Two over-the-hill MMA rivals did battle on Saturday night at Bellator 131 in San Diego, California, and Tito Ortiz came out victorious against Stephan Bonnar. In a slow-paced and methodical grudge match, Ortiz’s power and wrestling prowess was enough to influence two of the judges to see the fight his way.
The Huntington Beach Bad Boy won by split decision as two judges saw him winning all three rounds, with one giving Bonnar a one-point edge.
Here are the official scorecards.
Leading up to the bout, the two traded some nasty trash talk that seemed to make the fight personal. In the end, Ortiz was the only one who backed up his talk. Both men were exhausted late in the fight, but Ortiz looked to have more gas.
He used that energy to finish strongly and claim his second straight win in the Bellator cage. It may not have been one of the most impressive performance’s of Ortiz’s career, but it was win in a very mean-spirited contest.
In the co-feature, Will Brooks claimed the lightweight title with a splendid performance in a rematch against Michael Chandler. Here’s a quick look at the results from every fight at Bellator 131 and a closer look at Brooks-Chandler and the other bouts on the card.
Rolando Perez and Mark Vorgeas Fight to a Draw
The decision in this bout was a little peculiar. The bout should have been awarded to Perez after Vorgeas was penalized for a low bow in Round 2—the extra point seemed to have been more than enough to earn Perez the decision.
Instead, one judge saw Vorgeas as the winner, one saw Perez as the victor and the other ruled it a draw.
Jordan Bailey Chokes out Alex Higley
Bailey wasted no time ending this bout and came out looking for the takedown almost immediately. Once Bailey took the bout to the mat, he began to work his transitions and maneuvered into an advantageous position.
Higley was clearly out of his league against Bailey on the ground. The 31-year-old featherweight easily finished the fight with a rear-naked choke to win on his Bellator debut.
Nick Garcia Victimizes Matthew Ramirez
Bailey wasn’t the only one scoring a win by choke. Garcia made Ramirez submit in the second round of their bout. Garcia set up his submission with hard strikes. A big uppercut sent Ramirez to the mat and Garcia pounced on him.
He sunk in the guillotine that rendered Ramirez unconscious and referee Mike Beltran called an end to the action.
Andy Murad Squeaks by with a Split Decision over Bubba Pugh
This bout could have gone either way; both Murad and Pugh had their moments. In what turned out to be the decisive round, Pugh came out like a house on fire in the final frame.
He launched some explosive shots, and one of them opened a cut on Murad’s face. The cageside doctor took a look but allowed Murad to continue. Murad survived the round, but the damage had been done and the round was won for Pugh.
The judges’ scorecards proved the round was crucial as Murad took the split decision.
Jonathan Santa Maria Wins Controversial Decision over Ron Henderson
When it came to effective striking, Henderson looked to have done the better work in this bout, but Santa Maria was still awarded the split-decision win. Henderson dropped his opponent in the second round and landed a big blow in the third.
Apparently that wasn’t enough to get him a win in a rather uneventful fight; the judges somehow saw the bout for Santa Maria.
A.J. Matthews Knocks Out Kyle Bolt
The first KO win of the night belonged to A.J. Matthews.
The two men began the bout firing shots with bad intentions in the first round. Matthews found the mark first. Bolt attempted to go for the takedown, but he was caught with another hard shot that sent him to the mat.
Matthews thought Bolt was out immediately, but there was no stoppage. He was forced to drop a few more shots that caused Mike Beltran to stop the bout.
Joao Faria Grabs the Third Submission Win of the Night
From the beginning, Ian Butler was slow to engage in exchanges. He seemed to be respecting Joao Faria’s punching power and takedown ability. Things began to open up later in the first round with Faria doing the better work.
After a quiet second round, both men came out looking to score a finish in the third.
Fatigue was ultimately a factor for Butler. Faria scored a takedown and moved to full mount as the tired Butler looked defenseless on the ground. Faria rained down elbows and ultimately secured an arm choke that forced Butler to tap in the final round.
King Mo Demolished Joe Vedepo
If there was an award given for the fight that probably shouldn’t have taken place, it would have gone to the Muhammed Lawal-Joe Vedepo tilt. From the very beginning, Lawal imposed his will on Vedepo.
Seconds in, King Mo scored an easy takedown. He simply pounded Vedepo’s face into a bloody mess from there. The second round was more of the same. Thankfully, Beltran stopped the bout to save Vedepo from more punishment.
Nam Phan Wasn’t Ready
Mike “The Marine” Richman continued his run of impressive knockouts in the Bellator cage. In just 46 seconds, Richman stopped Phan with a combination of punches that began with a well-placed right hand.
Richman pounced on Phan after wobbling him, and referee Michael Bell stopped the belt after Richman landed a few punches on his grounded opponent. Phan looked out of shape and unprepared. He was made to pay the price for a lack of professionalism.
Joe Schilling Decimates Melvin Manhoef
Everyone knew this fight would end in a KO, but many thought Manhoef would be the one to come away with the victory. Indeed, it looked like he was in control in the first round.
Manhoef landed a hard right hand that put Schilling down, but the former kick boxer survived the round. In the second, a dynamic right hand knocked Manhoef cold and the bout was over immediately.
As impressive and powerful as Manhoef can be, his defense is still his Achilles’ heel.
Will Brooks Was Too Much for Michael Chandler Again
The story of this bout was Chandler’s inability to take Brooks down. He tried tirelessly to get the takedown, but Brooks’ technique and Benson Henderson-like lower base made it near impossible.
Brooks wore Chandler down with effective striking from the outside. During the fourth round, Brooks thwarted another takedown attempt, during which Chandler’s head went into the mat. He got to his feet, but immediately took a hard right hand.
Chandler looked disoriented and stopped defending himself. Bell had no choice but to stop the bout. In any case, it appeared Brooks was on his way to unanimous-decision victory.
Brooks took the lightweight title with an impressive performance.
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