Lara connected with many punches late in the round. Arteaga slipped and fell, which allowed Lara to take the fight to the ground.

Lara picked up where she left off at the start of the second round, landing more punches. With under two minutes left in the second round, Lara landed a head kick which dropped Arteaga. Lara stayed on her up against the cage, landing tons of punches.

Halfway through the final round, Lara had another good attack, landing elbows and punches in close range. With just over a minute left, Arteaga was cut open on the forehead by a cut. She was bleeding quite a bit. Despite being hit with everything for three rounds, Arteaga still fought like a well-conditioned fighter in the closing seconds of the bout. After 15 minutes of domination by Alejandra Lara, she got a unanimous decision win, possibly putting her next in line for another title shot (30-26, 30-26 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lara	10	10	10	30
Arteaga	8	9	9	26

Bout 7: Toby Misech (11-7) vs. Erik Perez (19-6) (Bantamweight)

Just as the last fight wrapped up, former UFC fighter Liz Carmouche came to the stage to announce that she has signed with Bellator. Later on, we got a backstage report that Josh Barnett was not cleared to fight, meaning the next fight would be the main event. Obviously a disappointing result for Barnett, who last fought in 2016. In what was now the main event of the evening, Toby Misech and Erik Perez faced off in a bantamweight fight. Before the fight, the national anthem was performed. Misech came in over the bantamweight limit, being 141 pounds. This fight was the Bellator debut for Perez. Early in the fight, Misech landed a left hook that dropped Perez. He scored two more punches on the ground which knocked Perez out. Showcasing powerful one-shot hands, Toby Misech closed the show for Bellator 235.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Misech
Perez

Bellator 235 Preview

On the same weekend that the UFC holds their last show of 2019, Bellator will hold two of their final three shows of the year. This weekend, Bellator travels to Honolulu, Hawaii for back-to-back nights of MMA action. In the first show of the evening, MMA veteran Josh Barnett faces Ronny Markes, along with many other fights on the card.

Bout 1: Hunter Ewald (0-0) vs. Brysen Bolohao (0-1) (Welterweight)

In the first preliminary bout of the show, Hunter Ewald will make his MMA debut against Brysen Bolohao. Ewald comes from a BJJ background, getting second place in the IBBJF 2019 American Nationals. He comes from the Longman Jiu-Jitsu gym in Kilauea, Hawaii. Bolohao made his MMA debut back in December of 2018, the last time that Bellator visited the state. He lost in that outing, getting choked out in the second round by Robson Gracie Jr. This time around he will try to get his first win as a pro.

Bout 2: Ty Gwerder (4-0) vs. Joseph Creer (6-1-1) (Middleweight)

Making his Bellator debut, undefeated Ty Gwerder will face Joseph Creer in the next bout. Previously fighting in well-known regional promotion LFA three times, Gwerder will look for his fifth win as a pro on his biggest stage yet. Creer has fought twice for Bellator, most recently losing to Austin Vanderford at Bellator 225.

Bout 3: Cass Bell (4-0) vs. Pierre Daguzan (5-3) (Bantamweight)

The brief preliminary card will conclude with undefeated Bellator prospect Cass Bell facing Pierre Daguzan. Bell has fought his whole career as a pro in Bellator, getting all four of his wins via stoppage so far. Daguzan hasn’t won since early 2018, recently losing to Federico Vento and having a no contest outing against Bill Takeuchi.

Bout 4: Joey Davis (6-0) vs. Chris Cisneros (19-10) (Welterweight)

Starting off the main card, Bellator’s undefeated Joey Davis will face the much more experienced Chris Cisneros. Davis has built his whole pro career in Bellator, earning four stoppage wins out of his six victories thus far. He’s coming off of a one-minute victory over Jeff Peterson at Bellator 229. Cisneros has fought in Bellator before, losing a bout in late 2018 to Maki Pitolo. He has recently won twice on the regionals, fighting his way back to the big stage.

Bout 5: Ty-wan Claxton (5-1) vs. Braydon Akeo (3-0) (Featherweight)

Coming off his first loss as a pro, Ty-wan Claxton will be matched up against debuting Bellator fighter Braydon Akeo. Claxton is another one of Bellator’s homegrown talent, having won his first five fights as a pro within the promotion, including four via stoppage. He tasted defeat for the first time back in September, losing to Emmanuel Sanchez in the first round of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix. His opponent, Akeo, is one of the many Hawiian fighters on the card. He debuted as a pro in late 2018, with this fight being his fourth in just over a year’s time.

Bout 6: Veta Arteaga (5-3) vs. Alejandra Lara (8-3) (Flyweight)

In the only women’s bout of the evening, longtime Bellator fighters Veta Arteaga and Alejandra Lara meet for the first time. Arteaga’s last fight was a loss to Bellator Flyweight Champion Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, who fights the day after her. The loss was a doctor’s stoppage due to a cut. Lara’s last fight was at Bellator 225, winning in the first round against Taylor Turner. Lara came in at 126.8 for the flyweight fight. Because of coming over the limit, she gave up 20% of her show purse for the fight.

Bout 7: Erik Perez (19-6) vs. Toby Misech (11-7) (Bantamweight)

The co-main event of the card sees former UFC fighter Erik Perez take on Hawaii’s Toby Misech. Perez is on a five-fight winning streak which dates back to his UFC run. He went 7-2 in the promotion before going to Combate Americas for two fights. However, coming off of a one-year layoff, Perez has something to prove in this matchup. Misech is 1-1 in Bellator, having last fought at Bellator 215, losing to Edurado Dantas via decision. Misech weighed in at 141 on Thursday, missing the 136 limit for bantamweight. Because of this, he lost 20% of his show money.

Bout 8: Josh Barnett (35-8) vs. Ronny Markes (19-7) (Heavyweight)

To say we haven’t seen Josh Barnett in a little while would be an understatement. Now at 42-years-old, Barnett hasn’t fought in over three years. Last time viewers saw him was at the end of his more recent UFC run, winning over Andrei Arlovski. Outside of MMA however, you may have seen Barnett doing pro-wrestling or grappling. After a 2016 battle with USADA while in the UFC, Barnett asked for his release in 2018. His contract signing with Bellator was announced in April, with this being his first fight for the promotion.

He meets Ronny Markes in the main event of Bellator 235. Markes is coming off of an unsuccessful 2019 PFL season, competing in the promotion’s light heavyweight division. He lost his first fight to Sigi Pesaleli, then missed weight for his fight at PFL #6, losing his final chance to score points before their playoffs. His career has also included a 2011 to 2014 UFC run, going 3-2 in the promotion. He has fought as light as middleweight in the past, but is going up to heavyweight for this contest.

Bellator will return on Saturday, finishing their double-header in Hawaii with a title fight between Ilima-Lei MacFarlane and Kate Jackson.

Bellator 226: Bader vs. Kongo Full Report

It worked out perfect for MMA fans on Saturday, as Bellator 226 started just after the UFC 242 PPV had wrapped up. Broadcasted in full on DAZN, the card featured 20 bouts including the main event, featuring Ryan “Darth” Bader and Cheick Kongo. Bader attempted to defend his Bellator Heavyweight Championship in that fight. The show included some of the Featherweight Grand Prix first round fights, and it had mansy bouts with young MMA prospects in action. Live from the SAP Center in San Jose, California, USA, let’s look at how Bellator 226 went down.

Bout 1: Luis Vargas (2-3) vs. Chris Gonzalez (2-0) (Lightweight)

Starting off the evening was a battle between a fighter who was undefeated and a fighter who aimed to even his record. While eating punches, Gonzalez landed a takedown right off the bat. Gonzalez stayed in top position for quite some time, landing an elbow which cut Vargas open. Vargas was able to take top position for a moment before they stood back up. Gonzalez landed another takedown before the round ended. Gonzalez was able to put Vargas on the ground in the second round and land more strikes. Vargas actually had control earlier in the round, but it was less relevant. Gonzalez tried for a rear naked choke in the final round but couldn’t secure it. Vargas got in top position with a minute left and started to land shots in hopes to make an impact. After clinching up, they traded blows in the final moments. Gonzalez landed one last takedown before the fight ended. All three judges gave the fight to Chris Gonzalez (30-27, 30-26 & 30-25).

My Scorecard:

Fighting	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Vargas	9	9	9	27
Gonzalez	10	10	10	30

Bout 2: Hyder Amil (3-0) vs. Ignacio Ortiz (2-0-1) (Featherweight)

The second fight saw two undefeated athletes face off. Both fighters got busy with punches only seconds into the fight. Amil was landing combinations of strikes, including knees to the stomach. Amil landed a takedown in the second minute. He got off some ground and pound in the position before they stood up for the last minute. Early in the second round, Ortiz secured a takedown but had the position turned over by Amil eventually. They stood up later, with Amil getting another takedown, although they got up right after. In a fatigued final round, both fighters had their moments. Amil scored a couple of takedowns in the round. Ortiz tried for a kimura but couldn’t secure it. Another takedown was landed before the fight concluded. When going to decision, Hyder Amil extended his winning streak to four in a row after a split decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28)

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Amil	10	10	10	30
Ortiz	9	9	9	27

Bout 3: Abraham Vaesau (5-2) vs. Renato Valente Alves (5-4) (Catchweight 178 lbs)

In the first catchweight bout of the evening, Abraham Vaesau faced Renato Valente Alves. Alves was making his Bellator debut in this fight, while Vaesau was riding a two fight winning streak within the promotion. The first round had stand-up trades spaced out between five minutes. The second round was quite similar. While both of the rounds were slow paced, it was Alves who was landing the more important shots. Early in the third round, Vaesau was landing tons of kicks. Alves scored a takedown with two minutes left in the fight. He put in a rear naked choke which eventually got the victory due to it. Despite the new scenery of being in Bellator, some things never change for Renato Valente Alves who got his fourth career rear naked choke win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Vaesau	9	9
Alves	10	10

Bout 4: James Terry (20-10) vs. Batsumberel Dagvadorj (5-0) (Welterweight)

The next fight saw the more experienced James Terry face a flawless Batsumberel Dagvadorj. Terry chased a single leg takedown after a minute of stand-up but had it successfully defended. Halfway through the round, Dagvadorj landed a left which dropped Terry. After some grounded strikes, Dagvadorj put in a bulldog choke which made Terry tap out. Batsumberel Dagvadorj had an impactful Bellator debut, beating promotional veteran via submission.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Terry
Dagvadorj

Bout 5: Cass Bell (3-0) vs. Isaiah Rocha (3-0) (Bantamweight)

Two undefeated bantamweights in Cass Bell and Isaiah Rocha faced off. Similar to the fight on the card before, Bell dropped Rocha with a left and then put in a choke, this time a guillotine choke to get the win. Rocha went out cold in the choke. All via finish, Cass Bell extended his record to 4-0.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Bell
Rocha

Bout 6: Amber Leibrock (3-3) vs. Jessica Borga (2-2) (Featherweight)

In the first (and only) female fight of the evening, Amber Leibrock faced Jessica Borga. Leibrock had a clear height advantage. Borga tried for a takedown early on but was stopped, staying clinched against the cage. With a minute and a half left in the first, they went back to stand-up. Leibrock landed some good punches. Borga got a takedown, throwing punches before putting in an armbar that made Leibrock tap out. Making her Bellator debut, Jessica Borga earned her first professional MMA submission victory.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Leibrock
Borga

Bout 7: Adam Piccolotti (11-3) vs. Jake Smith (7-2) (Lightweight)

Lightweights were up next, as American Top Team’s Jake Smith faced Adam Piccolotti. Both fighters had very sharp striking, having their moments. Piccolotti got a takedown halfway through the first round. In the second round, Piccolotti got a takedown. He took the back of Smith and put in a rear naked choke to win the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Piccolotti	10
Smith	9

Bout 8: John Macapa (22-4-2) vs. Ashleigh Grimshaw (20-10-1) (Featherweight)

Finishing off the preliminary part of the card, two experienced featherweights in John Macapa and Ashleigh Grimshaw competed. The first round had explosive striking, with Macapa landing lots of hard combinations. Grimshaw developed a big cut above his left eye. Macapa had even more highlights in stand-up in the second round. After scoring a takedown, Macapa focused on ground and pound from top position. With many more cuts on his face, the doctor decided to stop the fight in-between rounds, giving a win to John Macapa.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Macapa	10	10
Grimshaw	9	8

Bout 9: Gaston Bolanos (5-1) vs. Daniel Carey (6-3) (Featherweight)

Starting off the main card was the first of many featherweight fights. In this bout, Gaston Bolanos faced Daniel Carey. In stand-up, it was Bolanos who was doing most of the work. Carey jumped in for a guillotine during the stand-up, bringing the fight to the ground. He kept the guillotine in until the referee stopped the fight, as Bolanos went out cold. While Daniel Carey was not a part of the featherweight grand prix, he made a good case to be in the next one with his victory.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Bolanos
Carey

Bout 10: Emmanuel Sanchez (18-4) vs. Tywan Claxton (5-0) (Featherweight Grand Prix First Round)

The first of four featherweight grand prix matches were up next. The undefeated Tywan Claxton faced the experienced Emmanuel Sanchez. Claxton earned a takedown early in the fight. They got back up shortly after with both fighters landing some decent punches. Claxton got another takedown, and while he didn’t do much he stayed in the dominant position on the ground. They got up with a minute left in the round. Sanchez got a takedown in the final moments, doing ground and pound to a seemingly defenseless Claxton. Claxton got a takedown halfway through the second round. In bottom position, Sanchez put in a triangle choke which Claxton endured for some time before tapping out. Emmanuel Sanchez became the first one to hand Tywan Claxton a loss, and advanced to the next round of the featherweight GP.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Overtime	Total
Sanchez	10
Claxton	9

Bout 11: Sam Sicilia (17-9) vs. Pedro Carvalho (10-3) (Featherweight Grand Prix First Round)

The second of four Featherweight Grand Prix fights on the card was Sam Sicilia versus Pedro Carvalho. Sicilia got a takedown in the first minute of the bout. When they stood back up, Sicilia landed some shots against the cage. He went for a second takedown halfway through the round. Carvalho got in top position. As the round was nearing it’s finish, Carvalho tried for a choke but couldn’t get it. Both fighters traded clean punches early in the second round. Carvalho reversed a takedown and took the back of Sicilia. Carvalho put in a rear naked choke which made Sicilia tap out quickly. 24-year-old Pedro Carvalho advanced into the second round of the Grand Prix via submission.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Overtime	Total
Sicilia	10
Carvalho	9

Bout 12: Pat Curran (23-8) vs. Adam Borics (13-0) (Featherweight Grand Prix First Round)

Before the next fight, Cris “Cyborg” Justino did an interview in the octagon, discussing her newly signed contract with Bellator. The third Featherweight Grand Prix fight saw undefeated Adam Boris faced Pat Curran. The first round included pretty even striking. Early in the second round the crowd started to boo. With a minute left in the second round, Boris landed a knee which dropped Curran. Boris landed hammerfist strikes on the ground, finally finishing the fight in the final seconds of the fight. Continuing his undefeated career, Adam Boris will be seen again in the next round of the Featherweight Grand Prix.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Overtime	Total
Curran	9
Borics	10

Bout 13: Daniel Straus (26-8) vs. Derek Campos (19-9) (Featherweight Grand Prix First Round)

The final fight of the evening from the Featherweight Grand Prix was Daniel Straus versus Derek Campos. The fight went to the ground early after Straus slipped from throwing a kick. Campos was in half guard in top position for quite some time, attempting a head and arm choke at one point. Campos got another takedown in the first minute of the second round. The rest of the round was seemingly identical to the one before. On the ground in the final round, Campos really started to apply pressure with a choke. Straus was able to endure it somehow, despite how tight the choke became. Campos had a flurry of strikes on a helpless Straus until the fight came to a close. Going to the judges, all three had Derek Campos advancing to the next round (30-26, 30-25 & 30-25). The next four Featherweight World Grand Prix matchups will take place on September 28th.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Overtime	Total
Straus	9	9	9		27
Campos	10	10	10		30

Bout 14: Ryan Bader © (27-5) vs. Cheick Kongo (30-10-2) (Bellator Heavyweight Championship)

The main event of the evening was Ryan Bader attempting to defend his Bellator Heavyweight Championship about Cheick Kongo. Bader was on a seven-fight winning streak, and Kongo went into this fight after eight-straight wins. Bader was working a jab early in the fight. Kongo shot for two takedowns but Bader stopped both of them. Bader scored a takedown in the second minute of the fight. Bader was smothering Kongo on the ground. With a minute or so left in the round, referee Mike Beltran paused the fight due to an eye poke. A doctor came into the cage to check on Kongo and ruled that he couldn’t compete. Due to it being an accidental poke, the fight was ruled a no contest. After Bader’s interview, he got into an altercation with Rampage Jackson. It didn’t look like there was any actual physical exchange between the two, as numerous people were there to separate them.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Bader
Kongo

Bout 15: Cornelius Savage (0-0) vs. Evan Gubera (0-1) (Middleweight)

For those who weren’t satisfied with the main event, Bellator had some postlims to showcase. The first of six fights was a pro debut for Cornelius Savage, facing Evan Gubera who aimed to get his first pro victory. The way Savage moved in the cage was very stiff, but not due to an injury or anything like that. Savage got a double leg takedown in the third minute. In the final minute of the round he got a single leg takedown too. The second round was a pretty slow one, with both fighters having their moments in stand-up. In the final round, Savage seemed to be the more fatigued fighter. Gubera tried for a triangle choke and an armbar in the final moments of the fight but failed to get Savage to tap out. The scorecards were split, but two of the three gave that fight to Cornelius Savage (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). After the fight the crowd voices their displeasure, as did Mauro Ranallo and John McCarthy on the English commentary.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Savage	10	10	9	29
Gubera	9	9	10	28

Bout 16: Daniel Gonzalez (2-2) vs. Jon Adams (0-0-1) (Flyweight)

Flyweights took the octagon next, as Daniel Gonzalez and the winless Jon Adams faced off. The first round was pretty fast paced between the two, with both of them staying in stand-up throughout. In the second round it was Gonzalez who was the aggressor. He landed a knee at the end of the round which dropped Adams. The referee stepped in eventually to give Daniel Gonzalez his second Bellator win, leaving Adams winless.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Gonzalez	10
Adams	9

Bout 17: Peter Ishiguro (1-1) vs. Elias Anderson (0-1) (Catchweight 140 lbs)

The next fight was a catchweight bout between Peter Ishiguro and Elias Anderson, who was hunting for his first pro win. Both fighters had a good first round, being somewhat evenly matched in stand-up. Late in the round Anderson caught a kick and nearly got the fight to the ground because of it. Ishiguro had quite a vocal fanbase in the somewhat empty crowd, chanting his nickname “Wasabi.” Ishiguro’s left jab was utilized quite well in this fight. Late in the second round, Ishiguro was able to counter a takedown attempt, earning top position as the round concluded. Anderson had the better final round, keeping a fast tempo of punches while Ishiguro had clearly gotten fatigued. The fight went the distance with all three judges ruling it in favour of Peter Ishiguro (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Ishiguro	10	10	9	29
Anderson	9	9	10	28

Bout 18: Favian Gutierrez (2-2) vs. Alan Benson (0-1) (Middleweight)

The next post-lim fight saw Favian Gutierrez aim to snap a losing streak against Alan Benson, who was chasing his first pro victory. The first round was somewhat inactive, although Gutierrez was the one dictating the pace. In the second round, Benson was dropped by punches. He was able to recover on the ground, with Gutierrez in top position on the ground. They stayed in this position until the round ended. The final round was a pretty slow one. In a split decision, it was Alan Benson who was given the victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). This was the second decision of the night that had people up in arms. Maybe the judges got tired as the broadcast was reaching the seventh hour.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Gutierrez	10	10	9	29
Benson	9	9	10	28

Bout 19: Albert Gonzales (1-1) vs. Tyson Miller (0-0) (Catchweight 180 lbs)

In the second last post-lim of the night, Albert Gonzales and Tyson Miller made their Bellator debut. After a minute or so of competition, Gonzalez broke his leg after a kick was checked, ending the fight. While it was through an unfortunate outcome, Tyson Miller made his professional debut. Gonzalez was stretchered off.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Gonzales
Miller

Bout 20: Ivan Batinich (3-1) vs. Daniel Compton (2-1) (Middleweight)

Concluding the evening was Ivan Batinich facing Daniel Compton in a middleweight fight. Compton immediately shot for a takedown in the first round. Batinich contested the takedown attempt, eventually being the one who scored a takedown and took top position. Batinich landed a suplex and then tried for a rear naked choke. He also attempted an armbar but it didn’t work. Before trying for a choke, a cut above the left eyebrow of Batinich appeared. Compton got some elbows in when clinched against the cage just before the first round ended. The second round had a hectic ground game from both fighters. Batinich took the back of Compton with a minute and some left in the round. He went after the rear naked choke, finally putting it in after Compton was fighting it for a minute or so. With 30 seconds left in the round, Compton tapped out, giving Ivan Batinich his fourth professional victory.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Batinich	10
Compton	9

Bellator has a hectic fall scheduled after a somewhat quiet summer. With eight shows scheduled over the next three months, Bellator has their hands full. Later this month, the promotion will put on a double header on September 27th and 28th. The first show, Bellator 227 will take place at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, including big names like James Gallagher, Michael “Venom” Page and Benson Henderson. The next day, Bellator will come back to The Forum in Inglewood, California, USA, for Bellator 228. The main event of that card will see Patricio Pitbull put his Bellator Featherweight Championship on the line against Juan Archuleta. The card will also include the second half of the Bellator Bantamweight GP First Round.

Bellator 206 Full Report: Mousasi Stops MacDonald In The Second Round

Bellator put on maybe their biggest event of the year on Saturday, live from the SAP Center in San Jose. The card is very stacked, with the new champion Gegard Mousasi facing fellow champ Rory MacDonald in the 185 weight class. In the co-main event slot two absolute veterans of MMA face each other. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson faces Wanderlei Silva in a Heavyweight bout.

On a promotional scale this is also a big show for Bellator as it is their debut on sports streaming network DAZN (pronounced “The Zone”). DAZN had recently broadcasted the Anthony Joshua versus Alexander Povetkin boxing bout. The preliminary part of the show started on Bellator’s website.

Kicking off the preliminary coverage was Josh San Diego facing Joe Neal in the 140lbs Catchweight. Neal went for a takedown only a minute into the first round. San Diego was dominant in the first round with strikes, getting a takedown in the final seconds of the round. In the second round San Diego out-striked Neal by a margin. The final round was close. Neal started to land good strikes. San Diego got two more takedowns once Neal started to step up his strikes. A significant amount of blood came from San Diego’s head due to an unintentional contact of heads. The fight went the distance, bringing everyone’s attention to the judge’s scorecards. The judges had scorecards that were near opposites to each other, but still giving San Diego the win (29-28 Neal, 30-27 San Diego & 29-28 San Diego).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
San Diego	10	10	10	30
Neal	9	9	9	27

Featherweight Jeremiah Labiano faced Justin Smithley in the second bout. Labiano landed a takedown in the first minute. After that they were battling on the ground for the whole round. At one point Smithley was getting hit over and over with hammer strikes, only to respond with a taunting smile. Labiano started to really rain down the strikes while on top, triggering the ref to stop the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Labiano
Smithley

Continuing on the prelims was Amber Leibrock versus Arlene Blencowe in another Featherweight bout. Early in the first round Leibrock landed a knee that had Blencowe in trouble. Blencowe recovered and kept it to kickboxing for the final minutes. The second round was much closer with Blencowe being able to match or even do better than Leibrock’s boxing. While the majority of the second round was standing a takedown was done with 20 or so seconds left. Blencowe opened the third round with a takedown. Leibrock tried for an armbar, but Blencowe escaped it with a slam, putting Leibrock right on her head. This really hurt Leibrock, giving Blencowe the win after a few more strikes. Blencowe was weeping out of joy after the fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Leibrock	10	9
Blencowe	9	10

In a Bantamweight fight, Ty Costa battled against Cass Bell. Bell has a very distinct golf course green dyed hair. Bell went to the first round on my scorecard. Costa found himself in a similar situation to the last bout in an Armbar. He tried to slam Bell but didn’t get the same result as what Blencowe got. Costa eventually submitted after Bell really locked in the Armbar.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Costa	9
Bell	10

We went to another Catchweight bout, this time at 160lbs. Adam Piccolotti faced James Terry. Piccolotti won the first round but was even more prominent with his jab in the second round. This whole fight was an absolute war between these two. Terry became bloodied in the final round. The fight went the full 15 minutes, with the judges giving Adam Piccolotti the win unanimously (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Piccolotti (R)	10	10
Terry	9	9

The main card began after the last fight. The show started with the competitors of the top three bouts tonight coming out to do faceoffs on the stage. The first fight on the main card was Gaston Bolanos versus Ysidro Gutierrez in a Featherweight bout. After being a nearly even first round, Bolanos floored Gutierrez with a left. He landed many strikes from on top to close out the fight and give him the victory.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Bolanos (R)	10
Gutierrez	9

Keri Melendez faced Dakota Zimmerman. The first round was explosive right out of the gates with Melendez slamming Zimmerman in an attempt to escape a hold. Zimmerman was trying for a Triangle with over a minute left. It was turned into an Armbar that Melendez was able to endure until the end of the round. The second round was fought mostly up against the cage. Melendez was dominant with striking while Zimmerman was possibly better on the ground. The fight went all three rounds. Keri Melendez won via Split Decision (29-28 Melendez, 29-28 Zimmerman & 29-28 Melendez).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Melendez (R)	9	10	10	29
Zimmerman	10	9	9	28

The up and comer in MMA Aaron Pico competed against Leandro Higo. Quick in the first round both guys were throwing hands. Higo was even throwing some knees when in clinch. Higo got dropped with punches and got back up quickly. Pico kept up the intensity and took down Higo once again. Higo stayed standing but took numerous unanswered shots. While the Pico put on a good performance, the ref really let this go too long. Pico continues to never leave the first round in his MMA career.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pico
Higo

Bellator has had lots of news swirl around about their Welterweight tournament. News broke days ago that of all people, 50 Cent will put forward $1 Million Dollars that goes to the winner of the tournament. It begins tonight with Douglas Lima versus Andrey Koreshkov in a quarter-final fight. This fight is scheduled for five rounds. Round one was primarily against the cage. The second round found itself in a similar position after very methodical stand up. Lima was able to get more strikes in the third round, giving him the round on my scorecard. In between round three and four the broadcast showed that UFC 2-division champion Daniel Cormier is in attendance. Koreshkov got stunned at the 10 second warning of round 4. In the fifth round, Lima put in a Rear Naked Choke after strikes to get the win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Lima	9	10	10	10
Koreshkov	10	9	9	9

In the co-main event slot tonight, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson faced Wanderlei Silva for the fourth time in their career. If Jackson gets the win, he ties the rivalry 2-2. When the two fighters met in the middle before the bell there was no glove touch. At the start of the first round Jackson taunted Silva, signalling to try to hit him. A minute and a half into the first round, Silva was pushed to the cage after being rocked by some strikes. These two both had great combinations after what was a slow first half of the first round. The first round came to a close with both fighters taunting each other. At the start of round two both guys were teeing off. With three minutes left Silva went into a clinch after being shook by a left-right combination. With 30 seconds left in the second round, Jackson dropped Silva with a left and right hook then continued to hit him on the ground until the ref called off the fight. After the fight Rampage said that everyone should respect Wanderlei because nobody else is like him.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Jackson	10
Silva	9

Finally, to cover the main event of the evening. In a champ versus champ bout, Gegard Mousasi fights Rory MacDonald. The first round was stand up only, with Mousasi winning it on my scorecard. In the second round MacDonald shot for a takedown but only later would he find out that it was very much to his detriment. Mousasi was able to land tons of shots on the ground and win the fight via stoppage. This ended the evening of fights.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Mousasi	10
MacDonald	9

As Bellator now has this show in their rear view mirror, they look to their doubleheader weekend coming up in two weeks. The two cards decide the finalists in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix. Matt Mitrione battles Ryan Bader in Uncasville, CT on the 12th, and the next night Fedor Emelianenko fights Chael Sonnen. That bout takes place in Uniondale, NY. In the MMA world outside of Bellator, there’s a lot going on. This weekend isn’t even over, as RIZIN puts on RIZIN.13 in only a few hours from now. Next week Conor McGregor battles Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. Below them on the fight card is 12 other bouts.