| 2016 in Bellator MMA | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Promotion | Bellator MMA |
| First date aired | January 29, 2016 (2016-01-29) |
| Last date aired | December 16, 2016 (2016-12-16) |
2016 in Bellator MMA was the eighth year in the history ofBellator MMA, amixed martial arts promoter based in the United States. Bellator held23 events in 2016.
2016 is notable for the launch of sibling promotionBellator Kickboxing, which would debut on the night ofBellator 152 on April 16 and be taped for broadcast onSpike TV on April 22.[1]
| Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 29, 2016 |
| Venue | Save Mart Center |
| City | Fresno, California |
| Attendance | 5,425 |
| Total gate | $267,809 |
Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich took place January 29, 2016, at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
The main event was a Welterweight fight betweenPaul Daley and Andy Uhrich.
The event was expected to be headlined by awelterweight bout betweenUFC veteranJosh Koscheck and Matt Secor. However Koscheck pulled out of the bout due to an injury. As a result,Paul Daley vs. Andy Uhrich was elevated to the main event
Also on the cardPaul Bradley facesChris Honeycutt in a rematch. Bradley and Honeycutt first squared off at Bellator 140, where their bout ended in a no contest in the second round due to an accidental clash of heads opening a cut on Bradley that forced a stoppage.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Paul Daley | def. | Andy Uhrich | KO (punch) | 1 | 2:00 | |
| Welterweight | Paul Bradley | def. | Chris Honeycutt | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:40 | |
| Lightweight | Patricky Freire | def. | Ryan Couture | KO (punch) | 1 | 3:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Tony Johnson | def. | Raphael Butler | TKO (punches) | 3 | 4:24 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Featherweight | Justin Smitley | def. | Art Arciniega | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Women's Flyweight | Ilima-Lei Macfarlane | def. | Amber Tackett | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 2:09 | |
| Heavyweight | Carl Seumanutafa | def. | Javy Ayala | TKO (punches) | 2 | 3:46 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Bantamweight | Josh San Diego | def. | Paul Ruiz | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Flyweight | Matt Perez | def. | Eugene Cancino | Decision (split) (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Te Edwards | def. | Nick Bustamante | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:43 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Jermaine McDermott | def. | Eric Huggins | Submission (kimura) | 1 | 1:53 | |
| Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie III | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 19, 2016 |
| Venue | Toyota Center |
| City | Houston, Texas |
| Attendance | 14,209 |
| Total gate | $1,388,951 |
Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie III took place February 19, 2016, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV, drawing an average 2.0 million viewers.[3]
Background
The main event and co-main event of Bellator 149 were announced on the air during Bellator 145. PresidentScott Coker announced the main event fight would feature trilogy bout betweencombat sports legendsKen Shamrock andRoyce Gracie. Gracie initially beat Shamrock in fifty-seven seconds via rear-naked choke at their first meeting atUFC 1 in 1993. Subsequent to that bout, the duo fought to a thirty-six minute draw atUFC 5 in 1995.
The co-main event featured a heavyweight bout between formerMiami-Dade Countystreet fighters Kevin Ferguson, aka "Kimbo Slice" and Dhafir Harris, aka "Dada 5000"
During intermission after theKimbo Slice vs.Dada 5000 fight and shortly before theKen Shamrock vs.Royce Gracie bout,Bellator MMA ring announcer Michael C. Williams announced to the liveToyota Center crowd that the attendance was 14,209. Thus making Bellator 149 the largest attended show inBellator MMA history, beating outBellator MMA & Glory: Dynamite 1 previous live attendance of 11,732.
Following the event it was announced that bothKen Shamrock andKimbo Slice had failed their pre-fight drug tests. Shamrock tested positive for the anabolic steroidnandrolone, the opioidmethadone, and an elevated (T/E) ratio of 12.4:1. Meanwhile, Slice also tested positive for nandrolone and having an elevated (T/E) ratio of 6.4:1. The maximum allowed (T/E) ratio by both theTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation and theWorld Anti-Doping Agency is 4:1.[4] On May 2, 2016, it was revealed that Slice had settled with the Texas Athletic Commission with a fine of $2,500 and a revoking of his license in the state of Texas. The result of the bout has also been changed to ano contest.[5]
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Light Heavyweight | Royce Gracie | def. | Ken Shamrock | TKO (knee and punches) | 1 | 2:22 | |
| Heavyweight | Kimbo Slice | vs. | Dada 5000 | No Contest (overturned) | 3 | 1:32 | [a] |
| Lightweight | Derek Campos | def. | Melvin Guillard | TKO (punches) | 2 | 0:32 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Linton Vassell | def. | Emanuel Newton | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 29-27, 29-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (150 lb) | Emmanuel Sanchez | def. | Daniel Pineda | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-27, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Middleweight | Isaac Villanueva | def. | Richard Knepp | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:42 | |
| Featherweight | Jeremy Mahon | def. | Davis Sylvester | TKO (punches) | 2 | 4:22 | |
| Featherweight | Adrian Yañez | def. | Ryan Hollis | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Jason Langellier | def. | Anthony Ivy | Submission (anaconda choke) | 1 | 2:09 | |
| Heavyweight | Justin Wren | def. | Juan Torres | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (130 lb) | Mike Trinh | def. | Joe Zamora | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 3:49 | |
| Middleweight | Clovis Hancock | def. | Ruben Esparza | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 3 | 1:26 | |
| Bantamweight | Manny Lozoya | def. | Jake Norsworthy | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 2:33 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Bantamweight | Leomana Martinez | def. | Casey Jones | TKO (punches) | 1 | 1:21 | [b] |
| Flyweight | Chris Soliz | def. | Alex Macedo | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | [c] |
| Flyweight | Shawn Solis | def. | Jonathan Davis | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | [d] |
| Lightweight | Ricardo Deluque | def. | Hunter Scott-Gregg | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | N/A | [e] |
| Bellator 150: Kongo vs. Spartan | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 26, 2016 |
| Venue | Kansas Star Casino |
| City | Mulvane, Kansas |
| Attendance | 3,288 |
| Total gate | $215,185 |
Bellator 150: Kongo vs. Spartan took place February 26, 2016, at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
The event was expected to be headlined by a rematch betweenMarcos Galvão andEduardo Dantas for theBellator Bantamweight Championship. The bantamweight title rematch was originally scheduled for Bellator 144, but was postponed when Dantas was forced to withdraw after suffering a rib injury in training. Dantas defeated Galvão via second-round knockout in their first meeting at Bellator 89 when “Dudu” was the promotion's reigning 135-pound champ. However, due to an illness throughout the week leading to the fight, Galvão was pulled from the card the day of the weigh ins.[7]
The co-main event featured local favoriteDavid Rickels facing off against Bobby Cooper.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Heavyweight | Cheick Kongo | def. | Vinicius Queiroz | Decision (split) (30-27, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | David Rickels | def. | Bobby Cooper | TKO (knee and punches) | 1 | 3:49 | |
| Middleweight | Kendall Grove | def. | Francisco France | KO (punches) | 2 | 0:35 | |
| Featherweight | Chuka Willis | def. | Gastón Reyno | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Women's Flyweight | Rebecca Ruth | def. | Lena Ovchynnikova | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Lightweight | Henry Lindsay | def. | Marcio Navarro | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:30 | |
| Middleweight | Chris Harris | def. | Julian Marquez | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | André Fialho | def. | Manny Meraz | KO (punches) | 1 | 0:29 | |
| Middleweight | Gregory Babene | def. | Brandon Farran | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 3:37 | |
| Featherweight | Thai Clark | def. | Deron Carlis | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Kyle Noblitt | def. | David Hammons | KO (punches) | 1 | 0:45 | |
| Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 4, 2016 |
| Venue | WinStar World Casino |
| City | Thackerville, Oklahoma |
| Attendance | 1,152 |
| Total gate | $103,710 |
Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell took place March 4, 2016, at theWinStar World Casino inThackerville, Oklahoma. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by a Bantamweight bout betweenJoe Warren and undefeated rising starDarrion Caldwell. A former two-division champion, Warren has won six of his last seven fights inBellator MMA. The 39-year-old last appeared at Bellator 143 on Sept. 25, when he captured a unanimous verdict againstL.C. Davis. The 27-year-old Caldwell is 8-0 in his burgeoning career, including five triumphs under the Bellator banner. In his last outing, the former NCAA national champion wrestler choked outShawn Bunch inside of a round at Bellator 143.
Michael Page was originally scheduled to faceFernando Gonzalez at this event but was pulled out of the bout in early February 2016. He was replaced byResurrection Fighting Alliance welterweight champion Gilbert Smith.[9]
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Bantamweight | Darrion Caldwell | def. | Joe Warren | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 3:23 | |
| Welterweight | Fernando Gonzalez | def. | Gilbert Smith | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Bubba Jenkins | def. | Goiti Yamauchi | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 29-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Joe Taimanglo | def. | Sirwan Kakai | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Featherweight | Treston Thomison | def. | Aaron Roberson | Submission (guillotine choke) | 2 | 2:20 | |
| Middleweight | Jermayne Barnes | def. | Derek Palmer | Submission (punches) | 2 | 1:17 | |
| Welterweight | Neiman Gracie | def. | Roger Carroll | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Ricky Turcios | def. | Steve Garcia | Decision (split) (29-27, 28-29, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Justin Patterson | def. | Chance Rencountre | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (153 lb) | Ray Wood | def. | Chris Jones | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 3:10 | |
| Bellator 152: Italy | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 16, 2016 |
| Venue | Pala Alpitour |
| City | Torino, Italy |
| Attendance | 13,867 |
| Total gate | 907,758€ (ITL)$1,027,536 (USD) |
Bellator 152: Italy took place April 16, 2016, at the Pala Alpitour in Torino, Italy. The event aired onSpike TV.
Background
The event was announced in Paris byBellator MMA PresidentScott Coker joined byOktagon Kickboxing President Carlo Di Blasi a co-promoted event set to take place on April 16 at thePala Alpitour inTorino, Italy.
Bellator 152 was followed by "Bellator Kickboxing: Torino”, the debut event ofBellator Kickboxing. The event would be televised on Friday, April 22 onSpike TV, following their broadcast of Bellator 153.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Lightweight | Patricky Freire | def. | Kevin Souza | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Alessio Sakara | def. | Brian Rogers | KO (punches) | 2 | 2:29 | |
| Featherweight | A.J. McKee | def. | Danilo Belluardo | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:44 | |
| Women's Catchweight (130 lb) | Anastasia Yankova | def. | Anjela Pink | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 1:35 | |
| Featherweight | Daniele Scatizzi | def. | Daniele Miceli | TKO (punches) | 1 | 3:20 | |
| Bellator Kickboxing 1 bouts | |||||||
| Middleweight (Kickboxing) | Alexandru Negrea | def. | Melvin Manhoef | Decision (unanimous) (30-25, 29-26, 29-26) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 165-Pound (Kickboxing) | Karim Ghajji | def. | Mustapha Haida | Decision (split) (50-45, 50-45, 46-48) | 5 | 3:00 | [a] |
| Welterweight (Kickboxing) | Raymond Daniels | def. | Francesco Moricca | TKO (liver kick) | 1 | 0:30 | |
| Bantamweight (Kickboxing) | Kevin Ross | def. | Matteo Taccini | Decisión (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Women's Flyweight (Kickboxing) | Denise Kielholtz | def. | Veronica Vernocchi | Decision (split) (28-29, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 22, 2016 |
| Venue | Mohegan Sun Arena |
| City | Uncasville, Connecticut |
| Attendance | 9,043 |
| Total gate | $687,269 |
Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson took place April 22, 2016, at theMohegan Sun Arena inUncasville, Connecticut. The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by a Welterweight Championship match between current championAndrey Koreshkov and formerUFC andWEC lightweight championBenson Henderson. The 32-year-old Henderson recently ended a 14-fight run with theUFC by signing a multi-fight deal withBellator MMA. A longtime 155-pounder, Henderson recorded back-to-back wins as a welterweight in 2015. Also on the card is theBellator debut ofEvangelista Santos taking on long time contenderBrennan Ward.
Former Bellator Featherweight ChampionPatrício Pitbull was originally scheduled to faceJohn Macapá. who had to pull out of the evening's co-feature bout with a broken rib.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Andrey Koreshkov (c) | def. | Benson Henderson | Decision (unanimous) (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Featherweight | Patrício Pitbull | def. | Henry Corrales | Submission (guillotine choke) | 2 | 4:09 | |
| Welterweight | Evangelista Santos | def. | Brennan Ward | Verbal Submission (heel hook) | 1 | 0:30 | |
| Lightweight | Brent Primus | def. | Gleristone Santos | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Michael Page | def. | Jeremie Holloway | Submission (Estima lock) | 1 | 2:15 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Featherweight | Matt Bessette | def. | Keith Richardson | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 2 | 3:14 | |
| Catchweight (195 lb) | Mike Zichelle | def. | Joe Cronin | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 1:25 | |
| Welterweight | Chris Honeycutt | def. | Matt Secor | Decision (unanimous) (30-25, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Djamil Chan | def. | Richard Patishnock | KO (punch) | 1 | 3:09 | |
| Catchweight (150 lb) | Chris Foster | def. | Vovka Clay | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Sam Watford | def. | Dean Hancock | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 1:44 | |
| Middleweight | Tim Caron | def. | Justin Sumter | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 3:38 | |
| Bantamweight | Blair Tugman | def. | Jay Perrin | Decision (split) (30-27, 27-30, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 14, 2016 |
| Venue | SAP Center |
| City | San Jose, California |
| Attendance | 11,084 |
| Total gate | $984,552 |
Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo is amixed martial arts event held on May 14, 2016, at theSAP Center inSan Jose, California, USA. The event was aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
Davis vs. King Mo was announced during Bellator 149 in Houston. The two men were supposed to face each other in the finals of theBellator MMA & Glory: Dynamite 1 light heavyweight one-night tournament back in September, but "King Mo" sustained a hip injury after winning in the first round. FormerUFC starPhil Davis won the tournament at Dynamite by submittingEmanuel Newton and knocked out reserve fighterFrancis Carmont. Davis was originally scheduled to challenge light heavyweight championLiam McGeary, but McGeary was injured. Lawal won the two-night, eight-man tournament atRizin Fighting Federation on New Year's Eve in Japan. He knocked outBrett McDermott in the first round, beat Teodoras Aukstuolis in the semifinals by unanimous decision and knocked out Jiri Prochazka in the final. The winner of the main event will challenge for the title against the current champion.
Former Bellator Lightweight ChampionMichael Chandler was scheduled to face former Strikeforce Lightweight ChampionJosh Thomson in a lightweight bout. However, on May 2, it was announced that Thomson pulled out of the bout due to an undisclosed injury. As a result, Chandler was pulled from the card altogether.
Jordan Parsons was scheduled to face Adam Piccolotti in a featherweight bout on this card. That fight was cancelled after Parsons was involved in a hit-and-run accident that left him hospitalized before he died on May 4, 2016.
Sergei Kharitonov was scheduled to make his debut on this card against Josh Appelt. However, on May 11, Kharitonov withdrew from the bout due to illness. As a result, Appelt was also removed from the card.
Darren Uyenoyama was scheduled to fight on this card against Alvin Cacdac but required medical testing revealed a condition that would not allow Darren to compete.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Light Heavyweight | Phil Davis | def. | Muhammed Lawal | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Saad Awad | def. | Evangelista Santos | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:31 | |
| Bantamweight | Josh San Diego | def. | Jeremiah Labiano | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Adam Piccolotti | def. | Ray Wood | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 3:17 | |
| Welterweight | André Fialho | def. | Rick Reger | KO (punches) | 1 | 2:11 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Sam Spengler | def. | Doyle Childs | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (160 lb) | JD Hardwick | def. | Jorge Acosta | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 1:21 | |
| Women's Strawweight | Jamielene Nievara | def. | Stephanie Frausto | TKO (punches) | 3 | 2:43 | |
| Featherweight | Mark Dickman | def. | Thomas Diagne | TKO (punches) | 3 | 3:05 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Danasabe Mohammed | def. | Martin Sano | TKO (punches) | 1 | 1:18 | |
| Flyweight | Josh Paiva | def. | Steven Gruber | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 2:14 | |
| Heavyweight | James Chapman | def. | Sean Tucker | TKO (punches) | 2 | 4:41 | |
| Featherweight | Anthony Taylor | def. | Victor Jones | KO (punches) | 1 | 0:27 | |
| Bellator 155:Carvalho vs.Manhoef | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 20, 2016 |
| Venue | CenturyLink Arena |
| City | Boise, Idaho |
| Attendance | 6,120 |
| Total gate | $497,778 |
Bellator 155: Carvalho vs Manhoef took place May 20, 2016, at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by a match betweenRafael Carvalho andMelvin Manhoef for theBellator Middleweight Championship. Carvalho pulled off one of 2015's biggest upsets when he finishedBrandon Halsey with a body kick in the second round to claim the Middleweight title at Bellator 144 last October. The Brazilian has not lost since his MMA debut in 2011 and has stopped 10 of his last 12 opponents. Manhoef earned his shot at the title by knocking outHisaki Kato in the opening round at Bellator 146.
The co-main event featured formerBellator Featherweight Championship ChampionPat Curran facing off against formerWorld Series of Fightingfeatherweight championGeorgi Karakhanyan.
This event was scheduled to crown the inaugural Bellator women's featherweight champion in a bout between Marloes Coenen andJulia Budd. However, Budd was injured and replaced by Alexis Dufresne thus changing the fight to a non-title bout.
A preliminary bout between Ricky Steele and Eric Cronkhite was cancelled after Cronkhite missed weight by 9 pounds.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Middleweight | Rafael Carvalho (c) | def. | Melvin Manhoef | Decision (split) (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Featherweight | Pat Curran | def. | Georgi Karakhanyan | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Dan Charles | vs. | Augusto Sakai | Draw (majority) (30-26, 28-28, 28-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Women's Catchweight (151 lb) | Alexis Dufresne | def. | Marloes Coenen | Submission (triangle armbar) | 1 | 4:33 | |
| Heavyweight | Chase Gormley | def. | Joey Beltran | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Bantamweight | Jesse Brock | def. | Olly Bradstreet | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 3 | 3:57 | |
| Lightweight | Marcin Held | def. | Dave Jansen | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Casey Johnson | def. | Brendon Raftery | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 1:16 | |
| Bantamweight | Joe Hamilton | def. | Tyler Freeland | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 0:22 | |
| Featherweight | Vince Morales | def. | Hamilton Ash | TKO (punches) | 3 | 2:32 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Women's Flyweight | Veta Arteaga | def. | Jackie Vandenburgh | Decision (unanimous) (29-27, 30-27, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Scott Thometz | def. | Josh Tyler | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-25, 30-25) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | Will Noland | def. | Sean Powers | KO (punches) | 1 | 3:29 | |
| Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2 | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 17, 2016 |
| Venue | Save Mart Center |
| City | Fresno, California |
| Attendance | 5,552 |
| Total gate | $451,578 |
Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2 took place on June 17, 2016, at theSave Mart Center inFresno, California. The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
Marcos Galvão made the first defense of hisBellator Bantamweight Championship title againstEduardo Dantas. The rematch was originally scheduled for Bellator 150, but was scrapped following a last-minute illness suffered by Galvão. Both fighters cut their teeth withAndré Pederneiras’Nova União squad inRio de Janeiro, until their paths crossed at Bellator 89. Dantas won the fight via a second-round knockout. Dantas went on to defend the title againstAnthony Leone before losing it toJoe Warren at Bellator 128. In turn, Galvão pieced together three consecutive victories and then defeated Warren via second-round technical submission to become the new champion.
Douglas Lima was originally scheduled to faceChidi Njokuani, but was pulled from this bout when he got the call to headline Bellator 158 in London againstPaul Daley due to an injury that forcedJosh Koscheck out of that match up.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Bantamweight | Eduardo Dantas | def. | Marcos Galvão (c) | Decision (unanimous) (50-45, 50-44, 50-43) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Welterweight | Chidi Njokuani | def. | Thiago Jambo | KO (body kick and punches) | 3 | 2:39 | |
| Middleweight | John Salter | def. | Brandon Halsey | Submission (triangle choke) | 1 | 4:03 | |
| Middleweight | Chris Honeycutt | def. | Mikkel Parlo | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Middleweight | Ben Reiter | def. | A.J. Matthews | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Carrington Banks | def. | C.J. Keith | Decision (unanimous) (30-25, 30-26, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Jermaine McDermott | def. | Blake Watkins | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:20 | |
| Catchweight (140 lb) | Paul Ruiz | def. | Christian Buron-Navarro | Decision (split) (28-29, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Javy Ayala | def. | Roy Boughton | TKO (punches) | 1 | 3:02 | |
| Lightweight | Nick Bustamante | def. | Antoine Smith | Decision (majority) (29-27, 29-27, 28-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Jose Cabesas | def. | John Paul Elias | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:25 | |
| Heavyweight | Chris Lewis | def. | Myron Smith | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:48 | |
| Lightweight | Luis Jauregui | def. | Ryan Tobar | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 24, 2016 |
| Venue | Scottrade Center |
| City | St.Louis, Missouri |
| Attendance | 11,982 |
| Total gate | $1,033,589 |
Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 was held on June 24, 2016, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV .
Background
The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout between formerUFC light heavyweight championQuinton Jackson and Japanese Olympic gold medalistSatoshi Ishii. Jackson had a successful three-fight stint withBellator MMA - two knockouts againstJoey Beltran andChristian M'Pumbu plus a unanimous decision won overMuhammed Lawal - before returning to the UFC where he defeatedFabio Maldonado via unanimous decision atUFC 186. After facing Maldonado, a contract settlement brought Jackson back to Bellator MMA. A 2008 Olympic gold medalist in judo, Ishii began his MMA career in December 2009 and has competed against fighters such asFedor Emelianenko,Mirko Cro Cop,Jerome Le Banner, andTim Sylvia.
In the co-main event, formerBellator Lightweight ChampionMichael Chandler took on top contenderPatricky Freire for the vacant Bellator Lightweight Championship.
Like the previousDynamite card, the show combined MMA and kickboxing bouts with a cage and ring set up side-by-side.Bellator Kickboxing: St. Louis - which featured a rematch between Joe Schilling and Hisaki Kato under kickboxing rules - aired immediately following theDynamite 2 portion on Spike TV.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Catchweight (225 lb) | Quinton Jackson | def. | Satoshi Ishii | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Michael Chandler | def. | Patricky Freire | KO (punch) | 1 | 2:14 | [a] |
| Featherweight (Kickboxing) | Kevin Ross | def. | Justin Houghton | Decision (unanimous) (29-27, 29-27, 30-26) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Women's Flyweight | Ilima-Lei Macfarlane | def. | Rebecca Ruth | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 3:00 | |
| Women's Flyweight (Kickboxing) | Gloria Peritore | def. | Denise Kielholtz | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Matt Mitrione | def. | Carl Seumanutafa | KO (punch) | 1 | 3:22 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Chel Erwin-Davis | def. | Kevin Engel | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 1:19 | |
| Welterweight | Brad Jones | def. | Tyler Clausen | KO (head kick and punches) | 1 | 0:26 | |
| Catchweight (180 lb) | Joaquin Buckley | def. | Chris Heatherly | KO (knee and punches) | 2 | 4:14 | |
| Welterweight (Kickboxing) | Darryl Cobb | def. | Elmir Kulosman | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 2:28 | |
| Women's Flyweight (Kickboxing) | Tara Walker | def. | Mimi Kutzin | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Welterweight | Guilherme Vasconcelos | def. | Jordan Dowdy | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 4:59 | |
| Featherweight | Justin Lawrence | def. | Isao Kobayashi | KO (punches) | 2 | 2:11 | |
| Bantamweight | Matt Murphy | def. | Justin Robbins | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 2 | 2:16 | |
| Featherweight | Rashard Lovelace | def. | Garrett Mueller | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 2 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Steven Mann | def. | Mike Estus | TKO (knees) | 1 | 0:25 | |
| Bellator Kickboxing 2: St. Louis bouts | |||||||
| Women's Flyweight (Kickboxing) | Keri Melendez | def. | Sarah Howell | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Welterweight (Kickboxing) | Raymond Daniels | def. | Stefano Bruno | TKO (liver kick) | 1 | 1:45 | |
| Middleweight (Kickboxing) | Hisaki Kato | def. | Joe Schilling | KO (spinning back fist) | 2 | 2:59 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Women's Catchweight (110 lb) | Ashley Cummins | def. | Nicole Smith | Submission (knee choke) | 2 | 1:33 | |
| Women's Catchweight (130 lb) | Katy Collins | def. | Michelle Royer | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 0:48 | |
| Middleweight | DeWayne Diggs | def. | Jason Christeson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | ||
| Heavyweight | Byron Stevens | def. | Lee Burns | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 4:46 | |
| Bellator 158: Daley vs. Lima | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 16, 2016 |
| Venue | O2 Arena (London) |
| City | London, England |
| Attendance | 12,311 |
| Total gate | 875,536£ (GBP)$1,155,181 (USD) |
Bellator 158: Daley vs. Lima (akaBellator: London) was held on July 16, 2016, at theO2 Arena (London) inLondon. The event had a tape-delayed broadcast onSpike TV andChannel 5 (UK).
Background
Originally, Bellator PresidentScott Coker announced thatKimbo Slice andJames Thompson would compete in the main event of Bellator 158, to take place July 16 at London'sO2 Arena.[17] This was to be a rematch of their infamous 2008 clash under theEliteXC banner which ended in a controversial TKO win for Kimbo. Tragically these plans had to be scrapped, as Slice died suddenly on June 6, 2016, of heart failure.[18]
Josh Koscheck was scheduled to make his debut on this card againstPaul Daley. However, Koscheck withdrew from the bout and was replaced byDouglas Lima.[19]
Fernando Gonzalez was supposed to fightMichael Page but visa issues forced him off the card and was replaced byEvangelista Santos.[20]
Contractual issues with ATAK Promotions caused Mark Godbeer and Ben Smith to withdraw from the card.[21][22]
Linton Vassell was supposed to fightFrancis Carmont but a cut over his left eye forced him to withdraw and be replaced by Lukasz Klinger.[23]
The Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation was responsible for drug testing at this event and marks the first time that Bellator had a US-based athletic commission exercise regulatory powers abroad.[24]
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Douglas Lima | def. | Paul Daley | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Matt Mitrione | def. | Oli Thompson | TKO (punches) | 2 | 4:21 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Francis Carmont | def. | Lukasz Klinger | Submission (D'Arce choke) | 1 | 3:54 | |
| Welterweight | Michael Page | def. | Evangelista Santos | KO (flying knee) | 2 | 4:31 | |
| Catchweight (148 lb) | James Gallagher | def. | Mike Cutting | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Heavyweight | James Mulheron | def. | Neil Grove | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Luiz Henrique Tosta | vs. | Dean Garnett | Draw (majority) (29-27, 28-28, 28-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | Danny Mitchell | def. | CJ Meeks | Submission (twister) | 1 | 4:25 | |
| Featherweight | Nathaniel Wood | def. | Chase Morton | Submission (rear naked choke) | 3 | 3:55 | |
| Middleweight | Jason Radcliffe | def. | Jack Mason | KO (knee) | 1 | 0:14 | |
| Middleweight | Manuel Garcia | def. | Alex Reid | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Flyweight | Pietro Menga | def. | Spencer Hewitt | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:41 | |
| Middleweight | Mike Shipman | def. | Dominic Clark | Submission (anaconda choke) | 1 | 1:33 | |
| Bellator 159: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 22, 2016 |
| Venue | Kansas Star Arena |
| City | Mulvane, Kansas |
| Attendance | 3,124 |
| Total gate | $206,978 |
Bellator 159: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo was held on July 22, 2016, at the Kansas Star Arena inMulvane, Kansas. The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by a bantamweight title eliminator bout betweenDarrion Caldwell andJoe Taimanglo. The winner is expect to face the current bantamweight championEduardo Dantas. Originally set at bantamweight, the fight was switched to a catchweight when Taimanglo weighed in at 138 pounds.
In the co-main event, local fighter Dave Rickels met Melvin Guillard. It was originally scheduled to be a lightweight bout, but Guillard missed weight and came in at 157.9 pounds.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Catchweight (138 lb) | Joe Taimanglo | def. | Darrion Caldwell | Submission (guillotine choke) | 3 | 0:09 | |
| Catchweight (158 lb) | Melvin Guillard | vs. | David Rickels | No Contest (overturned) | 1 | 2:14 | [a] |
| Women's Flyweight | Emily Ducote | def. | Bruna Vargas | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 0:29 | |
| Featherweight | Daniel Weichel | def. | Emmanuel Sanchez | Decision (split) (30-27, 27-30, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Philipe Lins | def. | Guilherme Viana | TKO (punches) | 2 | 1:13 | |
| Women's Flyweight | Jessica Middleton | def. | Bruna Ellen | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Gastón Reyno | def. | LJ Hermreck | TKO (punches) | 3 | 3:57 | |
| Bantamweight | Johnny Marigo | def. | Andy Riley | Verbal Submission (triangle armbar) | 1 | 2:44 | |
| Lightweight | Fernando Martinez | def. | Marcio Navarro | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Middleweight | Josh Pfeifer | def. | Henry Lindsay | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 3:43 | |
| Catchweight (146.2 lb) | Brandon Phillips | def. | Chuka Willis | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Chris Harris | def. | Matt Foster | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 1:23 | |
| Welterweight | Trey Ogden | def. | Manny Meraz | Submission (guillotine choke) | 2 | 2:37 | |
| Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 26, 2016 |
| Venue | Honda Center |
| City | Anaheim, California |
| Attendance | 9,139 |
| Total gate | $897,468 |
Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull was held on August 26, 2016, at theHonda Center inAnaheim, California. The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by a Lightweight title eliminator fight between formerUFC championBenson Henderson and formerBellator featherweight championPatrício Pitbull. Henderson, after being defeated in his April debut against welterweight championAndrey Koreshkov, returned to the division where he twice defeatedFrankie Edgar. He has also beaten former UFC title challengersNate Diaz andDonald Cerrone. Pitbull sought to parlay the victory to a title shot against lightweight championMichael Chandler, who claimed the belt by knocking out Pitbull's brother, Patricky, on June 24.
Due to pressure from fans the feature prelim was moved back to being the co-main even on the card featuring NCAA Division I National Champion in WrestlingBubba Jenkins versusGeorgi Karakhanyan. The last time these two met Karakhanyan defeated Jenkins by guillotine choke in the first round.
Additionally, four-time NCAA Division II Champion wrestlerJoey Davis made his professional MMA debut on this card; as an amateur he had a record of 5-0. Davis recently graduated fromNotre Dame College, where he accumulated an undefeated 131-0 record over the course of four seasons during his collegiate wrestling career. He is the only Division II wrestler in NCAA history to win four consecutive national titles, and is one of three wrestlers ever to complete a four-year college career with an undefeated record.
Kevin Ferguson Jr., the eldest son ofKimbo Slice, was scheduled to make his Bellator debut on this card against Jonathan Tomasian. However, the bout was cancelled on August 21 due to an injury received by Ferguson.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Lightweight | Benson Henderson | def. | Patrício Pitbull | TKO (leg injury) | 2 | 2:26 | |
| Lightweight | Derek Anderson | def. | Saad Awad | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (149 lb) | Georgi Karakhanyan | def. | Bubba Jenkins | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:53 | |
| Featherweight | A. J. McKee | def. | Cody Walker | Submission (guillotine choke) | 2 | 0:32 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Catchweight (175 lb) | Joey Davis | def. | Keith Cutrone | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Gabriel Green | def. | Alex Trinidad | TKO (punches) | 2 | 2:01 | |
| Catchweight (175 lb) | Andy Murad | def. | Johnny Cisneros | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Jacob Rosales | def. | Mike Segura | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Chinzo Machida | def. | Mario Navarro | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:57 | |
| Lightweight | Jake Roberts | def. | Stephen Martinez | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:24 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Flyweight | Steve Ramirez | def. | Ron Henderson | TKO (punches) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Flyweight | David Duran | def. | Kyle Estrada | Decision (Split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 1 | 2:24 | |
| Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 16, 2016 |
| Venue | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park |
| City | Cedar Park, Texas |
| Attendance | 8,632 |
| Total gate | $780.053 |
Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson was held on September 16, 2016, at theH-E-B Center at Cedar Park inCedar Park, Texas. The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by a heavyweight fight between formerUFC veteranCheick Kongo andTony Johnson. Kongo was currently riding a two-fight winning streak overVinicius Queiroz andAlexander Volkov. Kongo also owns wins againstShawn Jordan,Matt Mitrione,Pat Barry andMirko Filipovic. The bout was Kongo's third consecutive Bellator headliner slot. Meanwhile, Johnson boasted a three-fight winning streak, including a pair of victories under the Bellator banner – a January win overRaphael Butler and an April 2015 win over Volkov. Johnson also owns wins againstUFC contenderDerrick Lewis and formerUFC championTim Sylvia.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Heavyweight | Cheick Kongo | def. | Tony Johnson | Decision (majority) (28-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Joe Warren | def. | Sirwan Kakai | Submission (guillotine choke) | 3 | 1:04 | |
| Women's Catchweight (130 lb) | Anastasia Yankova | def. | Veta Arteaga | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Derek Campos | def. | Djamil Chan | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Garrett Scott | def. | Waylon Bronstrup | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 0:50 | |
| Women's Catchweight (127 lb) | Emily Ducote | def. | Kenya Miranda | Submission (armbar) | 2 | 4:37 | |
| Featherweight | Daniel Pineda | def. | Mark Dickman | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 3 | 2:07 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Bantamweight | Armando Villarreal | def. | Tommy Burghardt | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 2:08 | |
| Featherweight | Matt Mazurek | def. | Jose Guerra | Decision (split) (27-30, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (153 lb) | Rey Trujillo | def. | James King | Submission (arm-triangle) | 1 | 1:20 | |
| Catchweight (158 lb) | Nick Gonzalez | def. | Warren Stewart | Decision (split) (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight (155 lb) | Sean Clements | def. | Jonathan Taylor | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bellator Kickboxing 3: Budapest | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 17, 2016 |
| Venue | Syma Hall |
| City | Budapest, Hungary |
Bellator Kickboxing 3 was held on September 17, 2016, at the Syma Hall inBudapest, Hungary. The event aired on tape delay on September 23, 2016, in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by a Bellator Kickboxing welterweight title fight betweenKarim Ghajji and Zoltán Laszák. Ghajji had previously won the title in his Bellator debut with a split decision victory overMustapha Haida at Bellator 152.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight (Kickboxing) | Zoltán Laszák | def. | Karim Ghajji (c) | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | [a] |
| Welterweight (Kickboxing) | Raymond Daniels | def. | Zsolt Benedek | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Women's Flyweight (Kickboxing) | Denise Kielholtz | def. | Renáta Lantos | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Catchweight (189 lb) (kickboxing) | Alexandru Negrea | def. | Ali El Ameri | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Lightweight (kickboxing) | Mustapha Haida | def. | Kike Bonnin | extra round decision | 4 | 3:00 | |
| Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 21, 2016 |
| Venue | FedEx Forum |
| City | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Attendance | 9,140 |
| Total gate | $841,000 |
Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove was held on October 21, 2016, at theFedEx Forum inMemphis, Tennessee. The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
Bellator 162 was headlined by the return of former middleweight championAlexander Shlemenko for the first time in approximately 18 months, as he takes onThe Ultimate Fighter 3 winnerKendall Grove. Shlemenko hadn't fought forBellator since he knocked outMelvin Manhoef at Bellator 133 in February 2015. The former middleweight champ was suspended for three years by theCalifornia State Athletic Commission after failing a post-fight drug test forsteroids. Shlemenko's suspension was reduced to one year, making him eligible to compete in February of this year. Shlemenko has fought twice in 2016 under the M-1 Challenge banner, scoring consecutive triumphs overVyacheslav Vasilevsky. Grove has been victorious in three of his last four Bellator appearances, including back-to-back stoppages of Francisco France andJoey Beltran.
In the co-main eventBobby Lashley squared off withJosh Appelt. Lashley entered the cage on a seven-fight winning streak, while Appelt returned to Bellator on the strength of back-to-back victories.
Kevin Ferguson Jr., the eldest son of the lateKimbo Slice, was scheduled to make his Bellator debut on this card against Rick Bing. However, the bout was cancelled due to Bing missing weight for the fight.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Middleweight | Alexander Shlemenko | def. | Kendall Grove | TKO (punches) | 2 | 1:43 | |
| Heavyweight | Bobby Lashley | def. | Josh Appelt | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 1:43 | |
| Lightweight | Goiti Yamauchi | def. | Ryan Couture | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 1:01 | |
| Middleweight | Hisaki Kato | def. | A.J. Matthews | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:58 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Heavyweight | Chase Gormley | def. | Bobby Brents | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Virgil Zwicker | def. | Dan Charles | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 4:31 | |
| Women's Featherweight | Julia Budd | def. | Arlene Blencowe | Decision (majority) (29-29, 30-27, 29-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Ricky Rainey | def. | Gilbert Smith | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Steve Garcia | def. | Ronnie Lawrence | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Grady Hurley | def. | Chad Cook | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:29 | |
| Welterweight | Wade Johnson | def. | Tyler Hill | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 3 | 3:35 | |
| Lightweight | James Wallace | def. | Jonathan Burdine | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 3:33 | |
| Middleweight | Eryk Anders | def. | Brian White | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:23 | |
| Catchweight (160 lb) | Jaleel Willis | def. | Omar Johnson | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Mike Wessel | def. | Frank Tate | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 4, 2016 |
| Venue | Mohegan Sun Arena |
| City | Uncasville, Connecticut |
| Attendance | 9,156 |
| Total gate | $755,996 |
Bellator 163: McGeary vs. Davis was held on November 4, 2016, at theMohegan Sun Arena inUncasville, Connecticut. The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
In the main event,Liam McGeary put up his light heavyweight title in a long-awaited match up with top contenderPhil Davis. This was McGeary's second title defense. McGeary won the title by defeatingEmanuel Newton in a five-round unanimous decision at Bellator 134. He then defended the title againstTito Ortiz at Bellator 142. McGeary has been out of action for over a year due to a medial collateral ligament injury. Davis defeated former light heavy champion Emanuel Newton andFrancis Carmont in a one-night tournament to earn the title shot. While waiting for McGeary to heal, Davis also defeatedMuhammed Lawal at Bellator 154.
The scheduled co-main event ofMarloes Coenen vs.Talita Nogueira was cancelled the day before the event when Talita failed to make weight. A welterweight bout betweenPaul Daley andDerek Anderson was also scrapped on the day of the event after Daley fell ill from effects of hisweight cut.[31] Additionally, a catchweight bout at 160 pounds between Keenan Raymond and Kastroit Xhema was cancelled when Raymond withdrew from the fight.
The preliminary card featured the Bellator debut ofVinicius De Jesus. It also featured the professional MMA debuts of former standout wrestlersEd Ruth and Tyrell Fortune. Ruth was a three-time NCAA Division I champion for Penn State, while Fortune won an NCAA Division II title for Grand Canyon.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Light heavyweight | Phil Davis | def. | Liam McGeary (c) | Decision (unanimous) (50-43, 50-45, 50-44) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Welterweight | Brennan Ward | def. | Saad Awad | KO (punches) | 1 | 1:26 | |
| Catchweight (175 lb) | Neiman Gracie | def. | Rudy Bears | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 4:39 | |
| Heavyweight | Javy Ayala | def. | Sergei Kharitonov | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:16 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Women's Flyweight | Hannah Regina | def. | Sarah Payant | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 4:51 | |
| Catchweight (195 lb) | Tim Caron | def. | Mike Zichelle | TKO (punches) | 2 | 1:22 | |
| Heavyweight | Tyler King | def. | Josh Diekmann | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 1:39 | |
| Heavyweight | Tyrell Fortune | def. | Cody Miskell | TKO (knees & punches) | 1 | 2:22 | [b] |
| Catchweight (192 lb) | Ed Ruth | def. | Dustin Collins-Miles | TKO (punches) | 1 | 3:19 | [c] |
| Welterweight | Carlos Correia | def. | Ilya Kotau | Decision (split) (30-27, 28-29, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Vinicius De Jesus | def. | James Boran | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 1:55 | |
| Featherweight | Blair Tugman | def. | Walter Smith-Cotito | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Thomas English | def. | Christopher Foster | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bellator 164: Koreshkov vs. Lima 2 | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 10, 2016 |
| Venue | Menora Mivtachim Arena |
| City | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Attendance | 8,937 |
| Total gate | ₪3,081,813 (ILS)$803,980 (USD) |
Bellator 164: Koreshkov vs. Lima 2 was held on November 10, 2016, at theMenora Mivtachim Arena inTel Aviv, Israel. The event aired onSpike TV on tape delay.
Background
The event was headlined by two of the world's top Welterweights. Bellator championAndrey Koreshkov met former champion BellatorDouglas Lima in a rematch in the main event. Koreshkov won the welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Lima at Bellator 140. He defended the belt earlier that year with a dominant win over formerUFC lightweight championBenson Henderson at Bellator 153. Lima won the vacant welterweight title with a second-round TKO ofRick Hawn at Bellator 117. After a lengthy layoff, he fought Koreshkov and lost via unanimous decision. After his loss to Koreshkov, he was out for a full year, but came back in July to defeatPaul Daley at Bellator 158.
In addition, the card featured one of Israel's own in the co-headliner, when newly signed Bellator MMA featherweight andIsraeli Army veteranNoad Lahat met NCAA Division II All-AmericanScott Cleve, defeating him via a rear naked choke.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Douglas Lima | def. | Andrey Koreshkov (c) | KO (punch) | 3 | 1:21 | [a] |
| Featherweight | Noad Lahat | def. | Scott Cleve | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 2:26 | |
| Catchweight (150 lb) | Georgi Karakhanyan | def. | Kirill Medvedovsky | TKO (shoulder injury) | 1 | 3:40 | |
| Women's Flyweight | Lena Ovchynnikova | def. | Karla Benitez | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Chen Shhori | def. | Kfir Eittan | KO (knee) | 3 | 2:41 | |
| Welterweight | Moshe Rand | def. | Haitham Kiuof | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 1:21 | |
| Lightweight | Elazar Tariku | def. | Rob Becker | Submission (keylock) | 1 | 3:44 | |
| Welterweight | Alex Trofimov | def. | Sol Renato | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Almog Shay | def. | Vitaly Khmeinytsky | Submission (heel hook) | 1 | 1:45 | |
| Women's Featherweight | Olga Rubin | def. | Laurita Cibirite | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 3:12 | |
| Bantamweight | Raz Bring | def. | Maor Kazalkopy | TKO (strikes) | 3 | 1:40 | |
| Welterweight | Jackie Gosh | def. | Joaquin Buckley | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:44 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Alexander Nikulin | def. | Avi Baron | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 0:54 | |
| Bantamweight | Honor Kelesh | def. | Omri Barel | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 3:02 | [c] |
| Welterweight | Haim Gozali | def. | Zane Clerk | Submission (heel hook) | 1 | 1:41 | |
| Bellator 165: Chandler vs. Henderson | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 19, 2016 |
| Venue | SAP Center |
| City | San Jose, California |
| Attendance | 13,156 |
| Total gate | $1,289,288 |
Bellator 165: Chandler vs. Henderson was held on November 19, 2016, at theSAP Center inSan Jose, California. The event aired live in prime time onSpike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by two of the world's top lightweights as two-time Bellator championMichael Chandler met formerWorld Extreme Cagefighting andUFC championBenson Henderson. Chandler looked to defend his belt for the first time since defeatingPatricky Freire via knockout atBellator 157: Dynamite 2. A 15-fight veteran ofBellator MMA, Chandler has collected memorable wins at 155-pounds including a victory over formerUFC lightweight championEddie Alvarez. Henderson earned a title shot in the lightweight division against its current titleholder in Chandler after defeatingPatricio Freire at Bellator 160.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Lightweight | Michael Chandler (c) | def. | Benson Henderson | Decision (split) (48-46, 46-48, 48-47) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Welterweight | Michael Page | def. | Fernando Gonzalez | Decision (split) (29-28, 27-30, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Adam Piccolotti | def. | Brandon Girtz | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Women's Strawweight | Keri Taylor-Melendez | def. | Sheila Padilla | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:47 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Linton Vassell | def. | Francis Carmont | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 30-26, 30-25) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Aaron Hamilton | def. | Kevin Ferguson Jr. | Submission (guillotine choke) | 2 | 3:00 | |
| Lightweight | Carrington Banks | def. | Jake Roberts | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Dominic Sumner | def. | Justin Roswell | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:09 | |
| Welterweight | Dwight Grant | def. | Danasabe Mohammed | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | James Terry | def. | Justin Baesman | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Postliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Women's Flyweight | Sarah D'Alelio | def. | Jaimelene Nievera | Submission (armbar) | 2 | 4:46 | |
| Middleweight | Diego Herzog | def. | Nick Pica | KO (strikes) | 1 | 1:23 | |
| Bantamweight | Jeremiah Labiano | def. | Vince Murdock | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Alvin Cacdac | def. | Steve Ramirez | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 0:31 | |
| Featherweight | Beau Hamilton | def. | Victor Jones | TKO (strikes) | 3 | 0:28 | |
| Lightweight | J.J. Okanovich | def. | Luis Vargas | Submission (armbar) | 2 | 2:59 | |
| Lightweight | Hugo Lujan | def. | Cesar Gonzalez | Decision (split) (29-28, 27-30, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bellator 166: Dantas vs. Warren 2 | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 2, 2016 |
| Venue | WinStar World Casino |
| City | Thackerville, Oklahoma |
| Attendance | 1,350 |
| Total gate | $116,438 |
Bellator 166: Dantas vs. Warren 2 was held on December 2, 2016, at theWinStar World Casino inThackerville, Oklahoma. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by a title fight rematch asEduardo Dantas defended theBellator Bantamweight Championship against former championJoe Warren. Dantas had won back to back fights since losing the Bellator bantamweight title to Warren at Bellator 128 in 2014. Warren was coming off a submission win against Sirwan Kakai at Bellator 161.
A fight between featherweight prospectsA.J. McKee andEmmanuel Sanchez was scheduled for the co-main event. However, Sanchez pulled out in late November due to injury and was replaced by Ray Wood. Wood had been scheduled to face Treston Thomison on the preliminary card so Thomison received a new opponent in Dawond Pickney.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Bantamweight | Eduardo Dantas (c) | def. | Joe Warren | Decision (majority) (47-47, 49-44, 48-46) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Featherweight | A.J. McKee | def. | Ray Wood | Decision (unanimous) (29-27, 30-25, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (138 lb) | Marcos Galvão | def. | L.C. Davis | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (195 lb) | Chris Honeycutt | def. | Ben Reiter | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 30-25, 30-25) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Middleweight | Gregory Babene | def. | Emiliano Sordi | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 3:11 | |
| Catchweight (159 lb) | Treston Thomison | def. | Dawond Pickney | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 0:51 | |
| Catchweight (164 lb) | Derrick Adkins | def. | Chris Jones | Submission (D'Arce choke) | 2 | 4:09 | |
| Catchweight (210 lb) | Kinny Spotwood | def. | John King | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bellator 167: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo 2 | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 3, 2016 |
| Venue | WinStar World Casino |
| City | Thackerville, Oklahoma |
| Attendance | 1,274 |
| Total gate | $109,883 |
Bellator 167: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo 2 was held on December 3, 2016, at theWinStar World Casino inThackerville, Oklahoma. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 167 was originally scheduled to be headlined by a rematch betweenPatricky Freire andDerek Campos. The pair previously fought at Bellator 117 with Freire winning by TKO in the second round. However, on November 25, it was announced that Freire pulled out of the bout due to injury.
Bellator 167 was instead headlined by a bantamweight fight pittingDarrion Caldwell againstJoe Taimanglo. Caldwell and Taimanglo previously met in a catchweight bout at Bellator 159. Caldwell did well in the first two rounds, but was caught with a fight-ending guillotine choke nine seconds into the third round. The defeat was the first loss of Caldwell's career and Caldwell was a 14-1 favorite entering the bout, making the upset the fourth biggest in MMA history. Taimanglo was riding a four-fight winning streak into the rematch. Caldwell came into the first bout with Taimanglo off a career-best win over Joe Warren at Bellator 151.
A featherweight bout betweenPat Curran andJohn Teixeira was also scheduled for this card. However, the fight was cancelled in early November due to an injury sustained by Curran. Teixeira instead facedJustin Lawrence.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Bantamweight | Darrion Caldwell | def. | Joe Taimanglo | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | John Teixeira | def. | Justin Lawrence | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Women's Flyweight | Ilima-Lei Macfarlane | def. | Emily Ducote | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (175 lb)[37] | Chidi Njokuani | def. | André Fialho | KO (punches) | 1 | 0:21 | |
| Preliminary card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Jarod Trice | def. | Tommie Britton | Decision (majority) (28-28, 30-25, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Justin Patterson | def. | Codale Ford | Decision (unanimous) (29-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Jonathan Gary | def. | Aaron Roberson | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (Dark Bouts) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Fernando Gonzalez Trevino | def. | Chris Hicks | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:15 | |
| Heavyweight | Bronson St. Romain | def. | Joey Soto | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 28-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bellator 168: Sakara vs. Beltran | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 10, 2016 |
| Venue | Nelson Mandela Forum |
| City | Florence, Italy |
| Attendance | 8,113 |
| Total gate | 862,006€ (ITL)$981,784 (USD) |
Bellator 168: Sakara vs Beltran will be held on December 10, 2016, at theNelson Mandela Forum inFlorence, Italy. The event will air live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
In the main event,Alessio Sakara facesJoey Beltran. Sakara made his Bellator debut earlier this year at the first Bellator event in Italy and defeated Brian Rogers by knockout in the second round.
The event was originally expected to be headlined by a rematch betweenRafael Carvalho andMelvin Manhoef for theBellator Middleweight Championship. The pair previously fought at Bellator 155 with Carvalho retaining his title due to a controversial split decision. Bellator announcer Jimmy Smith called it one of the worst decisions he had ever seen in the promotion; likewise 5 of 5 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Manhoef.[39] However, on December 2, Carvalho pulled out of the match due to injury.
The event will also featureBellator Kickboxing bouts including an anticipated female flyweight rematch between Denise Kielholtz and Gloria Peritore, the woman who defeated her this past June. The bout will be for the inaugural Bellator Kickboxing Women's Flyweight World Championship.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Light Heavyweight | Alessio Sakara | def. | Joey Beltran | KO (punches) | 1 | 1:20 | |
| Lightweight | Goiti Yamauchi | def. | Valeriu Mircea | Submission (triangle choke) | 1 | 3:33 | |
| Catchweight (189 lb) | Ed Ruth | def. | Emanuele Palombi | TKO (punches) | 1 | 1:33 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Kleber Silva | def. | Philipe Lins | TKO (punches) | 2 | 3:42 | |
| Middleweight | John Salter | def. | Claudio Annicchiarico | TKO (punches) | 1 | 1:40 | |
| Bellator Kickboxing 4 fight card | |||||||
| Lightweight (Kickboxing) | Giorgio Petrosyan | def. | Jordan Watson | TKO (referee stoppage) | 3 | 0:52 | |
| Women's Flyweight (Kickboxing) | Denise Kielholtz | def. | Gloria Peritore | Decision (split) (49-46, 48-47, 50-45) | 5 | 3:00 | [a] |
| Middleweight (Kickboxing) | Joe Schilling | def. | Vittorio Lermano | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 2:43 | |
| Welterweight (Kickboxing) | Karim Ghajji | def. | Luca Novello | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Bantamweight (Kickboxing) | Kevin Ross | def. | Alessio Arduini | KO (head kick) | 2 | 0:42 | |
| Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 16, 2016 |
| Venue | 3Arena |
| City | Dublin, Ireland |
| Attendance | 12,184 |
| Total gate | 896,234€ (IEP)$1,187,940 (USD) |
Bellator 169: King Mo vs Ishii was held on December 16, 2016, at the3Arena inDublin, Ireland. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout between formerStrikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion andRizin Heavyweight Grand Prix ChampionMuhammed Lawal and Japanese Olympic gold medalistSatoshi Ishii. Lawal won the two-night, eight-man tournament atRizin Fighting Federation on New Year's Eve in Japan. A 2008 Olympic gold medalist in judo, Ishii began his MMA career in December 2009 and made his Bellator debut in June 2016 againstQuinton Jackson atBellator 157: Dynamite 2.
Bellator 169 is a Bellator MMA andBAMMA co-promoted event with theBAMMA 27 show filling out the rest of the card. Several top Irish prospects including Dylan Tuke, Ryan Curtis, Rhys McKee, and James Gallagher were featured on the card.
Results
| Fight card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Heavyweight | Muhammed Lawal | def. | Satoshi Ishii | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | James Gallagher | def. | Anthony Taylor | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 3 | 1:52 | |
| Women's Bantamweight | Sinead Kavanagh | def. | Elina Kallionidou | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-25, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Daniel Weichel | def. | Brian Moore | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | 1 | 4:44 | |
| Featherweight | Cameron Else | def. | Dylan Tuke | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:20 | |
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