By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch Senior Columnist
Bellator 249 was last night and the show featured Cris Cyborg defending her Bellator Featherweight Championship for the first time, where she picked up her first career submission victory. Let’s get to the rundown.
Bellator 249
BAD- Saad Awad vs. Mandel Nallo ends in a No Contest
Nallo is immediately on the attack, dropping Awad about a minute into the first round. Awad quickly gets back to his feet. Nallo takes him to the ground but again, Awad is quickly back up. Nallo then nails Awad with a knee to the groin and Awad is in agony. They go to a commercial break and when they come back, Awad is still on the ground. Awad tries to get up but can’t, and the ref waves off the fight one minute and forty seconds into the first round. This fight being ruled a No Contest sucks for Nallo as he was looking good with his striking but it’s always possible Awad rallied back and could have won. Nallo didn’t do a ton of damage with his strikes.
GOOD- Steve Mowry stops Shawn Teed
Mowry just picked Teed apart here. He hit him with knees and hooks repeatedly. Teed would answer with some jabs but missed with his big shots. Mowry blasted Teed with a big knee that dropped him and the ref jumped in seconds later to stop the fight not quite four and a half minutes into the first round. Good win for Mowry.
GOOD- Leandro Higo submits Ricky Bandejas
The first round started very slowly. Higo got Bandejas to the ground about two minutes in and spent the rest of the first round on top, advancing position and going for submissions. Bandejas survived, though.The second round saw Bandejas connect with some leg kicks and then some punches before Higo picked him up and, after walking around some to find a spot he liked I guess, slams Bandejas to the mat. He takes the back and then locks in a rear-naked choke for the win about two and a half minutes into the second round. Good win for Higo.
GOOD- Cris Cyborg submits Arlene Blecowe
This fight was Cyborg’s first defense of her Bellator Featherweight Title. Blencowe rushed forward to start the fight but Cyborg pushed her back with some legkicks and right hands. Cyborg pushes her to the fence and lands some more shots before sweeping Blencowe to the ground. Cyborg gets to full mount and starts unloading. Blencowe survives and actually gets back to her feet but Cyborg answers with some more strikes and the first round ends. Cyborg blitzed her bigtime there. The second round starts the same, as Blencowe rushes forward but Cyborg stops her with some power punches. Blencowe’s face is busted up and bloody. It goes to the ground and Cyborg gets full mount again and is teeing off. Blencowe gives up her back in an effort to stop the onslaught but Cyborg sinks in a tight rear-naked choke and the fight is over about two and a half minutes into the second round. Cyborg gets the very first submission win of her career in her first title defense. Good win for Cyborg.
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