michael page vs rudy bears
Bellator London 2: “MVP. Anderson” airs TODAY (Sat., Nov. 23, 2019) from SSE Arena in London, England, via Paramount Network. A Welterweight main event will see Michael “Venom” Page (15-1) face off with Giovanni Melillo (13-4).
Bellator London 2’s main card will start at 5 p.m. ET on Channel 5 (U.K.) and the Bellator mobile app, with “Prelims” undercard action at 11:30 a.m. ET (also on the mobile app). MMAmania.com will deliver the results along with play-by-play for the top 10 fights.
Many readers check in before, during and after the fights to share their thoughts on all of the action. Feel free to leave a comment about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it’s always a lot of fun!
BELLATOR LONDON 2 QUICK RESULTS:
Michael Page vs. Giovanni Melillo — Page KO 1:47 R1.
Fabian Edwards vs. Michael Shipman — Edwards SD 28-29, 29-28, 30-27.
Terry Brazier vs. Soren Bak — Bak UD 30-27 X2, 29-28.
Charlie Ward vs. Pietro Penini — Penini UD 30-27 X2, 29-28.
Denise Kielholtz vs. Sabriye Sengul — Kielholtz sub (Americana) 0:32 R1.
Kent Kauppinen vs. Andy Manzolo — Kauppinen sub (forearm choke) 3:53 R1.
George Tokkos vs. Kevin Fryer — Fryer UD 30-27 X3.
Charlie Leary vs. Tim Wilde — Wilde UD 29-28 X3.
Damian Frankiewicz vs. Aiden Lee — Lee sub (RNC) 1:24 R3.
Sam Sicilia vs. Robert Whiteford — Whiteford KO 4:54 R3.
Alfie Davis vs. Alessandro Botti — Davis UD 30-27 X2, 29-28.
Walter Gahadza vs. Lewis Long — Long sub (RNC) 1:44 R1.
Tim Barnett vs. Akonne Wanliss — Wanliss tech sub (d’arce) 0:56 R1.
Shane Campbell vs. Raphael Uchegbu — Uchegbu sub (RNC) 2:17 R3.
Chris Bungard vs. Benjamin Brander — Bungard sub (RNC) 1:26 R1.
Nathan Rose vs. Harry Hardwick — Hardwick MD 29-28 X2, 28-28.
Jeremy Petley vs. Tom Mearns — Petley UD 30-27 X3.
Charlotte McIntyre vs. Josie Blaber — McIntyre TKO 2:00 R2.
BELLATOR LONDON 2 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Michael Page vs. Giovanni Melillo
Silver trunks and blue gloves for Melillo, 13-4. Black trunks and red gloves for Page, 15-1. Page is 32, Melillo 34. Page’s official reach is 78.5” (I thought it was longer) and Melillo’s is 71”. Melillo hails from Bari, Italy. Page fights out of London, England. Our referee in charge for this main event is Kevin MacDonald. They tap gloves during final instructions.
Round 1: Melillo offers one more glove tap and Page reluctantly accepts. Page dances back and forth in front of Melillo and lets the right hands flow freely. Melillo is keeping his hands up constantly, afraid to throw any shots lest he be caught with one in return. In fact he seems to be in fear for his life to the point I question him being in the cage. A right catches him flush at 1:17. Melillo throws a leg kick. MVP drops him with a right hand and just stands there looking at him, not throwing another punch. It’s OVER.
Final result: Michael “Venom” Page wins via knockout at 1:47 of round one.
Fabian Edwards vs. Michael Shipman
Shipman comes out to Danzig’s “Mother” sporting the blue gloves and trunks with a pro record of 13-2. His undefeated 8-0 opponent Edwards sports the red gloves and black trunks. For those who don’t know his brother is ranked UFC Welterweight Leon Edwards. Talent clearly runs in the family. Edwards is 26, Shipman 29, and Edwards has a 6” reach advantage at 79.5”. Shipman hails from London, Edwards from Birmingham, England. The referee for this co-main event is Leon Roberts.
Round 1: Shipman circles to the left on the outside then comes forward wheeling his right hand. Shipman resets and Edwards gets pushed into the cage at 36 seconds. Roberts stops the contest for a knee to the groin from Shipman. The action quickly resumes and Shipman pushes Edwards back to the fence again. Roberts leans down to make sure neither knees the other in the jewels. Edwards breaks free at 1:34. Shipman tries a looping right and a front kick as Edwards throws a left hook. Leg kick from Shipman. Another front kick from Shipman misses. Knee to the body from Edwards. Left hand from Edwards. Shipman rushes him to the fence again. He goes hard for a single leg and Edwards fights it off and nearly gets his own takedown. 90 seconds left in R1. Knees fly back and forth. Edwards breaks out at 4:28. Right hand from Shipman. Solid left hook from Edwards. 10-9 Shipman.
Round 2: Shipman immediately pushes Edwards into the fence again and drops levels. Roberts warns the fighters not to put their fingers inside the gloves. Shipman gets a single leg over a minute in after Edwards appeared to blatantly grab the cage and had his hand slapped away by Roberts. Shipman pushes both of them away from the fence with his feet then stands back up at 1:44. He lets Edwards stand up and then gets a front headlock. Edwards drops to one knee so Shipman can’t knee him in the head. Edwards finally gets free at 2:20. Shipman lands a right. Edwards lands a body kick. Edwards shoots, Shipman sprawls. Shipman is all over his back. He could be looking for a d’arce choke. Edwards breaks away at 3:53. Shipman lands a knee. Both men land a left hand. 10-9 Shipman.
Round 3: Edwards comes out aggressively and scores with a couple of left hands. Shipman takes him down at 30 seconds in response. Shipman stands up at 1:42 and lets Edwards get back up and once again he has a front headlock, but he lets it go at 1:58. Edwards goes for a left uppercut and a kick. Shipman with right hands. Shipman lands a couple, clinches, and breaks. Edwards with a combo. Shipman puts him on the fence and drops levels. He switches to a single leg. He switches to a leg trip. Edwards widens his stance and stays upright. Edwards lands a couple of elbows as he breaks and comes forward swinging. Edwards misses with the head kick. Right hand from Shipman. Uppercut from Edwards. Elbow from Edwards. 30 seconds left. Edwards tries to take the back late. He winds up on top in half. 10-9 Edwards.
Final result: The judges score it 29-28 Shipman, 29-28 Edwards, 30-27 Edwards by split decision.
Terry Brazier vs. Soren Bak
True to his “Viking” nature, Bak comes out with a wolf pelt around his shoulders and an axe on his right side (obviously not a real axe). He brings a pro record of 12-1 into this fight along with black trunks and blue gloves. “The Dominator” Brazier’s entourage dance their way to the Bellator cage as he slowly enters in the black trunks and red gloves. His record is 11-2. Brazier is 6’0”, Bak 5’9”. Brazier has a 76” reach, Bak 70”. Brazier is 33, Bak is 27. Bak fights out of Copenhagen, Denmark and Brazier from London, England. The referee for this contest is Jerin Valel.
Round 1: No glove tap. Bak is using kicks early. The crowd roars any time either lets their hands go. Brazier clocks Bak with a right as he’s coming forward, and Bak just as quickly moves backward. He clears his head and clinches with Brazier looking for a takedown. They separate but Bak goes right back to the takedown and gets it at 2:20. Brazier is back up at 2:47 and gets slammed down again with Bak in side control. Bak laces the legs so Brazier can’t get up and hits body shots. Brazier breaks the leg control at 3:42 but Bak gets it right back. Brazier has a cut near his right eye. Bak turns Brazier away from the cage with under a minute left and gets full mount at 4:30. Brazier tries to push off the fence with his feet to get up to no avail. 10-9 Bak.
Round 2: Bak may have grazed the cup early with a kick but Brazier ignores it and keeps on going. Brazier throws right hooks to the body. Bak shoots and gets a takedown at 0:55 and immediately laces the legs. Bak gets full mount at 1:47. Bak is trying to posture up and mash elbows into Brazier’s face but Brazier gets free at 3:15 and stands at 3:34. Bak takes him right back down again. Brazier keeps trying to get one leg free and Bak keeps grapevining him. 10-9 Bak.
Round 3: Glove tap starts R3. Bak kicks low and seems to acknowledge it but Brazier waves it off. Brazier throws a leg kick. Bak shoots at 50 seconds and gets another takedown, quickly jumping to half guard, as Brazier tries to sit up against the cage. Bak goes for full mount, Brazier gets to his feet, and Bak takes him down with another double at 2:06. Like Josh Thomson says “It’s a pattern and he just keeps doing it over and over again.” Since that’s the truth there’s nothing else to say unless Brazier does something to change this in the last two minutes so we’ll leave it here. 10-9 Bak.
Final result: Soren Bak wins by unanimous decision of 30-27 X2, 29-28.
Charlie Ward vs. Pietro Penini
“King Kong” Penini is out first in the black trunks with red trim and blue gloves. He’s 8-1-1 (1 NC) in his career thus far. “Relentless” Charlie Ward is 7-3 with black trunks and red gloves. Ward is 38, Penini 26. Penini fights out of Verona, Italy. Ward fights out of Mountmelick, Ireland. Our referee in charge is Leon Roberts.
Round 1: Glove tap to start. Ward has his left hand low and his right hand near his waist. He pushes Penini to the fence and throws an overhand right before backing up. Leg kick for Ward. Jab from Penini. Jab hook from Penini. Another jab. Ward misses wild with an overhand right. Ward throws wild combos and Penini clinches with him to put him on the cage. He’s throwing knees at the legs until War breaks free at 2:52. Penini continues to work the jab and you can see the red marks it’s leaving on Ward’s face, and two right hooks connect as well. Ward misses with the overhand and we get another clinch. Penini knees him in the balls but Ward tells the ref he can continue. Hard left to the body from Ward. Ward has a cut on the right side of his head well above the eye. Penini may have a trickle of blood coming from his nose. 10-9 Penini.
Round 2: Penini opens R2 with a hard right hand. The jabs continue to connect as well. Left hook from Penini. Ward misses with the right. Penini seems to have the speed edge while Ward has to be looking for one big home run. Penini trips him to the ground when he over commits on a strike and continues to jab when Ward gets back up. Right hook flush for Penini. Left jab. The jabs are snapping Ward’s head back as is the head kick. Both men throw big right hands. Left for Ward. Right for Penini. It doesn’t feel like either fighter is interested in going to the ground. Left jab clean for Penini. Swing and a miss for Ward. Left jab for Penini lands again and again. Ward keeps chasing the right but it’s not there. Left to the nose for Penini. Both men have crimson flowing from their proboscis. Left jab by Ward that Penini clearly felt. Right from Penini. 10-9 Penini.
Round 3: Glove tap. Ward continues to chase that overhand right as blood squirts out of his nostrils and gels in his mustache. Penini keeps on jabbing. He grabs a single leg and trips Ward to the ground. Ward gets back up and laughs it off like “nice try.” Penini with the left hook and the left jab clean as a new mirror. If Ward’s nickname wasn’t “Relentless” it would be “Korean Zombie” — he just keeps coming. Ward with a flurry at 2:35 but only one blow even partially landed. Penini tripped him to the ground at 2:58, then nails him with knees against the fence until he breaks away at 3:21. The blood is now everywhere all over Ward’s face. Ward is begging Penini to trade with him. “Stop running!” Penini gets another single leg trip at 4:15. Ward gets back up. Ward points at the center saying “meet me there.” If Ward wants it so bad, go get it mate. He comes forward swinging but can’t land it. 10-9 goes to Penini one more time.
Final result: Pietro Penini by unanimous decision 30-27 X2, 29-28.
Denise Kielholtz vs. Sabriye Sengul
Black trunks, red top and blue gloves for the 0-0 (in MMA) Sengul. Black trunks, black top and red gloves for the 3-2 (in MMA) Kielholtz. Sengul is 31, Kielholtz 30. Sengul has a 62” reach, Kielholtz 66”. Everything else is “virtually identical.” Sengul fights out of Trabzon, Turkey. Kielholtz fights out of Amsterdam, Holland. The referee is Jacob Montalvo.
Round 1: Sengul comes forward swinging and Kielholtz drops her with a counter shot then submits her in the first 30 seconds. Sengul is besides herself in tears upset. The replay shows that Sengul landed a right hook but Kielholtz CLOCKED her with a counter right and then applied a nasty lock to the left arm for the submission. Sengul is still yelling that it’s “bulls—t” and says she wants a kickboxing fight. Officials get in the cage to make sure they don’t get into another fight.
Final result: Denise Kielholtz wins via submission (Americana) at 0:32 in round one.
Kent Kauppinen vs. Andy Manzolo
Black/gray trunks and blue gloves for Manzolo with a record of 22-6. Black/yellow trunks with red gloves for Kauppinen with a 11-5 pro record. Manzolo is 35 with a 76” reach, Kauppinen is 27 with a 72” reach. Manzolo fights out of Tallinn, Estonia. Kauppinen fights out of Chippenham, England. Our referee is Leon Roberts.
Round 1: Glove tap and we’re underway. Kauppinen throws leg kicks early. He tries to push Manzolo toward the fence, feinting with the left hand. Manzolo shoots at 55 seconds but doesn’t commit and steps to the side. Kauppinen keeps dancing in and out of Manzolo’s range and throws another leg kick. Manzolo tries to respond. Manzolo keeps flinching every time Kauppinen teases a power shot. Another leg kick at 1:55 makes Manzolo wince. He shoots and fails miserably to get it, Kauppinen ends up on top in half, then stands up and forces Manzolo to stand back up. He kicks Manzolo again and he immediately goes down. He kicks him in the leg a couple of times and lets him back up. Front kick by Kauppinen. Manzolo is forced to change his stance to his right leg and Kauppinen kicks that one too. Kauppinen lands a flying knee and then lets Manzolo back up. Manzolo fails again on another takedown and Manzolo suddenly taps at 3:53.
Final result: Kent Kauppinen via submission (arm choke) at 3:53 of round one.
George Tokkos vs. Kevin Fryer
Yellow trunks and blue gloves for the 7-3 Fryer. Black trunks and red gloves for Tokkos with a pro record of 4-0. Tokkos is 6’3” with a 73” reach, Fryer is 6’2” with the same reach. Fryer fights out of Fleetwood, England. Tokkos fights out of London, England. The referee for this bout is Kevin MacDonald.
Round 1: Tokkos takes a hard leg kick early. He goes for a body kick in response, it’s caught, and Fryer sweeps him to the ground. Fryer spins to take the back and Tokkos crawls toward the cage. Tokkos is back up at 55 seconds and he turns Fryer around. MacDonald warns the fighters not to grab the cage as they battle against the fence. The fights grinds to a halt there with nobody gaining the advantage. Two minutes left in the round and we’re still in the same spot. Tokkos gets Fryer down to a knee at 3:12. Fryer draws a warning for elbows to the back of the head. Fryer is back up at 4:03. Fryer has a small cut under his right eye. They break at 4:27. Fryer knocks Tokkos down with a kick and jumps on top in guard. Tokkos ties up his arms to prevent that. 10-10. Maybe 10-9 Tokkos.
Round 2: 15 seconds in and we’re on the fence again. Tokkos gets Fryer to a knee for a second and he’s right back up. MacDonald gets bored and resets them to the center at 1:47. Fryer gets hurt by a shot and shoots, but Tokkos turns him around into the fence. They reset at 3:10. Overhand right for Tokkos. Combo from Fryer. Left kick from Tokkos. His shots are a little sloppy and he looks a bit winded. Windmilling overhand right misses wildly. Fryer lands a counter right in response. Tokkos misses with a jump kick. Combo by Fryer snaps Tokkos’ head back. Leg kick by Fryer. Superman punch for Fryer. 10-9 Fryer.
Round 3: Both men breathing hard to start this round. Tap of gloves. Leg kick and left hand for Fryer. Fryer attacks with the jab and Tokkos responds with kicks. Tokkos misses wildly with a left hand, kicks Fryer in the crotch, and we get a timeout. We resume at 0:53. Lunging right hand by Tokkos misses. Leg kick by Fryer. Left hand from Fryer. Leg kick from Tokkos. Lunging right hand misses. Body kick from Tokkos. Jab from Fryer. Again. Right hand from Fryer. Body kick from Tokkos. Stiff left jab by Fryer. Fryer trips Tokkos to the ground and takes his back. Tokkos crawls to the cage. Fryer looks to get the hooks in but Tokkos gets back up at 2:45. Fryer takes him down again. Tokkos tries to get up and draws a warning not to grab the cage. Fryer rides the back with 90 seconds left. Tokkos is back up at 3:50. Tokkos gets a takedown at 4:08. He does nothing with it. 10-9 Fryer.
Final result: The judges score it 30-27 X3 all for Kevin Fryer by unanimous decision.
Charlie Leary vs. Tim Wilde
“917” Charlie Leary is out first in the purple trunks and blue gloves out of Watford, England with a record of 16-10-1. Tim Wilde is 12-4 in the black trunks and red gloves out of Wolverhampton, England. Leary is 36, Wilde 32. Leary is 6’0”, Wilde 5’11”. The referee in charge of this contest is Jerin Valel.
Round 1: Leary chases Wilde across the cage right at the opening bell and tags him with a right hand, jumping on top in half guard immediately. Josh Thomson tells us that’s alright because Wilde is great off the bottom. He’s trying to get back up though and Leary is hitting him with knees to the body. He’s out clean at 1:20. Leary presses forward and lands the right hand as Wilde circles to his left, forcing him to change directions momentarily. Two minutes gone. Clinch at 2:11. They break 20 seconds later. Wilde with a Superman punch and a flurry. Leg kick for Wilde. He continues to back up and let Leary come at him and Leary lands a hard knee to the body. They separate at 3:12. Both men stand and trade at 3:25 and again ten seconds later. Leg kick from Wilde. Another kick. Head kick is blocked. The next one partially lands. Another head kick and a right. He pushes Leary into the fence. Leary turns him around and they break apart at 4:32. Leary drops Wilde with a right with 12 seconds left and jumps on top late. 10-9 Leary.
Round 2: Wilde tags Leary with a knee early and Leary is hurt. Wilde is trying to soften him up with right hands but Leary is able to get back up to his feet. Front kick from Wilde. Leg kick. Leary gets a hand up for the head kick. Leary drops Wilde with a right and gets on top. Wilde goes for a triangle and Leary breaks out of it. Wilde looks at the referee like Leary did something illegal and the ref does nothing. He tries to scoot backward to the fence to get to his feet and Leary wisely turns him sideways along the fence then spins him the opposite direction. 1:20 left as Valel calls for work. Right hands to the body from Leary. Leary tries to pass to the left. Wilde defends well. Wilde gets him back to guard with 20 seconds left. 10-9 Leary.
Round 3: Leary blocks the head kick but the body kick lands. Wilde misses with the spin kick and lands a left leg kick. Blood is running down the back of Leary’s head. Wilde with a spinning backfist and a couple of kicks. Leary with a straight punch to the face. Leary with the left jab. 2:30. Leary with the front kick. Leg kicks by Wilde. Body kick from Wilde. Left hook. Left jab for Wilde. Uppercut from Wilde. Leg kick. Front kick misses. Under a minute left. Leg kick for Wilde. Head kick. 30 seconds. 10-9 Wilde but it may be too little too late. Both men swung for the fences at the bell.
Final result: The judges score it 29-28 X3 all for Tim Wilde.
Damian Frankiewicz vs. Aiden Lee
Frankiewicz is 11-2 in the black/gold trunks and blue gloves. Aiden Lee sports the black trunks and the red gloves with a pro record of 7-4. Frankiewicz stands 5’9” with a 67” reach, Lee stands 6’0” with a 76” reach. Frankiewicz fights out of Krakow, Poland. Lee fights out of Birmingham, England. Our referee in charge is Leon Roberts.
Round 1: Glove tap to start. Frankiewicz lands the first leg kick. Lee tries to push Frankiewicz’ feet backward while throwing the right hand and right head kick. Frankiewicz closes the range for a left hand. Knee to the body from Lee. Frankiewicz is pressuring well for the smaller man. Lee responds with a right and some kicks. Frankiewicz lands his left hand. Lee with a combo. Straight right from Lee. Lee goes high with the head kick and it’s checked. Checked again. 90 seconds left in R1 as they clinch. Lee puts Frankiewicz on the fence. Lee spins and spins trying to take Frankiewicz down and now his back is on the cage. Knees from Lee. They break at 4:43. Superman punch from Lee. 10-9 Lee in a close round.
Round 2: Lee comes out throwing the jab and the hook. Frankiewicz pushes forward with a leg kick. Lee with a combo and a good left. Frankiewicz comes forward twice in response. Nice left for Frankiewicz. Lee backs up. Leg kick for Lee. Right hook for Lee. Frankiewicz forces Lee to circle on the outside and he tries to jump off the cage with a kick. Frankiewicz with a good combo. Kick for Frankiewicz. Jab for Lee. Right high kick telegraphed by Lee. Head kick checked again by Frankiewicz. Lee forced to circle on the outside again. Both men land hard shots. Lee tries the uppercut. Lee covers up as he comes in to avoid damage. Frankiewicz pressures and lands the outside leg kick. Lee tries a cartwheel kick and it doesn’t land. Right hook for Frankiewicz. Same from Lee. Head kick checked. Two lefts from Frankiewicz. Right hook for Frankiewicz. 10-9 Frankiewicz — also a close round.
Round 3: Glove tap opens our final round. Frankiewicz immediately clinches up and drags Lee down to one knee. He’s back up at 18 seconds. Lee with the uppercut. Frankiewicz with the hook. Lee shoots for a takedown and goes for the back with one hook in. Both hooks in at 56 seconds. He’s going for the rear naked choke. Frankiewicz is turning beet red. It’s over.
Final result: Aiden Lee via rear naked choke submission at 1:24 of round three.
Sam Sicilia vs. Robert Whiteford
Black trunks and blue gloves for the 17-10 Sicilia. Black/white trunks and red gloves for Whiteford with a pro record of 15-4. Sicilia is 33, Whiteford 36, and everything else is “virtually identical.” Sicilia fights out of Spokane, Washington. Whiteford fights out of Fauldhouse, Scotland. Our referee for this fight is Jacob Montalvo.
Round 1: Tap of gloves and we’re off. Sicilia throws a kick early. Whiteford paws at the range with the right hand. Leg kick for Sicilia. 90 seconds gone as Sicilia lands a straight right hand to the face. Not a lot of significant strikes landing either way. Whiteford teases a takedown attempt but doesn’t follow through. Leg kick for Sicilia. Whiteford misses with a combo. Right to the chin from Sicilia. Right hook behind the era from Sicilia. Whiteford with a jab and Sicilia with a left hook. Sicilia is the one working from the outside but he’s landing the cleaner harder shots. Sicilia and Whiteford trade shots in the final 10 before the bell. 10-9 Sicilia.
Round 2: Tap of gloves. Sicilia lands a head kick 16 seconds in. Hard straight right from Sicilia. Whiteford tries to cut him off and Sicilia dances to his left. Left hook by Whiteford. Leg kick from Whiteford. Left hand from Whiteford. Hard body shot by Sicilia. Left high kick from Sicilia hits the shoulder. Flying knee is off the mark. Leg kick for Sicilia. Overhand right from Sicilia. Jab from Whiteford. Jab from Whiteford. Swing and a miss Sicilia. Whiteford shrugs off a clinch at 3:10. Body shot Sicilia. Head and body from Whiteford. Uppercut Sicilia, right hand Whiteford. Left jab Whiteford. Whiteford goes for a single leg but can’t get Sicilia down. Right jab Whiteford. Hard right hand from Sicilia wobbles Whiteford, and he follows up with a knee. 10-9 Sicilia.
Round 3: One more quick tap of gloves to start R3. Whiteford pressures. Sicilia blocks the left with his hands up. Right hook Sicilia. Left hook Whiteford. Sicilia is trying to bait Whiteford into a firefight. He takes the bait and Sicilia drops him with a left hook and throws hammerfists and rights on the ground. Whiteford ties up to save himself. Two minutes gone. Sicilia is trying to pass while Whiteford is trying to shoot for his leg. It turns into an ugly scramble and Sicilia stands back up at 3:13. Sicilia looks up at the clock with just over a minute to go. Right jab from Whiteford. Lefts from Whiteford and a right to the chin that’s flush. Combo from Whiteford hurts Sicilia. Whiteford finishes him with SECONDS left.
Final result: Robert Whiteford via KO late in round three at 4:54.