Bellator 226
September 7, 2019
SAP CenterSan Jose, CA
DAZN
Main Card:
(1) Gaston Bolanos vs Daniel Carey (Featherweight)
Prediction: Bolanos defeats Carey via Round 1 TKO
ROUND 1: Here we go! Good leg kick for Bolanos. Leg kicks for both. More leg kicks.Nice straight for Carey. Stiff kick blocked by Carey. Bolanos with a nice right. Another stiff right. Clinch for Bolanos. Carey locks in a guillotine from a standing position. Carey locks it in and falls down with the choke. Ref telling Bolanos to respond and he doesn’t. That is it.
Result: Daniel Carey defeats Gaston Bolanos via Rear-Naked Choke in Round 1 (4:19)
Analysis: The fight didn’t really seem too important, and the fight started really slow, but Carey used a slick submission and stopped another potential hype train from Bellator.
(2) Emmanuel Sanchez vs Tywan Claxton (Featherweight)
Prediction: Sanchez defeats Claxton via Unanimous Decision
ROUND 1: Here we go! Sanchez comes out throwing a kick that is blocked. Claxton misses a big left but lands a quick takedown. Sanchez trying to stand, but eats some shots and gets dragged back down. Sanchez stands. They break. Claxton going for combos. Both land stiff shots. Claxton shoots and lifts Sanchez off his feet and onto his back. Sanchez trying for a submission off his back. Elbows for Sanchez off his back. Sanchez squirming but Claxton controls him. Claxton lands a stiff elbow. Sanchez stands again. GOod leg kick for Claxton. Body kick for Sanchez. Huge right just misses for Claxton. Sanchez using a lot of pressure. Sanchez lands a takedown and gets to top mount. he arches up and starts landing hammer fists, but the round ends. 10-9 Sanchez
ROUND 2: Both just miss huge shots. Flying knee misses for Claxton. Nice left for Claxton. Claxton shoots but is stuffed. Sanchez clinches against the cage. Sanchez stepping on Claxton’s feet. Sanchez throwing small knee strikes. Claxton flips position. Claxton lifts and slams Sanchez. Sanchez catches him in an adjusted triangle choke. Claxton escapes, but Sanchez locks in another triangle choke. It looks pretty deep. Sanchez squeezing. Claxton seems to be surviving. Sanchez landing punches and elbows to the trapped Claxton. Sanchez keeps it in, and the ref stops it. Claxton taps out.
Result: Emmanuel Sanchez defeats Tywan Claxton via Triangle Choke in Round 2 (4:11)
Analysis: This fight went as expected. The much for experienced Sanchez beat Claxton around everywhere. Claxton showed he still has much to learn, but he did have some moments against a possible favorite for the tournament. As for Sanchez, he looks as good as ever, and confirms he still is a dangerous threat to everyone else in this tournament.
(3) Sam Sicilia vs Pedro Carvalho (Featherweight)
Prediction: Sicilia defeats Carvalho vis Round 1 TKO
ROUND 1: Here we go! Carvalho charges forward but Sicilia swings. Stiff body kicks for Carvalho. Carvalho shoot for a takedown, but Sicilia lands on top. Sicilia smothering Carvalho. Sicilia takes the back. Sicilia continues to smother Carvalho. Sicilia with stiff body uppercuts and they stand. Sicilia shoots and lands a takedown. Sicilia takes the back again. Sicilia searching for the RNC, but Caralho reverses and gets on top. Guillotine attempt for Carvalho from the top. Carvalho gets to top mount and it looks tight. Sicilia wiggles out. Carvalho gets on top and ends on top to end the round. 10-9 Sicilia
ROUND 2: Carvalho clinches quickly but they break. Stiff body kick lands for Carvalho. Carvalho picking apart Sicilia with kicks. Another stiff body kick. Another body shot, and Carvalho lands a takedown. Carvalho takes the back. Carvalho puts in a face crank and Sicilia taps out.
Result: Pedro Carvalho defeats Sam Sicilia via Face Crank in Round 2 (1:56)
Analysis: The fight felt very underwhelming, but it was close, at least in the first. Stiff body shots landed for Carvalho and he gets the back. Sicilia seemed to tap almost immediately, and while his future is in question, the 24 year old Carvalho now riding a 6 fight winning streak see’s a chance for his stock to rise. He may not be a top contender in the tournament, but his next fight being against the Straus/Campos winner see’s him jump in competition, so his future will be determined soon enough.
(4) Pat Curran vs Adam Borics (Featherweight)
Prediction: Borics defeats Curran via Round 2 TKO
ROUND 1: Here we go! Borics with some good leg kicks. Borics with more leg kicks. Nice right for Curran lands. Spinning back kick misses for Borics. Jab for Borics. More stiff leg kicks for Borics. Spinning body kick just misses for Curran. Flying knee misses for Borics. Borics with a good combination. Curran eats a left. Curran throws a combo that is blocked. End Round 1. 10-9 Borics
ROUND 2: Both miss shots. Combo blocked by Curran. Borics with a good combo. Good body shot for Curran. Leg kicks for Borics. Jabs for both. Jabs land for Boric. Curran misses a spinning back fist. Flying knee for Borics that drops Curran. Borics takes Curran’s back. Boric lands some hammer fists. Borics starts hammering Curran on the ground. Borics throwing like a mad man in the last couple seconds. The bell rings but the ref jumps in and says the fight is over.
Result: Adam Borics defeats Pat Curran via TKO in Round 2 (4:59)
Analysis: I thought the ref may have stopped the fight early, but Curran didn’t fight back, and didn’t argue so he seemed to accept it. Curran seems to be at the end of his rope, as since his injury, he returned and seems to be afraid of throwing, and just seems alike a shell of his former self. Adam Borics on the other hand, now only 26, remains undefeated and looks like a serious contender in the tournament. Borics will face Emmanuel Sanchez next, which is another very tough test, but after handling his hardest test in Curran with relative ease, Corics could be a big dark horse, and someone that could easily get his way to the title, if his performances continue to improve like they have been.
(5) Daniel Straus vs Derek Campos (Featherweight)
Prediction: Straus defeats Campos via Round 1 Submission
ROUND 1: Here we go! Good leg kick for Straus. Straus throws another kick and goes down. Campos gets on top. Campos trying to move, but a stalemate continues. Campos gets to half guard. Straus searching for a kimura. Another stalemate. Campos gets the back. Campos trying for an arm triangle. Campos lands some shots. Campos going for another arm triangle. Campos lets go and gets to full mount. Campos starts landing some shots but round ends. 10-9 Campos
ROUND 2: Good body kick for Campos. Campos shoots and lands another takedown. Campos in full guard. Straus tries to escape, but Campos stays on top. Campos throwing weak body shots. Campos gets to full mount. Campos going for another arm triangle. Stalemate continues. Campos now trying for an Americana. Campos stays in top mount. Elbows miss for Campos. Campos landing some ground and pound. End Round 2. 20-18 Campos
ROUND 3: Campos misses a head kick. Good leg kick lands for Straus. Body kick blocked. Straus with a good combo. Campos shoots and lands the takedown, Campos goes back to the same position. Campos gets to the side and locks in the arm triangle. Campos can’t get a tap so he goes back to full mount. Campos layin’ and prayin’. Campos landing some ground and pound. Straus gets up. Campos lands a knee that rocks Straus. Starus actually threw a punch that blew out his arm. Campos goes for a cartwheel on the downed Straus. Heavy punches and the round ends. 30-27 Campos
Result: Judges Scorecards- (30-26, 30-25 x2) for Winner by Unanimous Decision Derek Campos
Analysis: The fight was very one sided. Straus reminded me of Curran in that he seemed a shell of his old self. Comparing current Straus to the Starus that beat Pitbull, it seems night and day. Campos looked good, and could see himself against Carvalho in a rematch. For Straus, this could serve as the end of his career, and for Campos, he draws a tough opponent in his next fight, hoping to continue his rebound.
(6) Heavyweight Championship Bout: Ryan Bader (c) vs Cheick Kongo
Prediction: Kongo defeats Bader via Round 1 TKO
ROUND 1: Here we go! Nice left for Bader. Kongo shoots. Bader stuffs him. Bader keeps throwing the left jab. Bader shoots and lands a takedown. Bader gets to side control. Bader gets to full mount. Kongo gets his back to the cage. Kongo tries to stand but Bader holds him down. Good shot for Kongo. Bader pokes Kongo in the eye and the ref pauses the fight. The fight is over after the doctor checks.
Result: No Contest (Accidental Eye Poke)
Analysis: A horrible finish. The fight was slow, and Bader accidentally poked Kongo in the eye on the ground. Kongo could not see, and the fight was over. Bader seemed to indicate Kongo faked it, but the thumb in the eye was very obvious. What this means for the future no one know. Bader should be forced to defend or vacate his Light Heavyweight belt being that he hasn’t defended it in almost 2 years, but Kongo also deserves a rematch. The call to make should be Bader/Kongo 2, with a vacated Light Heavyweight strap, but with Bellator wanting to hold on to a champ champ as long as they can, Bader being stripped seems to never be a plausible option for them. Time will tell, but a frustrating ending for the fighters, and more over the fans.
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