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2013 in Bellator MMA
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| 2013 in Bellator MMA | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Promotion | Bellator MMA |
| First date aired | January 17, 2013 |
| Last date aired | November 22, 2013 |
2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013.[1]
Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight champion, placed their titles on the line during this season.[2]
This season marked the beginning of Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) airing on Spike TV.[3]
Bellator 85
[edit]| Bellator 85 | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 17, 2013 |
| Venue | Bren Events Center |
| City | Irvine, California |
| Attendance | 3,002 |
Bellator 85 took place on January 17, 2013 at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, California.[1] The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV. It marked the season debut of season eight.
Background
Bellator 85 was to open with a fight chosen exclusively by fans in the "Bellator: Vote For The Fight" contest. Fans could log onto Spike.com to select the two fighters they want to see square off in the first ever Bellator bout on Spike TV. The eligible fighters were all welterweights and included Paul Daley, Douglas Lima, Ben Saunders and War Machine.[4] Initially a bout between Daley and War Machine was announced by Bellator, but it was subsequently cancelled when War Machine tore his ACL and broke his fibula.[5]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Lightweight | Michael Chandler (c) | def. | Rick Hawn | Submission (rear naked choke) | 2 | 3:07 | [a] |
| Light Heavyweight | Mikhail Zayats | def. | Renato Sobral | KO (spinning back fist and punches) | 1 | 4:49 | [b] |
| Light Heavyweight | Jacob Noe | def. | Seth Petruzelli | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:51 | [b] |
| Featherweight | Pat Curran (c) | def. | Patricio Freire | Decision (split) (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) | 5 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Emanuel Newton | def. | Atanas Djambazov | Submission (rear naked choke) | 2 | 2:21 | [b] |
| Light Heavyweight | Jason Lambert | def. | Hector Ramirez | Submission (straight armbar) | 1 | 3:59 | |
| Catchweight (165 lb) | J.J. Ambrose | def. | Brian Warren | Submission (guillotine choke) | 2 | 0:50 | |
| Lightweight | Savant Young | def. | Mike Guymon | KO (punch) | 2 | 0:48 | |
| Welterweight | Joe Williams | def. | Jamie Yager | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 4:02 | |
| Featherweight | Aaron Miller | def. | Joe Camacho | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Cleber Luciano | def. | Mario Navarro | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
- ^ For Lightweight Title
- ^ a b c Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
- ^ For Featherweight Title
Bellator 86
[edit]| Bellator 86 | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 24, 2013 |
| Venue | WinStar World Casino |
| City | Thackerville, Oklahoma |
| Attendance | 1,288 |
Bellator 86 took place on January 24, 2013 at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.[1] The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 86 featured the opening round of the Season Eight Welterweight Tournament.[1]
The card also featured the Bellator debut of Muhammed Lawal, against veteran Polish fighter Przemyslaw "Misiek" Mysiala.[1]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Ben Askren (c) | def. | Karl Amoussou | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Light Heavyweight | Muhammed Lawal | def. | Przemyslaw Mysiala | TKO (punches) | 1 | 3:52 | [b] |
| Welterweight | Douglas Lima | def. | Michail Tsarev | TKO (leg kicks) | 2 | 1:44 | [c] |
| Welterweight | Ben Saunders | def. | Koffi Adzitso | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Brent Weedman | def. | Marius Zaromskis | Decision (unanimous) (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [c][d] |
| Welterweight | Raul Amaya | def. | José Gomes | TKO (punches) | 1 | 3:12 | [c] |
| Catchweight (140 lb) | Jason Sampson | def. | Chris Pham | Submission (armbar) | 3 | 4:55 | |
| Lightweight | Damon Jackson | def. | Zach Church | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 2:43 | |
| Middleweight | Cortez Coleman | def. | Matt Jones | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Unaired | |||||||
| Featherweight | Hunter Tucker | def. | Javier Obregon | Submission (guillotine choke) | 2 | 3:17 | |
Bellator 87
[edit]| Bellator 87 | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 31, 2013 |
| Venue | Soaring Eagle Casino |
| City | Mount Pleasant, Michigan |
| Attendance | 850 |
Bellator 87 took place on January 31, 2013 at Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 87 featured fights the quarterfinals of the Season Eight Lightweight Tournament.
Patricky Freire was originally supposed to face Guillaume DeLorenzi in the main event. However, on the day of the weigh ins Freire was pulled from the card due to an "undisclosed injury" and replaced by Saad Awad.[6]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Lightweight | David Rickels | def. | Lloyd Woodard | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Lightweight | Will Brooks | def. | Ricardo Tirloni | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Lightweight | Saad Awad | def. | Guillaume DeLorenzi | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:31 | [a] |
| Lightweight | Alexander Sarnavskiy | def. | Thiago Michel | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 3:43 | [a] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Lightweight | Jason Fischer | def. | Sevak Magakian | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 3:37 | |
| Heavyweight | Karl Etherington | def. | Jason Fish | Verbal submission (strikes) | 1 | 3:45 | |
| Catchweight (165 lb) | Amir Khillah | def. | John Schulz | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 4:34 | |
| Lightweight | J. P. Reese | def. | David Shepherd | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Sam Quito | def. | Ben Lagman | Submission (kneebar) | 1 | 3:54 | |
| Catchweight (139 lb) | Tony Zelinski | def. | Nick Kirk | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Bellator 88
[edit]| Bellator 88 | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 7, 2013 |
| Venue | Arena at Gwinnett Center |
| City | Duluth, Georgia |
| Attendance | 4,267 |
Bellator 88 took place on February 7, 2013 at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia.[7] The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 88 featured the opening round of the Season Eight Featherweight Tournament as well as a title fight for the vacant Middleweight title.[7]
A middleweight bout between Kelvin Tiller and Dave Vitkay was originally announced for this card, but failed to materialize.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Middleweight | Alexander Shlemenko | def. | Maiquel Falcão | KO (punches) | 2 | 2:18 | [a] |
| Featherweight | Marlon Sandro | def. | Akop Stepanyan | Decision (majority) (28-28, 29-27, 29-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Featherweight | Mike Richman | def. | Mitch Jackson | TKO (head kick and punches) | 1 | 4:57 | [b] |
| Featherweight | Alexandre Bezerra | def. | Genair da Silva | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 1:40 | [b] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Featherweight | Magomedrasul Khasbulaev | def. | Fabricio Guerreiro | Submission (arm triangle choke) | 2 | 1:15 | [b] |
| Catchweight (159 lb) | Joe Elmore | def. | Jerrid Burke | KO (punch) | 2 | 4:11 | |
| Catchweight (152 lb) | Ronnie Rogers | def. | Shane Crenshaw | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (159 lb) | Clay Harvison | def. | Ururahy Rodrigues | TKO (knee) | 3 | 3:34 | |
| Featherweight | George Hickman | def. | Stephen Upchurch | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 2:19 | |
Bellator 89
[edit]| Bellator 89 | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 14, 2013 |
| Venue | Bojangles' Coliseum |
| City | Charlotte, North Carolina |
Bellator 89 took place on February 14, 2013 at The Bojangles' Coliseum, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV.[8]
Background
Bellator 89 featured the opening round of the Middleweight tournament.
The event also featured the first defense for Eduardo Dantas of the Bantamweight Title since he won it from Zach Makovsky in May 2012. It marked the first time two training partners and friends have fought for a title in the Bellator promotion.[9]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Bantamweight | Eduardo Dantas (c) | def. | Marcos Galvão | KO (punches) | 2 | 3:01 | [a] |
| Middleweight | Dan Cramer | def. | Brian Rogers | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Brett Cooper | def. | Norman Paraisy | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Doug Marshall | def. | Andreas Spang | KO (punch) | 1 | 3:03 | [b] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Heavyweight | David Mejia | def. | Mont McCullens | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:15 | |
| Middleweight | Aaron Johnson | def. | Brennan Ward | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 0:15 | |
| Middleweight | Sultan Aliev | def. | Mikkel Parlo | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Joe Pacheco | def. | Kyle Bolt | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 4:02 | |
| Welterweight | Johnny Buck | def. | Chris Mierzwiak | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Mike Maldonado | def. | Tim Goodwin | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Bellator 90
[edit]| Bellator 90 | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 21, 2013 |
| Venue | Maverik Center |
| City | West Valley City, Utah |
Bellator XC took place on February 21, 2013 at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV.[8]
Background
Bellator 90 featured the finals of the Bellator Season 7 Featherweight Tournament.[10]
The card also featured the Light Heavyweight and Welterweight tournament semifinals.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Featherweight | Shahbulat Shamhalaev | def. | Rad Martinez | KO (punch) | 2 | 2:12 | [a] |
| Light Heavyweight | Emanuel Newton | def. | Muhammed Lawal | KO (spinning backfist) | 1 | 2:35 | [b] |
| Welterweight | Douglas Lima | def. | Bryan Baker | KO (punch) | 1 | 2:34 | [c] |
| Light Heavyweight | Mikhail Zayats | def. | Jacob Noe | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 3:38 | [b] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Ben Saunders | def. | Raul Amaya | KO (head kick) | 1 | 2:56 | [c] |
| Catchweight (137 lb) | Travis Marx | def. | Chase Beebe | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Jesse Juarez | def. | Jordan Smith | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Sean Powers | def. | Dave Allred | Submission (rear naked choke) | 3 | 2:10 | |
| Middleweight | Lionel Lanham | def. | Joe Rodriguez | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:49 | |
| Featherweight | Shanon Slack | def. | Josh Tyler | Submission (Peruvian necktie) | 3 | 1:56 | |
Bellator 91
[edit]| Bellator 91 | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 28, 2013 |
| Venue | Santa Ana Star Center |
| City | Rio Rancho, New Mexico |
Bellator 91 took place on February 28, 2013 at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.[11] The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 91 featured the first title defense by Light Heavyweight champion Christian M'Pumbu, despite having won the belt in May 2011.
Alexander Sarnavskiy was originally scheduled to face David Rickels in the semifinals. However, Sarnavskiy fractured his hand during his first fight and had to withdraw from the tournament. He was replaced with Jason Fischer.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Light Heavyweight | Attila Vegh | def. | Christian M'Pumbu (c) | Decision (unanimous) (48-47, 49-46, 50-45) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Lightweight | Saad Awad | def. | Will Brooks | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:43 | [b] |
| Lightweight | David Rickels | def. | Jason Fischer | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Women's Bantamweight | Holly Holm | def. | Katie Merrill | TKO (punches) | 2 | 3:02 | |
| Lightweight | Blas Avena | def. | Lenny Lovato | TKO (punch) | 1 | 1:40 | |
| Featherweight | Andres Quintana | def. | Russell Wilson | TKO (knees & punches) | 3 | 0:32 | |
| Bantamweight | Ed West | def. | Josh Montoya | KO (head kick) | 2 | 2:51 | |
| Bantamweight | Adrian Cruz | def. | Nick Gonzalez | Submission (scarf hold armlock) | 2 | 3:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Josh Appelt | def. | Josh Lanier | TKO (punches) | 2 | 0:16 | |
| Catchweight (187 lb) | Brennan Ward | def. | Yair Moguel | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 0:57 | |
- ^ For Light Heavyweight Title
- ^ a b Lightweight Tournament Semi Final
Bellator 92
[edit]| Bellator 92 | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 7, 2013 |
| Venue | Pechanga Resort and Casino |
| City | Temecula, California |
Bellator 92 took place on March 7, 2013 at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California.[12] The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV.
Background
The card was originally scheduled to have the season 7 Lightweight tournament final between Dave Jansen and Marcin Held. However, Held was injured and the fight was delayed two weeks to Bellator 93.[13]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Featherweight | Magomedrasul Khasbulaev | def. | Marlon Sandro | TKO (punches) | 3 | 2:38 | [a] |
| Middleweight | Doug Marshall | def. | Sultan Aliev | Decision (split) (27-30, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Brett Cooper | def. | Dan Cramer | TKO (punches) | 3 | 3:19 | [b] |
| Featherweight | Mike Richman | def. | Alexandre Bezerra | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Lightweight | Akop Stepanyan | def. | Chris Saunders | TKO (spinning back kick & punches) | 3 | 3:55 | |
| Middleweight | Keith Berry | def. | Richard Rigmaden | Submission (kimura) | 1 | 1:31 | |
| Heavyweight | Josh Appelt | def. | Manny Lara | Decision (unanimous) (30-24, 30-24, 30-24) | 3 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Featherweight | Aaron Miller | def. | Shad Smith | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Brandon Halsey | def. | Rocky Ramirez | Technical submission (arm-triangle choke) | 3 | 0:50 | |
| Unaired | |||||||
| Welterweight | Ricky Legere | def. | Sabah Homasi | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 2:52 | |
| Featherweight | Nick Piedmont | def. | Cleber Luciano | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:55 | |
Bellator 93
[edit]| Bellator 93 | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 21, 2013 |
| Venue | Androscoggin Bank Colisée |
| City | Lewiston, Maine |
Bellator 93 took place on March 21, 2013 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.[14] The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV and featured the Season Seven Lightweight Tournament Final.[15]
Background
Ben Saunders and Douglas Lima were scheduled to have a rematch on this card to decide the winner of the Bellator Season 8 Welterweight Tournament Final. However, Lima broke his hand and the match was delayed until later in the year.[16]
Heavyweights Brett Rogers and Eric Prindle were scheduled to face each other on this card. However, the week leading up to the show it was announced that Prindle had pulled out of the bout due to an injury.
Jon Lemke defeated Jesse Erickson to kick off the event for the night and marked Bellator's 800th Fight in the history of the company.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Lightweight | Dave Jansen | def. | Marcin Held | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Heavyweight | Ryan Martinez | def. | Travis Wiuff | KO (punches) | 1 | 0:18 | |
| Welterweight | Marcus Davis | vs | Waachiim Spiritwolf | NC (knee to the groin) | 1 | 3:05 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Middleweight | Dave Vitkay | def. | Jesse Peterson | Technical submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 0:18 | |
| Welterweight | Michael Page | def. | Ryan Sanders | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:10 | |
| Middleweight | Jason Butcher | def. | Jack Hermansson | Submission (triangle choke) | 1 | 2:24 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Mike Mucitelli | def. | Brent Dillingham | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 2:48 | |
| Middleweight | Joe Pacheco | def. | Pierre Pierry | Submission (keylock) | 1 | 1:54 | |
| Featherweight | Vince Murdock | def. | John Raio | TKO (elbow & punches) | 3 | 4:01 | |
| Lightweight | Jon Lemke | def. | Jesse Erickson | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:50 | |
Bellator 94
[edit]| Bellator 94 | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 28, 2013 |
| Venue | USF Sun Dome |
| City | Tampa, Florida |
Bellator 94 took place on March 28, 2013 at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida.[17] The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV and featured the Light Heavyweight and Lightweight Tournament Finals.
Background
Tony Fryklund made his return to mixed martial arts on this card after a 6-year absence. His last fight was a losing effort against Cung Le at a Strikeforce event in June 2007.
A bout between middleweights Ivan Devalle and Rory Shallcross was originally announced for this card, but failed to materialize.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Light Heavyweight | Emanuel Newton | def. | Mikhail Zayats | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Lightweight | David Rickels | def. | Saad Awad | TKO (punches) | 2 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Luis Melo | def. | Trey Houston | Submission (arm triangle choke) | 3 | 1:09 | |
| Bantamweight | Rodrigo Lima | def. | Ronnie Mann | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Julien Williams | def. | Kenny Moss | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 3:19 | |
| Heavyweight | Augusto Sakai | def. | Rob Horton | KO (knee) | 2 | 4:01 | |
| Women's Strawweight | Jessica Aguilar | def. | Patricia Vidonic | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Joe Taimanglo | def. | Ronnie Rogers | Submission (north/south choke) | 2 | 0:33 | |
| Lightweight | James Edson Berto | def. | Bruno Carvalho | Submission (heel hook) | 1 | 1:27 | |
| Catchweight (157 lb) | Patrick Cenoble | vs. | Tony Fryklund | Draw (29-27, 27-29, 28-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Women's Strawweight | Felice Herrig | def. | Heather Jo Clark | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
- ^ Bellator Season 8 Light Heavyweight Tournament Final
- ^ Bellator Season 8 Lightweight Tournament Final
- ^ Cenoble was docked 1 pt. in round 2 for grabbing the fence.
Bellator 95
[edit]| Bellator 95 | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 4, 2013 |
| Venue | Revel Casino |
| City | Atlantic City, New Jersey |
Bellator 95 took place on April 4, 2013 at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV.
Background
The event was initially scheduled to feature a championship match for the Featherweight Title between Pat Curran and Daniel Mason-Straus.[18] However, on February 26, it was announced that Straus had broken his hand and had to pull out of the fight.[19] On February 27, it was announced that recent tournament winner Shahbulat Shamhalaev would advance with his title shot and he faced Curran on this card.[20]
The card was to feature the #1-ranked 125-pound female fighter according to the Unified Women's MMA Rankings Jessica Eye vs. Munah Holland in a Women's Flyweight bout, but Eye had to withdraw due to a back injury.[21]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Featherweight | Pat Curran (c) | def. | Shahbulat Shamhalaev | Technical submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 2:38 | [a] |
| Featherweight | Frodo Khasbulaev | def. | Mike Richman | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Doug Marshall | def. | Brett Cooper | KO (punch) | 1 | 3:39 | [c] |
| Welterweight | Rick Hawn | def. | Karo Parisyan | KO (punches) | 2 | 1:55 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Lyman Good | def. | Dante Rivera | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (173 lb) | Sam Oropeza | def. | Shedrick Goodridge | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 4:22 | |
| Catchweight (188 lb) | Tom DeBlass | def. | Carlos Brooks | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 2 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Phillipe Nover | def. | Darrell Horcher | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (140 lb) | Jimmie Rivera | def. | Brian Kelleher | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Will Martinez | def. | Michael Hess | KO (punches) | 1 | 4:15 | |
| Featherweight | Kevin Roddy | def. | Brylan Van Artsdalen | Submission (armbar) | 2 | 1:04 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Liam McGeary | def. | Anton Talamantes | TKO (elbows and punches) | 1 | 1:18 | |
Tournaments
[edit]Light Heavyweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| KO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
Middleweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| KO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| SD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| KO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
Welterweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| KO | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| KO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
- ^ Replaces Brent Weedman due to an injury
Lightweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
- ^ Replaces Alexander Sarnavskiy due to an injury
Featherweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| MD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| DD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
Bellator 96
[edit]| Bellator 96 | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 19, 2013 |
| Venue | Winstar World Casino |
| City | Thackerville, Oklahoma |
Bellator 96 took place on June 19, 2013 at the Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV. It marked the season debut of the 2013 summer series.[22] Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, Greg Jackson and Joe Warren took part in commentary.
Background
Bellator 96 featured the opening round of the 2013 Summer Series Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight tournaments.[23]
This event served as the lead in for the debut of Bellator's new reality TV series, Fight Master: Bellator MMA.
Michael Chandler was expected to defend his Lightweight Title against Dave Jansen on this card. However, on June 2, it was announced that Jansen had to pull out of the bout due to an injury.[24]
Vinicius Queiroz was originally scheduled to face Richard Hale in the heavyweight tournament. Queiroz, however, suffered a knee injury and was replaced Ryan Martinez.[25]
Both Derek Campos and Keith Berry missed weight for their fights; as a result, both fighters forfeited a portion of their purses to their opponents and the matches were changed to catchweight.
Both Seth Petruzelli & Renato Sobral retired from MMA competition after this event.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Light Heavyweight | Muhammed Lawal | def. | Seth Petruzelli | KO (punch) | 1 | 1:35 | [a] |
| Light Heavyweight | Jacob Noe | def. | Renato Sobral | TKO (referee stoppage) | 3 | 3:32 | [a] |
| Heavyweight | Vitaly Minakov | def. | Ron Sparks | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:32 | [b] |
| Welterweight | War Machine | def. | Blas Avena | TKO (punches) | 1 | 3:55 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Lightweight | Damon Jackson | def. | Keith Miner | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Raphael Butler | def. | Jeremiah O'Neal | TKO (punches & elbows) | 1 | 2:57 | |
| Heavyweight | Ryan Martinez | def. | Richard Hale | KO (punches) | 1 | 2:19 | [b] |
| Light Heavyweight | Brandon Halsey | def. | Joe Yager | Decision (split) (30-28, 28-30, 30-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Catchweight (159 lb) | Derek Campos | def. | Brandon Girtz | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Justin McNally | def. | Steven Artoff | Verbal submission (inverted triangle armbar) | 1 | 2:44 | |
| Unaired | |||||||
| Featherweight | Chas Skelly | def. | Jarrod Card | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Mike Maldonado | def. | Chavous Smith | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 2:27 | |
| Catchweight (186 lb) | Keith Berry | def. | Cortez Coleman | Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Bellator 97
[edit]| Bellator 97 | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 31, 2013 |
| Venue | Santa Ana Star Center |
| City | Rio Rancho, New Mexico |
Bellator 97 took place on July 31, 2013 at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The event was distributed live in prime time by Spike TV.
Background
The card featured Ben Askren's fourth title defense of the Bellator Welterweight Championship and Michael Chandler's second defense of the Bellator Lightweight Championship.
The card also featured the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Tournament Finals and Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals.
Douglas Lima and Ben Saunders were scheduled to fight in order to decide the next contender for the Welterweight title. However, on June 11, it was announced that Lima had to pull out of the bout due to an injury.[26]
Patricio Freire was originally scheduled to face The Ultimate Fighter veteran Rob Emerson. However, on July 12, it was revealed Emerson had to withdraw due to injury and was replaced by Jared Downing.[27]
The live airing featured the announcement of Bellator's first pay per view event for November 2, 2013 that will be headlined by Tito Ortiz versus Quinton Jackson.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Lightweight | Michael Chandler (c) | def. | David Rickels | KO (punches) | 1 | 0:44 | [a] |
| Welterweight | Ben Askren (c) | def. | Andrey Koreshkov | TKO (punches) | 4 | 2:58 | [b] |
| Light Heavyweight | Muhammed Lawal | def. | Jacob Noe | TKO (punches) | 3 | 2:51 | [c] |
| Heavyweight | Vitaly Minakov | def. | Ryan Martinez | TKO (punches) | 3 | 4:02 | [d] |
| Featherweight | Patricio Freire | def. | Jared Downing | TKO (punches) | 2 | 0:54 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Lightweight | Will Brooks | def. | Cris Leyva | TKO (punches) | 3 | 2:20 | |
| Bantamweight | Rafael Silva | def. | Rodrigo Lima | Submission (rear naked choke) | 3 | 2:03 | [e] |
| Bantamweight | Anthony Leone | def. | Frank Baca | Submission (rear naked choke) | 3 | 1:07 | [e] |
| Lightweight | Bubba Jenkins | def. | Mike Barreras | TKO (punches) | 2 | 1:05 | |
| Catchweight (151 lb) | Javier Palacios | def. | Richard Jacques | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | Jeremy Kimball | def. | Keith Berry | KO (punches) | 2 | 1:45 | |
| Bantamweight | Adrian Cruz | def. | Felipe Chavez | TKO (punches) | 2 | 0:00 | |
| Catchweight (149 lb) | Donald Sanchez | def. | Cliff Wright | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Shawn Bunch | def. | Russell Wilson | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Tournaments
[edit]Heavyweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| TKO | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| TKO | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| KO | |||||||||
| 1 | |||||||||
Light Heavyweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| KO | |||||||||
| 1 | |||||||||
| TKO | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| TKO | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
Bantamweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| SUB | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| UD | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| SUB | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
Bellator 98
[edit]| Bellator 98 | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 7, 2013 |
| Venue | Mohegan Sun Arena |
| City | Uncasville, Connecticut |
Bellator 98 took place on September 7, 2013 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.[28] The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV. It marked the season debut of season nine.
Background
Bellator 98 was supposed to feature a Bellator Middleweight Championship bout between Alexander Shlemenko and Season 8 Middleweight Tournament Winner Doug Marshall. However, on August 19 Marshall was forced out of the title bout due to an injury and was replaced by Season 8 Middleweight Tournament Runner Up Brett Cooper.[29]
The Fight Master: Bellator MMA finale between Joe Riggs and Mike Bronzoulis was expected to take place at this event. However, on September 3, it was revealed Riggs has sustained a significant eye injury and the bout was postponed indefinitely.[30] The fight was later scheduled for Bellator 106.
Dan Cramer was originally scheduled to face Perry Filkins in the Middleweight tournament opening round, but withdrew from the match and was replaced by Jeremy Kimball.
Joe Warren was scheduled to face Nick Kirk on this card. However, on the Friday before the event, Warren was removed for undisclosed medical reasons. The fight was later scheduled for Bellator 101
Andreas Spang was originally scheduled to face Justin Torrey in the Middleweight tournament opening round, but was declared unfit to fight by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation. He was replaced by Brennan Ward, who originally was supposed to face Dave Vitkay on the preliminary card.[31]
Andrew Calandrelli was originally scheduled to face Ryan Quinn, but was removed from the card and replaced by Brylan Van Artsdalen.
The card featured all the Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal bouts.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Middleweight | Alexander Shlemenko (c) | def. | Brett Cooper | Decision (unanimous) (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Middleweight | Mikkel Parlo | def. | Brian Rogers | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Jason Butcher | def. | Giva Santana | TKO (punches) | 2 | 1:12 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Brennan Ward | def. | Justin Torrey | TKO (punches) | 2 | 3:28 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Perry Filkins | def. | Jeremy Kimball | Submission (rear naked choke) | 3 | 4:18 | [b] |
| Lightweight | Derek Anderson | def. | Patricky Freire | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Mike Mucitelli | vs. | Jeff Nader | No Contest | 1 | 1:30 | [c] |
| Heavyweight | Josh Diekmann | def. | Parker Porter | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 1:12 | |
| Lightweight | Ryan Quinn | def. | Brylan Van Artsdalen | Submission (arm triangle) | 1 | 2:34 | |
| Featherweight | Matt Bessette | def. | Nick Piedmont | TKO (punches) | 1 | 1:41 | |
| Featherweight | Rico Disciullo | def. | Glenn Allair | KO (strikes) | 1 | 1:21 | |
Bellator 99
[edit]| Bellator 99 | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 13, 2013 |
| Venue | Pechanga Resort & Casino |
| City | Temecula, California |
Bellator 99 took place on September 13, 2013 at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California.[32] The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 99 featured the Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal bouts.
Vladimir Matyushenko was originally scheduled to face for Bellator Light Heavyweight champion Christian M'Pumbu. However, on August 18, it was announced that M'Pumbu had a hand injury and he was replaced by Houston Alexander.[33]
Shahbulat Shamhalaev was originally scheduled to face Akop Stepanyan on this card. However, on September 9, it was revealed Shamhalaev was forced to pull out of the tournament due to his ailing father. He was replaced by Justin Wilcox.[34]
A bantamweight bout between Derek Loffer and Mario Navarro was initially planned for this card, but cancelled for unknown reasons.[35]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Featherweight | Patricio Freire | def. | Diego Nunes | KO (punch) | 1 | 1:19 | [a] |
| Featherweight | Fabricio Guerreiro | def. | Desmond Green | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Light Heavyweight | Vladimir Matyushenko | def. | Houston Alexander | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Justin Wilcox | def. | Akop Stepanyan | Technical submission (rear naked choke) | 2 | 2:20 | [a] |
| Featherweight | Joe Taimanglo | def. | Andrew Fisher | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Heavyweight | Blagoi Ivanov | def. | Manny Lara | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 1:17 | |
| Featherweight | Goiti Yamauchi | def. | Musa Toliver | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 1:01 | |
| Welterweight | Gavin Sterritt | def. | Andy Murad | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Hector Ramirez | def. | Savo Kosic | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Unaired | |||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Virgil Zwicker | def. | Nick Moghaddam | TKO (punches) | 1 | 3:22 | |
Bellator 100
[edit]| Bellator 100 | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 20, 2013 |
| Venue | Grand Canyon University Arena |
| City | Phoenix, Arizona |
Bellator 100 took place on September 20, 2013 at the Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.[36] The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 100 featured the Season 9 Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal bouts and the Season 8 Welterweight finals.
Matt Riddle was originally scheduled to face Luis Melo on this card, but pulled out due to a cracked rib.[29] He was replaced by Ron Keslar.[37]
Mark Scanlon was originally scheduled to face Herman Terrado on this card, but pulled out due to an injury and was replaced by Rick Hawn
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Douglas Lima | def. | Ben Saunders | KO (head kick) | 2 | 4:33 | [a] |
| Welterweight | War Machine | def. | Vaughn Anderson | Technical Submission (rear naked choke) | 2 | 4:01 | [b] |
| Welterweight | Rick Hawn | def. | Herman Terrado | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Welterweight | Ron Keslar | def. | Luis Melo | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Welterweight | Brent Weedman | def. | Justin Baesman | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 3:20 | [b] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Bantamweight | Travis Marx | def. | Brandon Bender | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 4:28 | [c] |
| Lightweight | LaRue Burley | def. | Bubba Jenkins | TKO (punches) | 3 | 3:40 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Clifford Starks | def. | Joe Yager | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Liam McGeary | def. | Beau Tribolet | KO (punches) | 1 | 0:27 | |
| Heavyweight | Siala-Mou Siliga | def. | Dan Charles | TKO (punches) | 3 | 1:26 | |
| Welterweight | Adam McDonough | def. | Johnny Buck | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 4:51 | |
| Unaired | |||||||
| Lightweight | Efrain Escudero | def. | Zack Surdyka | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Bellator 101
[edit]| Bellator 101 | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 27, 2013 |
| Venue | Rose Garden |
| City | Portland, Oregon |
| Attendance | 2,368 |
| Total gate | $87,568 |
Bellator 101 took place on September 27, 2013 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon.[38] The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 101 featured the Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal bouts.
Rob Sinclair was scheduled to face Rich Clementi in a Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal fight, but on Sept. 9, 2013 had to pull out due to injury and was replaced by Ricardo Tirloni. Marcin Held was originally scheduled to face Tirloni on the preliminary card, and Ryan Healy took the fight as a replacement.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Bantamweight | Joe Warren | def. | Nick Kirk | Submission (reverse triangle armbar) | 2 | 3:03 | [a] |
| Lightweight | Alexander Sarnavskiy | def. | Marcus Davis | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 1:40 | [b] |
| Lightweight | Ricardo Tirloni | def. | Rich Clementi | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Lightweight | Will Brooks | def. | John Alessio | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 30-27, 30-25) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Lightweight | Saad Awad | def. | Martin Stapleton | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 3:46 | [b] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Nathan Coy | def. | Andy Uhrich | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Marcin Held | def. | Ryan Healy | KO (punches) | 1 | 1:12 | |
| Middleweight | Dave Vitkay | def. | Tyson Jeffries | Submission (rear naked choke) | 3 | 3:07 | |
| Lightweight | Brent Primus | def. | Scott Thometz | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 3:48 | |
| Bantamweight | Austin Springer | def. | Zack Skinner | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | Peter Aspenwal | def. | Jeremiah Riggs | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Bellator 102
[edit]| Bellator 102 | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 4, 2013 |
| Venue | Visalia Convention Center |
| City | Visalia, California |
| Attendance | 1,482 |
| Total gate | $73,410 |
Bellator 102 took place on October 4, 2013 at Visalia Convention Center in Visalia, California. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 102 featured the Heavyweight Tournament Semifinals, Middleweight Tournament Semifinals and Summer Series bantamweight tournament final between Anthony Leone and Rafael "Morcego" Silva.
Michael Page and Kenny Ento were scheduled to face each other in a Welterweight bout on this card. However, on September 30, it was announced that Page was injured and both he and Ento were removed from the card.[39]
Perry Filkins was to face Brennan Ward in the Middleweight Tournament Semifinals. However, he had to pull out due to injury and was replaced by Joe Pacheco.[40]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Heavyweight | Cheick Kongo | def. | Mark Godbeer | TKO (knees and punches) | 2 | 2:04 | [a] |
| Heavyweight | Vinicius Queiroz | def. | Lavar Johnson | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:23 | [a] |
| Bantamweight | Rafael Silva | def. | Anthony Leone | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Mikkel Parlo | def. | Jason Butcher | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Middleweight | Brennan Ward | def. | Joe Pacheco | Submission (guillotine choke) | 2 | 2:41 | [c] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Featherweight | Scott Cleve | def. | Isaac DeJesus | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 3:14 | |
| Heavyweight | Javy Ayala | def. | Thiago Santos | KO (punches) | 1 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Brandon Girtz | def. | Poppies Martinez | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 1:20 | |
| Catchweight (165 lb) | Stephen Martinez | def. | Bryan Travers | Technical submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 0:56 | |
| Lightweight | Cain Carrizosa | def. | Juan Quesada | Submission (triangle choke) | 2 | 4:51 | |
| Heavyweight | Brandon Cash | def. | William Richey | TKO (exhaustion) | 2 | 5:00 | |
Bellator 103
[edit]| Bellator 103 | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 11, 2013 |
| Venue | Kansas Star Arena |
| City | Mulvane, Kansas |
Bellator 103 took place on October 11, 2013 at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 103 featured the Featherweight Tournament Semifinal bouts.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Featherweight | Patricio Freire | def. | Fabricio Guerreiro | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Featherweight | Justin Wilcox | def. | Joe Taimanglo | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Lightweight | David Rickels | def. | J.J. Ambrose | TKO (punches) | 3 | 2:37 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Mikhail Zayats | def. | Aaron Rosa | Submission (kimura) | 1 | 0:47 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Light Heavyweight | Carlos Eduardo | def. | Wayman Carter | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 2:06 | |
| Lightweight | Remy Bussieres | def. | Blake Pool | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Maurice Jackson | def. | Matt Uhde | TKO (cut) | 1 | 0:52 | |
| Lightweight | Donnie Bell | def. | Marcio Navarro | Submission (rear neck crank) | 1 | 2:06 | |
| Bantamweight | Jeimeson Saudino | def. | Jesse Thornton | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (150 lb) | Ricky Musgrave | def. | Cody Carrillo | Submission (kimura) | 1 | 2:59 | |
Bellator 104
[edit]| Bellator 104 | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 18, 2013 |
| Venue | U.S. Cellular Center |
| City | Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
Bellator 104 took place on October 18, 2013 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 104 featured the Welterweight Tournament Semifinal bouts.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Rick Hawn | def. | Brent Weedman | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Welterweight | Ron Keslar | def. | War Machine | Technical Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 3:31 | [a] |
| Middleweight | Kendall Grove | def. | Joe Vedepo | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Peter Graham | def. | Eric Prindle | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Paul Bradley | def. | Karl Amoussou | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Paul Sass | def. | Rod Montoya | Submission (toe hold) | 1 | 2:01 | |
| Catchweight (150 lb) | Rob Emerson | def. | Jared Downing | Submission (inverted heel hook) | 1 | 1:44 | |
| Catchweight (160 lb) | Brandon Girtz | def. | Mike Estus | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 4:25 | |
| Catchweight (161 lb) | Cliff Wright | def. | Derek Loffer | Submission (armbar) | 2 | 4:28 | |
| Featherweight | Andre Tieva | def. | Chris Lane | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:20 | |
Bellator 105
[edit]| Bellator 105 | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 25, 2013 |
| Venue | Santa Ana Star Center |
| City | Rio Rancho, New Mexico |
Bellator 105 took place on October 25, 2013 at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 105 featured the Lightweight Tournament Semifinal bouts.
Eugene Fadiora was initially scheduled to face Andreas Spang. However, Spang was removed from the card and replaced by Keith Berry.
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Lightweight | Will Brooks | def. | Saad Awad | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Lightweight | Alexander Sarnavskiy | def. | Ricardo Tirloni | Submission (triangle choke) | 1 | 1:08 | [a] |
| Heavyweight | Siala-Mou Siliga | def. | Ron Sparks | Submission (keylock) | 1 | 2:52 | |
| Middleweight | Eugene Fadiora | def. | Keith Berry | TKO (elbows) | 2 | 4:19 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Featherweight | Desmond Green | def. | Angelo Sanchez | TKO (cut) | 2 | 1:04 | [b] |
| Heavyweight | Raphael Butler | def. | Joseph Bryant | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 1:04 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Volkan Oezdemir | def. | Josh Lanier | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 3:13 | |
| Bantamweight | Luis Nogueira | def. | Frank Baca | Submission (arm triangle choke) | 1 | 4:41 | |
| Middleweight | Eddie Larrea | def. | Rocky Ramirez | Submission (heel hook) | 2 | 1:45 | |
| Bantamweight | Steve Garcia | def. | Shawn Bunch | TKO (punches) | 3 | 3:29 | |
| Unaired | |||||||
| Bantamweight | Jesse Brock | def. | Adrian Cruz | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Bellator 106
[edit]| Bellator 106 | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 2, 2013 |
| Venue | Convention and Entertainment Center |
| City | Long Beach, California |
| Attendance | 6,596 |
| Total gate | $350,319 |
Bellator 106 took place on November 2, 2013 at Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California. The event aired live on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 106 was to be Bellator's first ever pay-per-view event and was expected to be headlined by a Light Heavyweight bout between Tito Ortiz and Quinton Jackson, both of whom would have been making their promotional debuts.[41] However, on October 25, it was announced that Ortiz was out of the bout due to injury. Subsequently, Bellator announced that the show would air on Spike TV rather that PPV.[42]
The main event featured a Lightweight title rematch between the current champion Michael Chandler and former champion Eddie Alvarez. Chandler defeated Alvarez via fourth round submission in their original bout back at Bellator 58.[43]
The Heavyweight tournament final between Cheick Kongo and Vinicius Queiroz was originally scheduled for this card. However, an injury to Queiroz forced it off the card and it will be rescheduled on a future show.[44]
Results
| Main card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Lightweight | Eddie Alvarez | def. | Michael Chandler (c) | Decision (split) (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Light Heavyweight | Emanuel Newton | def. | Muhammed Lawal | Decision (unanimous) (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) | 5 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Featherweight | Daniel Mason-Straus | def. | Pat Curran (c) | Decision (unanimous) (49-45, 48-46, 48-46) | 5 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Welterweight | Joe Riggs | def. | Mike Bronzoulis | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [d] |
| Featherweight | Mike Richman | def. | Akop Stepanyan | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:05 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Cristiano Souza | def. | Alejandro Garcia | Submission (rear naked choke) | 3 | 3:06 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Brandon Halsey | def. | Hector Ramirez | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:52 | |
| Lightweight | Mike Guymon | def. | Aaron Miller | Submission (triangle choke) | 2 | 4:20 | |
| Catchweight (150 lb) | Cleber Luciano | def. | Joe Camacho | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Josh Smith | def. | Darren Smith | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Unaired | |||||||
| Welterweight | Jesse Juarez | def. | Joe Williams | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 0:57 | |
- ^ For Lightweight Championship
- ^ For Interim Light Heavyweight Championship
- ^ For Featherweight Championship
- ^ Fight Master Welterweight Final
Bellator 107
[edit]| Bellator 107 | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 8, 2013 |
| Venue | WinStar World Casino |
| City | Thackerville, Oklahoma |
Bellator 107 took place on November 8, 2013 at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 107 featured the Heavyweight Tournament final, Middleweight Tournament final and Bantamweight Tournament final.
Cheick Kongo was originally scheduled to face Vinicius Queiroz in the Heavyweight tournament finals, but Queiroz withdrew due to a knee injury.[44] He was replaced by Peter Graham.[45]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Heavyweight | Cheick Kongo | def. | Peter Graham | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Bantamweight | Joe Warren | def. | Travis Marx | TKO (knee and punches) | 2 | 1:54 | [b] |
| Middleweight | Brennan Ward | def. | Mikkel Parlo | TKO (punches) | 2 | 1:39 | [c] |
| Catchweight (157 lb) | Derek Campos | def. | Martin Stapleton | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Lightweight | Patricky Freire | def. | Edson Berto | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | Jonas Billstein | def. | Cortez Coleman | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Mike Mucitelli | def. | Ryan McCurdy | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Raphael Butler | def. | Josh Burns | Verbal submission (punches) | 1 | 2:14 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Linton Vassell | def. | Matt Jones | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Unaired | |||||||
| Catchweight (156 lb) | Chris Jones | def. | Robert White | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Bellator 108
[edit]| Bellator 108 | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 15, 2013 |
| Venue | Revel Casino |
| City | Atlantic City, New Jersey |
Bellator 108 took place on November 15, 2013 at Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey[46] The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 108 featured the Featherweight Tournament Finals.
Heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov made the first defense of his title against Vitaly Minakov on this show in the co-main event.
The card featured the Bellator debut of Quinton Jackson following the cancellation of his bout against Tito Ortiz. He faced Bellator and UFC veteran Joey Beltran in the main event.[47]
Nah-Shon Burrell was originally scheduled to face Dante Rivera on this card. However, he was rescheduled to face Jesus Martinez due to undisclosed reasons.[48]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Catchweight (210 lb) | Quinton Jackson | def. | Joey Beltran | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:59 | |
| Heavyweight | Vitaly Minakov | def. | Alexander Volkov (c) | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:57 | [a] |
| Bantamweight | Marcos Galvao | def. | Tom McKenna | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:29 | |
| Featherweight | Patricio Freire | def. | Justin Wilcox | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:23 | [b] |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Catchweight (174 lb) | Sam Oropeza | def. | Chip Moraza-Pollard | TKO (punches) | 1 | 0:37 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Tom DeBlass | def. | Jason Lambert | KO (punch) | 1 | 1:45 | |
| Catchweight (180 lb) | Nah-Shon Burrell | def. | Jesus Martinez | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (150 lb) | Anthony Morrison | def. | Kenny Foster | Majority decision (28-28, 29-27, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Light Heavyweight | Liam McGeary | def. | Najim Wali | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 1:31 | |
| Featherweight | Will Martinez | def. | Kevin Roddy | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 3:50 | |
| Featherweight | Dan Matala | def. | Ryan Cafaro | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 3:52 | |
| Bantamweight | Rob Sullivan | def. | Sergio da Silva | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Bellator 109
[edit]| Bellator 109 | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 22, 2013 |
| Venue | Sands Casino Event Center |
| City | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
Bellator 109 took place on November 22, 2013 at Sands Casino Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV.
Background
Bellator 109 featured the 2013 Season 9 Welterweight and Lightweight Tournament Finals.
Michael Page and Andrew Osbourne were slated to face each other in a Welterweight bout on this card but the fight was scrapped due to Page recovering from lingering injuries.[49]
Matt Riddle was expected to come out of his 3-week retirement to fight Nathan Coy at this event. However, he pulled out of the bout on November 13, 2013.[50]
Results
| Main Card (Spike TV) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Middleweight | Alexander Shlemenko (c) | def. | Doug Marshall | KO (punch to the body) | 1 | 4:28 | [a] |
| Welterweight | Rick Hawn | def. | Ron Keslar | KO (punch) | 3 | 0:55 | [b] |
| Lightweight | Will Brooks | def. | Alexander Sarnavskiy | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Lightweight | Terry Etim | def. | Patrick Cenoble | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 29-28, 30-26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary Card (Spike.com) | |||||||
| Lightweight | Mike Bannon | def. | Ahsan Abdulla | Technical submission (arm triangle choke) | 1 | 1:51 | |
| Heavyweight | Blagoy Ivanov | def. | Keith Bell | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 3:59 | |
| Catchweight (153 lb) | Goiti Yamauchi | def. | Saul Almeida | KO (punches) | 1 | 2:04 | |
| Lightweight | Bubba Jenkins | def. | Ian Rammel | TKO (punches) | 3 | 2:38 | |
| Lightweight | Brent Primus | def. | Brett Glass | Submission (rear naked choke) | 1 | 3:20 | |
| Featherweight | Lester Caslow | def. | Jay Haas | Submission (guillotine choke) | 3 | 2:44 | |
Tournaments
[edit]Heavyweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| TKO | |||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
| UD | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| KO | |||||||||
| 1 | |||||||||
- (*) Replaced Vinicius Queiroz
Middleweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
- (*) Replaced Andreas Spang
- (**) Replaced Dan Cramer
- (***) Replaced Perry Filkins
Welterweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| KO | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| SD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
- (*) Replaced Matt Riddle
- (**) Replaced Mark Scanlon
Lightweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
- (*) Replaced Rob Sinclair
Featherweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| KO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| TKO | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| SUB | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| UD | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
- (*) Replaced Shahbulat Shamhalaev
Bantamweight tournament bracket
[edit]| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| SUB | |||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
| TKO | |||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
| TKO | |||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Bellator Premieres Jan. 17th on Spike, Announces Lineups for First Two Cards". MMAjunkie.com. December 11, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
- ^ "Bellator Season 8: Creating 8-Man Tournaments in Every Division". bleacherreport.com. December 1, 2012.
- ^ "Viacom Purchases Bellator, Spike Will Air Starting 2013". Spike.com. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ "Spike TV Presents "Bellator: Vote For The Fight"". bellator.com. December 1, 2012. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013.
- ^ "War Machine Suffers Broken Leg, Out Of Planned Bellator Fight With Paul Daley". mmaconvert.com. December 7, 2012.
- ^ "Awad replaces injured Freire, Woodard-Rickles likely new Bellator 87 headliner". MMAjunkie.com. January 30, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ a b "Maiquel Falcao meets Alexander Shlemenko for middleweight title at Bellator 88". MMAjunkie.com. December 14, 2012.
- ^ a b "Bellator 89 official for Feb. 14 in Charlotte with Dantas-Galvao main event". MMAjunkie. December 21, 2012.
- ^ "History in the making at Bellator 89: Dantas vs. Galvao - teammate vs. teammate for a world title". bloodyelbow.com. February 14, 2013.
- ^ "The Finals Season Seven Featherweight Tournament". Bellator.com. January 4, 2013. Archived from the original on May 29, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- ^ "Bellator 91 features champ Christian M'Pumbu vs. Attila Vegh on Feb. 28 - MMAjunkie". MMAjunkie. January 7, 2013.
- ^ "Marcin Held-Dave Jansen on March 7". espn.go.com.com. January 18, 2013.
- ^ "Injury again delays Held-Jansen lightweight final to Bellator 93". MMAJunkie.com. February 18, 2013.
- ^ "Bellator 93 heads to Maine with welterweight-tourney final". mmajunkie.com.com. February 1, 2013. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013.
- ^ "$100,000 Lightweight Tournament Final Headlines as Marcin Held Battles Dave Jansen March 21st From Maine's Androscoggin Colisee". Bellator.com. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on May 29, 2011.
- ^ "Bellator's Douglas Lima Breaks Hand, Tourney Final With Saunders Moves To Summer". mmajunkie.com. March 5, 2013.
- ^ "Bellator 94 heads to Florida on March 28 with tourney finals, Jessica Aguilar". mmajunkie.com.com. February 15, 2013.
- ^ "Pat Curran vs. Daniel Straus Headlines April 4 Bellator Card". mmaweekly.com.com. February 6, 2013.
- ^ "Broken hand cancels Daniel Straus' title fight with Pat Curran at Bellator 95". mmajunkie.com. February 26, 2013.
- ^ "With Straus out, champ Pat Curran meets Shahbulat Shamhalaev at Bellator 95". mmajunkie.com. February 27, 2013.
- ^ "Jessica Eye Suffers Back Injury, Out Of Bellator 95 Bout On April 4". MMARising.com. March 24, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
- ^ "Bellator books June 19 summer series start with King Mo, reality show to debut next night". mmafighting.com. April 23, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
- ^ "Welterweights War Machine, Blas Avena to Collide June 19 at Bellator 96 in Oklahoma". Sherdog.com. April 26, 2013.
- ^ "Dave Jansen off Bellator 96, David Rickels meets Michael Chandler at Bellator 97". mmajunkie.com. June 2, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
- ^ "Queiroz off Bellator 96, Ryan Martinez meets Rich Hale in heavyweight tourney". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
- ^ "Source: Douglas Lima Injured, Scratched from Ben Saunders Rematch at Bellator 97". sherdog.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ "Rob Emerson injured, Patricio Pitbull now faces Jared Downing at Bellator 97". theMMAreport.com. July 12, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
- ^ Mohegan Sun Arena (September 7, 2013). "Bellator MMA - Bellator 98". Sherdog.com. Uncasville, Connecticut, United States. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ a b Erickson, Matt (August 19, 2013). "Brett Cooper replaces Doug Marshall, faces champ Shlemenko at Bellator 98". MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Saturday's 'Fight Master' finale bout postponed - Counter Punch - SI.com". Mma-boxing.si.com. September 3, 2013. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ Erickson, Matt (September 6, 2013). "Andreas Spang ruled out of Bellator 98, Justin Torrey meets Brennan Ward". MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Bellator MMA - Bellator 99". Sherdog.com. September 13, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Bellator 99 Full Fight Card Released; Houston Alexander Steps In to Face Vladimir Matyushenko". MMAWeekly.com. August 18, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Shahbulat Shamhalaev Withdraws from Featherweight Tournament, Justin Wilcox Now Faces Akop Stepanyan September 13th from Pechanga Resort - Bellator MMA". www.bellator.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ "Derek Loffer vs. Mario Navarro, Bellator 99 | MMA Bout Page". Tapology. September 13, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Bellator MMA - Bellator 100". Sherdog.com. September 20, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Keslar replaces Matt Riddle at Bellator 100". MMA Fighting. September 16, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ Rose Garden (September 27, 2013). "Bellator MMA - Bellator 101". Sherdog.com. Portland, Oregon, United States. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Michael Page Injured, Bellator 102 Bout with Kenny Ento Removed from Friday's Card". Sherdog.com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
- ^ "Perry Filkins suffers injury, out of Bellator Tournament". Mass-MMA.com. September 25, 2013. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ Erickson, Matt (August 1, 2013). "Tito Ortiz signs with Bellator, meets 'Rampage' Jackson on pay-per-view Nov. 2". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Tito Ortiz out with neck fracture, Bellator 106 moves from PPV to Spike TV". Mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
- ^ Erickson, Matt (August 13, 2013). "Eddie Alvarez and Bellator mend fences, book Michael Chandler rematch for PPV". MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ a b "Injury knocks Vinicius Queiroz from Bellator 107 and tourney final vs. Kongo". Mmajunkie.com. October 27, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
- ^ "With Vinicius Spartan injured, Cheick Kongo now meets Peter Graham in heavyweight tournament final at Bellator 107". The MMA Report. October 29, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Bellator MMA - Bellator 108". Sherdog.com. November 15, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ Erickson, Matt (October 30, 2013). "'Rampage' Jackson vs. Joey Beltran headlines Bellator 108 on Nov. 15". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Jesus Martinez fills in against Nah-Shon Burrell at Bellator 108 | NJ MMA News". njmmanews.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ "Michael Page out of Bellator 109 with an injury". The MMA Report. November 12, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^ "Matt Riddle pulls out of Bellator 109 bout with Nathan Coy". Bloody Elbow. November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
External links
[edit]2013 in Bellator MMA
View on GrokipediaSeason 8 Events
Bellator 85
Bellator 85 marked the premiere event of Bellator MMA's Season 8, held on January 17, 2013, at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, California. The card featured two championship bouts alongside the opening quarterfinals of the season's light heavyweight tournament, highlighting the promotion's shift to a new broadcast home on Spike TV. This debut airing drew 938,000 viewers, peaking at 1.2 million during the opening segment, significantly surpassing the average of 155,000–230,000 from prior MTV2 seasons.[11] The main event saw undefeated lightweight champion Michael Chandler defend his title against Rick Hawn in a high-stakes clash. Chandler, entering with an 11-0 record, overcame an early takedown attempt by Hawn to dominate with superior wrestling and striking. In round two, Chandler secured a rear-naked choke submission at 3:07, retaining the belt and extending his unbeaten streak while solidifying his status as a top lightweight contender. Hawn, a former tournament winner, absorbed significant damage but showed resilience before tapping; the victory propelled Chandler toward future high-profile defenses.[12][13] The co-main event pitted featherweight champion Pat Curran against Patricio "Pitbull" Freire in a rematch for the title. Curran edged out a split decision victory (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) after five rounds of intense exchanges, retaining his championship amid controversy over the close scoring. Freire's aggressive pressure tested Curran, but the champion's volume striking and takedown defense proved decisive, setting up ongoing rivalry implications. This bout peaked at 1.1 million viewers, underscoring its draw.[14][15] The event also launched Season 8's light heavyweight tournament with three quarterfinal bouts on the main card. Russian striker Mikhail Zayats advanced via first-round TKO (punches) against veteran Renato Sobral at 4:49, overwhelming the Brazilian with ground-and-pound after a scramble. Jacob Noe secured a quick TKO win over Seth Petruzelli at 2:51 of round one, capitalizing on strikes in the clinch to advance. Emanuel Newton progressed by submitting Atanas Djambazov with a rear-naked choke (noted as bulldog choke in some reports) at 2:21 of round two, showcasing his grappling prowess. These victories positioned Zayats, Noe, and Newton for the semifinals, injecting fresh talent into Bellator's 205-pound division.[14] The preliminary card featured a mix of regional prospects and veterans, streamed on Spike.com before transitioning to the main broadcast. Key highlights included Savant Young's second-round knockout of Michael Guymon at 0:48, a clean punch that dropped the UFC veteran and highlighted Young's power. Jason Lambert submitted Hector Ramirez via armbar in round one at 3:59, while J.J. Ambrose claimed a guillotine choke over Brian Warren at 0:50 of round two. Other decisions rounded out the night, with Aaron Miller taking a unanimous nod over Joe Camacho, Cleber Luciano defeating Mario Navarro unanimously, and Joe Williams earning a first-round TKO against Jamie Yager at 4:02.| Fight | Weight Class | Result | Method/Round/Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Chandler vs. Rick Hawn | Lightweight (Title) | Chandler def. Hawn | Submission (rear-naked choke), R2, 3:07 | Main event; Chandler retains title |
| Pat Curran vs. Patricio Freire | Featherweight (Title) | Curran def. Freire | Split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47), R5, 5:00 | Co-main event; Curran retains title |
| Mikhail Zayats vs. Renato Sobral | Light Heavyweight (Tournament Quarterfinal) | Zayats def. Sobral | TKO (punches), R1, 4:49 | Tournament advancement |
| Jacob Noe vs. Seth Petruzelli | Light Heavyweight (Tournament Quarterfinal) | Noe def. Petruzelli | TKO (punches), R1, 2:51 | Tournament advancement |
| Emanuel Newton vs. Atanas Djambazov | Light Heavyweight (Tournament Quarterfinal) | Newton def. Djambazov | Submission (rear-naked choke), R2, 2:21 | Tournament advancement |
| Savant Young vs. Michael Guymon | Welterweight | Young def. Guymon | KO (punch), R2, 0:48 | Prelim highlight |
| Jason Lambert vs. Hector Ramirez | Light Heavyweight | Lambert def. Ramirez | Submission (armbar), R1, 3:59 | Prelim |
| J.J. Ambrose vs. Brian Warren | Welterweight | Ambrose def. Warren | Submission (guillotine choke), R2, 0:50 | Prelim |
| Aaron Miller vs. Joe Camacho | Featherweight | Miller def. Camacho | Unanimous decision (30-27 x3), R3, 5:00 | Prelim |
| Cleber Luciano vs. Mario Navarro | Featherweight | Luciano def. Navarro | Unanimous decision (30-27 x3), R3, 5:00 | Prelim opener |
| Joe Williams vs. Jamie Yager | Middleweight | Williams def. Yager | TKO (punches), R1, 4:02 | Prelim |
Bellator 86
Bellator 86 marked the opening of the Season 8 welterweight tournament quarterfinals, held as a dedicated tournament night to kick off the promotion's annual single-elimination format for determining a challenger to the welterweight title.[16] The event took place on January 24, 2013, at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, drawing a crowd for its mix of high-stakes tournament action and a championship main event.[17] In line with Bellator's Season 8 structure, the four quarterfinal bouts were contested in a single night under standard three-round rules, with winners advancing to semifinals later in the season to compete for a $100,000 grand prize and a title shot against champion Ben Askren.[18] The welterweight quarterfinals showcased a blend of striking power, grappling prowess, and veteran experience among the eight competitors. Douglas Lima, a Brazilian knockout artist with a background in Muay Thai and prior Bellator tournament success, faced Michail Tsarev, a Russian fighter known for his aggressive wrestling style and regional European circuit wins. Lima dominated early with precise leg kicks that compromised Tsarev's mobility, leading to a technical knockout stoppage at 1:44 of the second round when Tsarev could no longer continue due to leg damage.[16] In the next bout, Ben Saunders, an American southpaw with exceptional reach and a history of UFC and Strikeforce appearances, outpointed Koffi Adzitso, a Togolese-American grappler relying on submissions from his judo base. Saunders controlled the standup with jabs and takedown defense over three rounds, earning a unanimous decision victory (30-27 on all cards).[16] The co-main tournament fight pitted Brent Weedman, a former Marine and NCAA Division I wrestler with multiple Bellator appearances, against Marius Zaromskis, a Lithuanian striking specialist and former Bellator lightweight champion transitioning to welterweight. Weedman used his wrestling to neutralize Zaromskis' kicks and counters, grinding out a unanimous decision (29-28 across the board) through persistent takedowns and top control.[16] Rounding out the quarterfinals on the preliminary card, Raul Amaya, an undefeated American prospect with a boxing-heavy background from regional promotions, overwhelmed Jose Gomes, a Brazilian veteran with extensive South American fight experience. Amaya swarmed with punches early, securing a first-round TKO at 3:12. These victories positioned Lima, Saunders, Weedman, and Amaya in the Season 8 welterweight bracket semifinals.[19] Beyond the tournament, the main event featured welterweight champion Ben Askren defending his title against Karl Amoussou, a French grappler with strong Brazilian jiu-jitsu credentials and prior Bellator tournament experience. Askren, an elite wrestler and undefeated at the time, dictated the pace with repeated takedowns and ground-and-pound, forcing a doctor stoppage at the end of the third round due to cuts on Amoussou.[18] In a non-title light heavyweight bout, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, a former Strikeforce champion making his Bellator debut with Olympic wrestling pedigree, quickly dispatched Przemyslaw Mysiala, a Polish kickboxer, via knockout punch at 3:52 of the first round.[19] Preliminary non-tournament fights provided additional highlights, including Cortez Coleman's unanimous decision win (29-28 x3) over Matt Jones in a middleweight clash, where Coleman's pressure fighting edged out Jones' counterstriking.[16] Jason Sampson submitted Chris Pham with an armbar at 4:55 of the third round in a catchweight bout, capitalizing on a grappling exchange.[16] Damon Jackson finished Zach Church via rear-naked choke at 2:43 of the second in a lightweight opener, showcasing his submission skills after a competitive first round.[16] The card opened with Hunter Tucker's second-round guillotine choke submission of Javier Obregon at 3:17 in a featherweight matchup.[20]Bellator 87
Bellator 87 took place on January 31, 2013, at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, marking the second event of Bellator MMA's Season 8 and featuring the quarterfinals of the lightweight tournament.[21] The event aired live on Spike TV, drawing an average of 705,000 viewers and contributing to Bellator's efforts to build a stronger presence in the Midwest region through partnerships with local venues like the Soaring Eagle Casino.[22] This tournament followed the lightweight division's ongoing developments earlier in the season, aiming to identify top contenders.[23] The lightweight quarterfinals showcased four competitive bouts, with winners advancing to the semifinals. In the opening tournament fight, Alexander Sarnavskiy defeated Thiago Michel by submission via rear-naked choke at 3:43 of the second round. The first round saw Sarnavskiy landing early combinations to hurt Michel, followed by a failed takedown attempt countered by Michel's own takedown, but Sarnavskiy controlled the pace for a 10-9 edge; in the second, Sarnavskiy secured a takedown and transitioned to the choke for the finish.[24] Next, Saad Awad quickly dispatched Guillaume DeLorenzi with a knockout via punches just 31 seconds into the first round, landing a powerful left hand followed by ground strikes after DeLorenzi was dropped.[25] Will Brooks then dominated Ricardo Tirloni en route to a unanimous decision victory (30-27 across all judges), using superior striking with jabs and leg kicks, multiple takedowns, and top control throughout three rounds while fending off submission attempts.[24] The main event saw David Rickels edge out Lloyd Woodard by unanimous decision (29-28 across all judges), with Woodard controlling the first round via takedown and strikes (10-9), but Rickels reversing momentum in the second with effective striking and late top position (10-9), and dominating the third with punches and a final takedown (10-9).[25] The undercard featured several preliminary bouts, highlighting regional talent and occasional upsets. Jason Fischer submitted Sevak Magakian with a rear-naked choke at 3:37 of the first round in a lightweight matchup.[25] Karl Etherington earned a TKO victory over Jason Fish due to retirement at 3:45 of the first round in a heavyweight contest, as Fish verbally submitted to strikes.[25] Amir Khillah forced John Schulz to tap via rear-naked choke at 4:34 of the first in a catchweight fight.[21] J.P. Reese outpointed David Shepherd by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in another lightweight preliminary.[25] Sam Quito secured a first-round submission win over Ben Lagman with a kneebar at 3:54 in a welterweight bout.[25] In the night's closest fight, Tony Zelinski defeated Nick Kirk by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27), overcoming Kirk's early pressure in a bantamweight matchup that featured multiple position changes.[25] This event underscored Bellator's strategy to expand its footprint in the Midwest, leveraging the Soaring Eagle Casino's facilities to host a full card that blended tournament excitement with local fighter showcases, fostering greater fan engagement in the region.[26]Bellator 88
Bellator 88 took place on February 7, 2013, at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia, marking the fourth event of Bellator MMA's Season Eight and featuring the promotion's first title fight of the year alongside the opening quarterfinals of the featherweight tournament.[27][28] The event drew a television audience of 807,000 viewers on Spike TV, reflecting steady interest in the promotion's tournament format.[29] The main event pitted Alexander Shlemenko against Maiquel Falcão for the vacant Bellator middleweight championship, a title vacated after champion Hector Lombard signed with the UFC.[30] Shlemenko, a Russian striker known for his knockout power, entered with a 47-7 record, while Falcão, a Brazilian grappling specialist and former tournament finalist, held a 30-5 record.[28] The fight began with Falcão pressing forward aggressively, landing a combination and securing a takedown midway through the first round, where he attempted ground-and-pound from top position. Shlemenko defended effectively, reversing to gain top control and landing short elbows before the round ended with both fighters exchanging strikes on the feet. In the second round, Shlemenko capitalized early with a left hook that rocked Falcão, dropping him to the canvas; he followed with ground strikes, including hammerfists, prompting referee Jason Herzog to stop the bout at 2:18 via TKO (punches). This victory marked Shlemenko's eighth win in Bellator and solidified his reputation as a devastating finisher, earning him the middleweight title in his first championship opportunity since winning the Season Two tournament in 2010.[31][6] The co-main event opened the Season Eight featherweight tournament with Marlon Sandro facing Akop Stepanyan in a closely contested quarterfinal bout. Sandro, a Brazilian veteran returning after a loss in the prior season's tournament, controlled much of the standup with leg kicks and counters, while Stepanyan, an undefeated Russian prospect, pressed with volume striking and a late takedown attempt. The fight went the full 15 minutes, resulting in a majority decision victory for Sandro (29-27, 29-27, 28-28), advancing him to the semifinals despite controversy over the scoring.[27][32] Three additional featherweight quarterfinals highlighted the undercard, showcasing the tournament's depth: Mike Richman knocked out Mitch Jackson with a head kick and punches at 4:57 of the first round; Alexandre Bezerra submitted Genair da Silva via armbar at 1:40 of the first; and Magomedrasul Khasbulaev submitted Fabricio Guerreiro with an arm-triangle choke at 1:15 of the second. These wins positioned Richman, Bezerra, and Khasbulaev for the next stage of the $100,000 grand prize competition.[31][33] The full event card produced nine finishes across 11 bouts, emphasizing Bellator's emphasis on decisive outcomes. Below is a summary of the results:| Bout | Result | Method | Round/Time | Weight Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Shlemenko vs. Maiquel Falcão | Shlemenko def. Falcão | TKO (punches) | R2, 2:18 | Middleweight (Title) |
| Marlon Sandro vs. Akop Stepanyan | Sandro def. Stepanyan | Majority Decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28) | 3R, 15:00 | Featherweight (Tournament QF) |
| Mike Richman vs. Mitch Jackson | Richman def. Jackson | TKO (head kick & punches) | R1, 4:57 | Featherweight (Tournament QF) |
| Alexandre Bezerra vs. Genair da Silva | Bezerra def. da Silva | Submission (armbar) | R1, 1:40 | Featherweight (Tournament QF) |
| Magomedrasul Khasbulaev vs. Fabricio Guerreiro | Khasbulaev def. Guerreiro | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | R2, 1:15 | Featherweight (Tournament QF) |
| Joe Elmore vs. Jerrid Burke | Elmore def. Burke | TKO (punch) | R2, 4:11 | Catchweight (159 lbs) |
| Ronnie Rogers vs. Shane Crenshaw | Rogers def. Crenshaw | Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) | 3R, 15:00 | Catchweight (152 lbs) |
| Clay Harvison vs. Ururahy Rodrigues | Harvison def. Rodrigues | TKO (knee) | R3, 3:34 | Catchweight (160 lbs) |
| George Hickman vs. Stephen Upchurch | Hickman def. Upchurch | Submission (rear-naked choke) | R1, 2:19 | Featherweight |
Bellator 89
Bellator 89 took place on February 14, 2013, at the Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, marking the fourth event of Bellator MMA's Season Eight tournament series. The card was broadcast live on Spike TV for the main event and prelims streamed on Spike.com, featuring a bantamweight title defense alongside the opening quarterfinals of the season's middleweight tournament. This event highlighted intense intra-team dynamics in the championship bout and showcased emerging talents in the 185-pound division as part of the ongoing tournament structure initiated in prior weeks.[34][35] The main event pitted defending bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas against his longtime teammate and training partner Marcos Galvão in a highly anticipated rematch. Dantas, entering with a 14-3 record, retained his title via knockout (punches) at 3:01 of the second round, landing a devastating uppercut that dropped Galvão and prompted a referee stoppage. The victory was particularly emotional for Dantas, who expressed reluctance to fight his friend and coach but affirmed his commitment to defending the belt; Galvão, now 12-6, had previously won the inaugural Bellator bantamweight tournament but fell short in this title challenge. This defense solidified Dantas' dominance in the division, extending his unbeaten streak in Bellator to seven fights.[4][36] The event's co-main and undercard focused on the Season Eight middleweight tournament quarterfinals, with four bouts determining semifinalists in a bracket that continued from earlier events. Dan Cramer advanced with a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) over Brian Rogers after three rounds of grappling exchanges and ground control. Brett Cooper secured his spot via unanimous decision (30-27 x3) against Norman Paraisy, relying on consistent striking and takedown defense to outpoint the French fighter. Doug Marshall delivered a first-round knockout (punch) at 3:03 versus Andreas Spang, landing a powerful right hand that ended the bout abruptly and marked his second consecutive tournament win. Sultan Aliev rounded out the quarterfinals with a unanimous decision (29-28 x3) over Mikkel Parlo, using effective wrestling to neutralize the Dane's submissions. These results set up semifinal matchups including Cramer versus Cooper and Marshall versus Aliev, advancing the tournament's competitive depth with a mix of knockout power and decision-based resilience.[37][34][38] Preliminary bouts added regional flavor, spotlighting local North Carolina talent like lightweight Johnny Buck, who won a unanimous decision over Chris Mierzwiak in a welterweight matchup, and bantamweight Mike Maldonado, who took a unanimous decision from Tim Goodwin. Heavyweight David Mejia also impressed with a first-round TKO of Mont McMullens via punches, while Joe Pacheco notched a second-round TKO over Kyle Bolt in a middleweight non-tournament fight. Aaron Johnson provided a quick finish, submitting Brennan Ward with an armbar just 15 seconds into the first round. Overall, the card drew attention for its blend of title stakes and tournament progression, underscoring Bellator's emphasis on structured brackets during Season Eight.[34][35][39]Bellator 90
Bellator 90 took place on February 21, 2013, at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah, marking a significant stop in Bellator MMA's Season 8 schedule. The event highlighted the final of the previous season's featherweight tournament alongside semifinals in the light heavyweight and welterweight divisions, showcasing emerging talents and advancing tournament brackets toward title opportunities. Broadcast on Spike TV, it drew an average viewership of 737,000, reflecting growing interest in the promotion's tournament format.[40] The main event featured the Bellator Season 7 Featherweight Tournament final between undefeated Russian striker Shahbulat "Assassin" Shamhalaev (11-1-1) and American grappler Rad Martinez (14-2), both advancing from earlier quarterfinal and semifinal victories. Shamhalaev secured the win via knockout punches at 2:12 of the second round, earning a shot at the featherweight title and a $100,000 prize, in a bout praised for its high striking volume and intensity. This victory positioned Shamhalaev as a top contender, though he would later vacate the opportunity due to injury.[41][42] Co-main events included the Bellator Season 8 Light Heavyweight Tournament semifinals, where Emanuel "The Hardcore Kid" Newton (18-7-1) upset favored Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (9-2) with a spinning back fist knockout at 2:35 of the first round, advancing to the final against Mikhail Zayats. In the other light heavyweight semi, Zayats (20-5-1) submitted Jacob "The Psycho" Noe (14-4) via armbar at 3:38 of the first round, leveraging his grappling expertise despite competing above his natural lightweight division. These outcomes set up a highly anticipated light heavyweight final at the subsequent event.[43] The welterweight semifinals also delivered decisive finishes: Douglas "The Phenom" Lima (22-5) knocked out Bryan "The Beast" Baker (19-10) with a punch at 2:34 of the first round, while Ben "Killa" Saunders (17-5-2) ended Raul "Bam Bam" Amaya (12-5-1) via head kick TKO at 2:56 of the opening frame. Both winners progressed to the Season 8 welterweight final, highlighting the tournament's emphasis on explosive striking exchanges. Preliminary bouts, including Shanon Slack's third-round submission of Josh Tyler, rounded out a card with nine finishes out of ten fights, underscoring Bellator's reputation for action-packed events.[44][40]Bellator 91
Bellator 91 took place on February 28, 2013, at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, marking a key event in the promotion's Season Eight schedule.[45] The card featured the light heavyweight championship bout as its main event, alongside tournament semifinals in the middleweight and lightweight divisions.[46] In the headline fight, defending champion Christian M'Pumbu faced Attila Vegh, who had earned his title shot by winning the 2012 Summer Series light heavyweight tournament.[47] The five-round contest saw Vegh dominate with superior wrestling and striking volume, outlanding M'Pumbu throughout while avoiding significant damage.[48] Judges scored the bout 48-47, 49-46, and 50-45 in favor of Vegh, who claimed the vacant title via unanimous decision and advanced the division's competitive landscape.[45] The co-main event highlighted the Season Eight middleweight tournament semifinals, where Alexander Shlemenko met Doug Marshall in a high-stakes matchup.[49] Shlemenko, a former champion, overwhelmed Marshall with aggressive ground-and-pound after securing a takedown, forcing a technical knockout stoppage at 3:31 of the second round.[46] This victory propelled Shlemenko toward the tournament final, underscoring his resilience in the division. The lightweight semifinal also progressed the bracket, as Saad Awad knocked out Will Brooks with punches at 1:38 of the first round, setting up further tournament developments.[45]Bellator 92
Bellator 92 took place on March 7, 2013, at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California.[50] The event marked the semifinals of the Season 8 featherweight and middleweight tournaments, with the winners advancing to the finals for a shot at the respective division titles.[51] It drew 741,000 viewers on Spike TV for the main card broadcast.[52] The featherweight semifinals featured undefeated Russian prospect Magomedrasul Khasbulaev against Brazilian veteran Marlon Sandro. Khasbulaev overcame an early grappling disadvantage to secure a TKO victory via punches at 2:38 of the third round, advancing to the final.[51] In the other featherweight bout, Mike Richman edged out Alexandre Bezerra by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) after a competitive three rounds marked by Richman's late-round striking surge.[53] These results set up a featherweight tournament final between Khasbulaev and Richman, building on the quarterfinal action from earlier Season 8 events.[51] The middleweight semifinals included Doug Marshall versus Sultan Aliev, where Marshall captured a controversial split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) in a back-and-forth striking affair.[54] Brett Cooper then advanced by knocking out Dan Cramer with punches at 3:19 of the third round, positioning himself for a final against Marshall.[51] The tournament structure highlighted Bellator's emphasis on single-night progression toward title opportunities.[55] The preliminary card, streamed live on Spike.com, featured seven bouts across various weight classes.[53] Notable results included Nick Piedmont's quick first-round TKO of Cleber Luciano via punches at 0:55, Ricky Legere Jr.'s second-round rear-naked choke submission over Sabah Homasi at 2:52, and Akop Stepanyan's third-round TKO of Chris Saunders with a body kick and punches at 3:55.[51] Keith Berry submitted Richard Rigmaden via kimura in the first round at 1:31, while Josh Appelt dominated Manny Lara for a unanimous decision (30-24 x3).[50] Aaron Miller won a unanimous decision (30-27 x3) against Shad Smith, and Brandon Halsey claimed a third-round technical submission (arm-triangle choke) over Rocky Ramirez at 0:50.[53]| Fight | Weight Class | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magomedrasul Khasbulaev vs. Marlon Sandro | Featherweight Tournament Semifinal | Khasbulaev def. Sandro | TKO (punches) | 3 / 2:38 |
| Doug Marshall vs. Sultan Aliev | Middleweight Tournament Semifinal | Marshall def. Aliev | Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Brett Cooper vs. Dan Cramer | Middleweight Tournament Semifinal | Cooper def. Cramer | KO (punches) | 3 / 3:19 |
| Mike Richman vs. Alexandre Bezerra | Featherweight Tournament Semifinal | Richman def. Bezerra | Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
Bellator 93
Bellator 93 took place on March 21, 2013, at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine, marking the promotion's return to the state following a successful debut there in 2012.[56] The event was the ninth of Bellator's Season 8 and aired live on Spike TV, drawing an attendance of approximately 3,000 spectators.[57] It featured the delayed final of the Season 7 lightweight tournament alongside non-tournament bouts, including the promotional debut of Michael "Venom" Page. The main event pitted Dave Jansen against Marcin Held in the lightweight tournament final, a matchup originally scheduled for December 2012 but postponed due to Jansen's injury.[58] Jansen, entering with a five-fight winning streak, controlled the standup and grappling exchanges over three rounds, outlanding Held in significant strikes and defending takedown attempts effectively.[59] All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Jansen, awarding him the $100,000 prize and a title shot against lightweight champion Michael Chandler.[56] This victory improved Jansen's record to 19-2, while Held fell to 15-3.[60] The co-main event saw Ryan Martinez knock out veteran Travis Wiuff just 19 seconds into the first round with a left hook and follow-up punches, securing a stunning upset in their heavyweight clash.[61] On the undercard, Michael Page made his Bellator debut with a spectacular 10-second knockout of Ryan Sanders via flying knee and punches in a welterweight bout. Marcus Davis vs. Waachiim Spiritwolf was declared a no contest at 3:05 of the first round due to an inadvertent low blow that prevented Spiritwolf from continuing. Additional bouts included submission wins for Mike Mucitelli (armbar vs. Josh LaBerge, R1 2:48) and Dusty Orbison (guillotine vs. ?), a TKO for Jonathan Lemke (vs. Jesse Erickson, R1 2:50), and a decision victory for Sam Ireland (vs. ?).[62]| Fight | Weight Class | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Jansen vs. Marcin Held | Lightweight Tournament Final | Jansen def. Held | Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Ryan Martinez vs. Travis Wiuff | Heavyweight | Martinez def. Wiuff | KO (Punches) | 1 / 0:19 |
| Michael Page vs. Ryan Sanders | Welterweight | Page def. Sanders | KO (Flying Knee & Punches) | 1 / 0:10 |
| Marcus Davis vs. Waachiim Spiritwolf | Welterweight | No Contest | Low Blow | 1 / 3:05 |
Bellator 94
Bellator 94 was held on March 28, 2013, at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida, marking the conclusion of the Season 8 tournament brackets for both the light heavyweight and lightweight divisions.[64][65] The event featured 11 bouts, with the main card broadcast on MTV2 and Spike.com, drawing a crowd that underscored Bellator's growing presence in the MMA landscape during its eighth season.[66] This multi-final night served as a pivotal moment in the season's narrative, crowning two tournament champions and setting up future title challenges while highlighting the promotion's one-night tournament format's intensity. The card also included Bellator's inaugural women's MMA bout. The light heavyweight tournament final pitted Emanuel Newton against Mikhail Zayats, with Newton emerging victorious via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds of striking exchanges and grappling attempts.[67] Newton, who had advanced by defeating Muhammad Lawal in the semifinals at Bellator 90, claimed the $100,000 prize and a shot at the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship, solidifying his status as a top contender in the division.[68] In the lightweight final, David Rickels secured the win over Saad Awad by TKO (punches) at 5:00 of the second round, capitalizing on a late flurry to end the fight dramatically and earn the tournament title along with the $100,000 bonus.[66] Rickels, a fan favorite known for his aggressive style, had progressed through the bracket by upsetting higher-seeded opponents, including Ricardo Suzuki in the semifinals.[2] The undercard included notable bouts that added depth to the event, such as the strawweight matchup between Jessica Aguilar and Felice Herrig, Bellator's first women's fight, which ended in a majority draw (29-28 Aguilar, 28-29 Herrig, 28-28) after a competitive three rounds. Luis Melo advanced with a unanimous decision over Trey Houston in a middleweight bout (30-27 x3). Other results featured Augusto Sakai's second-round KO of Ilei Silva at 4:01 via punches in a heavyweight clash. Overall, Bellator 94's outcomes boosted the promotion's competitive storyline, with both winners advancing toward championship contention in their respective weight classes later in 2013.[69][65]| Fight | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Heavyweight Tournament Final: Emanuel Newton vs. Mikhail Zayats | Newton def. Zayats | Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Lightweight Tournament Final: David Rickels vs. Saad Awad | Rickels def. Awad | TKO (Punches) | 2 / 5:00 |
| Middleweight: Luis Melo vs. Trey Houston | Melo def. Houston | Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Strawweight: Jessica Aguilar vs. Felice Herrig | Aguilar vs. Herrig | Majority Draw (29-28, 28-29, 28-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Heavyweight: Augusto Sakai vs. Ilei Silva | Sakai def. Silva | KO (Punches) | 2 / 4:01 |
Bellator 95
Bellator 95 took place on April 4, 2013, at the Ovation Hall in the Revel Resort & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[70] The event served as the finale for Bellator MMA's Season 8 tournament series, featuring the featherweight tournament final alongside a featherweight title defense in the main event. Broadcast live on Spike TV, it drew an average of 901,000 viewers, marking a strong conclusion to the season.[71] In the main event, featherweight champion Pat Curran defended his title against Shahbulat Shamhalaev, the winner of the Season 7 featherweight tournament who had earned his shot through a series of victories. Curran quickly overwhelmed Shamhalaev with grappling pressure, securing a technical submission via guillotine choke at 2:38 of the first round, improving his record to 19-5 while retaining the belt.[72] This victory solidified Curran's dominance in the division following his earlier recapture of the title in Season 7. The co-main event pitted Season 8 featherweight tournament finalists Magomedrasul Khasbulaev against Mike Richman. Khasbulaev controlled the fight with superior wrestling and striking, earning a unanimous decision victory (30-27 on all cards) to claim the $100,000 prize and tournament crown, advancing his record to 23-5-1.[73][74] The main card also included a middleweight showcase bout where Doug Marshall knocked out Brett Cooper with a punch at 3:39 of the first round, positioning Marshall for a future tournament opportunity.[74] In a welterweight clash, Rick Hawn defeated Karo Parisyan via TKO (punches) in the second round at 1:55, showcasing Hawn's power punching.[75] The prelims featured several competitive bouts, including Liam McGeary's first-round TKO (punches) over Anton Talamantes at 1:18, Brylan Van Artsdalen's second-round armbar submission of Kevin Roddy at 1:04, and Will Martinez's first-round knockout of Michael Brent Hess at 4:15. Other preliminary results included Jimmie Rivera's unanimous decision win over Brian Kelleher, Phillipe Nover's unanimous decision over Darrell Horcher, Tom DeBlass's second-round TKO (doctor's stoppage) against Carlos Brooks, Sam Oropeza's second-round TKO (elbows) of Shedrick Goodridge, and Lyman Good's unanimous decision over Dante Rivera.[74]| Fight | Weight Class | Result | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Curran vs. Shahbulat Shamhalaev | Featherweight (Title) | Curran def. Shamhalaev | Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) | 1 | 2:38 |
| Magomedrasul Khasbulaev vs. Mike Richman | Featherweight (Tournament Final) | Khasbulaev def. Richman | Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Doug Marshall vs. Brett Cooper | Middleweight | Marshall def. Cooper | KO (Punch) | 1 | 3:39 |
| Rick Hawn vs. Karo Parisyan | Welterweight | Hawn def. Parisyan | TKO (Punches) | 2 | 1:55 |
| Liam McGeary vs. Anton Talamantes | Light Heavyweight | McGeary def. Talamantes | TKO (Punches) | 1 | 1:18 |
| Brylan Van Artsdalen vs. Kevin Roddy | Featherweight | Van Artsdalen def. Roddy | Submission (Armbar) | 2 | 1:04 |
| Will Martinez vs. Michael Brent Hess | Featherweight | Martinez def. Hess | KO (Punches) | 1 | 4:15 |
| Jimmie Rivera vs. Brian Kelleher | Bantamweight | Rivera def. Kelleher | Unanimous Decision | 3 | 5:00 |
| Phillipe Nover vs. Darrell Horcher | Lightweight | Nover def. Horcher | Unanimous Decision | 3 | 5:00 |
| Tom DeBlass vs. Carlos Brooks | Catchweight (185 lbs) | DeBlass def. Brooks | TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | 2 | 5:00 |
| Sam Oropeza vs. Shedrick Goodridge | Catchweight (195 lbs) | Oropeza def. Goodridge | TKO (Elbows) | 2 | 4:22 |
| Lyman Good vs. Dante Rivera | Welterweight | Good def. Rivera | Unanimous Decision | 3 | 5:00 |
Season 8 Tournament Brackets
Light Heavyweight
The Season 8 light heavyweight tournament was an eight-man single-elimination bracket held from January to March 2013, with the winner earning $100,000 and a title shot. Quarterfinals took place across Bellator 85, 86, 87, and 88.| Quarterfinal Matchup | Result | Method | Round/Time | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renato Sobral vs. Mikhail Zayats | Zayats def. Sobral | Submission (armbar) | 2 / 1:51 | Bellator 85[77] |
| Emanuel Newton vs. Carlos Vera | Newton def. Vera | TKO (punches) | 2 / 0:15 | Bellator 86[78] |
| Muhammed Lawal vs. AJ Matthews | Lawal def. Matthews | TKO (punches) | 1 / 2:05 | Bellator 87[79] |
| Jacob Noe vs. Seth Petruzelli | Noe def. Petruzelli | TKO (punches) | 1 / 1:03 | Bellator 88[6] |
Middleweight
The Season 8 middleweight tournament was an eight-man bracket in February-April 2013, amid the vacant title filled by Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 88. Quarterfinals were at Bellator 89 on February 14 in Windsor, Ontario.| Quarterfinal Matchup | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Marshall vs. Andreas Spang | Marshall def. Spang | TKO (punches) | 1 / 4:24 |
| Brett Cooper vs. Aaron Johnson | Cooper def. Johnson | TKO (punches) | 2 / 1:22 |
| Mikkel Parlo vs. Sultan Aliev | Parlo def. Aliev | Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Dan Cramer vs. Brian Rogers | Cramer def. Rogers | Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28 x2) | 3 / 5:00 |
Welterweight
The Season 8 welterweight tournament was an eight-man bracket starting in January 2013, with quarterfinals at Bellator 86 on January 24 in Thackerville, Oklahoma.| Quarterfinal Matchup | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Lima vs. Ben Saunders | Lima def. Saunders | Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Karl Amoussou vs. Marius Zaromskis | Amoussou def. Zaromskis | Submission (guillotine choke) | 2 / 1:41 |
| Ron Keslar vs. David Gomez | Keslar def. Gomez | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 2 / 5:00 |
| Brennan Galar vs. Justin Harrison | Galar def. Harrison | Submission (armbar) | 1 / 2:34 |
Lightweight
The Season 8 lightweight tournament was an eight-man bracket in early 2013, quarterfinals across Bellator 85-88.| Quarterfinal Matchup | Result | Method | Round/Time | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Tirloni vs. Patricky Freire | Freire def. Tirloni | KO (punch) | 1 / 2:49 | Bellator 85[77] |
| Alexander Sarnavskiy vs. Thiago Michel | Sarnavskiy def. Michel | Submission (RNC) | 3 / 2:13 | Bellator 86[78] |
| Saad Awad vs. Lloyd Wilson | Awad def. Wilson | TKO (punches) | 1 / 0:25 | Bellator 87[79] |
| David Rickels vs. John Alessio | Rickels def. Alessio | TKO (punches) | 1 / 2:14 | Bellator 88[6] |
Featherweight
The Season 8 featherweight tournament featured an eight-man bracket in early 2013, with quarterfinals at Bellator 88 on February 7 in McCallum, Texas.| Quarterfinal Matchup | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Richman vs. Bahman Azhari | Richman def. Azhari | TKO (punches) | 1 / 0:20 |
| Akop Stepanyan vs. Rad Martinez | Stepanyan def. Martinez | Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Justin Wilcox vs. Joe Taimanglo | Wilcox def. Taimanglo | Submission (triangle choke) | 1 / 2:37 |
| Desmond Green vs. Genair da Silva | Green def. da Silva | Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) | 3 / 5:00 |
- Bellator 88: Akop Stepanyan def. Rad Martinez by UD
- Mike Richman def. Bahman Azhari by TKO
- Justin Wilcox def. Joe Taimanglo by sub
- Fabrício Guerreiro def. Genair da Silva by UD? Wait, the bracket was 8-man, but some were at other events? Actually, all quarterfinals at Bellator 88 for FW? No.
Summer Series Events
Bellator 96
Bellator 96 was held on June 19, 2013, at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, marking the inaugural event of Bellator MMA's 2013 Summer Series.[84][85] This series introduced a condensed tournament format, featuring one-night opening rounds for the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions, with winners advancing directly to finals at the subsequent event, Bellator 97, for a chance at $100,000 and a title shot.[86] The card consisted of 13 bouts, blending tournament quarterfinals with non-title preliminary matchups, and aired live on MTV2.[87] The event launched the Summer Series heavyweight tournament with two quarterfinal bouts at 265 pounds. Russian prospect Vitaly Minakov dominated Ron Sparks, securing a first-round TKO victory at just 32 seconds via ground-and-pound after a takedown, showcasing his wrestling pedigree from prior Bellator appearances.[88] In the other heavyweight matchup, Ryan Martinez overcame Richard Hale with a swift first-round TKO at 2:19, using punches to finish the veteran after early pressure.[84] These wins propelled Minakov and Martinez to the finals, highlighting the tournament's emphasis on explosive finishes over extended competition.[86] Similarly, the light heavyweight division (205 pounds) saw its opening round contested across the main and co-main events. Headlining was Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal versus Seth Petruzelli, where Lawal rebounded from a prior loss with a devastating first-round knockout at 1:35, landing a standing punch during a scramble to drop his opponent and prompt a referee stoppage.[89] In the co-main, Jacob Noe upset former Strikeforce champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral via third-round TKO at 3:32, overwhelming him with punches after surviving early submission attempts; Sobral announced his retirement immediately following the defeat.[88] Lawal and Noe advanced to determine the division's winner, underscoring the Summer Series' streamlined path to contention.[90] Non-tournament bouts filled the undercard, providing emerging talent exposure. Notable results included Damon Jackson's first-round knockout of Keith Miner at 155 pounds, War Machine's TKO win over Blas Avena at welterweight, and submission victories like Mike Maldonado's rear-naked choke against Chavous Smith in bantamweight action.[84] Decisions rounded out the prelims, with Derek Campos edging Brandon Girtz via unanimous verdict at lightweight and Keith Berry splitting a middleweight decision over Cortez Coleman.[85]| Division | Fight | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Vitaly Minakov vs. Ron Sparks | Minakov def. Sparks | TKO (Punches) | 1 / 0:32 |
| Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Ryan Martinez vs. Richard Hale | Martinez def. Hale | TKO (Punches) | 1 / 2:19 |
| Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal (Main Event) | Muhammed Lawal vs. Seth Petruzelli | Lawal def. Petruzelli | KO (Punch) | 1 / 1:35 |
| Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Jacob Noe vs. Renato Sobral | Noe def. Sobral | TKO (Punches) | 3 / 3:32 |
Bellator 97
Bellator 97 took place on July 31, 2013, at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, marking the conclusion of Bellator MMA's 2013 Summer Series with the heavyweight and light heavyweight tournament finals, alongside bantamweight tournament semifinals. The event aired live on Spike TV and featured a main card headlined by lightweight champion Michael Chandler defending his title against David Rickels, while welterweight champion Ben Askren defended his title against Andrey Koreshkov via TKO (punches) in the fourth round.[92] As part of the Summer Series structure, the tournament bouts determined winners who earned $100,000 prizes and title shot opportunities. In the heavyweight tournament final, Russian prospect Vitaly Minakov defeated Ryan Martinez by TKO (punches) at 4:02 of the third round, maintaining his undefeated record and securing a future shot at the Bellator heavyweight championship. Minakov, who advanced from the quarterfinals at Bellator 96, overwhelmed Martinez with superior striking and ground control throughout the fight. Similarly, in the light heavyweight final, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal won against Jacob Noe by TKO (retirement) at 2:51 of the third round, earning the tournament victory after Noe verbally submitted due to accumulated damage from Lawal's ground-and-pound. Lawal's performance rebounded from an earlier season loss and positioned him for a title challenge against champion Attila Vegh. The bantamweight tournament semifinals saw Brazilian Rafael Silva submit Rodrigo Lima via rear-naked choke at 2:03 of the third round, advancing to the final with his grappling expertise on display. In the other semifinal, Anthony Leone also secured a submission win, tapping out Frank Baca with a rear-naked choke at 1:07 of the third round to join Silva in the tournament final. These victories set up a Brazilian-American matchup for the bantamweight crown later in the series. During the broadcast, Bellator announced its inaugural pay-per-view event for November 2, 2013, at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California, headlined by a light heavyweight clash between former UFC champions Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Tito Ortiz.[93] This revelation highlighted Bellator's expansion ambitions, tying into the promotion's growing roster of high-profile signings.Summer Series Tournament Brackets
Heavyweight
The 2013 Bellator MMA Summer Series heavyweight tournament featured a four-man bracket, with the semifinals at Bellator 96 on June 20 in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The matchups pitted undefeated Russian prospect Vitaly Minakov against Ron Sparks in one semifinal, while Ryan Martinez faced Richard Hale in the other. This format aimed to quickly identify a challenger in the heavyweight division.[94] In the first semifinal, Minakov secured a technical knockout victory via punches over Sparks at 1:14 of the first round, demonstrating his wrestling and striking combination. Martinez followed with a resilient performance, defeating Hale via technical knockout (punches) at 4:15 of the second round after overcoming early pressure.[94] These wins advanced Minakov and Martinez to the tournament final at Bellator 97 on July 31 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[5] In the final, Minakov claimed the $100,000 prize with a dominant technical knockout via punches at 4:02 of the third round against Martinez, solidifying his status as the Summer Series heavyweight winner and setting up a title opportunity later in the year.[5] The tournament highlighted the division's knockout potential, with all three bouts ending in stoppages and emphasizing finishing power in heavyweight matchups.Light Heavyweight
The 2013 Bellator MMA Summer Series light heavyweight tournament featured a four-man bracket, a departure from the eight-man format used in prior seasons, with the opening round held at Bellator 96 on June 20 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In the first semifinal bout, former Strikeforce champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal quickly dispatched Seth Petruzelli via knockout with a punch at 0:30 of the opening round, showcasing his explosive striking power. In the night's co-main event, Jacob Noe overcame veteran Renato "Babalu" Sobral, securing a technical knockout via punches at 3:32 of the third round to advance, marking a resilient performance after an earlier tournament exit in Season 8.[88] The tournament final took place at Bellator 97 on July 31 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, pitting Lawal against Noe for the $100,000 prize and a title opportunity. Lawal dominated the matchup with superior wrestling and ground control, battering Noe with unanswered punches that forced a verbal submission at 2:58 of the third round, earning the technical knockout victory.[5] This win propelled Lawal into contention for the light heavyweight crown, distinct from the Season 8 tournament where Emanuel Newton had claimed victory earlier that year.[66] Lawal's Summer Series success highlighted a high knockout rate in the 205-pound division during the event, with three of the four tournament bouts ending by stoppage, underscoring the bracket's emphasis on finishing ability over decisions.[95]Bantamweight
The year's non-tournament activity included the Summer Series bantamweight draw, a four-man bracket designed to identify additional title challengers amid Dantas' reign. Semifinals occurred at Bellator 97 on July 31, where Brazilian Rafael Silva submitted Rodrigo Lima via rear-naked choke in the third round, advancing with his superior wrestling control.[5] In the co-semifinal, American Anthony Leone submitted Frank Baca via rear-naked choke in the first round, showcasing his ground game to reach the final.[5] The final took place at Bellator 102 on October 4, with Silva defeating Leone by unanimous decision (30-27 x3), earning a future title opportunity through persistent pressure and takedowns.[96] Leone's strong showing positioned him as a viable contender, setting the stage for his later pursuit of the championship.Season 9 Events
Bellator 98
Bellator 98 was held on September 7, 2013, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, marking the opening event of Bellator MMA's Season 9 and featuring the promotion's first pay-per-view broadcast later in the season.[97][98] The card highlighted the kickoff of the Season 9 middleweight tournament quarterfinals, introducing eight fighters competing for a title shot against champion Alexander Shlemenko, while also showcasing a non-title middleweight championship bout as the main event.[99][98] In the main event, middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko defended his title against Brett Cooper in a rematch, retaining the belt via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) after five rounds of intense striking exchanges that saw both fighters bloodied and Shlemenko rocked multiple times.[100][98] The co-main event featured Season 9 middleweight tournament quarterfinal action, where Mikkel Parlo advanced by defeating Brian Rogers via unanimous decision (29-28 x3), earning his spot in the semifinals with effective grappling control.[100][99] Other tournament bouts included Jason Butcher stopping Giva Santana via TKO (punches) in the second round, Brennan Ward securing a TKO (punches) victory over Justin Torrey in the second round, and Perry Filkins submitting Jeremy Kimball with a rear-naked choke in the third round, all advancing the four winners to the tournament semifinals.[100][98] The preliminary card delivered several finishes, including Josh Diekmann's first-round TKO (punches) against Parker Porter in a heavyweight clash, Matt Bessette's first-round knockout of Nick Piedmont in the featherweight division, Ryan Quinn's first-round arm-triangle submission over Brylan Van Artsdalen at lightweight, and Rico DiSciullo's first-round KO (punches and forearms) of Glenn Allaire in the bantamweight bout.[100] A light heavyweight matchup between Mike Mucitelli and Jeff Nader ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke in the first round, while Derek Anderson upset Patricky "Pitbull" Freire via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) in a lightweight non-tournament fight, handing Freire his second straight loss.[100][98] The event served as a launchpad for Season 9, building anticipation for upcoming pay-per-view cards featuring tournament progression and title defenses.[99]| Fight | Weight Class | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Shlemenko vs. Brett Cooper | Middleweight Title | Shlemenko def. Cooper via UD (48-47, 48-47, 48-47), R5, 5:00 |
| Mikkel Parlo vs. Brian Rogers | Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Parlo def. Rogers via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), R3, 5:00 |
| Jason Butcher vs. Giva Santana | Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Butcher def. Santana via TKO (punches), R2, 1:12 |
| Brennan Ward vs. Justin Torrey | Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Ward def. Torrey via TKO (punches), R2, 3:28 |
| Perry Filkins vs. Jeremy Kimball | Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Filkins def. Kimball via Sub (RNC), R3, 4:18 |
| Derek Anderson vs. Patricky Freire | Lightweight | Anderson def. Freire via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), R3, 5:00 |
| Mike Mucitelli vs. Jeff Nader | Light Heavyweight | No Contest (eye poke), R1, 1:30 |
| Ryan Quinn vs. Brylan Van Artsdalen | Lightweight | Quinn def. Van Artsdalen via Sub (arm-triangle), R1, 2:34 |
| Matt Bessette vs. Nick Piedmont | Featherweight | Bessette def. Piedmont via KO (punches), R1, 1:41 |
| Josh Diekmann vs. Parker Porter | Heavyweight | Diekmann def. Porter via TKO (punches), R1, 1:12 |
| Rico DiSciullo vs. Glenn Allaire | Bantamweight | DiSciullo def. Allaire via KO (punches/forearms), R1, 1:21 |
Bellator 99
Bellator 99 took place on September 13, 2013, at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, marking the second event of Bellator MMA's Season 9 and the promotion's debut on Spike TV with an extended three-hour broadcast format.[101] The event highlighted the opening quarterfinal round of the Season 9 featherweight tournament, featuring eight competitors vying for a $100,000 prize and a shot at the division title, with bouts emphasizing a mix of established Bellator veterans and newcomers from other promotions.[102][103] The featherweight tournament quarterfinals delivered decisive outcomes across four bouts. In the main event, former title challenger Patricio "Pitbull" Freire quickly dispatched UFC veteran Diego Nunes—making his promotional debut—with a first-round knockout via punches at 1:19, showcasing Freire's striking power early in the bracket.[101][104] Fabricio Guerreiro outpointed Desmond Green by unanimous decision (29-28 on all cards) in a grinding three-round affair, relying on consistent pressure and takedown defense to advance.[105][102] Justin Wilcox, stepping in on short notice as a replacement for Shahbulat Shamhalaev, secured a technical submission victory over Akop Stepanyan via rear-naked choke in the second round at 2:20, marking an unexpected featherweight entry for the typically lightweight Wilcox.[106][101] Completing the quarterfinals, Joe Taimanglo defeated Andrew Fisher by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), using effective wrestling to control the fight and neutralize Fisher's aggression over three rounds.[107][102] The non-tournament undercard provided additional depth, including a featured light heavyweight clash where veteran Vladimir Matyushenko earned a unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) over newly signed ex-UFC fighter Houston Alexander, highlighting Matyushenko's grappling edge in a competitive three-rounder.[101][108] Other prelim bouts featured up-and-coming talents, such as undefeated Russian prospect Goiti Yamauchi—who made his Bellator debut—submitting Musa Toliver via rear-naked choke in the first round at 1:01, signaling his potential in the featherweight division.[109][110] Blagoy Ivanov also debuted strongly, choking Manny Lara unconscious with a guillotine in 1:17 of the first round in a heavyweight matchup.[105] Virgil Zwicker opened the night with a first-round TKO stoppage of Nick Moghaddam at 3:22 via strikes, while Hector Ramirez dominated Savo Kosic for a unanimous decision (30-27 x3) in light heavyweight action.[101][109] The lone welterweight prelim saw Gavin Sterritt edge Andy Murad by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) in a closely contested bout.[105] Several fighters introduced at Bellator 99 represented key signings for Season 9, bolstering the roster with crossover appeal. Nunes, a former UFC contender, brought high-level experience to the featherweight bracket, while Alexander's addition to the light heavyweight division added veteran UFC pedigree despite his age of 41.[103][108] Yamauchi, a 20-year-old Brazilian prospect with a 10-0 record entering the event, was highlighted as a fresh talent to watch in Bellator's lighter divisions.[110] Ivanov, a Bulgarian judo Olympian, also debuted as a heavyweight signee, emphasizing Bellator's strategy to integrate international athletes into its tournament structure.[105]Bellator 100
Bellator 100 took place on September 20, 2013, at the Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, marking the promotion's 100th event overall.[111][112] The card was headlined by the Season 8 welterweight tournament final between Douglas Lima and Ben Saunders, a rematch from their 2011 encounter where Lima had previously won by knockout.[113] In addition to the final, the event featured four quarterfinal bouts from the Season 9 welterweight tournament, highlighting the promotion's ongoing bracket-style format.[3] Broadcast live on Spike TV, the event drew an average of 700,000 viewers, underscoring its significance as a milestone in Bellator's five-year history.[111] The main event saw Douglas Lima secure the Season 8 welterweight tournament championship with a second-round knockout over Ben Saunders via a highlight-reel head kick at 4:33.[114] Lima, entering with a 10-1 record in Bellator, absorbed early pressure from Saunders before countering effectively, earning $100,000 in tournament prize money and a shot at the welterweight title held by Ben Askren. This victory improved Lima's professional record to 14-4 and solidified his status as a top contender in the division.[115] In the co-main event, War Machine (real name Jon Koppenhaver) advanced in the Season 9 welterweight tournament by submitting Vaughn Anderson with a rear-naked choke in the second round at 4:01.[116] War Machine, making his promotional debut after a controversial UFC tenure, controlled the fight on the ground to notch his first Bellator win.[112] The bout was notable for its intensity, with Anderson defending early takedowns before succumbing to the choke.[3] The Season 9 welterweight quarterfinals produced decisive outcomes across the board. Rick Hawn defeated Herman Terrado by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds of striking exchanges, leveraging his judo background for takedowns and ground control.[113] Brent Weedman submitted Justin Baesman with an armbar in the first round at 3:20, capitalizing on a grappling scramble to advance.[112] Ron Keslar edged out Luis Melo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), surviving a late rally to secure the win in a closely contested stand-up battle.[111] These victories set up the tournament semifinals for later events in the season.[117]| Fight | Weight Class | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Lima vs. Ben Saunders | Welterweight Tournament Final | Lima def. Saunders | KO (head kick) | 2 / 4:33 |
| War Machine vs. Vaughn Anderson | Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal | War Machine def. Anderson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 / 4:01 |
| Rick Hawn vs. Herman Terrado | Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Hawn def. Terrado | Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Brent Weedman vs. Justin Baesman | Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Weedman def. Baesman | Submission (armbar) | 1 / 3:20 |
| Ron Keslar vs. Luis Melo | Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal | Keslar def. Melo | Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
Bellator 101
Bellator 101 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on September 27, 2013, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The event drew 2,368 spectators and generated a gate of $87,568, marking one of Bellator's early efforts to expand its presence on the West Coast through regional bouts and high-profile tournaments. Broadcast live on Spike TV, it highlighted the ongoing Season 9 tournament format, with a focus on the lightweight division's opening round. The card's centerpiece was the quarterfinals of the Season 9 Lightweight Tournament, featuring four bouts that determined the semifinalists in the 155-pound bracket. These matches showcased a mix of submission specialists and grapplers, aligning with Bellator's emphasis on technical MMA skill sets. All winners advanced without significant upsets, setting up competitive semifinals later in the season.| Fighter | Opponent | Result | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Sarnavskiy | Marcus Davis | Win | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 1:40 |
| Will Brooks | John Alessio | Win | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 30-27, 30-25) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Ricardo Tirloni | Rich Clementi | Win | Decision (unanimous) (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Saad Awad | Martin Stapleton | Win | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 3:46 |
Bellator 102
Bellator 102 took place on October 4, 2013, at the Visalia Convention Center in Visalia, California, as part of Bellator MMA's Season 9 tournament series. The event highlighted the heavyweight tournament semifinals, with former UFC fighter Cheick Kongo making his promotional debut against Mark Godbeer, and Vinicius Queiroz facing Lavar Johnson. These bouts determined the finalists for the heavyweight bracket, which had begun earlier in the season with quarterfinals at Bellator 97 and 98. The card also featured middleweight tournament semifinals, advancing Mikkel Parlo and Brennan Ward to the finals. Broadcast live on Spike TV, the event underscored Bellator's strategy of hosting in regional markets to build grassroots appeal.[118] In the heavyweight semifinals, Kongo dominated Godbeer with superior striking, landing knees and punches to secure a TKO victory at 2:04 of the second round, advancing to face Queiroz in the final. Queiroz, meanwhile, ended his co-main event bout swiftly, knocking out Johnson with a punch just 23 seconds into the first round, marking one of the quickest finishes of the night. These results positioned Kongo and Queiroz as the heavyweight tournament finalists, with the winner earning a shot at the season's $100,000 prize and a title opportunity.[119][96] The middleweight semifinals provided contrasting styles, as Parlo outworked undefeated prospect Jason Butcher over three rounds to win a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28), relying on effective grappling and control time. Ward, stepping in on short notice after Perry Filkins' withdrawal, submitted Pacheco via front naked choke at 2:41 of the second round, setting up a highly anticipated final against Parlo. These victories highlighted the depth of Bellator's middleweight division in Season 9, where quarterfinals had featured international talent earlier in the season.[120][119][121] Held in Visalia, a smaller Central California city, the event exemplified Bellator's approach to regional promotions, fostering local fan engagement in non-major markets while maintaining national television exposure. The undercard included non-tournament bouts across various weight classes, contributing to a total of 11 fights.| Fight | Weight Class | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Godbeer | Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal | Kongo def. Godbeer | TKO (knees and punches) | 2 / 2:04 |
| Vinicius Queiroz vs. Lavar Johnson | Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal | Queiroz def. Johnson | KO (punch) | 1 / 0:23 |
| Mikkel Parlo vs. Jason Butcher | Middleweight Tournament Semifinal | Parlo def. Butcher | Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Brennan Ward vs. Joe Pacheco | Middleweight Tournament Semifinal | Ward def. Pacheco | Submission (front naked choke) | 2 / 2:41 |
| Rafael Silva vs. Anthony Leone | Bantamweight | Silva def. Leone | Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Scott Cleve vs. Isaac De Jesus | Featherweight | Cleve def. De Jesus | TKO (punches) | 2 / 3:14 |
| Javy Ayala vs. Thiago Santos | Heavyweight | Ayala def. Santos | KO (punches) | 1 / 5:00 |
| Brandon Girtz vs. Poppies Martinez | Lightweight | Girtz def. Martinez | Submission (armbar) | 1 / 1:20 |
| Stephen Martinez vs. Bryan Travers | Catchweight (155 lbs) | S. Martinez def. Travers | Technical Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 / 0:56 |
| Cain Carrizosa vs. Juan Quesada | Lightweight | Carrizosa def. Quesada | Submission (triangle choke) | 2 / 4:51 |
| Brandon Cash vs. William Richey | Heavyweight | Cash def. Richey | TKO (retirement) | 2 / 5:00 |
Bellator 103
Bellator 103 took place on October 11, 2013, at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas, as part of Bellator MMA's Season 9 tournament series.[122] The event highlighted the featherweight tournament semifinals, featuring high-stakes bouts that advanced competitors toward a shot at the division title held by Pat Curran.[123] Broadcast on Spike TV, the main card showcased two pivotal featherweight matchups, while preliminary fights on MTV2 introduced emerging prospects across multiple weight classes.[124] In the main event, former featherweight champion Patricio "Pitbull" Freire defeated Fabricio Guerreiro by unanimous decision after three rounds, with judges scoring the bout 30-27 across the board.[122] Freire's victory, marked by his superior striking and grappling control, propelled him into the tournament final and positioned him for a potential rematch with champion Pat Curran.[123] The co-main event saw Joe Taimanglo outpoint Justin Wilcox via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27), relying on effective wrestling and ground control to secure his spot in the finals against Freire.[122] These outcomes advanced both winners in the single-elimination bracket, emphasizing the tournament's competitive depth in the 145-pound division.[123] The preliminary card featured a mix of regional talents and prospects, including a first-round submission win for Mikhail Zayats over Aaron Rosa via kimura at 0:47 of the light heavyweight bout.[122] Other notable prelim results included Carlos Eduardo's rear-naked choke victory against Wayman Carter in the light heavyweights and Remy Bussieres' unanimous decision over Blake Pool in the lightweights, highlighting Bellator's investment in developing up-and-coming fighters.[123] The full event comprised 10 bouts, with finishes dominating the undercard through knockouts and submissions.[122]| Bout | Weight Class | Result | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Event: Patricio Freire vs. Fabricio Guerreiro | Featherweight | Patricio Freire def. Fabricio Guerreiro | Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Co-Main: Justin Wilcox vs. Joe Taimanglo | Featherweight | Joe Taimanglo def. Justin Wilcox | Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 |
| David Rickels vs. JJ Ambrose | Lightweight | JJ Ambrose def. David Rickels | TKO (Body Shots) | 3 | 2:37 |
| Mikhail Zayats vs. Aaron Rosa | Light Heavyweight | Mikhail Zayats def. Aaron Rosa | Submission (Kimura) | 1 | 0:47 |
| Carlos Eduardo vs. Wayman Carter | Light Heavyweight | Carlos Eduardo def. Wayman Carter | Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) | 1 | 2:06 |
| Remy Bussieres vs. Blake Pool | Lightweight | Remy Bussieres def. Blake Pool | Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Maurice Jackson vs. Matt Uhde | Heavyweight | Maurice Jackson def. Matt Uhde | TKO (Cut) | 1 | 0:52 |
| Donnie Bell vs. Marcio Navarro | Lightweight | Donnie Bell def. Marcio Navarro | Submission (Neck Crank) | 1 | 2:06 |
| Jeimeson Saudino vs. Jesse Thorton | Bantamweight | Jeimeson Saudino def. Jesse Thorton | Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Ricky Musgrave vs. Cody Carrillo | Catchweight (150 lbs) | Ricky Musgrave def. Cody Carrillo | Submission (Kimura) | 1 | 2:59 |
Bellator 104
Bellator 104 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on October 18, 2013, at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[125] The event marked the semifinals of the organization's Season 9 Welterweight Tournament, showcasing competitive bouts between fighters who had advanced from earlier quarterfinals in the season.[126] Broadcast live on Spike TV, it drew an average viewership of 615,000, underscoring Bellator's growing appeal in the Midwest region through regional events like this one in Iowa.[125] The main event featured welterweight tournament semifinalist Rick Hawn against Brent Weedman in a rematch of their 2012 encounter. Hawn, a former judo Olympian, controlled the standup and grappling exchanges over three rounds to secure a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), advancing to the tournament final.[127] In the co-main event, Ron Keslar faced War Machine (Jon Koppenhaver) in the other welterweight semifinal. Keslar dominated with superior wrestling, securing a technical submission via rear-naked choke at 3:31 of the first round after War Machine verbally submitted.[126] The main card also included non-tournament bouts that highlighted divisional talent. In a middleweight fight, Kendall Grove outpointed Joe Vedepo via unanimous decision (30-27 x3) after three rounds of effective striking and control.[128] Heavyweight contenders Eric Prindle and Peter Graham went the distance, with Graham earning a unanimous decision (29-28 x3) through aggressive pressure and heavier strikes.[125] On the preliminary card, several fights contributed to lightweight division progression. Paul Sass, making his Bellator debut after stints in the UFC, submitted Rod Montoya via toe hold at 2:01 of the first round, signaling his potential impact in the 155-pound class.[126] Additionally, Brandon Girtz forced Mike Estus to verbally submit to an armbar at 4:25 of the first round in a catchweight bout at 160 pounds, further establishing Girtz's submission skills in a lightweight-adjacent matchup.[128]| Fight | Weight Class | Result | Method | Round/Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Hawn vs. Brent Weedman | Welterweight (Tournament Semifinal) | Hawn def. Weedman | Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 | Main event |
| Ron Keslar vs. War Machine | Welterweight (Tournament Semifinal) | Keslar def. War Machine | Technical Submission (RNC) | 1 / 3:31 | Co-main event |
| Kendall Grove vs. Joe Vedepo | Middleweight | Grove def. Vedepo | Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3) | 3 / 5:00 | |
| Peter Graham vs. Eric Prindle | Heavyweight | Graham def. Prindle | Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) | 3 / 5:00 | |
| Paul Bradley vs. Karl Amoussou | Welterweight | Bradley def. Amoussou | Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) | 3 / 5:00 | Prelim |
| Paul Sass vs. Rod Montoya | Lightweight | Sass def. Montoya | Submission (Toe Hold) | 1 / 2:01 | Prelim; Sass debut |
| Rob Emerson vs. Jared Downing | Featherweight | Emerson def. Downing | Submission (Heel Hook) | 1 / 1:44 | Prelim |
| Brandon Girtz vs. Mike Estus | Catchweight (160 lbs) | Girtz def. Estus | Submission (Armbar) | 1 / 4:25 | Prelim |
| Cliff Wright vs. Derek Loffer | Catchweight (160 lbs) | Wright def. Loffer | Submission (Armbar) | 2 / 4:28 | Prelim |
| Andre Tieva vs. Chris Lane | Featherweight | Tieva def. Lane | TKO (Punches) | 1 / 2:14 | Prelim |
Bellator 105
Bellator 105 took place on October 25, 2013, at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, as part of Bellator MMA's Season Nine tournament series. The event was broadcast live on Spike TV, featuring the semifinals of the lightweight tournament alongside several non-tournament bouts. It served as a key stop in the promotion's ongoing lightweight division developments, building momentum ahead of high-profile title contention.[129] The main card highlighted two lightweight tournament semifinal matchups, determining the finalists for the $100,000 grand prize and a shot at title contention. In the headline bout, Will Brooks defeated Saad Awad via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds of competitive striking and grappling exchanges, with Brooks controlling the pace through superior wrestling and ground control. Brooks, who had advanced from the quarterfinals by submitting John McCall, avenged a prior loss and secured his spot in the finals.[130][131] The co-main event saw Alexander Sarnavskiy submit Ricardo Tirloni with a triangle choke at 1:08 of the second round, advancing after a first-round takedown led to dominant grappling positions. Sarnavskiy, undefeated in Bellator at the time, showcased his submission expertise from the quarterfinal victory over Nazareno Malegarie. These results set up a lightweight tournament final between Brooks and Sarnavskiy at Bellator 108.[130][132] Other notable preliminary fights included Siala-Mou "Mighty Mo" Siliga defeating Ron Sparks by TKO (punches) at 0:47 of the second round in a heavyweight clash, marking a strong Bellator debut for the former K-1 champion. In the middleweight division, Eugene Fadiora made his promotional debut with a second-round TKO (punches) over Keith Berry at 4:19. The full card also featured wins for Jesse Brock over Adrian Cruz via unanimous decision and Steve Garcia over Shawn Bunch via TKO (punches) in the first round.[133][131]| Fight | Weight Class | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Brooks vs. Saad Awad | Lightweight Tournament Semifinal | Brooks def. Awad | Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Alexander Sarnavskiy vs. Ricardo Tirloni | Lightweight Tournament Semifinal | Sarnavskiy def. Tirloni | Submission (Triangle Choke) | 2 / 1:08 |
| Siala-Mou Siliga vs. Ron Sparks | Heavyweight | Siliga def. Sparks | TKO (Punches) | 2 / 0:47 |
| Eugene Fadiora vs. Keith Berry | Middleweight | Fadiora def. Berry | TKO (Punches) | 2 / 4:19 |
| Jesse Brock vs. Adrian Cruz | Bantamweight | Brock def. Cruz | Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 / 5:00 |
Bellator 106
Bellator 106 took place on November 2, 2013, at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California. Originally scheduled as Bellator MMA's inaugural pay-per-view event, the card was converted to a free broadcast on Spike TV following the withdrawal of Tito Ortiz due to a neck injury sustained in training. The event featured three bouts on the main card, highlighted by a lightweight title rematch, and drew significant attention as part of Season 9 despite the last-minute changes.[135][93] The main event pitted lightweight champion Michael Chandler against former champion Eddie Alvarez in a highly anticipated rematch of their 2011 encounter, which Chandler had won by fourth-round TKO. Alvarez, returning after a contract dispute and legal battle with the promotion, defeated Chandler via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) after five rounds, reclaiming the title from the defending champion. The fight was praised for its intensity, with both competitors exchanging heavy strikes and takedowns in a back-and-forth war that showcased Alvarez's resilience and striking precision. This outcome marked a pivotal moment for Bellator's lightweight division during Season 9.[136][137] Daniel Straus defeated featherweight champion Pat Curran via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) after five rounds of grappling and striking exchanges to win the title. In the light heavyweight tournament semifinals, Emanuel Newton defeated Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal via unanimous decision (49-46 x3) after five rounds to claim the interim title. The event's prelims, aired on Spike.com, featured wins for fighters like Mike Guymon and Saul Alvarez, contributing to an overall card that emphasized Bellator's tournament format.[138] The cancellation of the planned Quinton Jackson vs. Tito Ortiz co-main event sparked controversy, with Ortiz alleging in a post-injury statement that Bellator had prematurely announced his withdrawal without his full consent, leading to public disputes over the promotion's handling of the situation. Jackson, who did not compete, later expressed frustration over the buildup and lost opportunity, highlighting tensions in Bellator's push into pay-per-view territory. Despite the setback, the event's focus on the Alvarez-Chandler rematch provided a competitive highlight, tying into the ongoing Season 9 lightweight tournament by reestablishing division hierarchy ahead of further bracket developments.[139]Bellator 107
Bellator 107 took place on November 8, 2013, at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, marking the tenth event of Bellator MMA's Season 9 and featuring the finals of the promotion's heavyweight, middleweight, and bantamweight tournaments.[140][141] The event aired live on Spike TV, following the high-profile pay-per-view of Bellator 106 where Eddie Alvarez reclaimed the lightweight title, and contributed to sustained viewer interest in the ongoing season.[142] It drew an average of 683,000 viewers, with DVR ratings increasing the total to 782,000, reflecting post-PPV momentum though below the 1.1 million from the prior event.[141][143] The main event pitted Cheick Kongo against Peter Graham in the Season 9 heavyweight tournament final, where Kongo dominated with superior striking and grappling control to secure a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), earning a shot at the heavyweight title previously held by Alexander Volkov.[144][145] In the co-main event, bantamweight tournament finalist Joe Warren faced Travis Marx; Warren overwhelmed Marx with a knee and follow-up punches for a second-round TKO at 1:56, advancing his career in the division after prior Olympic wrestling credentials.[144][146] The middleweight tournament final saw Brennan Ward take on Mikkel Parlo, with Ward landing a barrage of punches to force a referee stoppage at 1:39 of the second round, claiming the $100,000 prize and positioning himself for a title opportunity against champion Alexander Shlemenko.[144][142] Other notable preliminary bouts included Derek Campos defeating Martin Stapleton via unanimous decision (30-27 x3) in a lightweight non-tournament fight, while Linton Vassell submitted Matt Jones with a rear-naked choke in the first round of a heavyweight reserve fight.[147][144] The event underscored Bellator's tournament format by crowning three division winners in one night, boosting the promotion's competitive narrative amid Season 9's multi-weight class structure.[148]Bellator 108
Bellator 108 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on November 15, 2013, at the Revel Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[149] The event marked the organization's return to the East Coast for a major card, broadcast live on Spike TV with preliminary bouts streaming on Spike.com, and featured a mix of high-profile debuts, a title defense, and the conclusion of the Season 9 featherweight tournament.[150] It averaged 793,000 viewers, peaking at 1.2 million during the main event.[151] The main event pitted former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson against Joey Beltran in a 210-pound catchweight bout, serving as Jackson's promotional debut; Jackson secured the victory via TKO (punches) at 4:59 of the first round after dropping Beltran with a left hook and following up with ground strikes.[152] In the co-main event, heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov defended his title against Alexander Volkov, retaining the belt with a first-round TKO (punches) at 2:57 by overwhelming Volkov with strikes against the cage. A bantamweight feature bout saw former Season 6 tournament winner and ex-champion Marcos Galvao dominate Tom McKenna, winning by TKO (strikes) at 4:29 of the first round after repeated takedowns and ground-and-pound control, providing tournament support for the division ahead of future title contention.[153] The main card also included the Season 9 featherweight tournament final, where Patricio Freire knocked out Justin Wilcox with punches at 2:23 of the first round to claim the $100,000 prize and earn a shot at the featherweight title.[154] Preliminary results featured wins for fighters like Liam McGeary (submission over Najim Wali, Round 1, 1:31) and Tom DeBlass (KO over Jason Lambert, Round 1, 1:45), contributing to an action-packed undercard. Also on the card was the rescheduled Quinton Jackson vs. Tito Ortiz matchup from Bellator 106, but Ortiz withdrew earlier; Jackson instead faced Beltran.[8]Bellator 109
Bellator 109 took place on November 22, 2013, at the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, serving as a key installment in Bellator MMA's Season Nine tournament structure.[155] The event featured a middleweight title defense in the main event alongside the lightweight tournament final and a welterweight tournament semifinal, highlighting emerging contenders in the promotion's competitive bracket format. Broadcast on Spike TV for the main card and streamed online for prelims, it drew attention for its mix of championship action and tournament progression, contributing to the season's narrative of high-stakes eliminations.[156] The headline bout saw Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko defend his title against Doug Marshall, a former tournament winner seeking his first championship. Shlemenko retained the belt via first-round TKO at 4:28, overwhelming Marshall with ground-and-pound strikes after a competitive grappling exchange, solidifying his status as a dominant force in the division.[157] In the lightweight tournament final, Will Brooks advanced with a unanimous decision victory over Alexander Sarnavskiy (30-26, 30-27, 30-27), controlling the fight with superior wrestling and striking volume to win the $100,000 prize and a title shot.[157] Rick Hawn progressed in the welterweight bracket by stopping Ron Keslar via TKO (punches) at 3:00 of the third round, capitalizing on a late surge to secure his spot in the tournament final.[157] The preliminary card showcased a diverse array of bouts, including international talent and veteran performances. Heavyweight prospect Blagoy Ivanov submitted Keith Bell with a rear-naked choke at 3:59 of the first round, marking a strong promotional debut. Brazilian prospect Goiti Yamauchi earned a first-round knockout over Saul Almeida at 2:04 with a precise counterpunch in a featherweight bout, while UFC veteran Terry Etim submitted Patrick Cenoble via guillotine choke in the third round at 4:59. Other notable results included Bubba Jenkins' second-round TKO of Ian Rammel, Mike Maldonado's unanimous decision win against Tim Goodwin (30-27, 29-28, 30-27), Ahsan Abdullah's first-round TKO of Mike Bannon, and Brennan Ward's unanimous decision over Dakota Cochrane (29-28 x3).[155]| Fight | Weight Class | Result | Method/Time | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Shlemenko (c) vs. Doug Marshall | Middleweight Championship | Shlemenko def. Marshall | TKO (punches) | 1 / 4:28 |
| Will Brooks vs. Alexander Sarnavskiy | Lightweight Tournament Final | Brooks def. Sarnavskiy | Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Rick Hawn vs. Ron Keslar | Welterweight Tournament Semifinal | Hawn def. Keslar | TKO (punches) | 3 / 3:00 |
| Blagoy Ivanov vs. Keith Bell | Heavyweight | Ivanov def. Bell | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 / 3:59 |
| Goiti Yamauchi vs. Saul Almeida | Featherweight | Yamauchi def. Almeida | KO (punch) | 1 / 2:04 |
| Terry Etim vs. Patrick Cenoble | Lightweight | Etim def. Cenoble | Submission (guillotine choke) | 3 / 4:59 |
| Bubba Jenkins vs. Ian Rammel | Featherweight | Jenkins def. Rammel | TKO (punches) | 2 / 2:22 |
| Mike Maldonado vs. Tim Goodwin | Bantamweight | Maldonado def. Goodwin | Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Ahsan Abdullah vs. Mike Bannon | Welterweight | Abdullah def. Bannon | TKO (punches) | 1 / 1:32 |
| Brennan Ward vs. Dakota Cochrane | Welterweight | Ward def. Cochrane | Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3) | 3 / 5:00 |
Season 9 Tournament Brackets
Heavyweight
The Season 9 heavyweight tournament in Bellator MMA featured a four-man bracket, with the semifinals contested at Bellator 102 on October 4, 2013, in Visalia, California. The matchups pitted former UFC fighter Cheick Kongo against Mark Godbeer in one semifinal, while Vinicius Queiroz faced Lavar Johnson in the other. This compact format emphasized rapid progression to determine a challenger for the heavyweight title held by Vitaly Minakov.[96] In the first semifinal, Kongo made a successful Bellator debut by defeating Godbeer via technical knockout (knees and punches) at 2:04 of the second round, showcasing his striking background from kickboxing. Queiroz, meanwhile, secured a stunning first-round knockout (punch) victory over Johnson just 23 seconds into the bout, highlighting the explosive power typical of heavyweight contests. These outcomes advanced Kongo and Queiroz to the tournament final originally scheduled for Bellator 107 on November 8, 2013, in Thackerville, Oklahoma.[160] However, Queiroz withdrew from the final due to a knee injury sustained after his semifinal win.[161] Australian kickboxer Peter Graham, who had debuted in Bellator with a unanimous decision victory over Jamal Lawrence at Bellator 104 on October 11, 2013, stepped in as the replacement opponent for Kongo. In the rescheduled final at Bellator 107, Kongo defeated Graham via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), earning the $100,000 prize and positioning himself as the No. 1 contender for Minakov's title.[147] The tournament underscored the knockout-heavy nature of Bellator's heavyweight division in 2013, with both semifinals ending in stoppages within the first five minutes and emphasizing raw power over prolonged grappling exchanges. This contrasted with the Summer Series heavyweight tournament earlier that year, where Minakov claimed victory through a mix of wrestling and submissions en route to the title.Middleweight
The Season 9 Middleweight Tournament in Bellator MMA, held in 2013, featured an eight-man single-elimination bracket with a $100,000 prize and a title shot against champion Alexander Shlemenko on the line for the winner.[162] The tournament integrated into the promotion's title picture, as Shlemenko had won the vacant middleweight championship earlier in the year at Bellator 88 and defended it in a grueling unanimous decision victory over Brett Cooper at Bellator 98, coinciding with the tournament's quarterfinals.[99] All quarterfinal bouts occurred on September 7 at Bellator 98 in Uncasville, Connecticut.| Quarterfinal Matchup | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brennan Ward vs. Justin Torrey | Ward def. Torrey | TKO (punches) | 1 / 0:14 |
| Mikkel Parlo vs. Brian Rogers | Parlo def. Rogers | Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 |
| Perry Filkins vs. Jeremy Kimball | Filkins def. Kimball | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 3 / 4:18 |
| Jason Butcher vs. Giva Santana | Butcher def. Santana | TKO (strikes) | 2 / 1:22 |
Welterweight
The Season 9 welterweight tournament represented a pivotal moment for Bellator MMA's 170-pound division, occurring amid uncertainty following champion Ben Askren's final title defense in April 2013 and his subsequent departure from the promotion. The eight-man bracket emphasized a blend of wrestling, striking, and grappling, distinguishing the welterweight class from the more submission-oriented lightweight division. Quarterfinals unfolded at Bellator 100 on September 20, 2013, in Phoenix, Arizona, where Ron Keslar defeated Luis Junior by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), Rick Hawn outworked Herman Terrado via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Brent Weedman bested Justin Baesman by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), and War Machine finished Vaughn Anderson with a rear-naked choke submission at 4:01 of the second round.[116][166] Semifinals advanced the bracket at Bellator 104 on October 11, 2013, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Rick Hawn secured revenge in a rematch against Brent Weedman, earning a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) through dominant wrestling and control. In the co-main event, Ron Keslar upset the aggressive War Machine with a rear-naked choke submission at 3:31 of the first round, showcasing superior grappling positioning.[128][167] These bouts highlighted the tournament's intensity, with Hawn's technical striking and Keslar's opportunistic submissions standing out as key performances. The final crowned a winner at Bellator 109 on November 22, 2013, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Rick Hawn claimed the $100,000 prize and a title shot against Askren by stopping Ron Keslar via TKO (punches) at 0:55 of the third round, overwhelming him with heavy ground strikes after earlier weathering Keslar's pressure.[168][169] Hawn's victory positioned him as the division's top contender, but Askren vacated the belt in March 2014 to sign with ONE Championship, leaving the title vacant. This tournament bridged the Askren era—defined by his unbeaten wrestling dominance—to a refreshed welterweight landscape. Hawn's run earned him a shot at the vacant title against Season 8 tournament winner Douglas Lima at Bellator 117 in September 2014, where Lima prevailed by third-round TKO to become the new champion and usher in an era favoring explosive knockout artists.[114] The shift underscored the division's evolution toward high-impact strikers like Lima, contrasting Askren's control-based style.Lightweight
The Season 9 lightweight tournament in Bellator MMA featured an eight-man bracket at 155 pounds, with quarterfinals held on September 27, 2013, at Bellator 101 in Portland, Oregon. The event showcased a mix of established veterans and rising prospects, including undefeated Russian submission specialist Alexander Sarnavskiy and knockout artist Saad Awad, who entered following a first-round stoppage of Will Brooks earlier in the year at Bellator 91. Semifinals took place on October 25, 2013, at Bellator 105 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, while the final occurred on November 22, 2013, at Bellator 109 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The tournament unfolded against the backdrop of intense lightweight title contention, as champion Michael Chandler defended his belt successfully at Bellator 96 in June before rematching Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 106 on November 2, where Alvarez reclaimed the title via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47).[170] Quarterfinal matchups highlighted technical grappling and striking exchanges, with all bouts going the full three rounds except for two submissions. Will Brooks, a 27-year-old wrestler from Chicago, outpointed veteran John Alessio via unanimous decision (29-28 across all cards) in a tactical affair dominated by takedowns and ground control. Awad secured a key upset with a rear-naked choke submission at 3:46 of the first round against England's Martin Stapleton, avenging his own prior losses and advancing with aggressive pressure. Sarnavskiy, maintaining his 23-0 record at the time, submitted Marcus Davis with a rear-naked choke at 1:40 of the opening frame, showcasing his Sambo expertise. Brazilian Ricardo Tirloni rounded out the quarterfinal winners, edging Rich Clementi by unanimous decision (29-28 x3) through effective clinch work and leg kicks. These results positioned Brooks and Awad on one side of the bracket, while Sarnavskiy and Tirloni filled the opposite half.[170][171]| Quarterfinals (Bellator 101) | Result |
|---|---|
| Will Brooks vs. John Alessio | Brooks def. Alessio via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)[170] |
| Saad Awad vs. Martin Stapleton | Awad def. Stapleton via submission (RNC) R1 3:46[170] |
| Alexander Sarnavskiy vs. Marcus Davis | Sarnavskiy def. Davis via submission (RNC) R1 1:40[170] |
| Ricardo Tirloni vs. Rich Clementi | Tirloni def. Clementi via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)[170] |
Featherweight
The featherweight division in Bellator MMA during 2013 was dominated by champion Pat Curran, who had claimed the title by winning the Season 8 tournament in 2012 and successfully defended it once that year. Entering Season 9, Curran's reign set the stage for high-stakes tournament action, with the winner positioned for a future title opportunity amid growing rivalries, including his ongoing feud with former tournament winner Daniel Straus. Curran's technical striking and grappling prowess made him a formidable titleholder, but the division's depth was highlighted by international talent vying for supremacy in the 145-pound bracket. Season 9's featherweight tournament featured an eight-man single-elimination format, with all quarterfinal bouts occurring at Bellator 99 on September 13, 2013, in Temecula, California. The matchups showcased a mix of knockout power and wrestling, advancing four fighters to the semifinals.[101]| Quarterfinal | Winner | Opponent | Method | Round/Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patricio Freire vs. Diego Nunes | Patricio Freire | Diego Nunes | KO (punches) | 1 / 1:19 | [101] |
| Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Desmond Green | Fabricio Guerreiro | Desmond Green | Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 / 5:00 | [101] |
| Justin Wilcox vs. Akop Stepanyan | Justin Wilcox | Akop Stepanyan | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 / 2:20 | [101] |
| Joe Taimanglo vs. Andrew Fisher | Joe Taimanglo | Andrew Fisher | Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 / 5:00 | [101] |
Bantamweight
In 2013, the Bellator MMA bantamweight division featured champion Eduardo Dantas successfully defending his title once, highlighting the competitive depth bolstered by international talent from Brazil. At Bellator 89 on February 14, Dantas retained the belt against Marcos Galvão via knockout (punches) in the second round, avenging a prior loss and solidifying his status as a dominant force with his grappling and striking prowess.[175] This defense underscored the division's blend of American contenders and Brazilian standouts, including Dantas and Galvão, who brought high-level jiu-jitsu expertise to the promotion. Season 9 introduced another four-man bantamweight tournament, emphasizing American depth while continuing to integrate international influences from prior events. Quarterfinal equivalents, labeled as semifinals, began at Bellator 100 on September 20, where Travis Marx stopped Brandon Bender via TKO (strikes) in the second round, using his wrestling base to overwhelm the opponent.[3] The opposite semifinal at Bellator 101 on September 27 saw former featherweight champion Joe Warren submit Nick Kirk via reverse triangle armbar in the second round, leveraging his Olympic wrestling background for the finish. Warren advanced to the final at Bellator 107 on November 8, defeating Marx via TKO (knee and punches) in the second round to claim the $100,000 prize and a shot at Dantas.[147] This tournament victory highlighted the division's robust U.S. talent pool, complemented by the Brazilian influx that enriched overall competition.References
- https://www.[espn.com](/page/ESPN.com)/mma/story/_/id/8996240/bellator-91-recap-attila-vegh-new-bellator-light-heavyweight-champion
- https://en.wikipedia-on-ipfs.org/wiki/Bellator_MMA%253A_2013_Summer_Series
- https://www.[sherdog](/page/Sherdog).com/news/news/Bellator-102-Results-PlaybyPlay-Updates-57201
