PHOENIX, AZ — History repeated itself in violent fashion on Friday night.
Two years after Douglas Lima ended Ben Saunders‘ tournament hopes with a second-round knockout, Lima upped the ante, brutally knocking Saunders out with a second-round head kick to claim victory in the main event of Bellator 100.
The finish would’ve come earlier had Saunders not shown an incredible display of heart. Lima dropped the 30-year-old early in the second frame with a monstrous uppercut combination, then swarmed. Somehow Saunders survived, despite the river of blood that streamed from his badly damaged right eye. Yet it would be in vain, as Lima finished the job minutes later with a stunning left hook to the body, right head kick combination.
“I broke my hand in the first round. I’m pissed about that,” an emotional Lima said afterward. “But Ben’s a warrior.”
Lima’s career record improves to 17-5-2 with the win, while Saunders drops to 16-6 in defeat.
The performance marked Lima’s second Bellator welterweight tournament victory. He now awaits the fate of Bellator 170-pound champion, free agent Ben Askren.
In the night’s co-main event,War Machine (14-4) made good on months of trash talk, stopping Vaughn Anderson (16-1-1) with a second-round rear-naked choke to advance into Bellator’s season nine welterweight tournament semifinals.
Following a shaky opening frame, Machine kicked off the second round by securing a quick takedown, then advancing into side control. Machine went on to trap Anderson in a crucifix and rain down punches, before seizing his back. Machine stayed patient, and after a few minutes, slithered in the fight-ending submission with 59 seconds to spare.
“I’m stoked,” Machine said afterward. “This tournament is mine. I’m coming.”
Elsewhere on the card, Rick Hawn (16-2) advanced to his second Bellator welterweight semifinal, outpointing Herman Terrado (11-3) over three close rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory. Hawn peppered Terrado with outside shots and controlled large sections of the bout inside the clinch to edge the Strikeforce veteran and snap his seven-fight win streak.
The judges scored it 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, all in Hawn’s favor.
In a back and forth battle, AKA product Ron Keslar (10-3) defeated Brazilian veteran Sergio Junior (29-12-3) via split decision to advance into season nine’s welterweight semifinals.
Keslar controlled much of the fight early, muscling Junior up against the fence in round one, then dropping him with a powerful straight right in the opening moments of round two. Keslar latched onto Junior’s back and didn’t let go, spending a majority of the next four minutes unsuccessfully hunting for a rear-naked choke.
Junior appeared to be on his way to a comeback in the final frame, crushing Keslar with a flying knee then sinking in a tight arm-in guillotine. However Keslar survived, ultimately retaking Junior’s back after the 32-year-old attempted a risky belly-down armbar.
When the action concluded, two judges scored it 29-28 in favor of Keslar, while the lone dissenter saw it 29-28 Junior.
Fighting in his fifth Bellator tournament, Brent Weedman (22-8-1) made short work of Justin Baesman (14-4), submitting the Californian with a beautiful armbar 3:20 into the bout’s opening frame. Baseman fought off several submission attempts, however he ultimately had to relent, handing Weedman his second consecutive win in the Bellator cage.
Weedman will now fight Hawn on October 18th in Bellator’s season nine welterweight tournament semifinals, while Machine takes on Keslar.
On the night’s preliminary card, local underdog LaRue Burley (3-0) stunned 2011 NCAA Division I champion Bubba Jenkins (4-1), brutalizing the previously undefeated 25-year-old en route finishing it with a third-round barrage. Referee Al Guinee mercifully stopped the contest at 3:40 of the final frame.