By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief BELLATOR 94
MARCH 2, 2013
LIVE FROM TAMPA, FL FIGHT ONE: RONNIE MANN VS. RODRIGO LIMA (BANTAMWEIGHT) - The winner of this match will earn their way into the next bantamweight tournament. That tournament is scheduled to run this summer.
ROUND ONE: Troy Waugh is the referee for this fight, which is Mann's debut at bantamweight. Mann lands a counter right to a Lima leg kick. Mann catches a leg kick and lands a nice one-two. Rainse and repeat. Lima then catches a Mann kick. Mann is very patient, standing rather still while Lima circles at a frenetic pace. Lima lands a lunging uppercut, but Mann responded well. Lima gets a flash knockdown with a left hand to the jaw. Mann gets back up but is being bullied by Lima. Mann finally gets some distance and regroups. Mann was hurt, but seems okay now. Lima definitely has the speed advantage tonight, even if he is a little too wild. Lima's throwing solid leg kicks. Mann throws a kick and Lima catches it and unloads. Lima lost his mouthpiece during the exchange. Mann gets a nice little flurry in. Waugh returns the mouthpiece at the first break. Lima's doing well in these exchanges, but he's leaving himself open to a straight punch if Mann can land one.
10-9 Lima ROUND TWO: Lima had a 37-15 advantage in total strikes in round one. 45 seconds before a strike lands. Lima landed a left hook. Lima catches a body kick and sticks his left hand on Mann's nose.
My cable went out, returning during the commercial break. My secret is out. I'm at home, not there live.
ROUND THREE: Daniel Straus is shown sitting cageside. If he's lucky, he will be there for 3-5 years. Har dee har har. Jimmy smith and the viewers on the Bellator app gave Lima round 2, so I will also. Lima landing straight rights and leg kicks. Lima comes forward with wide hooks until Mann grabs Lima and puts him on the cage. Lima grabs Mann's head in a guillotine position and forces Mann to the mat. Lima's working hard for mount while keeping the front face lock. Side control. Sorry, make that half guard. A very wide half0guard. Lima's landing soft punches galore from the top. Mann looks like he's quit. The cut has killed his tank. Lima's doing just enough to keep the ref off of him. Of course, Herb Dean would have stood them up 3 minutes ago. Not much to write about here. Dd you know Ronnie Mann is English? And he's wearing white trunks. Mann escapes briefly and dives in with a lunging punch. Lima wraps his legs and gets an arm in triangle. Lima baited him in by staying on the ground when Mann escaped. Lima isn't going to finish him with this one, but he's got Mann stuck. He's just holding the position and taunting Mann as if he's the poor man's Nate Diaz.
10-9 Lima WINNER: Rodrigo Lima by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**) What I saw I liked. Lima was faster and had a better tank. Mann's been overrated for years, so it's impossible to know how good Lima is from this performance.
FIGHT TWO: LUIS MELO VS. TREY HOUSTON (WELTERWEIGHT) - The winner of this match will earn their way into the next welterweight tournament. Houston has never fought below middleweight. Melo has never fought on American soul. USA! USA!
- Melo is four inches shorter, but possesses a two inch reach advantage.
ROUND ONE: George Ortiz is the referee for this fight. Houston's announced nickname is "That Just Happened." Guess who I'm cheering for. Melo grabs a plumb and lands a few nice knees. Houston gets a body lock and drags Melo down. Full guard, with Houston on top. Houston gets out and backs off. Melo lands a huge left kick and Houston is down and down hard! Of course, it was to the stones, so this fight will resume sometime int he next 5 minutes. We're back after about a minute. wild exchange from both guys, ending with a high side kick by Houston. Melo takes Houston down and sits in guard. Melo postures up and lands some solid ground and pound before diving back into guard. Pass to side control. Houston rolls onto his side and gets half-guard. Melo is landing a good number of right hands, and is starting to go to work with the left. and some right hammerfists. Melo postures up and lands a thudding right hand, and Houston is bleeding now. Bridge of his nose is bleeding. Houston gets back up and presses Melo against the cage. Houston separates from Melo. Houston is stalking, but not landing a whole lot here. He gets a bodylock and drags Melo down, but falls backwards and Melo is on top in half0guard. Whoops! Houston does well to get to full guard.
10-9 Melo ROUND TWO: Melo was very active in the first. I have doubts he can do that pace for ten more minutes. Houston lands a counter left, and Melo backs up. Houston lands several more strikes before Melo can retreat. Flash knockdown by Houston, I missed what the strike was. Houston looking for the rear naked choke, but he doesn't have hooks in and Melo wriggles out of the choke. Houston pounds away from half-guard before letting Melo stand. Nice shot by Melo, and Melo gets on top of Houston in open guard position. Melo with a blatant headbutt. Melo passes to side control and then north south, but the choke isn't there. Houston turtls and Melo lands a nice straight kick to the ribs before Houston rolls to his back. Houston isn't doing anything down here. Ortiz tells Houston he needs to defend himself, but Melo's not landing anything with finishing power. Melo's tapping away with short elbows. Houston has nothing off his back, so he rolls to all fours. Melo pounds away until Houston rolls and gets to his feet. For about two seconds. Back to the turtle position.
10-9, 20-18 Melo ROUND THREE: Melo has outstruck Houston 121-50 through 2 rounds. Nice standing knee from Melo. Melo gets teh takedown, and is in half-guard with more than four minutes to go. Melo is peppering the ribs, and then going to the head. Ortiz is telling Houston to work or he's going to stop the fight. Houston bucks, Melo gets mount, arm-triangle, tap.
WINNER: Luis Melo by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:09 of round 3.
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**) Nothing wrong with that fight, but it gets demoted a little due to Houston's impotence on his back. Melo's a solid veteran fighter, but has absolutely nothing for the top of the division.
_ Spike aired the prelim fight between Edson Berto and Bruno Carvalho. That was the best fight of the night. Berto with a huge right hand to knock Carvalho down. Carvalho with a triangle armbar. Berto gets out and finishes with a heel hook. Not back for 87 seconds of fighting!
- Twenty minutes of filler and commercials later...
- AUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
FIGHT THREE: DAVID RICKELS VS. SAAD AWAD (LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNEY FINALS) ROUND ONE: Troy Waugh gives both fighters instructions, and we're ready to go. Awad takes the middle of the cage, with Rickels keeping his hands very high. Awad catches a front kick and lands a few nice punches before Rickels gets free. Nice exchange against the cage, with Rickels landing the last strike, which forced Awad to back out. Awad is keeping his hands at knee level. Nice double left by Awad. Rickels comes forward with leg kicks. Awad counters with a right. Awad catches a kick and gets a takedown off the fence. Rickels lands an elbow to the top of the head and gets warned. Top of the head strikes are illegal in Florida. Freaking Florida... Awad is trying to slide Rickels to the cage. 2 minutes left. Hammerfists from the top by Awad are nice Joe. Rickels gets to his feet but Awad gets his back and has a body lock. Knees from Awad to the thighs of Rickels are nice Joe. Awad with the takedown. Awad postures up and lands some nice hammerfists. Awad tries an axe kick, sucka. Awad backs off, but dives back in when Rickels sticks his head out. The round ends with Awad on top.
10-9 Awad ROUND TWO: Awad grabs a kick but can't get the takedown. Awad pressures Rickels into the cage and gets a lateral drop takedown. Half-guard. Full guard now. Rickels explodes to his feet and gets a takedown of his own. Half-guard. Let's see what Awad has from his back now. Rickels working the body, and gets swept by Awad. Well played sir. Well played. Awad is in full guard, but it's better than being on your back. Rickels is very busy off his back, which keeps AWad from being able to unload. Awad gets a little distance, and gets caught in mission control for a moment. Back to guard, in the middle of the cage. Interesting chess match. Rickels is trying ot get to his hip, but Awad locks his hands behind Rickels' back which forces Rickels back down. Awad stands up and dives back in with a nie left. Back to full guard. Awad is just unable to pass. Rickels is looking for a triangle, but can't get past wrist control. Nice elbow from Awad. Rickels back to the feet. Both guys are winging wild punches here until they clinch. Rickels drops Awad at the bell. Awad is down, and this fight might be over. It IS over. BAD BAD AWFUL HORRIBLE $100,000 STOPPAGE! What in the hell just happened? Awad was on the canvas, then the bell rang. Awad rolled to his back. Waugh didn't call the fight, Awad took some breaths, then Waugh called it. That is just awful garbage.
WINNER: David Rickels by KO at 5:00 of round two.
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: Troy Waugh told the commentators between rounds that he decided Awad was out before he hit the mat, which is an ass-covering lie by an incompetent referee. Had he thought that, he would not have waited FIVE SECONDS TO MAKE THE CALL. Troy Waugh is the Troy Waugh of referees. Chandler is going to murder Rickels.
Upon two re-watches. Rickels landed a big punch. Awad was falling face first as the bell rang. He hit the canvas after the bell rang, but he landed on his arms. His head was never on the canvas, he was never out. After hitting the canvas, now in between rounds mind you, he rolled to his back and put his feet flat on the canvas with his knees up. He took a couple deep breaths, then Waugh walked over to him and stopped the fight. Troy Waugh committed grand larceny.
FIGHT FOUR: MIKHAIL ZAYATS VS. EMANUEL NEWTON (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNEY FINALS) ROUND ONE: George Ortiz is the referee for this fight. I'm still so pissed by the end of the last fight. Newton takes the middle of the cage, with his hands high and his chin tucked tight. Both fighters flicking jab feints early. Nice right drops Zayats briefly, but he gets back up before Newton can take advantage. More of a slip, really. Zayats with a nice right hand. Newton is looking for the killshot right hand. He's sitting back hard. Newton throws it but misses by half a foot. Zayats with 2 nice left hands, and a couple straight rights. Zayats with 2 more rights, but Newton counters and gets a takedown. Newton almost got caught in a triangle, but no harm done. Zayats is like a tornado on the bottom looking for a limb to snatch. Zayats gets to his feet, with Newton pressing him. Scramble, and Zayats reverses. Body lock for Newton, into a takedown, but Zayats reverses and grabs Newton's head. Newton rolls to top, and Zayats gives up the neck. Zayats trying to use the cage to stand. and gives up his back to Newton. Newton is softening up Zayats, thinking RNC. Not enough time to get it in though. Even round.
10-9 Newton ROUND TWO: Zayats lands a nice body kick and gets Newton backpedaling. Newton regroups. Leg kick from Newton. And a side kick that lands hard to Zayats' gut. Newton misses a spinning back kiss by a foot. Zayats is bleeding near his right eye. Newton is throwing a lot of killshot right hooks, but hasn't come close to landing one yet. As hard as he is throwing them, he won't need 2. Newton slips on a spinning kick, but Zayats doesn't attack. Zayats lands a nice combination of punches, and spins out before Newton can counter. The action is slowing badly. Newton misses an axe kick. Zayats misses a spinning back fist. It might've grazed Newton. Nice 1-2 from Newton. Push kick by Newton. Zayats is very hard to hit because he's always moving side to side. Zayats sits back and lands a heavy right hand. Newton grabs a body lock and gets a takedown as the bell ring. Troy Waugh just ran in and stopped the fight. No, not really.
10-9 Zayats. 19-19 ROUND THREE: Newton gets underhooks and forces Newton into the cage. nice outside trip after 45 seconds, but Zayats got to his feet immediately and circled away. Nice right by Newton. Zayats starting to jab. Newton lands a stiff jab of his own. Newton drops Zayats with a huge right hand. Newton going for a rear naked choke, now a bulldog choke, can't get it, and Zayats is back up after dodging a spinning back fist from Newtwon. Zayats has a big mouse under his left eye now. Newton could've finished that had the cards landed just a little differently. 2 mintues left. Newton changing stances looking to spin, but Zayats backs out so Newton goes back to conventional. Spinning backfist from Newton after all, but there was nothing on it. Zayats is going to need to really pour it on. 75 seconds left. Zayats shoots and grabs a single. Stuffed. Zayats doesn't get it, clearly. Jab by Zayats. Newton responds with a kick to the body. Newton shoots a single and he gets the takedown. Zayats is looking for an armbar. he had it for about 2 seconds.
10-9, 29-28 Newton WINNER: Emanuel Newton by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**) Meh. I'm sorry, I don't care. Neither of these guys are top 20 LHWs, and I'm still pissed off about Troy Wuagh's bullshit. I'm going to bed. Insert Brock Lesnar speech here.
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CLICK HERESource: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Bellator_Events/article_16329.shtml
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