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Bellator wrapped up another successful event at the OVO Arena in London, England. The event featured many of the promotion’s United Kingdom based fighters, which made for a lively atmosphere.
The main event saw Logan Storley defeat Michael ‘Venom’ Page via split-decision to become interim welterweight champion. The crowd voiced their displeasure as Storley wrestled Page throughout the fight rather than engaging and staying active on the ground.
Despite the first five prelim bouts going the distance, the final three prelim bouts ended with impressive stoppages. Oliver Enkamp got the first finish after he caught Mark Lemminger with a slick buggy choke that forced him to submit. It was impressive as he was losing the fight heading into the final round and was dropped earlier. The final two prelim bouts ended via TKO and three of the five main card bouts ended via knockout and submission. This list will look at five takeaways from Bellator 281.
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#5. Daniel Weichel in the mix again in Bellator's featherweight division
Daniel Weichel closed the prelim portion of Bellator 281 with a bang as he finished Rob Whiteford in only 1:12. It was an impressive win and should result in him getting a top-10 featherweight in his next bout.
Weichel vs. Whiteford was an intriguing matchup when it was announced. ‘Drake’ is the No.7 ranked featherweight, while ‘The Hammer’ was looking to get into the top-10 at any expense. Whiteford was in better form as he came into the fight unbeaten in his last five. Meanwhile, ‘Drake’ split wins in his last four in a division that has seen many young 145-pounders ascend the rankings.
It was a statement win that showed he's not done and could lead to a bout with a ranked opponent next. Weichel is a veteran of the sport with 55 professional fights on his resume dating back to 2002.
#4. Kana Watanabe could be the next Bellator flyweight title challenger
Kana Watanabe picked up a significant win at Bellator 281 by defeating former title challenger and No.2-ranked flyweight Denise Kielholtz. The women’s flyweight delivered an action-packed bout that could have gone either way at times.
Kielholtz didn’t waste any time as she landed a powerful combination that clearly stunned Watanabe. But Watanabe immediately took the fight to the ground and utilized her grappling. The majority of the fight was contested on the ground, where ‘Miss Dynamite’ was outmatched. She was even deducted a point in the second round for an illegal knee. Watanabe recovered and was able to secure a triangle choke that forced the kickboxing champion to submit.
Watanabe is now in a great position in the women’s flyweight division. She has set herself up for a potential title shot and rematch with women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche. If the promotion don’t book an immediate rematch between Carmouche and Juliana Velasquez, she should be next in line.
#3. Fabian Edwards' stock rises in Bellator middlweight division
Fabian Edwards earned the biggest win of his career when he knocked out Lyoto Machida at Bellator 281. It was a devastating knockout win over an MMA legend and former UFC light heavyweight champion.
Edwards and Machida both came into the fight looking to snap a losing skid. ‘The Assassin’ had lost back-to-back fights to Costello van Steenis and Austin Vanderford. Meanwhile, Machida had lost to middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi and former light heavyweight champions Phil Davis and Ryan Bader.
Edwards stunned ‘The Dragon’ with an elbow and then knocked him out with strikes at 3:18 of the first round. He was thrilled to have done something that none of the Bellator's champions have been able to do since Machida joined.
“He fought Bader and Mousasi and he fought Davis, and none of them guys could finish him. I done that in one round, so what does that say about my skills.” – Fabian Edwards during his post-fight press conference.
#2. Paul Daley has plenty of options after Bellator 281 win
It was a fantastic sendoff for Paul Daley, who called it a career after knocking out Wendel Giacomo at Bellator 281. It was a vintage performance for one of the promotion’s greatest knockout artists in front of his home crowd.
Daley was originally scheduled to fight former welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov. But the fight fell through after Koreshkov was forced to withdraw from the event. The change of opponent didn’t faze ‘Semtex’ as he remained committed and enthusiastic to put on a show.
Giacomo wasn’t outclassed and had his moments throughout the fight as he managed to take Daley down. However, Daley remained composed and reversed the position, which led to a vicious knockout. He landed a powerful combination that ended with him dropping Giacomo with a right-hook.
Despite ‘Semtex’ saying it was final fight, he didn’t rule out a return to the cage. He mentioned that if he receives a lucrative offer, he would consider competing in Bellator again.
#1. Logan Storley becomes interim Bellator welterweight champion
Logan Storley earned a split decision win over hometown favorite Michael ‘Venom’ Page to become interim Bellator welterweight champion. Storley stuck to his strengths to keep the fight on the ground. He constantly attempted takedowns to avoid getting into a slugfest with a far superior striker.
‘Storm’s wrestling-heavy approach obviously wasn’t well received with the London crowd, who booed when there wasn’t much activity. Many felt that MVP should have been awarded the decision because Storley didn't inflict damage on the ground. ‘Venom’ had success at the start of each round as he landed combinations. But ‘Storm’ took him down and outwrestled him with his transitions.
It remains to be seen what the promotion will plan on doing with their interim champion. Reigning welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov is currently in Ukraine, so he won’t be available for the time being.
