By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch Senior Columnist
Bellator Champion Series 1 and UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs. Namajunas were this past weekend and featured some exciting finishes. Who won and who lost? Let’s get to the rundown.
Bellator Champion Series 1
GOOD- Manoel Sousa stops Tim Wilde
They exchange strikes for extended periods as both men are very active. Sousa is throwing some major bombs but Wilde is able to avoid them until a huge left hook catches him and knocks him out with twelve
seconds remaining in the first round. Whoa. Sousa improves to a
perfect 11-0 while Wilde drops to 17-5-1 and has his 3 fight winning streak snapped. Good win for Sousa.
GOOD- James Gallagher vs. Leandro Higo
Not much going on in the first round until Higo gets a takedown. Higo
starts raining hellfire down on Gallagher until the first round ends.
The second round begins with a repeat of the first round, with not much going on initially. Eventually they start exchanging strikes for
the rest of the second round. The third round starts with some early grappling until Higo gets a takedown. Higo uses his ground-and-pound
until the fight ends. We go to the judges to render their verdict.
Higo wins the decision and improves to 23-6 while Gallagher drops to 12-3. Higo with the good win.
GOOD- Fabian Edwards vs. Aaron Jeffery
They start off grappling, with Edwards getting a takedown but Jeffery is quickly back to his feet and they reverse and counter and grapple back and forth for the rest of the first round. The second round
begins with more grappling and they mix in a little striking. The
third round starts with more striking from Edwards and that could be
the difference. The fight ends so we go to the judges to render their verdict. Edwards wins the decision to improve to 13-3 while Jeffery drops to 14-5. Nice win for Edwards.
GOOD- Patrico “Pitbull” Freire stops Jeremy Kennedy
Pitbull successfully defended his Bellator Featherweight Championship
for the 9th time across three reigns with this victory. Pitbull opened with several hard calf kicks. Kennedy answered with kicks of his own.
The second round begins with Pitbull continuing to attack the legs with kicks and Kennedy responding with strikes of his own. The third round starts with more striking exchanges and Kennedy drops Pitbull with a big right hand. Pitbull is right back up and they continue
striking. Pitbull starts to hammer Kennedy and drops him. Pitbull pours on the punishment and forces the referee to jump in to stop the
fight a little over four minutes into the third round. Pitbull
improves to 36-7 while Kennedy drops to 19-4 with 1 No Contest and has
his 3 fight winning streak snapped. Good win for Pitbull.
GOOD/BAD- Corey Anderson vs. Karl Moore
This wasn’t the most exciting of fights but Anderson grinded out the
decision win with a lot of takedowns to win the vacant Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship. I might have been a little swayed by the crowd, though, who was rooting for hometown boy Moore in this fight.
It was good strategy by Anderson, to utilize his strengths, and he claims championship gold because of it. Moore fought hard but Anderson was too strong. Anderson improves to 18-6 with 1 No Contest while Moore drops to 12-3 and has his 4 fight winning streak snapped. Nice win for Anderson.
*************
UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs. Namajunas
UGLY- Igor Severino bites Andre Lima
This was on the prelims but I have to mention it. The first round was pretty good, with some nice action. The second round started with more
of the same, though Severino did get warned for outstretched fingers at one point. The reason I’m talking about this fight is that Severino bit Lima in the arm, around the bicep area. I’m sure you’ve already seen the pictures of it but if you haven’t, check them out. It’s wild.
Lima got a tattoo commemorating the event and Severino has been cut
from the UFC for this inexcusable move. Back to main card action.
GOOD- Fernando Padilla submits Luis Pajuelo
They trade kicks early before mixing in some punches. Padilla drops Pajuelo with a big counter. Pajeulo manages to get up but Padilla is
right there with a D’Arce choke to force the tap and get the
submission win a bit over halfway through the first round. Padilla moves to 16-5 while Pajuelo drops to 8-2 and has his 5 fight winning streak snapped. Good win for Padilla.
GOOD- Youssef Zalal submits Billy Quarantillo
They trade kicks early to start with a few punches mixed in. Zalal lands a few good knees before getting a takedown and going to work.
They grapple for the rest of the first round and Zalal is able to grab a rear-naked choke but he can’t cinch it in before the first round ends. The second round begins with A quick striking exchange before
Zalal gets another takedown. He grabs another rear-naked choke but this time he’s able to lock it in and he gets the submission win not quite two minutes into the second round. Zalal improves to 14-5-1 and
has won 4 straight fights while Quarantillo falls to 18-6. Good win for Zalal.
GOOD- Payton Talbott stops Cameron Saaiman
They’re trading strikes early until a Talbott hook drops Saaiman but he’s right back up. Both men are attacking the body but Talbott is doubling up Saaiman by volume. Talbott is really taking the fight to Saaiman and they exchange strikes until the end of the first round.
The second round begins with Talbott dropping Saaiman with a big left hand and follows him down and pounds away until the referee is forced to jump in to stop the fight twenty seconds into the second round.
Talbott improves to a perfect 8-0 while Saaiman drops to 9-2. Good win for Talbott.
GOOD- Edmen Shahbazyan stops A.J. Dobson
They’re trading strikes early, with Dobson hurting Shahbazyan until Shahbazyan gets a takedown. Dobson quickly sweeps his way into top position but Shahbazyan fights off his back well and separates. They start trading strikes again and Shahbazyan drops Dobson with a left hook. Shahbazyan unloads with punches and elbows and attacks Dobson
until the referee jumps in to stop the fight just over four and a half minutes into the first round. Shahbazyan improves to 13-4 while Dobson drops to 7-3 with 1 No Contest. Good win for Shahbazyan.
GOOD- Karl Williams vs. Justin Tafa
They’re trading strikes early until Tafa hurts Williams, prompting him to take Tafa down. Tafa gets back up but is taken right back down.
Tafa works his way up again but Williams gets a mat return and the first round ends. The second round begins with another striking exchange that Tafa does some nice damage with but Williams is
eventually able to get another takedown. The action slows way down as Williams does enough to not get stood up and the second round ends.
The third round starts with Tafa hurting Williams with some good strikes, prompting him to fight like hell to get Tafa down, which he does eventually. Williams does enough to not get stood up but Tafa finally works his way up but before he can do anything Williams takes him down and the fight ends. We go to the judges to render their verdict. Williams wins the decision and improves to 10-1 and has won
his last 7 fights while Tafa drops to 7-4 with 1 No Contest. Good win for Williams.
GOOD- Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas
They trade strikes early until Ribas gets a takedown. Namajunas
quickly works her way back up, though. Ribas goes for a throw but Namajunas lands on top and works some ground-and-pound until the first
round ends. The second round begins with more striking by both women.
Namajunas gets a takedown but Ribas is right back up. Ribas again goes
for a throw but Namajunas rolls through to land on top and she rides out the rest of the second round on top. The third round starts with another strong striking exchange. Ribas drops Namajunas with a head
kick but she’s immediately back up and they return to striking.
Namajunas continues to land the more damaging strikes. They fight on
the fence until Ribas gets a trip and takes her back but the third
round ends. The fourth round opens with a little striking as the pace slows way down. They scramble and Namajunas lands on top and fights off some Ribas elbows as the fourth round ends. The fifth round begins with some good striking exchanges. They’re both throwing heavy leather
and some good kicks that continue throughout the final round. It’s a close fight but Namajunas just did more. The fight ends so we go to the judges to render their verdict. Namajunas wins the decision and improves to 12-6 while Ribas drops to 13-5. Good win for Namajunas.
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Comments and suggestions can be emailed to me at
hydenfrank@gmail.com and you can follow me on Twitter at @hydenfrank.
Thanks for reading and have a good day.
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