Tag: USA

WXC: Warrior Wednesday 11 Live Coverage

WXC returned on Wednesday with their 11th edition of “Warrior Wednesday.” In the main event, heavyweight Marcus Maulding and Josh Parisian put their winning streaks on the line. Stay tuned throughout the night for live coverage of the broadcast from Crystal Gardens, Southgate, Michigan, USA.

Quick Results:

Bout 1: Lawrence Bonds def. Charles Brown via Submission, Bulldog Choke (RD 1, 4:01)

Bout 2: Dante Brown def. Andrew Karsten via TKO, Knees (RD 1, 0:28)

Bout 3: Michael Gillmore def. Perry Stargel via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 4: Collin Anglin def. Will Frost via KO, Right Hook (RD 2, 1:36)

Bout 5: Antoine Blassingame def. Isaiah Gathings Jr. via TKO, Elbows (RD 2, 3:11)

Bout 6: Josh Parisian def. Marcus Maulding via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 3:57)

Full Coverage:

Bout 1: Lawrence Bonds (3-2) vs. Charles Brown (4-6) (Super Heavyweight)

The main card started with a super heavyweight fight between Lawrence Bonds and Charles Brown. Brown walked out to WWE wrestler The Undertaker’s theme. They went into a clinch at the start, with Bonds landing some punches to the body. Brown scored a head kick in the first minute, although it seemingly did not hurt Bonds, who went into another clinch. Brown landed another head kick in the second minute. While being held by Brown, Bonds started to bleed. Bonds got a single leg takedown, then scored punches from Brown’s back. He then put in a choke which made Brown tap out. Lawrence Bonds earned his fourth win as a pro, dealing with early adversity to get the stoppage win. He called out the main eventing fighters after the win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Bonds
Brown

Bout 2: Andrew Karsten (1-3) vs. Dante Brown (3-1) (Lightweight)

The next fight saw negative-record fighter Andrew Karsten face Dante Brown. Karsten shot for a takedown at the start of the fight, although Brown kept in in a clinch. While in the clinch,  Brown landed a knee which dropped Karsten and ended the fight. It was hard to tell what happened, although it was clear that Karsten was injured from a knee. In quick fashion, Dante Brown extending his winning streak to four in a row. Karsten was not in the cage for the official ruling.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Karsten
Brown

Bout 3: Perry Stargel (1-1) vs. Michael Gillmore (5-3) (Middleweight)

The third main ard fight saw the more experienced Michael Gilmore face Perry Stargel. Gilmore landed leg kicks early on. In the second minute, both fighters landed punches to the head in a fast exchange. Stargel caught a kick, taking Gillmore down with it. Gillmore got back up, although Stargel was still on his back. Gillmore turned around eventually, trying for a takedown. They eventually returned to striking as the round winded down.

When Gillmore landed leg kicks early in the second round, it was clear that Stargel had damage from the round before.

Stargel shot for a takedown in the first minute of the final round, although Gillmore stopped it. Gillmore got a takedown for only a second in the final round. When they got back to the feet, Stargel landed a good punch. Gillmore continued with the leg kick work. Stargel started to limp as the round was nearing its end. Stargel caught a leg kick, getting a takedown for a moment from it. The fight went the distance, with the judges giving the win to Michael Gilmore (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Stargel 9 9 9 27
Gillmore 10 10 10 30

Bout 4: Collin Anglin (6-1) vs. Will Frost (1-1) (Catchweight 150 lbs)

In the only catchweight fight of the evening, former LFA fighter Collin Anglin fought Will Frost. The record of Frost may be deceiving, as he also holds a 13-7 amateur MMA record. Frost came in with a good punch combination at the start. Anglin did similar, with the fighters going into a clinch for a moment after. Frost threw maybe 10 punches in a row to Anglin, who was retreating against the cage. Anglin landed a leg kick which tripped Frost a little. Anglin grabbed an ankle in the final minute, although Frost was able to slip out of the situation. As the round was in it’s final seconds, Anglin landed an uppercut which dropped Frost. Frost got hit with many more punches, although he survived until the round ended.

Anglin was much more dominant as the second round started. He was constantly moving forward with his strikes. Anglin came in with a right hook which dropped Frost and ended the fight. After a close first round, Collin Anglin didn’t leave it to the judges with the stoppage.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Anglin 10
Frost 9

Bout 5: Isaiah Gathings Jr. (3-0) vs. Antoine Blassingame (5-6) (Lightweight)

The co-main event of the evening saw undefeated Isaiah Gathings Jr. face Antoine Blassingame. Gathings was the much taller fighter between the two. Blassingame got a takedown in the first 30 seconds of the fight. Gathings tried for an armbar on the ground. He then tried for a triangle. Gathings switched between the armbar and triangle. He kept trying for submissions on the ground until the round ended.

Gathings tried for a heel hook from an imanari roll at the start of the second round. The roll got the fight to the ground, although Blassingame escaped the heel hook, taking top position on the ground after. Blassingame landed short-range elbows and punches from the top. While continuing the shots, Blassingame tried for a kimura. He went back to elbows, landing numerous shots in a row. After dozens upon dozens of unanswered shots, the referee finally stepped in to end it. Bringing his record up to an even 6-6, Antoine Blassingame bounced back after a tough first round.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Gathings 10
Blassingame 9

Bout 6: Marcus Maulding (8-10) vs. Josh Parisian (11-3) (Heavyweight)

 

The main event of the evening saw former-Dana White’s Contender Series fighter Josh Parisian fought Marcus Maulding. Both fighters went into this fight on winning streaks. Maulding got a slam takedown in the second minute of the fight. In top position, Maulding landed some punches. When they got up in a clinch, a pause came as Maulding was kneed in the groin. After a few minutes, they resumed, with Maulding charging forward with wailing punches. He got another takedown. Parisian ate punches while getting up. Maulding slipped it seems while throwing a flying knee, which cut Parisian open. Parisian threw punches on the ground until the referee. Getting the first-round stoppage win, Josh Parisian extended his winning streak to five in a row. After the fight, Parisian said “let’s get it” to the challenge Lawrence Bonds offered earlier in the show. Bonds came to the cage, and they did a faceoff before the show ended.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Maulding
Parisian

Bellator 238: Budd vs. Cyborg Full Coverage

Bellator’s first event of 2020 was a big one, welcoming former UFC Champion Cris Cyborg to the promotion with a championship fight. Facing Julia Budd in the main event, Cyborg got the fight for the Bellator Featherweight Championship. The card also saw many other Bellator debuts, returning prospects and the continuation of the Featherweight Grand Prix.

Quick Results

Bout 1: Miguel Jacob def. David Pacheco via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 2: Anthony Taylor def. Chris Avila via Decision, Majority

Bout 3: Curtis Millender def. Moses Murrietta via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 4: Jay-Jay Wilson def. Mario Navarro via Submission, Armbar (RD 2, 2:48)

Bout 5: AJ Agazarm def. Adel Altamimi via Submission, Armbar (RD 3, 1:22)

Bout 6: Aaron Pico def. Daniel Carey via KO, Punch (RD 2, 0:15)

Bout 7: Joshua Jones def. Brandon Bender via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 8: Emilee King def. Ava Knight via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 2:18)

Bout 9: Raymond Daniels def. Jason King via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 3:07)

Bout 10: Sergio Pettis def. Alfred Khashakyan via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 1, 3:00)

Bout 11: Juan Archuleta def. Henry Corrales via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 12: Darrion Caldwell def. Adam Borics via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 2:20) (Bellator Featherweight Grand-Prix Quarter-Finals)

Bout 13: Cris Cyborg def. Julia Budd via TKO, Punches (RD 4, 1:14) (Bellator Featherweight Championship)

Bout 14: Ricardo Seixas def. Dominic Clark via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 0:34)

Bout 15: Tony Bartovich def. Jarett Conner via Decision, Unanimous)

Full Coverage

Bout 1: Miguel Jacob (3-0) vs. David Pacheco (1-0) (Welterweight)

The preliminary card started with someone’s undefeated record being put to an end. David Pacheco fought Miguel Jacob in a welterweight competition. The fight started with quite active striking from both fighters. Jacob was connecting more often. Jacob put the fight in a clinch against the cage in the second minute. They went back to stand-up about a minute later.

An eye poke happened to Jacob early in the second round, causing a pause. When they resumed, Jacob continued to be the more active striker. A cut around Pacheco’s right eye became apparent. Jacob was constantly moving to the side or backwards. While Jacob was benefitting more from the exchanges, both fighters were fighting a very fast pace.

That previously mentioned pace picked up right where it left off when the final round started. The round was practically the same as the two before, going the distance. When heading to the scorecards, it was Miguel Jacob who kept his undefeated record, with a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-26 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Jacob 10 10 10 30
Pacheco 9 9 9 27

Bout 2: Anthony Taylor (6-5) vs. Chris Avila (6-8) (Lightweight)

Coming in on a four-fight winning streak, Anthony Taylor returned to Bellator to battle Chris Avila. Taylor countered a kick with a punch early which tripped Avila. Taylor was backpedalling throughout the round but found success as a counter-striker. In the fourth minute of the round, Avila scored a good overhand right. They went in a clinch for a little before going back to striking. Taylor got a single leg takedown before the round ended. After the bell, Avila shoved Taylor off of him with his leg. Taylor clearly was offended by this.

Taylor continued to counter-strike in the second round. He did an interesting thing a few times, finishing a combination by pushing Avila away.

In the second minute of the final round, Taylor tried for another takedown. Avila was able to avoid it, with Avila getting some strikes in from close range. He scored a takedown a minute later. Avila tried for an armbar, getting top position in the process. Taylor escaped the armbar, and they both stood back up. 30 seconds later, Taylor shot for another takedown. They went to the ground, but on the way down Avila started to try for a kimura. They stood back up, where Avila was on Taylor’s back for a moment. Avila then tried for a guillotine as Taylor shot for another takedown. They stood back up with one minute left in the fight. Avila got on Taylor’s back, then switching to a normal clinch before separating. Both fatigued, Taylor and Avila were swinging wildly in the closing seconds. Needing judges to decide who won, it was Anthony Taylor who won through a rare majority decision (28-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Taylor 10 10 9 29
Avila 9 9 10 28

Bout 3: Curtis Millender (17-5) vs. Moses Murrietta (8-3) (Catchweight 180 lbs)

The next preliminary fight saw former UFC fighter Curtis Millender making his Bellator debut against Moses Murrietta. At the very start, Millender looked to try to do a glove touch but was punched. Both fighters were throwing hard and fast strikes right off the bat. Millender’s jab was lightning fast. A combination of punches had Murrietta backing up in the final minute of the first round.

A left hook dropped Murrietta in the first minute of the second round. Millender wasn’t in any rush to finish the fight, slowly walking towards Murrietta as he was recovering. A right cross from Millender 30 seconds later made Murrietta’s legs shake a little. It was clear that Millender had gotten into a groove. Millender got a double leg takedown in the final minute of the round. He tried for a darce choke before the bell went.

Murrietta continued to take shots, mostly jabs, in the final round. His movement implied he had injured his lead left leg. Murrietta shot for a takedown with over two minutes left in the fight, although Millender stayed against the cage and eventually returned to striking. As the fight was nearing it’s end, it felt like Murrietta was the less fatigued fighter. Millender landed a german suplex takedown in the final 20 seconds of the round. The fight went all 15 minutes, going to the scorecards to find a winner. Putting an end to his two-fight losing streak, Curtis Millender got a dominant unanimous decision victory in his Bellator debut (30-27, 30-26 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Millender 10 10 10 30
Murrietta 9 9 9 27

Bout 4: Jay-Jay Wilson (4-0) vs. Mario Navarro (4-5) (Featherweight)

Still undefeated as a professional, Jay-Jay Wilson was pitted against fellow featherweight Mario Navarro in the next bout. Wilson shot for a takedown in the first minute, putting Navarro up against the cage instead. Wilson threw some good knees in the clinch, getting a trip takedown after a minute. Wilson went wild with ground and pound, throwing dozens of punches. They stood up in the final minute, with Navarro throwing down Wilson and taking top position. Overall a great first round for Wilson.

Wilson threw an overhand right and then scored a takedown to start the second round. Wilson transitioned to Navarro’s back, trying for a twister. Navarro escaped and took the top position in side control. Wilson was able to get on Navarro’s back. He threw some punches before trying for a rear naked choke. He switched to an armbar, which got fully extended, causing the referee to step in and end the fight. After one and a half rounds of one-sided competition, Jay-Jay Wilson extended his record to five in a row.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Wilson 10
Navarro 8

Bout 5: AJ Agazarm (2-1) vs. Adel Altamimi (8-6) (Featherweight)

The next matchup saw AJ Agazarm and Adel Altamimi fight in a featherweight battle. Agazarm shot for a takedown early on, eating two punches after failing to get to the ground. He did not succeed to get the fight to the ground two more times. Altamimi caught a leg kick, throwing a punch and tripping Agazarm. Altamimi landed a loud kick to the body in the second minute. Agazarm tried again for a takedown, failing to get it there. The crowd booed when Agazarm paced around the cage for a moment. Agazarm came in with a combination in the final minute that seemingly shaking Altamimi with one. There was many more takedown attempts throughout the round which did not work for Agazarm. The fighters got in eachother’s faces after the bell

Agazarm got dropped in the second minute of the second round with a left hook. Agazarm was hit with hammerfist punches on the ground and a few hooks on the feet. He shot for a takedown which gave him time to recover. Agazarm finally got a takedown halfway through the round. Altamimi tried for an armbar, but Agazarm escaped. Agazarm tried for his own armbar on the ground. Agazarm tried for a rear naked choke, then went into full mount landing some strikes. Altamimi flipped on his stomach again where Agazarm threatened the rear naked choke. It was put in, although Altamimi slipped out of it. The second round was quite the turn of events, going from a near stoppage in favour of Altamimi to a dominant ground game from Agazarm.

Altamimi got shook by punches at the start of the final round. Altamimi shot for a single leg, maybe what was his first takedown attempt of the fight. Agazarm threw some punches while Altamimi still had ahold of one of his legs. Agazarm was able to look for an armbar, which made Altamimi tap out. Altamimi protested the stoppage despite tapping. After two very back and forth rounds, AJ Agazarm didn’t have to worry about the scorecards by making Adel Altamimi tap out.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Agazarm 9 9
Altamimi 10 10

Bout 6: Aaron Pico (4-3) vs. Daniel Carey (7-3) (Featherweights)

In the next fight, Aaron Pico attempted to end his two-fight losing streak by facing Daniel Carey. Pico got a well-timed double leg takedown a minute into the fight. He threw some elbows from half guard. Pico kept in control on the ground with ground and pound until the final few seconds of the round.

In the opening seconds of the second round, Pico landed a left hook which knocked Carey out cold. Getting back into the winning column, Aaron Pico put on a highlight-reel knockout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Pico 10
Carey 9

Bout 7: Brandon Bender (12-1) vs. Joshua Jones (9-5) (Catchweight 160 lbs)

The final preliminary fight was a catchweight fight between Brandon Bender and Joshua Jones. Jones came flying at Bender with a flying knee at the start, although it did not connect. Jones caught a kick and countered with one of his own in the second minute. Bender scored a right hook that made Jones grin. Slipping while coming forward, Bender pulled guard on the ground. Bender got on Jones’ back. A cut below Jones’ left eye started to bleed. Jones started to stand up, although Bender started to squeeze for a rear naked choke. Bender landed on his back on the ground. Jones did ground and pound from top position. Bender almost got a heel hook in as the round ended.

Jones got a double leg takedown in the first minute of the second round. Bender was able to flip over into top position halfway through the round. Bender was quick to flip the position back over. Jones started with ground and pound more in the final minute of the round.

They went into a clinch at the start of the third round. Both fighters were clearly tired in the final round. Bender had some good punches coming forward. Jones got the fight to the ground with just over half the round left. After the fight ended, Jones told the broadcast that wrestling is better than jiu-jitsu. When going to decision, Joshua Jones added his win count to double digits (30-26, 30-27 & 29-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Bender 10 9 9 28
Jones 9 10 10 29

Bout 8: Ava Knight (1-0) vs. Emilee King (3-3) (Strawweight)

Former boxer Ava Knight had her second pro MMA fight to kick off the main card, fighting Emilee King. Knight opened with hard punches. King brought the fight to the ground, pulling guard. King put in a guillotine choke, which had Knight in trouble quickly. She popped out of the choke, with King trying for an armbar next. That didn’t work either, with Knight taking top position. King was able to get on Knight’s back, slipping in a rear naked choke, flattening Knight out. She kept with the choke until Knight went cold, ending the fight. In her Bellator debut, Emilee King made headlines about her, stopping Ava Knight within one round.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Knight
King

Bout 9: Raymond Daniels (1-1) vs. Jason King (8-5) (Welterweight)

After his wife won in the last fight, Jason King fought kickboxer Raymond Daniels. Daniels landed a side kick to the body at the start which dropped King. He got back up and they continued. They traded knees in the clinch, although a pause came after King was hit in the groin. Daniels landed a two-punch combination in the second minute which dropped King. Daniels waited for King to get back up. He dropped King again, this time right a left hook. King fell again, seeming tired and hurt. King shot for a takedown, trying for a leg lock. Daniels went to ground and pound from top position, landing punches until the referee stepped in. Showcasing his brutal striking skills yet again, Raymond Daniels stopped Jason King in a round.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Daniels
King

Bout 10: Sergio Pettis (18-5) vs. Alfred Khashakyan (11-4) (Bantamweight)

Before the next fight, Ryan Bader versus Vadim Nemkov for the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship was announced for May 9th at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, USA. The next matchup saw former UFC fighter Sergio Pettis have his first Bellator fight, facing Alfred Khashakyan. Pettis landed a good counter-right in the first minute. Halfway through the round, Pettis landed a punch that dropped Khashakyan. He landed many more punches before putting in a guillotine choke that put Khashakyan out cold. In what could only be described as a brutal debut, Sergio Pettis added another win to his pro record.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Pettis
Khashakyan

Bout 11: Henry Corrales (17-4) vs. Juan Archuleta (23-2) (Featherweights)

After failing to dethrone Patricio Pitbull, Juan Archuleta returns to fight Henry Corrales. The first minute of the fight was somewhat inactive striking. As the round continued on, they both started to throw more punches but nobody connected cleanly with much. The crowd became a little restless near the end of the round. Archuleta shot for the takedown in the final seconds of the first round.

Archuleta was on the outside of the cage for most of the second round, coming in for combinations. Archuleta avoided punches and grabbed Corrales for a takedown with two minutes left. They got back up moments after. Corrales got a takedown in the last 10 seconds of the fight, starting ground and pound but not getting started until the round ended.

Corrales landed a good right hook in the second minute of the final round which clearly hurt Archuleta. He did not get to follow up with much more. The crowd started to boo again with a minute left in the fight. They had a good exchange of punches as the fight ended. Archuleta got on the cage and flipped off the disapproving crowd after the bell. When going to the scorecard, Juan Archuleta got the unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Corrales 10 10 9
Archuleta 9 9 10

Bout 12: Darrion Caldwell (13-3) vs. Adam Borics (14-0) (Featherweight Grand Prix Quarter-Final)

The co-main event of the evening saw a quarter-final fight in the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix between Darrion Caldwell and undefeated Adam Borics. Caldwell got a takedown a minute into the fight. Borics went to the cage and tried to get up. While they were on their knees, Caldwell got on the back of Borics. Caldwell put in a rear naked choke eventually which made Borics tap out quickly. Ending the undefeated record of Borics and advancing to the semi-finals, Darrion Caldwell made quick work of this fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Total
Caldwell
Borics

Bout 13: Julia Budd (13-2) vs. Cris Cyborg (21-2) (Bellator Featherweight Championship)

In the main event of the evening, Cris Cyborg made her Bellator debut, challenging for Julia Budd’s Bellator Featherweight Championship. Cyborg landed body punches early on. They went into a clinch in the first minute. Budd had Cyborg against the cage. They separated after Cyborg threw a knee to the head and a punch. Cyborg got a takedown in the second minute, with Budd getting up moments after still in the clinch. Cyborg landed lots of knees to the body in the clinch. They went back to striking with two minutes left. Cyborg slipped while throwing a kick, allowing Budd to take top position on the ground. Budd went into side control after avoiding an armbar. She switched to north-south. Budd was holding Cyborg by the head and landed a knee strike, which made the referee step in as it was a grounded knee. They resumed in stand-up. Cyborg dropped Budd with a punch, then took top position on the ground. Cyborg got some hammerfist strikes in as the round ended.

Cyborg caught a leg and dumped Budd at the start of the second round. Cyborg threw punches to Budd when she got up, then held her against the cage. They switched between stand-up striking and clinch work over and over. Budd landed a good elbow when they went back to stand-up. Budd seemingly was doing better in stand-up in this round. Cyborg scored good knees in the clinch. Budd shot for a takedown in the closing seconds of the round, but did not get it and ate a knee to the head for her troubles.

Just like in the rounds before, they went into a clinch very quickly. They went back to stand-up around halfway through the round. Cyborg got a takedown with two minutes left. Cyborg got up while Budd was still grounded. After avoiding some upkicks, Cyborg got back to the ground in side control. Cyborg got in full mount and did fast ground and pound for the final few seconds of the round.

In the fourth round, Cyborg started to throw strikes like crazy. Mixing together strikes to the head and body, Cyborg dropped Budd to win the fight. After three dominant rounds, Cris Cyborg turned up the intensity in the fourth round to become the new Bellator Featherweight Champion.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Total
Budd 9 9 9
Cyborg 10 10 10

Bout 14: Ricardo Seixas (8-2) vs. Dominic Clark (14-9) (Lightweight)

After the main event, there was two postlim fights. The first of the two was between Ricardo Seixas and Dominic Clark. Seixas landed a front kick which dropped Clark in the first minute. After a few more strikes on the ground, the referee stepped in to end the fight. Ending his two-fight losing streak, Ricardo Seixas stopped Dominic Clark in quick time with a rare front kick.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Seixas
Clark

Bout 15: Tony Bartovich (0-0) vs. Jarett Conner (0-0) (Featherweight)

 

The final fight of the evening was between debuting fighters Tony Bartovich and Jarett Conner. While Bartovich kept trying for clinches, Conner was throwing more strikes. Conner came in for a clinch, but Bartovich got a takedown from it. They stood back up still in the clinch. When they separated, Bartovich put together a combo of punches that connected. He shot for another takedown, landing it after a little resistance. Bartovich kept on Conner for many minutes. They returned to striking for the final 10 seconds of the fight.

Bartovich shot for a takedown in the first minute of the second round, although Conner stopped it. Upon second attempt, Bartovich was successful. Conner got top position for the final minutes of the round.

The fighters went into a clinch as the final round started. Bartovich got a takedown in the second minute. They got up with under two minutes left in the round still in a clinch. Bartovich threw some strikes in the clinch. Conner left the clinch in the final minute and charged forward with punches. After getting hit by some punches, Bartovich shot for a takedown. Conner took top position on the ground as the fight ran out of time. All three judges were in agreement that Tony Bartovich won, earning his first victory as a pro (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28)

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Bartovich 10 10 9
Conner 9 9 10

Bellator will return in February, with two events in one weekend, starting on the 21st with Bellator 239 and then Bellator Dublin on February 22nd.

CES 60 Full Coverage

Rhode Island-based MMA promotion CES started 2020 with a bang, stacking CES 60 with prospects and championship fights. Headlining the card was Matt Bissette and Charles Cheeks III fighting for the vacant CES Bantamweight Championship. The card also saw the flyweight and heavyweight belts on the line too.

Quick Results

Bout 1: Richie Santiago def. Giorgi Kudukhashvili via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:15)

Bout 2: William Knight def. Rocky Edwards via KO, Punch (RD 3, 2:56)

Bout 3: Ashiek Ajim def. Andres Rodriguez via TKO, Punches (RD 3, 3:14)

Bout 4: Blaine Shutt def. Johnny Lopez via Decision, Split (CES Flyweight Championship)

Bout 5: John Gotti III def. Marcos Lloreda via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 6: Greg Rebello def. Jordan Mitchell via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:07) (CES Heavyweight Championship)

Bout 7: Matt Bessette def. Charles Cheeks III via KO, Punch (RD 3, 4:01) (CES Featherweight Championship)

Full Coverage

Bout 1: Richie Santiago (7-2) vs. Giorgi Kudukhashvili (5-3) (Bantamweight)

After an unsuccessful fight on Dana White’s Contender Series, Richie Santiago returned to CES to face Giorgi Kudukhashvili. Kudukhashvili put Santiago against the cage in a clinch in the first minute after some close striking. He eventually got a takedown, although Santiago was quick to get back up into the clinch again. Kudukhashvili landed a slam to put Santiago back down, though they got back up again soon. Kudukhashvili landed a knee to the head with a minute left in the round which seemingly dropped Santiago. They went back to the feet with under a minute left. A left hook rocked Santiago, shooting for a takedown. Kudukashvili threw Santiago for a takedown, getting on his back and throwing some punches. Santiago had a great scramble, getting top position and throwing a few punches before the round ended.

Santiago slipped because of a kick at the start of the second round, going to the ground because of it. Kudukashvili kept ahold of Santiago, throwing him back down when they got back up. Santiago took top position and started to throw tons of strikes. He started to throw elbows, eventually doing enough for the referee to step in and end it. Getting out of a tough first round, Richie Santiago got his first win via strikes.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Santiago 9
Kudukhashvili 10

Bout 2: William Knight (6-1) vs. Rocky Edwards (12-9-1) (Light Heavyweight)

William Knight, who is a Dana White’s Contender Series “development fighter,” fought Rocky Edwards in this next fight. Knight was coming off a loss from CFFC in November, being stopped within a round by Tafon Nchukwi. Knight landed a loud kick to the body in the opening seconds. They went into a clinch and eventually went to the ground, with Knight getting top position. He landed shots to the body while in half guard. They got back up with just over two minutes left in the round. Knight got another takedown, but had to defend a kimura attempt that Edwards was trying for on bottom position. Edwards swept Knight, flipping the position. Knight flipped it back around before the round ended.

Knight let some strikes go to start the second round. He got some more in when they got into a clinch. Edwards got on Knight’s back on the ground. They were in a bit of a stalemate, as Knight had a hold of one of Edwards’ arms. They stayed in that position basically for the rest of the round.

Knight was throwing lots of kicks to start the final round. With two minutes left in the round, Knight landed a left jab and an overhand right that dropped Edwards. The referee was quick to step in and end the fight. Bouncing back from his first loss as a pro, William Knight has still yet to go to the judges as a pro.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Knight 10 9
Edwards 9 10

Bout 3: Ashiek Ajim (2-0) vs. Andres Rodriguez (4-0) (Bantamweight)

In the next fight, undefeated bantamweights Ashiek Ajim and Andres Rodriguez battled. Both fighters were showing quick hands at the start. Rodriguez was hit with a leg kick which made him stumble. Ajim connected with a good few strikes, but then fell while throwing a kick, and got hit with a punch while getting back up. They went into a clinch, separating eventually. Ajim was the better striker for the rest of the round.

In the first minute of the second round, a pause came as Ajim was poked in the eye. When they resumed, both fighters were landing good punches. Ajim shot for a takedown after more than a minute of stand-up. Rodriguez did a good job stopping it and bringing the fight back to striking. He landed a takedown with a minute left in the round. They got back to their feet shortly after.

Ajim was the better striker in the third round, landing some shots which were clearly hurting Rodriguez. They went into a clinch after Rodriguez was hit with many punches up against the cage. Ajim landed a left hook and right straight which dropped Rodriguez for a walk-ff knockout win. Advancing his undefeated record to 3-0, Ashiek Ajim showcased his powerful striking.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Ajim 10 10
Rodriguez 9 9

 

Bout 4: Johnny Lopez (12-4) vs. Blaine Shutt (7-4) (CES Flyweight Championship)

In the first of three championship fights of the evening, CES crowned their flyweight champion. Competing for the vacant crown was Johnny Lopez and Blaine Shutt. They went into a clinch against the cage in the first minute. Shutt got the throw takedown, although Lopez stod back up. After battling for a long time against the cage, they finally separated with just over a minute left in the round. Lopez tried again for a takedown before the round ended.

There were two minutes of inactive striking in the second round before Shutt went into another clinch. Shutt got on Lopez’s back in the final moments, trying for a leg hold before the round ended.

After Shutt landed a decent few strikes, Lopez put them in a clinch yet again. Very slow-paced fight. Lopez threw some elbows to the head while Shutt had him against the cage. They returned to stand-up for only 30 seconds with a minute left. Shutt got Lopez to his knees in a takedown attempt but didn’t finish it before the round ended.

Shutt had Lopez against the cage for a large portion of the fourth round. Shutt climbed on his back for a moment. When they went to the ground, Lopez was the one in top position.

At the start of the fifth round, Shutt put Lopez to the cage. Lopez got some good strikes in before they returned to stand-up. Lopez came in with a few punches before shooting for a takedown. They went to the ground where Shutt had a hold of one of Lopez’s arms. Shutt tried for a banana split, with Lopez escaping the position by starting to throw strikes. From one rare submission to another, Shutt then tried for a twister. He couldn’t fully lock it in. Shutt landed some knees in the clinch before the fight ended. Being the first main card fight to go the distance, Blaine Shutt became the CES Flyweight Champion in what was quite differentiating scorecards (50-44 Shutt, 50-45 Lopez & 49-46 Shutt).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Total
Lopez 9 9 9 9 9 45
Shutt 10 10 10 10 10 50

Bout 5: John Gotti III (4-0) vs. Marcos Lloreda (5-7) (Welterweight)

Before the final two title fights, undefeated John Gotti III fought Marcos Lloreda. The crowd was quite behind Gotti, even booing Lloreda when he was introduced. Lloreda was landing good leg kicks early on. A pause came in the first round as Gotti was hit low by accident. Gotti punch combinations which had Lloreda retreating. Llorda got a takedown, getting on Gotti’s back. Gotti eventually spun out of the position, taking top position on the ground. The crowd was chanting Gotti’s name at this point. Gotti landed some good hammerfist strikes in top position.

Gotti shot for a takedown in the first minute of the second round. He was not successful, getting hit with some strikes when he got back up. Damage from previous leg kicks started to show on Gotti’s legs. Lloreda came in for a flying knee, but Gotti caught him and slam him to the ground. Gotti got on Lloreda’s back with a minute and a half to go in the round. Gotti stayed in control on the ground until the round ended.

At the start of the final round, Gotti shot for a takedown. Lloreda tried for a submission from bottom position. Gotti got on Lloreda’s back. Lloreda spun around and took full mount. Gotti turned around, letting Lloreda take his back. Lloreda tried for an armbar, but never really secured it. Gotti found himself in scary positions many times on the ground. When they got back up, Gotti threw Lloreda back down and got on his back. The fight went all fifteen minutes with John Gotti III earning a unanimous decision victory, extending his undefeated record to five (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Gotti 10 10 9 29
Lloreda 9 9 10 28

Bout 6: Greg Rebello (25-9) vs. Jordan Mitchell (8-13) (CES Heavyweight Championship)

In the co-main event, Greg Rebello defending his CES Heavyweight Championship against Jordan Mitchell. The challenger, Mitchell, went into this fight with a negative record and had lost in his last fight before. Rebello put Mitchell up against the cage for a little before landing a takedown. Rebello tried for a kimura from side control, although Mitchell was able to prevent it. Rebello landed lots of short punches to Mitchell’s head from side position. On Mitchell’s back, Rebello threw even more punches. Numerous unanswered strikes happened, knocking Mitchell’s mouthpiece out at some point. It arguably could have been stopped, although the fight did continue to the second round.

A doctor checked Mitchell out before the second round started. Mitchell charged forward at the start, going into a clinch. They separated, with Mitchell eating some shots while cornered. They took turns throwing lots of punches. Mitchell got a takedown, returning to the ground and pound that he had success with in the round before. He kept with the punches until the referee stepped in and ended it. After the fight, Rebello announced that this fight would be his last. Ending his career on his own terms, Greg Rebello retained his Heavyweight belt and put a stop to Jordan Mitchell in the second round.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Total
Rebello 10
Mitchell 8

Bout 7: Matt Bessette (23-9) vs. Charles Cheeks III (14-7) (CES Featherweight Championship)

 

Finishing the trio of championship fights, Matt Bessette and Charles Cheeks III fought for the vacant CES Featherweight Championship. Right off the bat in the fight they went into a clinch. Cheeks brought it to the ground with a trip takedown. He tried for a head and arm choke from side position. Cheeks hopped on Bessette’s back, trying for a rear naked choke. When they got back up, Bessette landed a few punches. They went back into a clinch again, where Cheeks landed a few punches to the body. They separated with under a minute left. Bessette scored with an uppercut. Cheeks caught a kick, taking Bessette to the ground.

Bessette tried for a flying knee as the first round started. Cheeks got a takedown. They got back up in a clinch as the round as closing out.

Cheeks held onto Bessette for a clinch after he was hit by a combo of punches. Bessette got a guillotine, bringing Cheeks to the ground in the second minute of the third round. Cheeks got out of the choke, and they stood back up shortly after. Cheeks was the one landing punches when they first got up. He tried for a takedown that Bessette denied. With just over a minute left in the fight, Bessette landed a right hand which knocked Cheeks out cold. After a close few rounds, Matt Bessette won back the CES Featherweight Championship with a hard walk-off knockout. 

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Total
Bessette 9 9
Cheeks 10 10

Cris Cyborg Claims Bellator Featherweight Championship, Stopping Budd In Four Rounds

Cris Cyborg stopped Julia Budd in the fourth round with strikes, becoming the new Bellator Featherweight Champion at Bellator 238, from The Forum in Inglewood, California, USA.

After three dominant rounds, Cyborg upped the intensity at the start of the fourth round, scoring head and body strikes which overwhelmed Budd. After Budd was dropped by strikes, referee Mike Beltran stepped in to end the fight.

The fight was the Bellator debut for the Brazilian fighter.

Cyborg fought in the UFC from 2016 to 2019, being the UFC Featherweight Champion for four fights, losing her belt to Amanda Nunes in late 2018.

Coincidentally, her loss to Nunes also came at the venue of Saturday’s Bellator event.

“This is new era. I am very happy to be Bellator champion,” said Cyborg after the fight.

Budd had defended her Bellator Featherweight Championship three times before losing it on Saturday.

“I’m so disappointed … It’s hard,” reflected Budd after the fight.

In the co-main event of the show, Darrion Caldwell stopped Adam Borics within a round, advancing to the semi-finals of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix.

Bellator returns with a back-to-back weekend of events on February 21st and 22nd.

Darrion Caldwell Advances In Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix With First Round Stoppage

Darrion Caldwell advanced to the semi-finals of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix on Saturday, making Adam Borics tap out in the first round at Bellator 238 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, USA.

The win for Caldwell advanced him to 14-3 as a pro, ending the undefeated record of Borics.

Caldwell earned a takedown after a minute of stand-up. He got on Borics’ back and put in a rear naked choke, which made Borics tap out quickly.

With this win, Caldwell will fight AJ McKee in the semi-finals of the tournament. The other side of the bracket is still yet to be determined, with Patricio Pitbull vs. Pedro Carvalho and Daniel Weichel vs. Emmanuel Sanchez set for March 13th.

Caldwell’s last win prior to this fight was over Henry Corrales, going to decision after three rounds. In the fight before that, Caldwell lost to Kyoji Horiguchi, losing his Bellator Bantamweight Championship.

The main event of Bellator 238 was Cris Cyborg challenging Julia Budd for the Bellator Featherweight Championship.

 

 

UFC on ESPN+ 24: Blaydes vs. dos Santos Preview

Going head-to-head with Bellator this weekend, UFC will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, USA for a card on ESPN+. Headlining the show will be heavyweights Junior dos Santos and Curtis Blaydes. Both high ranked, the winner of this fight could move themself ahead in the line to challenge for Stipe Miocic’s UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Click here to skip to the main card preview

Prelims

Bout 1: Nate Landwehr (13-2) vs. Herbert Burns (9-2) (Featherweight)

Kicking off the preliminary card on ESPN+ at 5PM EST will be a featherweight battle between Nate Landwehr and Herbert Burns. The matchup is a double debut, with Burns getting a contract from Dana White’s Contender Series back in August. Burns had a 5-2 record in ONE FC and a 2-0 run in Titan FC prior ot the signing. Landwehr is on a seven-fight winning streak, with most of those wins from Russian MMA promotion M-1 Challenge.

Bout 2: Brett Johns (15-2) vs. Tony Gravely (19-5) (Bantamweight)

Another debuting Contender Series fighter is on this card in Tony Gravely, being put up against Brett Johns. Gravely stopped Ray Rodriguez in the third round on the show to earn his UFC contract and extend his winning streak to seven. Johns could be fighting for his future in the UFC on Saturday, as he is currently on a two-fight losing streak, his only two losses as a pro. He made his UFC debut in 2016, picking up three wins before losing to Aljamain Sterling and Pedro Munhoz.

Bout 3: Sara McMann (11-5) vs. Lina Lansberg (10-4) (Bantamweight)

Making her return after maternity leave, Sara McMann will challenge Lina Lansberg on the prelims. McMann’s last fight was in early 2018, losing to Marion Renau via triangle choke. After a late 2018 loss to Yana Kunitskaya, Lansberg has bounced back by getting scorecard wins over Tonya Evinger and Macy Chiasson. It’s safe to say that McMann will have a challenge in her comeback bout.

Bout 4: Montel Jackson (8-1) vs. Felipe Corales (9-1) (Bantamweight)

The next preliminary fight will see two more bantamweights compete. Montel Jackson and Felipe Corales, who are both coming off of wins in their short UFC careers thus far will be put against each other. Despite having similar records, Vegas heavily favours Jackson as a -600 favourite. Jackson was picked up via the Contender Series, going 2-1 since then. Corales is 1-1 in the UFC, recently going the distance for a unanimous decision win against Domingo Pilarte.

Bout 5: Justine Kish (6-2) vs. Lucie Pudilova (8-5) (Flyweight)

Justine Kish and Lucie Pudilova will both attempt to break their losing streaks on Saturday, but only one will prevail. Kish hasn’t been super active, with her last two fights taking place over the last two years, being losses to Felice Herrig and Ji Yeon Kim. Pudilova has been more active, with her last three fights, all losses, within the last year and a half. Most recently, Pudilova was stopped in the second round via rear naked choke against Antonina Shevchenko.

Bout 6: Arnold Allen (15-1) vs. Nik Lentz (30-10-2) (Featherweight)

The seemingly unstoppable Arnold Allen will be put against the much more experienced Nik Lentz in what should be an interesting matchup on Saturday. Allen has been undefeated since 2014, currently with six wins in his UFC run. His most recent win was easily his biggest challenge, being a decision win over Gilbert Melendez. Lentz is coming off of a loss to Charles Oliveira, however, there’s no doubt his advantage in this fight is having more octagon time, over doubling the number of professional fights that Allen has.

Bout 7: Bevon Lewis (6-2) vs. Dequan Townsend (21-9) (Middleweight)

The preliminary part of the card will be headlined be Bevon Lewis and Dequan Townsend. Lewis was signed to the UFC through the Contender Series but has yet to get a win in the octagon, falling to Uriah Hall and Darren Stewart before. Townsend made his UFC debut in 2019, having an unsuccessful outing against Dalcha Lungiambula.

Bout 8: Jamahal Hill (6-0) vs. Darko Stosic (13-3) (Light Heavyweight)

 

The main card will kick off with the sole undefeated fighter on the card, Jamahal Hill, fighting Darko Stosic. Hill impressed UFC brass in the fifth episode of the 2019 Contender Series season, stopping Alexander Poppeck in the second round with elbows. This fight will be his debut on the big stage. Stosic has something to prove as well, currently chasing the feeling he had when he had his one and only UFC win, back in July of 2018. He has since failed to prevail over Devin Clark and Kennedy Nzechukwu.

Bout 9: Hannah Cifers (10-3) vs. Angela Hill (10-7) (Strawweight)

Angela Hill was a busy fighter in 2019. After a run of taking four fights in seven months, Hill took an understandable break for the final quarter of 2019. She returns to the octagon on Saturday, fighting Hannah Cifers. Cifers is riding a two-fight winning streak, last winning over Jodie Esquibel at UFC 241.

Bout 10: Jordan Espinosa (14-6) vs. Alex Perez (22-5) (Flyweight)

In late 2018, Alex Perez tasted defeat in the UFC for the first time, taking many unanswered shots by Joseph Benavidez before the referee fully stepped in. That didn’t stop his momentum however, as he bounced back by beating Mark De La Rosa. Riding that momentum, Perez will fight Jordan Espinosa high up on this card. Espinosa sees himself in Perez’s position, attempting to come off his first loss in the UFC, which was also a first-round stoppage. On Saturday, another fighter will likely see their second loss in the big leagues.

Bout 11: Rafael dos Anjos (29-12) vs. Michael Chiesa (15-4) (Welterweight)

Michael Chiesa has been undefeated since making the switch from lightweight to welterweight back in 2018. He has defeated Carlos Condit and Diego Sanchez, and now eyes to beat Rafael dos Anjos in the co-main event slot of this card. “RDA” has lost quite a bit recently, however it’s worth noting his losses have come to notable names in the division. He lost an interim Welterweight Championship fight to Colby Covington in 2018 at UFC 225. He then lost to current champion Kamaru Usman, going to decision. He has most recently lost to Leon Edwards, defeating Kevin Lee before then. While Chiesa is being pitted against someone who has lost more than they have won recently, dos Anjos is the biggest welterweight challenge he has gotten so far.

Bout 12: Curtis Blaydes (12-2) vs. Junior dos Santos (21-6) (Heavyweight)

Main eventing in Raleigh will be Curtis Blaydes and Junior dos Santos. The battle is one between one of the division’s rising stars and a more experienced veteran. Of course the star is Blaydes, with the more experienced being Santos. Blaydes holds an impressive 12-2 record, with the two defeats coming via fights against Francis Ngannou. He is on a two-fight winning streak, going through Justin Willis and Shamil Abdurakhimov. 

Santos’ last win gives him a way to relate to Blaydes, as he lost to Ngannou back in June. He failed to fight Alexander Volkov in November, falling victim to a bacterial infection. Santos is most known for his 2011 UFC Heavyweight Championship run, which saw him dethrone Cain Velasquez. After a defence against Frank Mir, Santos lost the belt in a rematch against Velasquez. Both Blaydes and Santos are highly ranked in the division, and a win could put them in closer reach to Stipe Miocic’s Heavyweight belt. With that being said, there are a lot of bidders for that title shot at the moment.

UFC will take next weekend off, returning on the 8th with UFC 247 in Houston, Texas, USA. Headlining that card will be Jon Jones putting his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on the line against undefeated Dominick Reyes.

Bellator 238: Budd vs. Cyborg Preview

Bellator will kick off it’s 2020 schedule on Saturday with the promotion debut of Cris Cyborg. Fighting for the first time outside of the UFC since 2016, she will challenge for Julio Budd’s Featherweight Championship in a five-round fight. The stacked card features many returning Bellator names, many other former-UFC fighters debuting and the continuation of the Featherweight Grand Prix. In the promotion’s return to The Forum in Inglewood, California, USA, this is Bellator 238.

Click here to jump to the main card.

Prelims

Bout 1: Tony Bartovich (0-0) vs. Jarett Conner (0-0) (Featherweight)

The preliminary portion of the card features a matchup between two debuting featherweights. Conner had a 2-4 record in amateur MMA, with Bartovich going 2-1. It’s worth noting that some of the preliminary fights could be bumped to the postlim spot, depending on how they go about scheduling the card.

Bout 2: Miguel Jacob (3-0) vs. David Pacheco (1-0) (Welterweight)

Undefeated welterweights Miguel Jacob and David Pacheco will be put against each other in the next prelim fight. Pacheco’s pro debut was in Bellator nearly a year ago, stopping Jorge Juarez. Jacob will be making his Bellator debut, picking up all three of his previous wins in the regional MMA promotion Fight Club OC.

Bout 3: Anthony Taylor (6-5) vs. Chris Avila (7-8) (Lightweight)

Anthony Taylor will see his return to Bellator this weekend, after fighting elsewhere for seven fights. Taylor made his debut in Bellator, going on a 1-3 run before going to other promotions. All three losses came via rear naked choke, with notable losses over James Gallagher and Adam Borics (who fights later on this card). He has since fought in high-level regionals like BAMMA and Combate Americas, currently riding a four-fight winning streak. His opponent, Chris Avila, will try to break even on his MMA record with this fight. He is 1-1 in Bellator, most recently losing to Brandon Faumui in April.

Bout 4: Brandon Bender (12-1) vs. Joshua Jones (9-5) (Featherweight)

After disappearing from the MMA scene for nearly six years, Brandon Bender will make his return against Joshua Jones on this undercard. Bender has an impressive 12-1 record, with his most recent (if you want to say recent) fight being a win over Mario Navarro at Bellator 116 in 2014, bouncing back from his sole loss. Around the same time, Jones debuted as a pro. He is 2-2 in his Bellator career so far, having two fights outside of the promotion within that timespan.

Bout 5: Curtis Millender (17-5) vs. Moses Murrietta (8-3) (Catchweight 175 lbs.)

Similar to Cris Cyborg’s fight, Curtis Millender will be having his first fight after his UFC run. Millender’s UFC career ended at 3-2, after losing to Belal Muhammad in April. He faces Moses Murrietta, who will also be debuting in Bellator. Murrietta has fought in LFA recently, although his last two fights were losses, including a 24 second stoppage.

Bout 6: AJ Agazarm (2-1) vs. Adel Altamimi (8-6) (Featherweight)

California-based Bellator fighters AJ Agazarm and Adel Altamimi are booked against eachother for the next preliminary matchup. Agazarm has had his short pro career fully in Bellator, going 2-1. Altamimi made his Bellator debut in 2019, defeating Brandon McMahan with an armbar. He recently lost a scorecard battle against Salim Mukhidinov, and will attempt to bounce back from that loss on Saturday.

Bout 7: Aaron Pico (4-3) vs. Daniel Carey (7-3) (Featherweight)

In 2018, Aaron Pico was known as one of Bellator’s biggest rising stars. However, back-to-back losses in 2019 have made people skeptical if Pico was actually worth what he was made out to be. He will be put against Daniel Carey on Saturday, with a loss extending the longest losing streak of his short career. All of Pico’s fights, win or loss, have all ended via stoppage. His last two losses came to Henry Corales and Adam Borics. Carey is 3-2, recently winning over Gaston Bolanos in September with a guillotine choke.

Bout 8: Ricardo Seixas Filho (8-2) vs. Dominic Clark (14-9) (Lightweight)

Also on the preliminary card, Cali fighters Ricardo Seixas Filho and Dominic Clark will battle. Both are coming off of losses, with Clark’s in Bellator against Joshua Jones. Filho’s last two fights were losses in LFA in 2018.

Bout 9: Jay Jay Wilson (4-0) vs. Mario Navarro (4-5) (Featherweight)

Undefeated Bellator fighter Jay Jay Wilson will bring Mario Navarro back to the cage in the next fight. Wilson had an explosive 2019, getting three wins, two of them in Bellator. Navarro has fought in Bellator before, but his last match was over three years ago, being a loss to Chinzo Machida.

Main Card

Bout 10: Ava Knight (1-0) vs. Emilee Gettys (3-3) (Strawweight)

The main card begins with former boxer Ava Knight had a successful MMA debut three months ago, stopping Shannon Goughardy with body strikes on a Bellator card. In her second match, Knight will be paired against Emilee Gettys. Knight has a 19-2-5 record as a professional boxer, with her career spanning from 2007 to 2019. Gettys is on a three-fight winning streak, taking her career from a 0-3 record to an even record. The fight will be the debut of Gettys in Bellator.

Bout 11: Raymond Daniels (1-1) vs. Jason King (8-5) (Welterweight)

Experienced kickboxer Raymond Daniels will return to MMA in a fight with Jason King on the main card. Daniels has 35-3 kickboxing record, fighting in Bellator Kickboxing and GLORY in the past few years. His most recent MMA fight was a knockout of Wilker Barros with a flash right hook which made the rounds online. King is seemingly a good matchup for Daniels, having most of his wins and losses from striking battles. King has fought quite a bit in Valor FC, getting a first-round stoppage over Brian Jackson in November.

Bout 12: Juan Archuleta (23-2) vs. Henry Corrales (17-4) (Featherweight)

The next main card fight sees two eliminated fighters from the featherweight grand prix fight. Juan Archuleta, who lost to Patricio Pitbull, will fight Henry Corrales, who lost to Darrion Caldwell. The loss for Archuleta broke his impressive 18-fight winning streak. Corrales was riding a five-fight streak, not being favoured on the scorecards when fighting Caldwell.

Bout 13: Sergio Pettis (18-5) vs. Alfred Khashakyan (11-4) (Bantamweight)

As part of the trio of debuting former-UFC fighters on this card, Sergio Pettis will fight Alfre Khashakyan. Pettis fought in UFC 14 times, going back to 2013. While not having fought in the UFC in the past, Khashakyan will also be making his Bellator. In 2019, he on three in a row in 2019 in newly formed regional promotion LXF. Khashakyan’s most well-known fight is a loss to Sean O’Malley, on the series premiere episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Bout 14: Darrion Caldwell (13-3) vs. Adam Borics (14-0) (Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix Quarter-Finals)

The co-main event of the evening sees Darrion Caldwell and Adam Borics battle in the quarter-finals of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix. Borics debuted in Bellator in 2017, going 5-0 since then, all via stoppage. He stopped Pat Curran with ground and pound in September to advance through the first round of the tournament. Caldwell’s round-of-16 win over Henry Corrales was his first win in a year, losing twice to Kyoji Horiguchi before. The second of the two losses saw Caldwell lose his Bellator Bantamweight Championship. Caldwell has fought all but three of his pro bouts in Bellator (including a fight in RIZIN which was co-promoted by Bellator).

Bout 15: Julia Budd (13-2) vs. Cris Cyborg (21-2) (Bellator Featherweight Championship)

The main event of the evening will is Cris Cyborg taking a shot at the Bellator Featherweight Championship against the current champion Julia Budd. Cyborg’s last UFC fight was a win over Canadian prospect Felicia Spencer. Before that, she lost her UFC Featherweight Championship to Amanda Nunes in under a minute via strikes. The matchup was one which many argued deserved a rematch, but was not made as Cyborg’s departure from the UFC was one that was not on good terms.

Budd has been the promotion’s featherweight champ since 2017, capturing the belt by defeating Marloes Coenen. Since then she has made three defences, most recently against Olga Rubin. Budd’s two career losses come to the prolific Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey, although those losses were in 2011. Vegas currently has Cyborg as a heavy favourite, sitting at -450 currently. 

Bellator’s next event after this one will be on February 21st, presenting Bellator 239 from the Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, USA. Headlining the card currently is Ed Rush and Yaroslav Amosov.

UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cerrone Full Coverage

UFC held it’s first event of 2020 on Saturday, featuring easily their biggest star of the past decade: Conor McGregor. In his returning fight, “The Notorious” returned to face fan-favourite fighter “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone. The show included 11 fights in total, with six preliminary bouts. Here’s the full report of the show.

Quick Results:

Bout 1: Sabina Mazo def. JJ Aldrich via Decision, Split

Bout 2: Aleksa Camur def. Justin Ledet via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 3: Drew Dober def. Nasrat Haqparast via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 1:10)

Bout 4: Askar Askarov def. Tim Elliott via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 5: Sodiq Yusuff def. Andre Fili via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 6: Roxanne Modafferi def. Maycee Barber via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 7: Diego Ferreira def. Anthony Pettis via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 1:46)

Bout 8: Brian Kelleher def. Ode Osbourne via Submission, Guillotine (RD 1, 2:49)

Bout 9: Alexey Oleinik def. Maurice Greene via Submission, Armbar (RD 2, 4:38)

Bout 10: Holly Holm def. Raquel Pennington via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 11: Conor McGregor def. Donald Cerrone via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 0:40)

Full Coverage

Bout 1: JJ Aldrich (8-3) vs. Sabina Mazo (7-1) (Flyweight)

The UFC Fight Pass Early Prelims started with a flyweight fight between JJ Aldrich and Sabina Mazo. It was clear when seeing the fighters that Mazo had the height advantage. The fighters had a close stand-up battle to start the fight. Aldrich was coming in with small combinations of punches. Mazo was consistently backing up, but overall she was landing the better shots.

Mazo picked up the pace a little with her punches at the start of the second round. This round looked way better for Mazo, as not only was she constantly advancing but also landing more. Aldrich still had her moments with punches. Mazo started to bleed around her nose. Mazo landed a good knee in the clinch in the final minute of the fight, as well as a head kick in the closing seconds.

Mazo opened the final round with a clinch up against the cage. When they returned to stand-up, it was clear that Mazo was working a faster pace that Aldrich. Initiating another clinch, Mazo got a lot of strikes in. Aldrich had blood on her face, but it was hard to see if the blood was from her or Mazo. The referee separated them and brought them back to stand-up with just over a minute to go. The fighters survived all three rounds, going to the decision. When they went to the scorecards, Sabina Mazo won with a split decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Aldrich 10 9 9 28
Mazo 9 10 10 29

Bout 2: Justin Ledet (9-2) vs. Aleksa Camur (5-0) (Light Heavyweight)

Making his UFC debut after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Aleksa Camur faced Justin Ledet in the next fight. Camur tried for a spinning kick right off the bat. He did not connect with it. Ledet landed a combination of punches in the second minute which rocked Camur a little. The round was very back-and-forth. 

Camur was seemingly having cardio issues early on in the fight. He landed good one or two-piece shots in this round. Ledet had his shots as well. With Ledet against the cage in the final minute, Camur had a good combination of punches.

The final round was a slow paced one as both fighters were clearly tired. Camur got a takedown as the round ended, doing some very exhausted ground and pound. When going to decision, Aleksa Camur got the unanimous decision win (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Ledet 9 9 10 29
Camur 10 10 9 28

Bout 3: Nasrat Haqparast (11-2) vs. Drew Dober (21-9) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the ESPN preliminary card was a lightweight battle between Nasrat Haqparast and UFC veteran Drew Dober. Dober landed a good jab to start the fight. Haqparast landed a good combination of strikes, but slipped at the end. Dober landed an overhand punch which dropped Haqparast. Dober followed up with numerous punches on the ground until the referee stepped in. The stoppage was way late, but nonetheless a great performance by Drew Dober.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Haqparast
Dober

Bout 4: Askar Askarov (10-0-1) (#12) vs. Tim Elliott (15-9) (#7) (Flyweight)

In the first fight of the evening that featured ranked fighters, undefeated Askar Askarov fought Tim Elliott. Elliott’s outside of the box movement made him hard to hit, but Askarov landed a shot which rocked him hard in the second minute. Askarov took top position on the ground after the knockdown. Elliott tried for a guillotine choke from the bottom position. Askarov did some ground and pound from top position. They stayed on the ground until the round ended.

Elliott got a judo throw at the start of the second round and tried for a guillotine on the ground, but Askarov slipped out and stood back up. Askarov put Elliott against the cage, failing to get a takedown before they went back to stand-up. Elliott landed another throw takedown. Askarov tried for an armbar for a moment but didn’t commit to it. Elliott went into side control, escaping a possible triangle choke. Despite Elliott putting them on the ground, it felt like he was fully playing defence in the position. They went back to stand-up in the final minute. Elliott shot for another takedown but did not get it.

Askarov was connecting with some punches early in the final round. Elliott was egging on Askarov, telling him to do more and putting his hands down. Elliott was landing, but getting hit just as much by a backpedalling Askarov. They were in a clinch for a bit of the final minute, with Elliott getting them to the ground for a moment. They went the distance, clearly both tired at the end. When going to the scorecard, Askar Askarov saw the victory (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Askarov 10 9 10 29
Elliott 9 10 9 28

Bout 5: Sodiq Yusuff (10-1) vs. Andre Fili (20-6) (Featherweight)

Continuing into the second hour of the prelims, Sodiq Yusuff fought Andre Fili. Both fighters were swinging hard punches right from the jump. Yusuff was connecting good with a jab. Fili tried for a takedown in the second minute of the fight, failing to take the fight to the ground. He tried again a minute later, getting the takedown this time. Yusuff was quick to get back to his feet. Fili’s face was starting to turn red from strikes. Fili got another takedown, although Yusuff got back up in a clinch. Fili landed his best shot of the round in the fourth minute, almost dropping Yusuff with a shot. He got a takedown on the rocked Yusuff, although they got back to their feet. They went back down as Yusuff put in a kimura. It looked good, but Fili escaped eventually. Fili tried for an armbar from bottom position but let go as Yusuff lifted him up and possibly tried to slam him.

Yusuff caught a leg kick by Fili, sweeping him to the ground in the first minute of the second round. Yusuff was in control on the ground, landing some knees to the body while in side control. When Yusuff got up, Fili threw some upkicks. Yusuff went back down to the ground into full mount. They got back up with a minute left in the round. Fili got a double leg takedown, but Yusuff stood back up again. They went into a standing clinch up against the cage.

In the third round, Yusuff was connecting with powerful singular shots again. Fili got a good counter-punch in the round. The whole round was slower pace striking, with nobody ever landing anything that showed particular damage. The fight went to the scorecards with Sodiq Yusuff earning the unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Yusuff 10 10 10 30
Fili 9 9 9 27

Bout 6: Roxanne Modafferi (23-16) (#7)  vs. Maycee Barber (8-0) (#9) (Flyweight)

Finishing off the preliminary card, undefeated prospect Maycee Barber was pitted against MMA veteran Roxanne Modafferi. Ben Askren was in the corner of Barber. After landing a few punches, Modafferi got a takedown from a clinch. Modafferi did short little punches from half guard. From bottom position, Barber tried for a guillotine choke, but Modafferi’s head popped out eventually. Modafferi got on Barber’s back for a moment, but ended on her back on the ground as the round ended.

Modafferi dropped Barber with a leg jab at the start of the second round. Modafferi went to the ground and took side control. She went into full mount, and started to do some ground and pound. Modafferi started to throw some elbows. Barber was able flip the position, taking control on the ground. It was clear that the elbows cut Barber open. Modafferi was able to get back in top position, focusing on strikes. She took Barber’s back, trying for a rear naked choke for a moment. Barber flipped around again, with Modaffering in half guard. Barber was really bleeding at this point. When Barber got up at the end of the round, it was clear her left leg was injured, limping badly. 

A timeout was called at the start of the final round, letting a doctor check out her left leg. The doctor said she has an ACL tear, but she’s fine. When the third round started, Barber was having tons of trouble moving around. Modafferi was landing some good punches, knocking Barber back quite a bit. Modafferi got another takedown, where Barber tried for a guillotine at the bottom. Barber flipped into top position, trying for an americana. They eventually got out of the position. Modafferi went back into top position for the rest of the round. Barber didn’t bleed as much this round, but did start to bleed more near the end of the round. Upsetting the Vegas oddsmakers, Roxanne Modafferi went on to get a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Modafferi 10 10 10 30
Barber 9 9 9 27

Bout 7: Diego Ferreira (16-2) vs. Anthony Pettis (22-9) (#11) (Lightweight)

Kicking off the main card, ranked fighter Anthony Pettis fought Diego Ferreira in a lightweight fight. Ferreira shot for a takedown in the first minute but did not get it. He tried again halfway through the round, getting it to the ground on the back of Pettis. They returned to stand-up a minute later. Ferreira got a second takedown in the final 30 seconds of the first round. From side control he landed a couple of short elbows.

Ferreira caught a kick at the start of the second round, getting a takedown and hopping on the back of Pettis on the ground. Pettis moved around, but Ferreira got back on the back of Pettis. After throwing lots of punches, Ferreira committed to the rear naked choke, which made Pettis tap out. Diego Ferreira should expect to crash the rankings, stopping Anthony Pettis in the second round and extending his winning streak to six in a row.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Ferreira 10
Pettis 9

Bout 8: Ode Osbourne (8-2) vs. Brian Kelleher (19-10) (Bantamweight)

Contender Series success story Ode Osbourne debuted against Brian Kelleher in the next fight. This matchup was originally meant for the preliminary card, but after some changes, found itself pushed up two slots. Right at the start, Osbourne landed an odd jumping punch. Kelleher’s stance seemed very shelled up, while Osbourne had his arms out quite often. Kelleher got a takedown in the first minute. He did some ground and pound from top position. Kellher put in a guillotine choke which made Osbourne tap out eventually. Bouncing back from a two-fight losing streak, Brian Kelleher got a fast win against the still learning Ode Osbourne.

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Osbourne
Kelleher

Bout 9: Alexey Oleinik (57-13-1) (#12) vs. Maurice Greene (8-3) (Heavyweight)

In the next fight, MMA veteran Alexey Oleinik fought Maurice Greene. Oleinik got dropped right off the bat from a kick. He got back up immediately. Dodging a kick, Oleinik clinched up and took him down. He took side control on the ground. Green tried for a triangle from bottom position, but Oleinik escaped quickly. The crowd was booing the whole time they were on the ground. They got up for a second but went back down where Oleinik was in full mount. He went into side control and tried for a head and arm choke. Greene endured for a while, eventually throwing some hammerfist punches too. He survived the choke until the round ended.

At the start of the second round, Oleinik seemed fatigued. He was eating lots of strikes from Greene, including a head kick. Oleinik walked down Green, starting another clinch. Greene got out, throwing more punches. Oleinik tried for a takedown, eventually getting it. Oleinik tried for a choke from top position again. The crowd went back to booing. Greene tried for a kimura from the bottom position. Oleinik, who was now bleeding a bit on his forehead, tried for an armbar in the final minute. He was really huffing and puffing while trying for this hold. Eventually, Greene tapped out, giving Alexey Oleinik another win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Oleinik 10
Greene 9

Bout 10: Raquel Pennington (10-7) (#5) vs. Holly Holm (12-5) (#3) (Bantamweight)

In the co-main event of the evening, high ranked bantamweights Raquel Pennington and Holly Holm collided. The first two minutes of the fight were slow. Holm charged in and put Pennington put against the cage in the third minute. Holm landed many strikes in the clinch. Holm was controlling up against the cage until the end of the round, trying for a guillotine as it closed out.

Holm put Pennington up against the cage early in the second round. They went back to stand-up with two minutes left. The crowd cheered for that. Holm put Pennington back up against the cage moments later, to the crowd’s displeasure.

The third round was slow paced with more clinch work. It felt like this was Pennington’s best round, throwing lots of shots when they did stand-up. The referee separated a clinch near the end of the round. The fight went the distance, with Holly Holm getting the unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27)

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Pennington 9 9 10 28
Holm 10 10 9 29

Bout 11: Conor McGregor (21-4) vs. Donald Cerrone (36-13) (Welterweight)

 

The main event saw the return of “The Notorious” Conor McGregor against fan-friendly fighter Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The welterweight fight was not for a championship but was for five rounds. The crowd was heavily in favour of McGregor, although there wasn’t much hostility towards Cerrone. McGregor came charing at Cerrone right off the bat, throwing strikes in the clinch. When they left the clinch, it was clear damage was done to Cerrone’s nose. He threw a leg kick which had Cerrone retreating. He then got dropped by punches. McGregor kept with punches until referee Herb Dean stepped in and ended the fight. Winning in under a minute, Conor McGregor had a successful return to MMA. 

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Total
McGregor
Cerrone

LFA 80 Full Coverage

LFA kicked off it’s 2020 calendar with a it’s second appearance in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Headlining the card was Steve Garcia Jr., returning from Dana White’s Contender Series to face Jose Mariscal. Live from Friday, let’s look at LFA 80.

Quick Results:

Bout 1: Sean Cerveny def. Edwin Cooper Jr. via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 4:25)

Bout 2: Tyler Ray def. Josh Streacker via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 3:01)

Bout 3: Jordan Wright def. Gabriel Checco via Gabriel Checco via TKO, Punches (RD 2, 0:48)

Bout 4: Luis Gavinho def. Josh Marsh via Decision, Split

Bout 5: Carrington Banks def. Chris Brown via Decision, Unanimous

Bout 6: Jerome Rivera def. Kendrick Latchman via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 2, 4:12)

Bout 7: Steve Garcia Jr. def. Jose Mariscal via TKO, Elbows (RD 2, 2:27)

Full Coverage:

Bout 1: Sean Cerveny (4-0) vs. Edwin Cooper Jr. (2-0) (Featherweight)

The evening started with two undefeated featherweights Sean Cerveny and Edwin Cooper Jr. facing off. Cooper was a fighter coming out of Jackson Wink MMA. Cooper dropped Cerveny with a head kick early on. He tried on the ground with ground and pound. Cerveny almost had an armbar, but Cooper escaped and continued with the punches. Cerveny then tried for an ankle lock, but Cooper escaped that as well. Cerveny got a cut on his head. In side control, Cooper threw more punches and elbows. The striking on the ground continued for minutes, although Cerveny kept moving in bottom position. Cerveny tried for another armbar, with the fight ending as the referee saying Cooper Jr. tapped out. Cooper disputed this, but the referee made his decision. The ruling could not be overturned, giving Sean Cerveny the win, extending his undefeated streak. Cooper Jr. refused to stand beside the referee for the official ruling. Cerveny said after the fight that he felt a tap.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Cerveny
Cooper Jr.

Bout 2: Tyler Ray (5-1) vs. Josh Streacker (6-5) (Welterweight)

After that controversy ended, the show continued with more fights. The next fight was a welterweight battle between Tyler Ray and Josh Streacker. Ray got a double leg takedown in the first minute of the fight. He got on Streacker’s back quite seamlessly. He tried for a rear naked choke, but never fully got it in. Ray landed some knees to the body when he went into side control. Despite being very active on the ground, the referee became impatient, standing up the fighters.

Ray threw some good leg kicks at the start of the second round. They both landed some good one or two punches. Ray got a takedown in the third round, getting on Streacker’s back and trying again for the rear naked choke. He locked it in, which made Streacker tap in quick time. Showcasing his ground game skills Tyler Ray put on a one-sided performance.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Ray 10
Streacker 9

Bout 3: Gabriel Checco (11-4) vs. Jordan Wright (9-0) (Middleweight)

Undefeated Jordan Wright put his record on the line in the next fight, fighting the more experienced middleweight Gabriel Checco. Wright dropped Checco flat on his back in the first minute of the fight. Wright didn’t go to the ground, allowing Checco to stand back up. He got hurt in the second minute with a right hook. Checco got the fight to the ground, having a hold of one of Wright’s legs for a second. They stayed on the ground with Wright in top position. A pause came in the final minute of the first round as Checco was hit in the groin. Checco shot for a single leg takedown in the final moments of the round. Wright got top position as the round concluded.

Wright was coming forward with hard strikes early on. Wright landed a knee to the head which dropped Checco. He continued with ground and pound until the referee stopped the fight. Advancing to double digits of undefeated wins, Jordan Wright showed his undeniable striking skill. Wright showed remorse after his win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Checco 9
Wright 10

Bout 4: Josh Marsh (5-2) vs. Luis Gavinho (9-4) (Featherweight)

Moving back to the featherweight division, Josh Marsh and Luis Gavinho fought next. In the second minute, they exchanged punches, with Marsh putting in a standing clinch against the cage. They escaped that position shortly after. Marsh was landing the better punches in the first round.

Marsh had Gavinho backing up for the first few minutes of the round with punches. Gavinho had his own charge, coming forward and connecting with punches. The momentum seemingly took turns in this fight. Marsh threw a flying knee in the final minute of the round. He got a takedown as the round ended.

Marsh shot in for a takedown at the start of the final round. He might have gotten hit with a spinning back elbow in the process. Gavinho was pretty quick to get back up. Marsh slung together a great combination in the second minute, going to the body and the head. He was on the attack for almost all of the round. He got another takedown with over a minute to go. Just like the takedowns before, it didn’t keep Gavinho down for long. Marsh got another one in the final minute. They stayed on the ground until the final second of the fight where they both got back up. Consulting the scorecards we had a split decision, with Luis Gavinho getting the win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). He left through the crowd after his win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Marsh 10 10 10 30
Gavinho 9 9 9 27

Bout 5: Carrington Banks (8-2) vs. Chris Brown (5-1) (Lightweight)

Before the next fight, Jon Jones did an interview on the broadcast. In the next fight, fellow gym-member of Jones, Chris Brown fought Carrington Banks. The crowd was very rowdy for this fight, lots of boos and cheers during the introductions. Banks shot for a takedown right off the bat, although Brown stopped it. He kept trying for the takedown until the referee separated them. Upon second attempt, Banks did get a takedown. Brown got back to his feet, but Banks kept ahold of him. Brown was able to sneak into top position on the ground, but Banks reversed it. Brown got back up, but Banks latched back onto him. Very dominant round for Banks, he had it where he wanted it.

Banks got another takedown to open the second round. The fight stayed on the ground, with Banks landing strikes periodically. With over a minute left in the round, the referee decided to stand them up. This happened despite lots of movement on the ground. Banks tried for another takedown but couldn’t get it before the round ended.

Banks, of course, tried for a takedown again in the third round. Brown was able to fend off the first two attempts, but didn’t too much else in the process. Brown scored some elbows to the body while in the clinch. The referee split them up after being against the cage for a while. Banks got a takedown with a minute and a half to go. The fight went the all three rounds, with Carrington Banks getting the unanimous decision win (29-28, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Banks 10 10
Brown 9 9

Bout 6: Jerome Rivera (8-2) vs. Kendrick Latchman (8-5) (Flyweight)

In the co-main event, flyweights Jerome River and Kendrick Latchman fought. Rivera tried for a takedown early on but didn’t get it. They clinched up for a lot more of the round. Rivera landed some shots in clinch. Rivera got on Latchman’s back near the end of the round.

They went into a clinch at the start of the second round again. Rivera kept trying for a takedown but couldn’t get it. When they finally left clinch, Rivera started to unleash with strikes. Latchman caught a head kick into a takedown. From bottom position, Rivera tried for a triangle choke. He turned it into a mounted triangle choke, throwing strikes while in the position. When he stopped throwing strikes and really put it on, Latchman tapped out. Showing his skill in striking and ground game, Jerome Rivera added another W to his record.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Rivera 10
Latchman 9

Bout 7: Jose Mariscal (10-4) vs. Steve Garcia Jr. (10-3) (Featherweight)

 

Finally, the main event of the evening saw Steve Garcia Jr. make his return to regional MMA after last fighting on Dana White’s Contender Series. He fought Jose Mariscal. Mariscal got dropped in the opening seconds of the fight. He was rocked, seemingly falling a second time as well. In possible damage control, Mariscal clinched up against the cage. Garcia landed a spinning back kick. Mariscal tried for a leg lock but couldn’t get it, putting Garcia on his back in the process. When they got back up, Mariscal was backing up but did land his own shots as well. With that being said, it was clear he was taking more damage. After clinching for a while, Mariscal did a great judo throw to get Garcia to the ground. After the first round ended, it felt like a whole lifetime between the start of the fight.

Garcia had some good punches early in the second round. Mariscal missed a spinning back fist. Mariscal wasn’t slowing his pace, but you could see he was taking damage. Garcia got hit hard by a spinning back fist. Garcia swept Mariscal with a leg kick. On the way down, it looked almost like Garcia’s knee hit is head? He did some ground and pound on the ground. Mariscal got up and was hit with a knee and two strikes. Mariscal threw a punch, and then the referee stepped in, giving Garcia Jr. the win. As you’d expect, Mariscal protested the stoppage. Proving himself to be prospect, Steve Garcia Jr. won after a chaotic fight.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Mariscal 9
Garcia Jr. 10

LFA returns on the 31st with LFA 81, from Costa Mesa, California, USA. Headlining the card will be Jamall Emmers and Rafael Barbosa.

Conor McGregor Has Successful Return, Stopping Donald Cerrone In Under A Minute

In quick fashion, Conor McGregor defeated Donald Cerrone via strikes in the first minute of the UFC 246 main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

McGregor was aggressive from start to finish, winning in under a minute. He charged at Cerrone at the start, landing a knee to the head after missing a punch. McGregor threw strikes in the clinch, including elbows.

What put Cerrone down was a head kick, and following strikes by McGregor made referee Herb Dean step in and end the fight.

“I like this weight division it’s really good … I don’t believe I’m there yet though, I still have to do to get back to where I was.”

The win was McGregor’s return to welterweight, last fighting at the class when he fought Nate Diaz twice in 2016. McGregor is a former champion in the lightweight and featherweight class.

Many high ranked welterweight names like Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal were present at the event.

In the co-main event of UFC 246, Holly Holm glided to a safe scorecard victory win over Raquel Pennington.