(Spoiler alert: The guys you heard of are the ones who lost).
By Matt Saccaro
Bellator’s 101st show is over…and the majority of MMA fans are probably still unaware that Bellator has entered the triple digits, sadly. But CagePotato will always have you covered with Bellator recaps and highlights.
The main takeaway from the prelims was highly-regarded Polish prospect Marcin Held running through Ryan Healy worse than Khabib Nurmagomedov ran through Ryan’s brother Pat Healy back at UFC 165. I guess the Healy brothers have a weakness against fighters from Eastern Europe or something.
To start off the main card — which featured the Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinals — Saad Awad submitted an overmatched Martin Stapleton. In the next fight, long-time veteran John Alessio faced up-and-comer Will Brooks. It wasn’t pretty. Brooks dominated the fight from bell to bell. One judge even scored the fight 30-25 in Brooks’ favor. In the last round of the fight, Brooks opened up a nasty gash on Alessio’s cheek. It wasn’t “goat’s vagina” bad, but it was close.
The other UFC vets on the card didn’t fare well. Rich Clementi lost a decision to Ricardo Tirloni, and Marcus Davis lost to Russian prospect Alexander Sarnavskiy by submission. The fight only lasted 1:40, and it still felt like Davis was in there too long. If your hairline is starting to go grey, MMA might not be the best sport for you.
In the night’s main event, the Bellator-sponsored Joe Warren defeated the unheralded Nick Kirk via armbar in a Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal bout. Warren won the fight, but took more punches than were necessary; “defense” might not be in his vocabulary.
Complete results from the event — as well as videos of the Warren/Kirk and Sarnavskiy/Davis fights — are after the jump.
Main Card
Joe Warren def. Nick Kirk via submission (armbar), Round 2
Alexander Sarnavskiy def. Marcus Davis via submission (rear naked choke), Round 1, 1:40
Ricardo Tirloni def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Will Brooks def. John Alessio via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-25)
Saad Awad def. Martin Stapleton via submission (rear naked choke), Round 1, 3:46
Preliminary Card
Nathan Coy def. Andy Uhrich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Marcin Held def. Ryah Healy via KO (punches), Round 1, 1:12
Dave Vitkay def. Tyson Jeffries via submission (rear naked choke), Round 3, 3:07
Brent Primus def. Scott Thometz via submission (rear naked choke), Round 1, 3:48
Austin Springer def. Zack Skinner via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-28)
Peter Aspenwal def. Jeremiah Riggs via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
(Joe Warren vs. Nick Kirk)
(Alexander Sarnavskiy vs. Marcus Davis)