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Bellator rolled into the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut for the first night of its doubleheader. Bellator 231 was headlined by a rematch between heavyweight veterans Frank Mir and Roy Nelson. Frank Mir ended his four-year wait for a win by getting the win over 'Big Country'.
The other major attraction on the card was Jake Hager's third professional MMA fight, which was billed as the former WWE Superstar's first real test inside the cage.
The co-main event of the evening saw an exciting Light Heavyweight contest between Phil Davis and Karl Albrektsson. Former UFC fighter Bec Rawlings made her Bellator debut against IIara Joane.
The five fights on the main card had many great moments and it built upon the solid foundation set up by the undercard talents. Bellator 231 was a star-studded event as Dave Batista was one of the Superstars who was spotted at the show. All in all, the latest Bellator offering was a solid watch.
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Here are the results and highlights of the show:
Bellator 231 Results: Prelims
Tim Caron def. Lucas Borges via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jessy Miele def. Talita Nogueira via split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29)
Steve Mowry def. Gokhan Saricam via submission (kimura) (0:56 Round 2)
Dalton Rosta def. Claude Wilcox via TKO (4:23, Round 2)
Elise Reed def. Rebecca Bryggman via TKO (4:48, Round 1)
Connor Dixon def. Orkhan Ismatzade via submission (kimura) (0:42, Round 1)
Jonathan Manley def. Thiago Oliveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Killys Mota def. Mandel Nallo via TKO (1:16, Round 3)
Bellator 231 Results: Main Card
#1 Jake Hager (2-0) vs. Anthony Garrett (4-2) (Heavyweight)
Round 1: They touched gloves and Hager tried to clinch within seconds.
Hager finally got the clinch and dragged Garrett towards the fence. Hager connected with a few short punches in the clinch with Garrett's back against the cage.
Hager connected with a few solid knee strikes after they broke away. Garrett attempted the jab but ate a punch in the process. The fight was momentarily stopped after Garret got hit in the groin with a knee. Hager got in a few good punches as well while trying to make inroads.
The fight resumed and Hager circled looking for an opening. The fight was stopped yet again after Hager kneed Garrett in the groin. Hager had a frustrated look on his face as the doctors entered the cage to tend to Garrett.
Garrett was unable to continue and the fight was adjudged as a no-contest.
Jake Hager vs. Anthony Garrett ended in a no-contest due to an accidental groin strike
#2 Bec Rawlings (7-8) vs. Ilara Joanne (8-4) (Flyweight)
Bec Rawlings and Ilara Joanne both made their Bellator debuts intending to make a major statement in the Flyweight division. Which debutant came out on top? Let's find out.
Round 1: Joanne pressed early as she attempted a few combinations and kicks. Joanne looked for the overhand right but Rawlings kept retreating in time. Joanne connected with a high kick. Rawlings clinched and Joanne pushed the fight against the cage.
Joanne wrestled Rawlings to the mat and took side control. Joanne worked for towards submission in half guard. Rawlings tried to cut the distance by holding onto Joanne. Rawlings gave away the full guard position. Both women exchanged strikes. Rawlings got in some offense from her back but Joanne was in control as she landed big rights and lefts.
However, the referee stood them up and Rawlings looked to press forward this time around. Joanne connected with a 1-2. The round came to a close with Joanne attempting a spinning kick. 10-9 Joanne
Round 2: Joanne started the second round with a bang by taking Rawlings down within ten seconds after a perfectly placed leg kick. She got into half guard again and landed short punches to the body and face of Rawlings. Joanne transitioned into full guard.
Rawlings tried to get her posture right to neutralize the damage that Joanne could inflict. Joanne created some separation and came down with a few good strikes. Rawlings pushed herself back to the cage with Joanne in full guard. Joanne latched onto Rawlings' back. she looked to get the under-hooks in for the rear-naked choke. Rawlings turned over and landed side control. Joanne briefly gave her back but slipped down and got hold of Rawlings' left leg.
Joanne locked in the kneebar and forced Rawlings to tap.
Result: Ilara Joanne def. Bec Rawlings via submission (kneebar) (3:35, Round 2)
Bellator's Arya Stark crossed out Bec Rawlings out of her 'kill list' with a comprehensive performance. Joanne looked solid on the feet as well as on the mat and pulled off a clever finish against the former UFC fighter.
#3 Jason Jackson (10-3) vs. Ed Ruth (7-1) (Welterweight)
Round 1: Cautious start from both men as they tried to get their range in place. Both men attempted the jabs and a few kicks.
Jackson caught Ruth's kick and countered with a solid right. Snappy body kick from Ruth. Jackson answered with a leg kick.
Jackson rocked Ruth with a big shot. Ruth wobbled and went back first into the cage. Ruth, however, survived and looked to steady himself.
Jackson had another big moment in the Bellator round with a quick right that wobbled Ruth yet again. Ruth recuperated quickly and continued to press forward. Jackson connected with a beautiful double jab. Ruth shot for the takedown and he got Jackson down against the cage.
Jackson sprang up to his feet within seconds. Ruth got in a body kick. Ruth grew into the round and landed strikes in the final minute. Jackson was still the sharper fighter as he used the double jab before hurting Ruth with a big uppercut. Ruth stayed on his feet and survived another close call. The round ended in Jackson's favor. 10-9 Jackson
Round 2: Jackson had a wicked smile as he came in for the second round. Ruth used his pressure to push forward. He tried to connect with kicks from different angles while also using the jab.
Jackson showed off some slick head movement to avoid getting hit. Jackson came really close to knocking Ruth's lights out with what looked like a punt kick.
Ruth's plan was to walk Jackson down and cut the space. This prevented Jackson from spreading his feet. Ruth's pressure bore good results as Jackson kept getting tagged. Jackson started retreating to create some space.
Ruth connected with kicks from close range. Ruth came back stronger in the second round and applied some smart in-fight IQ to cut the distance. Jackson still managed to get in a few big shots at the end of the round. 10-9 Ruth
Round 3: Both fighters pumped up the fans before the final round. Jackson started strong with a few left and right-hand shots.
Jackson dropped Ruth with a massive shot. He went in for the finish but Ruth hung in yet again! Ruth got back up and went on the offensive. Ruth recovered quickly and kept the pressure on Jackson. Ruth attempted a lot of strikes but Jackson's movement was just too good.
Jackson landed a nice three-punch combo. Jackson went low to the body and then overhand to the back of the head. Ruth shot for another takedown but Jackson stayed on his feet. Ruth still managed to dump Jackson down to the mat using the cage. He wrapped his arms from the back and was winning the wrestling game.
Ruth worked his way into mount position against the cage. He got the back again and tried to soften Jackson up for a submission. the fight ended with Ruth not letting go of Jackson.
Result: Ed Ruth def. Jason Jackson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Despite coming close to finishing the fight on many occasions, Ed Ruth's resilience and forward pressure got him the nod in the eyes of the judges at Bellator 231.
#4 Phil Davis (20-5) vs. Karl Albrektsson (9-2) (Light Heavyweight)
It was time for the co-main event of the evening as former UFC fighter Phil Davis took on rising Swedish prospect Karl Albrektsson. This was the Swedish Light Heavyweight's first Bellator fight.
Round 1: Both fighters didn't tap gloves and the fight got underway. They exchanged rights. Albrektsson caught hold of Davis' kick and pushed him against the fence. Davis took hold of Albrektsson's neck and looked for the Guillotine.
Davis got in a few stiff leg-kicks before taking Albrektsson down midway through the first round. Albrektsson got back to his feet with under one minute left, but it was a little too late as Davis had already got the first round in the bag. 10-9 Davis
Round 2: The Swedish talent had a strong start to the second round as he connected with a jab and a body kick. Davis cut the distance with a left. They locked up before Davis put Albrektsson on the mat with a clean right-hand shot. Davis briefly got Albrektsson's back as the latter was standing up.
Albrektsson was in a world of trouble and was taken down with two minutes left to go. Davis got in a few knees as Albrektsson worked his way up to his feet yet again. The round ended before he could have any good moment to boast about. 10-9 Davis
Round 3: Davis began the round with a left jab and a right-hand strike. Albrektsson missed a few shots. Davis knew he didn't have to rely on the judges and went for the finish with a few combinations.
A right-hand strike sent Albrektsson crashing into the mat. Davis unloaded with strikes from the top. Rights, lefts and elbows rained down on a defenseless Albrektsson.
The referee stepped in and stopped the fight at 3:06.
Result: Phil Davis def. Karl Albrektsson via TKO (3:06, Round 3)
While it ended up being a forgettable debut for Karl Albrektsson, Phil Davis brought up his fourth win in his last five fights.
#5 Frank Mir (18-13) vs. Roy Nelson (23-17) (Heavyweight)
The two heavyweight veterans squared off against each for the second, this time under the Bellator banner. The first outing between the two saw Frank Mir walk away with a Unanimous Decision at UFC 130 in May 2011. Did Mir repeat the outcome or did Roy Nelson get retribution?
Round 1: Mir took the cautious method to begin the fight as he stayed out of the pocket for the first 30 seconds. Nelson, as expected, was looking for the powerful right that could finish off the fight in a jiffy. Mir attacked Nelson's left leg.
Nelson attacked the body and head but Mir focussed on the leg kicks. Mir mixed it up with the jabs. Nelson replied with a few overhand rights followed by a jumping variation. Mir went back to the kicks, this time a body kick. Nelson connected with an uppercut as the round came to a close. 10-9 Mir
Round 2: Mir continued with the leg kicks as it was giving Nelson a considerable amount of discomfort. Nelson complained about a low blow, however, the shot clearly hit his belly and the referee asked him to continue. Nelson almost had his moment with an uppercut that missed by a whisker. Mir fired in the leg kicks and brought Nelson down to one knee. Nelson was hurt but somehow managed to end the round without getting finished. 10-9 Mir
Round 3: Nelson was having a hard time landing his shots as Mir went back to his leg kick strategy. Mir attempted a head kick before going back to the legs
The fight got held up due to a groin strike to Nelson. It resumed and Nelson got back with a right. Mir got in his combination. He blended the leg kicks and right hands to keep Nelson guessing. Nelson attempted a few wild overhands and the takedowns in the dying stages of the round but it was a little too late for Big country.
Result: Frank Mir def. Roy Nelson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Mir executed a perfect game plan by neutralizing Nelson's movement by attacking his legs. That proved to be the decisive factor and was enough to allow Mir to go 2-0 against Nelson. This was Frank Mir's first win in 4 years.
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