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On paper, the second event of this weekend's Bellator doubleheader promised to one of the best fight cards of the year coming from the Scott Coker-led promotion.
The stakes were incredibly high for the main event. The winner of the Welterweight Grand Prix final between Rory MacDonald and Douglis Lima would leave the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut with the Bellator Welterweight Championship, the Grand Prix belt and a million dollars.
The first outing between the two Welterweights ended with MacDonald getting the win over Lima and the anticipation levels were noticeably high for the rematch.
The co-main event saw two MMA veterans Paul Daley and Saad Awad locked up inside the cage for another Welterweight contest. The highly-rated Patrick Mix was also featured and he didn't disappoint as he pulled off something that has never been witnessed in Bellator's history.
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All said and done, Bellator 232 was marketed as one of the biggest cards of the year and it lived up to its billing. Here are the results and highlights of the show:
Bellator 232 Results: Prelims
Devin Powell def. Marcus Surin via submission (front choke) (5:0, Round 2)
Zarrukh Adashev def. Tevin Dyce via TKO (1:39, Round 2)
Ryan Evans def. Demetrios Plaza via submission (rear-naked choke) (3:02, Round 3)
Lance Gibson Jr. def. Dominic Jones via TKO (1:58, Round 1)
Jornel Lugo def. John Douma via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Jonathan Lopez def. Dan Cormier via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Bellator 232 Results: Main Card
#1 Kevin Ferguson Jr. (Baby Slice) (3-2) vs. Craig Campbell (2-3) (Lightweight)
Baby Slice was a last-minute addition to the Bellator 232 card even though he was not 100% as he previously struggled from a knee injury. He assured that his knee would hold up and it didn't even matter in the end.
Round 1: Slice rushed forward with a combo but he couldn't connect properly. Campbell answered by coming forward as well, but Slice attempted a kick.
Campbell caught the leg kick and didn't let go of the heel. Slice capitalized on the situation and connected with downward elbows to the back of Campbell's head, the second of which looked to be illegal. However, the referee let it slide with a warning as Slice followed up the three elbows with five hammer fists. Campbell was knocked out cold as a result of the repeated strikes and the fight came to an end in merely 38 seconds.
What a start!
Result: Kevin Ferguson Jr. def. Craig Campbell via TKO (0:38, Round 1)
While the second elbow was certainly not a part of the rule book, Slice did everything otherwise to end the fight convincingly. He avoided going down and was clever enough to exploit the opening. Slice also gave us another example of his knockout power and clinically finished Campbell with well-placed strikes to the head.
#2 Nick Newell (16-2) vs. Manny Muro (10-6) (Lightweight)
The one-armed Lightweight sensation Nick Newell was up next against Manny 'The Dragon' Muro. Newell was on a two-fight win streak while Muro had lost 3 of his last 4 fights.
Round 1: Muro came out swinging but Newell wasn't backing down either. They clinched against cage and Newell tripped Muro down to the mat. They got back up almost instantly and, this time, it was Muro who pressed Newell against the cage.
Newell flipped the position and locked in the front face choke with Muro's back against the cage. Newell tried to apply the pressure and get a firm grip by using his shoulders and the cage as leverage but Muro slipped underneath and got out of the hold.
Muro couldn't get back up to his feet as Newel pinned him down. He landed shots to the body before briefly taking Muro's back. Muro turned over and Newell then landed shots from the top in full mount. Muro gave up his back again with 30 seconds to go. The round ended with Muro finding himself in Newell's guard. Big round for Newell.
Round 2: Muro engaged in a clinch with Newel early in the second round. Muro tried to get the under hooks for the takedown with Newell now finding himself against the cage.
The fight went down to the mat but Newell managed to take Muro's back again. Muro tried to get up but Newell held on to his back. Newell patiently got his arms under Muro's neck. Muro got back up to his feet with Newell still on his back. There was a lot of pressure on Muro as he was carrying Newell's weight. The grind continued as Newell let go of Muro's back.
Newell pressed Muro and got in the double hook. Muro's wrestling defense was on point as he avoided getting taken down again. Newell caught Muro's left leg while Muro tried to catch Newell's right leg. It looked like a wrestling stalemate thus far with both men refusing to bulge. Newell made a mistake and lost his dominant position as he slipped. Muro landed a three-piece combo on the break followed by a flying knee. Newell targeted Muro's left leg for the single leg but Muro was strong on his feet until the end of the round.
Round 3: Muro came in with a low inside leg kick. It didn't take time for them to clinch again. Muro was the one leading the charge this time around. He had Newell in a body lock from the back. Muro was controlling his positions well in the final round. He didn't give Newell any room to open up. Newell got up but Muro slammed him back to the mat. Muro was working from the back and he softened Newell up with punches for a potential RNC. Newell passed and got up with Muro hanging on to his back. Muro was still on his back and landed a few strikes as the fight came to an end. That was a laborious watch.
Result: Manny Muro def. Nick Newell via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
The exhausting fight was a close one as Newell had his moments in the first and second rounds. However, Muro had a really strong third round and that made a big impression in the minds of the two judges who scored the fight in his favor.
#3 Patrick Mix (11-0) vs. Isaiah Chapman (9-3) (Bantamweight)
Bellator debutant Isaiah Chapman had a tall task ahead of him as he took on the man billed to be a future Bantamweight Champion, the undefeated Patrick Mix.
Mix, a product of Jackson Wink MMA, won his last fight against Ricky Bandejas and looked to extend his unbeaten record,
Round 1: Mix shot for the single-leg takedown after a brief exchange. He got Chapman down and assumed side control. He passed to the back and tried to lock Chapman in a body triangle. Mix wasn't letting go of the back and he landed a few good shots from the back. Rights and lefts connected as Chapman tried to cover up.
Mix had a lot of time to work with the RNC and kept punching from the back. Mix eased the pressure of the body triangle just to flatten Chapman. He prevented Chapman from turning over by tightening the body triangle.
Chapman attempted to get up with Mix on his back, however, Mix showed the tremendous presence of mind to grab hold of Chapman's ankle while being on the verge of falling off Chapman's back. He then pulled Chapman's ankle back and trapped him in the Suloev stretch.
The pressure on Chapman's hamstring was just too much and he tapped out as a result of the pain. Slick stuff from Mix.
Result: Patrick Mix def. Isaiah Chapman via submission (Suloev stretch) (3:49, Round One)
Mix got a bottle of champagne from 50 Cent for his efforts tonight inside the cage. He totally deserved it as you don't see a Suloev stretch quite often. The hype train rolls on.
#4 Paul Daley (41-17) vs. Saad Awad (23-12) (Welterweight)
Semtex vs. The Assassin was the co-main event of the evening and it was stylistically a great fight. Paul Daley was the bonafide knockout artist with a lot of firepower in his left hand while Awad was a grappler who loved to make the fight dirty on the mat.
Round 1: Awad stayed on the outside the early stages of the fight. He attacked the legs with low sweeping leg kicks. Daley looked for an opening but Awad was cautious. He shot for the single leg but Daley stuffed it. Awad stayed down on his back but Daley wasn't biting. The referee asked Awad to stand up.
Daley went for a jumping kick to Awad's gut. They clinched for a few seconds before breaking. Daley amped up the pressure and looked to connect with a power right.
Daley mixed it up by punching the body and connected with a brutal flying knee, but Awad caught his leg. Awad attempted a spinning back fist on the break. Daley hurt Awad with a reverse elbow but the fighter carried on. Daley then faked an elbow and came in for a right. Awad was down to his knees but he stayed in the fight and connected with a reverse elbow himself with Daley on his back. The round came to an end with Daley putting the pressure from the back.
Round 2: Daley pushed forward as the round began. He landed two consecutive 1-2s. He landed another combo but slipped while attempting a knee. Awad got the body lock and he tried to get Daley down. They split up and Daley was back to looking for a powerful strike to finish the fight. And he finally got it right.
Daley connected with the right leg kick. Awad went for the straight right but missed. He was countered by Daley who touched him with a right, followed by a beautiful left hook that dropped Awad.
Daley connected with the customary hammer fists before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
Result: Paul Daley def. Saad Awad via TKO (1:30, Round 2)
'The best-left hand in MMA' got the job done yet again. Daley's power was just too much for Awad to handle as he notched up the 33rd knockout of his career. 33!
Daley admitted that while he is getting old and retirement could be on the cards, the Nottingham native wants his next fight to happen in the UK.
#5 Douglas Lima (31-7) vs. Rory MacDonald (21-5-1) (Welterweight Grand Prix Final - Winner gets the Welterweight Championship, the Grand Prix title and $1 Million)
The Welterweight Championship, the Grand Prix title and a million dollars on the line - the stakes couldn't have been any higher. For Lima, it was more than just about the money or the titles, it was also about getting retribution against MacDonald.
The wait was finally over. Main event time, let's go!
Round 1: It was a slow start as both men looked to read each other's movements. Douglas Lima drew first blood with a kick. He landed a body kick.
Rory MacDonald changed levels and connected with a left. MacDonald kept circling while Lima followed him without engaging in a brawl. He changed levels again and shot for the single-leg takedown.
Lima postured up and defended the takedown attempt. Rory clinched against the cage, but Lima got in a few body shots. MacDonald got in the double under hooks up high for a takedown, but Lima was defending well with 20 seconds left to go in the first round.
That was a relatively uneventful round with both men just feeling each other out.
Round 2: Lima came out and took control of the center of the cage. He attempted a jab. Rory kept switching his stance to prevent Lima from targeting the legs.
The fans were getting restless as there wasn't much action. MacDonald landed with a 1-2. Lima with an oblique kick to the body followed up by a body kick and a right. They engaged in the clinch again with Lima's back against the cage.
Lima did a good job of stuffing MacDonald's second takedown attempt of the fight. Beautiful left jab from him snapped MacDonald's head back. The round ended with a high kick from MacDonald.
Round 3: Lima attempted a low leg kick but missed. MacDonald shot for the takedown but Lima stuffed it yet again. He then attempted a straight left but Lima moved his head.
A solid jab from Lima. MacDonald went for another takedown but Lima defended it again and connected with a few punches on the inside. MacDonald got the double under hooks on Lima against the cage. He looked to trip Lima down to the mat. However, Lima just pushed him away and broke away from the clinch. His left jabs were landing but he wasn't following it up with the right. A left jab-straight head kick combo from MacDonald saw his opponent in trouble.
Leg kick from Lima. MacDonald went for a question mark kick that didn't hit the intended spot. He shot for another takedown. Stuffed again! They exchanged a few strikes and the round came to a close.
Round 4: Championship round #1 and MacDonald went straight for the takedown. Lima was having none of it. Lima put MacDonald off balance with a huge kick.
McDonald tried to make inroads again but Lima's defense was rock solid. Lima connected with a lead right. Another unsuccessful takedown attempt was stuffed by Lima.
MacDonald went for it again, but it got stuffed and he stayed on the mat. Lima peppered MacDonald with kicks and Rory got up. He followed him and connected with a big head kick and pushed MacDonald against the cage in a bid to finish him off. The Champion clinched again to counteract any sort of damage.
MacDonald fell short on the Superman Punch as the round ended.
Round 5: MacDonald was down on the scorecards and the champ needed a big round if he wanted to retain his title.
Lima connected with a kick and the Champion changed levels for the takedown. He did get Lima down but the fighter reversed positions and found himself on top. MacDonald closed his guard while Lima tried to create some separation so that he could free his arms. The Champion got hold of Lima's arms for a Kimura, however, he picked MacDonald up and dumped him down to the mat, even landing a few shots from the top. Lima was on MacDonald's back and he landed some heavy shots. He got into McDonald's guard again. It was all Lima in the fifth round with a minute left to go.
MacDonald reversed positions in the dying stages of the fight and looked to make something happen in Lima's guard. He tried to get some strikes in but Lima locked up until the end of the fight.
Result: Douglas Lima def. Rory McDonald via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
And Lima gets his vengeance! The Phenom stuffed all the takedowns, controlled the center, and used the left jab en route to an impressive performance. That's what you call a perfectly executed game plan. For his efforts, Lima goes home with two titles and a check worth $1 Million. Not a bad day in office, eh?
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