Nearly 20 months after a controversial split decision loss to Pat Curran at Bellator 85, “Pitbull” dominated the rematch to become the new Bellator featherweight champion at Friday’s Bellator 123 card in Uncasville, Conn.
“It’s a dream come true. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Freire said after the fight. “I have to thank all my team, and my brother, and everyone else for this victory.”
The Brazilian star, who won four in a row with three stoppage victories, won the first round with a late takedown after a close striking contest. The second round was closer, but Curran countered Freire’s attacks.
From the third round on, it was all “Pitbull.” The two-time 145-pound tournament winner landed the better shots and worked well with takedowns. Curran also landed a few good shots, but it wasn’t enough to steal the round. After five rounds of action, “Pitbull” was declared the new champion via unanimous decision.
“I have to thank Pat Curran for a second war. It was one of the hardest fights of my life,” he said. “Luckily, I’m in one piece, just a few scratches, but that’s all.”
In the co-main event, King Mo Lawal returned to the win column with a bang. Taking on light heavyweight striker Dustin Jacoby, who was coming off a first-round knockout victory just 14 days earlier at Titan FC 29, Lawal got the TKO win in the second round.
Lawal used his wrestling to control the match in the first minutes of the opening round, landing big shots on the ground. Jacoby got right back up and was comfortable in the striking area, but that didn’t last long.
Seconds into the second round, King Mo rocked Jacoby with a heavy overhand right and turned the fight into a brawl. Lawal landed a few more heavy punches and knocked Jacoby down, forcing the referee to stop the fight at the 0:73 mark of the second round.
“I was looking for the big punch, and I landed it, so I started to throw club punches,” Lawal said after the finish.
King Mo, a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, said he’s open to move up to heavyweight or cut down to 185 pounds for his next fight under the Bellator banner.
“That’s up to Bellator,” he said. “I’ll fight at money weight, 185, 205, heavyweight, wherever the money’s at that’s where I’ll be.”
Five years since his last MMA bout, Tamdan McCrory made quick work of middleweight tournament winner Brennan Ward in his Octagon debut. In just 21 seconds, the former UFC welterweight, who hasn’t competed since a split decision loss to John Howard in August of 2009, used an incredible combination to knock Ward out cold.
“It’s great to be back,” McCrory said after the quick stoppage win.
Former Strikeforce star Bobby Lashley returned to the big leagues with a stoppage victory in his first Bellator bout. After scoring three consecutive victories in 2013, and Lashley dominated Josh Burns from the start.
After landing a couple right hands, the American Top Team heavyweight took Burns down and went for the finish with several keylocks attempts, but the win came in the second round with a tight standing rear-naked choke.
In the first main card bout, Cheick Kongo came out victorious in his fifth Bellator fight in a way few people expected.
Fellow UFC veteran Lavar Johnson went for the finish as soon as the fight started, throwing bombs as Kongo walked backwards. Kongo managed to get the fight to the ground and quickly got the mount, throwing elbows and punches. Johnson tried to escape, and Kongo went for the finish with a rear-naked choke, forcing Johnson to tap with 93 seconds left in the opening round.
Kongo scored his second straight victory since losing to Bellator MMA heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov, improving his record to 22-9-2.
Nearly 20 months after a controversial split decision loss to Pat Curran at Bellator 85, “Pitbull” dominated the rematch to become the new Bellator featherweight champion at Friday’s Bellator 123 card in Uncasville, Conn.
“It’s a dream come true. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Freire said after the fight. “I have to thank all my team, and my brother, and everyone else for this victory.”
The Brazilian star, who won four in a row with three stoppage victories, won the first round with a late takedown after a close striking contest. The second round was closer, but Curran countered Freire’s attacks.
From the third round on, it was all “Pitbull.” The two-time 145-pound tournament winner landed the better shots and worked well with takedowns. Curran also landed a few good shots, but it wasn’t enough to steal the round. After five rounds of action, “Pitbull” was declared the new champion via unanimous decision.
“I have to thank Pat Curran for a second war. It was one of the hardest fights of my life,” he said. “Luckily, I’m in one piece, just a few scratches, but that’s all.”
In the co-main event, King Mo Lawal returned to the win column with a bang. Taking on light heavyweight striker Dustin Jacoby, who was coming off a first-round knockout victory just 14 days earlier at Titan FC 29, Lawal got the TKO win in the second round.
Lawal used his wrestling to control the match in the first minutes of the opening round, landing big shots on the ground. Jacoby got right back up and was comfortable in the striking area, but that didn’t last long.
Seconds into the second round, King Mo rocked Jacoby with a heavy overhand right and turned the fight into a brawl. Lawal landed a few more heavy punches and knocked Jacoby down, forcing the referee to stop the fight at the 0:73 mark of the second round.
“I was looking for the big punch, and I landed it, so I started to throw club punches,” Lawal said after the finish.
King Mo, a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, said he’s open to move up to heavyweight or cut down to 185 pounds for his next fight under the Bellator banner.
“That’s up to Bellator,” he said. “I’ll fight at money weight, 185, 205, heavyweight, wherever the money’s at that’s where I’ll be.”
Five years since his last MMA bout, Tamdan McCrory made quick work of middleweight tournament winner Brennan Ward in his Octagon debut. In just 21 seconds, the former UFC welterweight, who hasn’t competed since a split decision loss to John Howard in August of 2009, used an incredible combination to knock Ward out cold.
“It’s great to be back,” McCrory said after the quick stoppage win.
Former Strikeforce star Bobby Lashley returned to the big leagues with a stoppage victory in his first Bellator bout. After scoring three consecutive victories in 2013, and Lashley dominated Josh Burns from the start.
After landing a couple right hands, the American Top Team heavyweight took Burns down and went for the finish with several keylocks attempts, but the win came in the second round with a tight standing rear-naked choke.
In the first main card bout, Cheick Kongo came out victorious in his fifth Bellator fight in a way few people expected.
Fellow UFC veteran Lavar Johnson went for the finish as soon as the fight started, throwing bombs as Kongo walked backwards. Kongo managed to get the fight to the ground and quickly got the mount, throwing elbows and punches. Johnson tried to escape, and Kongo went for the finish with a rear-naked choke, forcing Johnson to tap with 93 seconds left in the opening round.
Kongo scored his second straight victory since losing to Bellator MMA heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov, improving his record to 22-9-2.
