By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch Senior Columnist
Bellator 246 and UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill were this past weekend. Let’s get to the rundown.
Bellator 246
GOOD- Keoni Diggs submits Derek Campos
Diggs got some takedowns early and also busted up Campos with some punches. Campos fired back but Diggs was just better. Diggs submitted Campos right at the end of the fifth round. Good win for Diggs.
GOOD- Liz Carmouche submits DeAnna Bennett
This was a solid fight. It was also close and came down to about the three and a half minute mark of the third round, when Carmouche locked in a rear-naked choke and got the submission win. Good win for Carmouche.
GOOD/BAD- Neiman Gracie submits Jon Fitch
As expected, they spent a lot of time wrestling and grappling for position. A lot of that was against the cage but also on the mat. Gracie locked in a heel hook and got the submission towards the end of the second round. It got boring, but I expected that so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Or at least my reaction to that. Good win for Gracie.
GOOD/BAD- Juan Archuleta vs. Patchy Mix
They fought hard but this fight started to drag for me in the later rounds as Mix gassed hard. Archuleta brought the fight to Mix and sapped his energy with body shots. It was a good strategy and was very effective for him, but it made me restless. I think football season starting has lessened my ability to get into these types of fights as much. Archuleta won the Bellator Bantamweight Championship with this decision win. Good win for Archuleta.
UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill
GOOD- Billy Quarantillo stops Kyle Nelson
Quarantillo got some takedowns but it was really his striking that won him this fight. Nelson had some good striking of his own, but Quarantillo turned his lights out at the beginning of the third round. Good win for Quarantillo.
GOOD- Bobby Green vs. Alan Patrick Silva Alves
Yet another fight that went to decision. Green got the decision win and he was clearly the better fighter and I feel kind of bad being negative about this fight, that’s why I didn’t add a BAD, but I was feeling restless during this fight as well.
GOOD/BAD- Ed Herman submits Mike Rodriguez
Rodriguez dominated the fight for the first two rounds. For some reason, the ref halted the fight during the second round, saying that Rodriguez hit Herman low, which didn’t seem true at all. Rodriguez hurt Herman badly in the second round but Herman survived and locked on a kimura late in the third round and got the win. That’s a crazy comeback, I’ll give Herman credit for being so tough. However, it’s hard not to wonder if the stoppage didn’t play into things.
GOOD- Roxanne Modafferi vs. Andrea Lee
This was a solid fight, but another three round decision isn’t what I was hoping for. They fought hard but you’re killing me, Smalls. Modafferi won the decision but this was close. Good win for Modafferi.
GOOD- Ottman Azaitar stops Khama Worthy
I’m sure I sound like a complete casual but it is what it is. This is more of what I’m looking for. Azaitar hurt Worthy with some big hooks, then swarmed him on the ground to get the stoppage a little over ninety seconds into the fight.
GOOD- Michelle Waterson vs. Angela Hill
Hill started strongly but Waterson turned it on and fought better and harder as the rounds wore on. There was some really good action here. This was such a close fight that a split decision isn’t surprising at all. Waterson won the split decision, which I agree with, but you could make a case for Hill to have won. Good win for Waterson.
Comments and suggestions can be emailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com and you can follow me on Twitter at @hydenfrank or my blog at https://3pr117238763.wordpress.com/
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