Bellator 203 ‘Pitbull vs Weichel 2’ recap with results, .gifs and interviews

Bellator 203 ‘Pitbull vs Weichel 2’ aired Saturday night (July 14, 2018) from Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. MMA Mania brings you a post-fight recap, results, .gifs and interview highlights from a card where two time Featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull faced Daniel Weichel again!

Bellator 203 “Pitbull vs. Weichel 2” took place last night (Sat., July 14, 2018) at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. The Featherweight title was up for grabs as two time champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (26-4) gave Daniel Weichel (39-9) a second chance after their thrilling fight at Bellator 138 in 2015.

The first round featured so little activity that I considered it a 10-10. Other than a few leg kicks from Weichel almost nothing landed. The second round saw Freire find a home for his heavy right hand, forcing Weichel to backpedal and pull guard to save himself, giving away the round in the process.

Weichel knocked an off balance Freire to the mat in R3 and jumped on top, riding out the majority of the round while occasionally throwing a right elbow at Freire’s forehead. When Freire sat up Weichel went for an anaconda choke but Freire managed to push off the fence with his feet and escape. It was the most dominant round of the fight thus far for Weichel.

Freire rocked Weichel in the fourth round and has his face bloodied from a hard elbow to boot. If any judges thought Weichel won the first that tied it up 2 apiece, but the final round would decide it all either way. Freire appeared to out-strike him in the frame and two judges agreed – 40-46 and 48-47. One judge gave it 48-47 to Weichel but it wasn’t enough – “Pitbull” retained via split decision.

“Big” John McCarthy spoke to the winner Freire afterward.

“This guy is a fucking monster. Thank you Rome! I am here to make a show for you guys. Come on Bellator no more rematches please. I want an easy fight one day. Ask James Gallagher. Do we have a deal? C’mon McGregor. Where’s your gym? Where your team? They’re easy to me. You know that! I can beat everyone in there. C’mon Kavanagh I’m here I’ve been asking. This belt is for my son. I love you buddy.”

Local favorite Alessio Sakara (19-12, 2 NC) was also in the spotlight and looking to rebound from a loss to Middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho as he moved up to Light Heavyweight against UK fighter Jamie Sloane (8-3, 1 NC).

Sloane either slipped or was tripped to the ground early in the first round and that wasn’t where he wanted to be, as Sakara dived on top and pummeled him with left hands for the TKO at 1:19 of round one. John McCarthy spoke to him after the finish.

“Is my first time fight in Rome. I love everybody. I fight only in other country but here good energy. This is giving me the power to come back to the cage. Super heavyweight power I have with this energy. (205) for life never no more 185. I love pizza, pasta.”

Up and coming prospects met at 185 as SBG Ireland’s own Will Fleury (4-0) took on Macedonian knockout artist Alen Amedovski (5-0).

This one went fast. Fleury’s game plan was to take it to the ground despite having a height and reach advantage, and although this initially worked Amedovski was able to wall walk to his feet and crack Fleury with MULTIPLE right hands. When he crashed to the mat one last shot put the exclamation point on a knockout win for Amedovski at 1:39 of round one.

Former Welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov (20-2) and seven fight win streak holder Vaso Bakocevic (33-17-1) also had a spot on the main card. The entrances took longer than the fight.

Koreshkov was packing a significant height and reach advantage coming in, but all he needed to finish the contest was one spinning right back kick to the body. Bakocevic crumpled immediately and Koreshkov was trying to pour on right hands on the ground as Todd Anderson ran over to wave it off at 1:06 of R1. John McCarthy and a translator stepped in the cage to interview him afterward.

“It was a plan. My coach said to me use knee or back kick and I used back kick. I want to be in the (Welterweight) tournament. I will fight with anyone, anybody, it doesn’t matter who. For me it doesn’t matter — really.”

Local favorites met at Lightweight as Simone La Preziosa (3-4) put his three fight win streak on the line versus Maxim Radu (8-1).

This wasn’t much of a contest. Preziosa managed one leg kick before Radu took him down. Preziosa squirmed his way out of a potential guillotine choke and stood up only for Radu to quickly put him back on the mat again… and again… and again. One last takedown led to a heavy barrage of hammerfists and left hooks that made Dan Miragliotta wave it off at 4:15 of round one.

Completing the card were Featherweight prospects Michele Martignoni (4-0) and Simone D’Anna (4-1). It’s a shame this fight wasn’t aired on Paramount as they certainly would have had the time. Six seconds into the first round Martignoni nailed D’Anna with a head kick knockout to improve to 5-0.

For complete Bellator 203 “Pitbull vs. Weichel 2” results and coverage click here.