Bellator returns to Spike TV with a show headlined by what should be a fun middleweight title fight between two striking specialists. Champion Rafael Carvalho defends his belt against Melvin Manhoef, who also fights for Bellator’s kickboxing division.
The co-main features 2-time featherweight champion Pat Curran against former WSOF champ Georgi Karakhanyan, with the winner hoping to earn a title shot down the line. The show also features the return of Joey Beltran to the heavyweight division, the last person to go more than a round with Cris Cyborg – former Strikeforce bantamweight champ Marloes Coenen – and unbeaten heavyweight Augusto Sakai staking his claim to the vacant strap in that division.
Live action kicks off on Spike TV at 8 pm eastern but the prelims feature a fight worthy of the main card with lightweight contenders Marcin Held and Dave Jansen squaring off. We’ll have coverage of that fight as well as the main card kicking off around 8 pm.
Bellator prelims results:
Vince Morales (4-1) TKO (punches) over Hamilton Ash (3-2)
Joe Hamilton (4-0) submisssion (RNC) over Tyler Freeland (4-1)
Casey Johnson (5-0) submission (RNC) over Brendan Raftery (4-3)
Jesse Brock (22-8) submission (RNC) over Olly Badstreet (39-13)
Marcin Held (21-4) vs Dave Jansen (21-3) LIGHTWEIGHTS
Held all over Jansen with punches early and they clinch on the cage. Quick separation but Held lands a hard punch combo at 1:00. Jansen with a takedown and working for a neck crank. Held is a wizard on the ground so this is risky. Held landing punches from his back and opens up a cut over Jansen’s left eye. Jansen lets the choke go and attempts to move into mount but Held grabs his feet, attemping a foot lock. Jansen escapes but Held sweeps into top position. Jansen takes his neck and tries to wall walk to his feet. He makes it up at 3:30 and Held follows. Held with a takedown at 3:45. Held landing punches from the top and scoring with elbows to the head as well. Jansen to his feet just before the bell. Very close round. 10-9 Held
Jansen advancing early. Held nails a spinning back head kick and then gets a takedown at 1:00. Held landing punches and elbows to the head and Jansen bleeding all over the place from a cut behind his ear. Held continuing to land punches and elbows while looking for a sub. Ref stands them up to look at the cut on Jansen. Jansen gets a takedown on the restart but Held quickly sweeps into top position and into side control at 3:45. Held with an inverted heel hook at 4:00 and then transition to a straight foot look. Jansen escaps but Held right back into top position, dropping punches and elbows. Jansen’s face is a bloody mess and Jimmy Smith gets in references to Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher. 10-8 Held, 20-17
Both guys trading punches to start. Jansen initiates a cage clinch at 45 seconds. Held takes control and gets the takedown at 1:00. Jansen manages to sweep into top postion at 1:15. Jansen briefly takes his back but Held rolls into a leglock position and then a kneebar. Jansen escapes but Held still working the leg and landing punches from his back. Jansen to his feet and Held follows and they end up back in a cage clinch. Jansen with a standing headlock and tries for a takedown but Held sweeps to his back and then captures an arm. Held also landing elbows to the body. Jansen escapes and ends up on top. Jansen landing punches and elbows from the top. Held to his feet and then takes Jansen down when he tries for a guillotine. Held landing elbows and punches from the top. Jansen trying to get to his feet but eating punches and Held holds him down. Jansen bleediing profusely again. Held continuing to land punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Held, 30-26 Held
WINNER – MARCIN HELD (22-4) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)
MAIN CARD (SPIKE TV – 9 PM EASTERN)
JOEY BELTRAN (17-12) VS CHASE GORMLEY (12-5) HEAVYWEIGHTS (Tom Supnet – ref)
Beltran is back to heavyweight after fighting as low as middleweight. He’s giving up a lot of size here as Gormley cuts to make 265. Gormley opens up with leg kicks and quickly takes cage control. Beltran landing leg kicks from distance. Gormley landing 3 kicks to every 1 for Beltran through the first half of the round and controlling the cage. Sean Grande promising some big news later on tonight, which seems like an every show occurence. Beltran with a nice punch combo at 4:00. Gormley retreating for the first time in the fight. Beltran again chasing him down with punches at 4:45. 10-9 Gormley
Beltran opening up with punches. Gormley still throwing mainly kicks. Fight is mainly in the centre for the first half of the round with the activity about even. Beltran landing more punches this round. Neither guy able to mount any kind of sustained offence through 4 minutes. Beltran starting to control the pace in the last minute and starting to land some combos. Very close round, 10-9 Beltran, all tied up after 2.
Beltran rocks Gormley with a punch early and Gormley responds with a takedown attempt that Beltran defends well at 45 seconds. Punch combo from Beltran at 1:15. Beltran pushing the pace pretty clearly now. Gormley barely even landing kicks any more, just trying to avoid Beltran’s strikes. Gormley starting to land leg kicks again at 4:00. Beltran still advancing, throwing single strikes. Another very close round, 10-9 Beltran but could go either way. 29-28 Beltran
WINNER – CHASE GORMLEY (13-5) by split decision (28-29; 29-28 x 2)
MARLOES COENEN (23-6) VS ALEXIS DUFRESNE (5-2) WOMEN’S FEATHERWEIGHTS (Jason Herzog – ref)
Dufresne clinches up right away and scores a takedown. Coenen working for an armbar from her back. Dufresne escapes and landing punches from guard. Coenen working for a neck crank. Dufresne escapes again. Coenen with a guillotine attempts that she gives up on quickly. Coenen far more active from her back as Dufresne is just trying to hold her down. Coenen sweeps into top position at 2:45. Dufresne still has her arms tied up. Dufresne working for a triangle from her back and also landing kicks to the body and punches to the head. Dufresne gets the triangle at 4:00 and also landing punches to the head. It’s essentially Undertaker’s Hell’s gate and then she gets the armbar for the finish
WINNER – ALEXIS DUFRESNE (6-2) by submission at 4:33
That was one of the biggest upsets of the year and Dufresne claims that Coenen disrespected her at the weigh-ins and that’s what fueled her. She dedicated the win to her daughter who she gave birth to last Thanksgiving. She joins Meisha Tate as the only two women to ever submit Coenen.
DAN CHARLES (10-3) VS AUGUSTO SAKAI (9-0) HEAVYWEIGHTS (John McCarthy – ref)
Sakai is just a massive heavyweight at 6 ft 4 and is another who cuts to 265. He’s 4-0 with 3 KOs in Bellator. Charles is one of the guys whose lost to Lashley in Bellator. Charles initiates a cage clinch 30 seconds in. Sakai powers out of it. Charles pushing the pace early. Charles landing leg kicks from distance. Sakai throwing hard front kicks that are just missing. Sakai nails a head kick and then kicks Charles HARD in the groin and he goes down like he’s been shot, screaming in pain. Charles shakes it off after about 90 seconds, which is impressive cause that’s one of the worst nut shots you’ll ever see. Charles landing body kicks on the restart. Sakai hits him again with one of the first kicks he threw and Charles goes down instantly, almost as bad as the first one. Charles threw a kick at the same time that almost hit Sakai in the groin. Sakai basically pleading with McCarthy not to dock him a point but to no avail. That could be huge because this round is close. Sakai continuing to throw kicks and almost no punches. Charles not doing much after the restart and Sakai just landing a couple of kicks. 10-8 Charles but it easily could be 9-9
Big announcements coming for Dynamite 2 later tonight. Charles opening with kicks to the body and legs again. Sakai scoring the occasional single kick. Charles grazes Sakai with a low kick but Sakai shakes it off without stopping the fight. Sakai may not have landed a punch through the first half of the fight. Sakai starting to take over cage control at 3:00. Sakai starting to land with more frequency at 4:00, all with kicks. This is a boring fight. Charles lands a hard punch to the head at 4:30. Close round, maybe to Sakai 10-9, 19-18 Charles after 2
Charles with a takedown to start the round that wakes the crowd up but Sakai up quickly and they’re back to sleep. Sakai landing his kicks a little more frequently, landing mostly to the body and head. Seems hesitant to throw the leg kick after the point deduction. Sakai is not getting a title shot after this, whether he wins or not. Charles doing almost nothing, Sakai very slightly more than nothing, which may be enough to take the round. Sakai actually landing a few hard leg kicks in the last minute and stalking Charles. Sakai even throws a couple of punches that looked like they missed. 10-9 Sakai so I’ve got it as a draw
NO WINNER – MAJORITY DRAW (scores 30-26 Charles, 28-28 x 2)
The two big announcements were Joe Schilling facing Kato in a kickboxing match immediately following Dynamite 2 on Spike and Ilemi-Lei Macfarlane facing Rebecca Ruth in what I’m assuming will be a Spike.com prelim fight. That was underwhelming.
PAT CURRAN (21-7) VS GEORGI KARAKHANYAN (24-5-1) FEATHERWEIGHTS (Jason Herzog – ref)
Both guys really tentative for the first 90 seconds. Curran starting land leg kicks at 1:45. Karakhanyan controllign the cage. Curran with a punch combo at 2:00. Curran knocks Karakhanyan down with a punch to the head and pounces on him. After an initial flurry, he lets up and Karakhanyan gets some time to recover. Curran slowly starting to advance while also looking for a choke at 3:30. Curran into mount at 4:15 but Karakhanyan escapes quickly and briefly to his feet but goes to his back and brings Curran into his guard. Nothing happened for the rest of the round. 10-9 Curran
Karakhanyan shoots for a takedown to start round 2 and Curran stuffs it and ends up on top. Karakhanyan tying up the arms of Curran and then briefly tries a guillotine at 1:15. Curran takes his back at 1:30. Curran trying to secure a body lock and gets it at 2:00. Karakhanyan nailed him with punches as Curran lies on his back, still controlling the back. Karakhanyan escapes at 3:00 and works Curran back to guard. Karakhanyan with a guillotine attempt at 3:15 and uses it to get to his feet and then sweep to top position. Neither guy doing much on the ground with Karakhanyan in Curran’s guard. Ref stands them up at 4:30. Karakhanyan controlling things and lands a couple of kicks before the round ends. Very close, 10-9 Curran, 20-18
Karakhanyan misses on a takedown attempt to start the round. Karakhanyan advancing and Curran landing leg kicks and punches while retreating. Curran takes his back standing at 1:45 but Karakhanyan works him to the front and takes him down at 2:15. Curran with a guillotine attempt from his back. Karakhanyan escapes but not doing anything from up top. Crowd starting to boo. Curran landing some elbows to the head from the bottom. Karakhanyan working for a triangle from half-guard but Curran works him back to full guard. Karakhanyan with some light punches to the body just before the round ends. 10-9 Karakhanyan, 29-28 Curran overall but it all depends how they score round 2.
WINNER – PAT CURRAN (22-7) by unanimous decision (scores 29-28 x 3)
MAIN EVENT FOR THE BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE:
CHAMPION RAFAEL CARVALHO (12-1) VS MELVIN MANHOEF (30-12-1) (John McCarthy – ref)
Both guys keeping their distance early. Crowd starting to boo at 1:15 as neither guy has landed a strike. Carvalho controlling the pace and lands a kick from distance at 2:30 that may be the first strike landed. Jimmy Smith calls it a “regrettably cautious start from both fighters” . Boos are getting really loud at 3:15. McCarthy stops the fight and warns them to fight. What? I mean, what’s he going to do? This is like the MR Wrestling 3 counter gimmick with the Young Bucks last weekend. 4:30 in and still nothing. Manhoef lands a kick at 4:45. Grande says it was the first strike landed. 10-10, no question.
Manhoef pushing the pace early. Manhoef throws a punch and follows up with a kick at 45 seconds, the most sustained “action” of the fight. Manhoef with a hard kick to the body at 1:30. Official stats for round 1 were Manhoef 1/6 in strikes landed, Carvalho 1/13 in strikes landed. Crowd booing again at 2:30 as they’ve slowed down. Carvalho starting to advance now. Crowd getting really loud again with the booing at 3:45. Manhoef lands two leg kicks and follows up with punches at 4:00. Carvalho still advancing. Carvalho with a knee to the body and they clinch up. Carvalho with a knee that looked low and McCarthy steps in but Carvalho wants to keep fighting. Carvalho with 2 elbows to the head after McCarthy stopped it. Replay looked like it might have hit the gut. 10-9 Manhoef
Manhoef with a punch combo to open. Carvalho with an eye poke 15 seconds in. McCarthy had warned him earlier in the fight but didn’t dock a point. On the restart, he had his fingers out again and McCarthy stopped it again and warned Carvalho. Carvalho with a takedown attempt at 1:30 and they end up in a cage clinch. Manhoef gets control and then throws Carvalho off, landing a hard punch on the way out. Carvalho clinches right back up again and takes Manhoef down. Manhoef to his feet at 2:30. Carvalho with another low blow. I dont know if this is eligible for the Wrestling Observer awards but this is the worst show of the year, bar none. McCarthy calls the corner over and warns the corner to control their fighter. No pont deduction, though. Carvalho shoots for a takedown again at 3:45 but Manhoef defends it. Crowd booing heavily again as they’re clinched on the cage with nothing happening. Manhoef punches his way out of it at 4:45. This could be Carvalho’s round. 10-9 Carvalho, 29-29 so far
Carvalho shoots for a takedown 30 seconds in but stuffed by Manhoef. Manhoef lands a hard kick on the way out. Carvalho lands a knee to the body and then gets a takedown at 1:15. Carvalho right into side control. Carvalho just holding him down, nothing even attempting anything from side control and the crowd booing heavily. And then he just lets Manhoef up. This is awful. Terrible. No good. Just really, really bad. Announcers are talking like Manhoef’s up three rounds. He could be. I don’t care. Carvalho just waving his arms around at 3:30 and Manhoef just standing there. Crowd booing heavily. McCarthy warning them to fight again. Booing is getting ridiculously loud. Carvalho walking away from Manhoef with his hands on his hips and Manhoef just doing nothing. They walked back to their corners before the bell even rang. “Beyond my comprehension”, Jimmy Smith said as the round ended. Another 10-10
Crowd starting to do random chants to entertain themselves now. Manhoef with a superman punch landing and the crowd like that. Manhoef with a nice punch combo at 1:00. Hard body kick from Manhoef at 1:15. Carvalho shoots for a takedown at 1:45. Manhoef defends it but Carvalho holds onto him in a cage clinch. Ref warning them to work. Manhoef landing light punches to the head. Manhoef ends up falling on top of him and into mount briefly but Carvalho just stands up. Manhoef takes him right back down. And nothing happening again. Ref warns them to work again. Manhoef up at 3:30 and Carvalho follows him. Carvalho back to walking around with his hands on his hips. Crowd booing louds and McCarthy steps in between them and tells them to fight. Manhoef lands a couple of single strikes from distance. Crowd booing heavily at the end. 10-9 Manhoef, 49-48 overall
WINNER – RAFAEL CARVALHO (13-1) by split decision (47-48-29; 48-47 x 2)
Sean Grande said that the only thing worse than that fight was the decision. Jimmy Smith that he is “DISGUSTED that this fight went this way for Rafael Carvalho” and that he’s disgusted for this sport right now. And followed up by saying that’s all he can say on TV. Wow.
I mean, that was a bad decision but far from the worst you’ll ever see. It was just a really bad fight and I don’t know how you pick a winner in the 2 rounds I scored 10-10. It sounded like Jimmy dropped his headset while Grande was talking as the show went off the air.
This was easily the worst MMA card I’ve ever seen topped off by what may have been the worst fight in this century.
