In a word, Bellator 127 delivered.
Friday night from Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, multiple talents on the main card announced their arrivals or returns via shocking, brutal and swift finishes to credible opposition.
The final two encounters on the night personified the card best, with Fernando Gonzalez absolutely dismantling Karo Parisyan in a quick manner. The main event saw Daniel Straus back up his pre-fight chatter with an emphatic finish on a risk-taking Justin Wilcox.
Once again, Bellator put on a strong card top to bottom with unexpected and expected results, although when the latter occurred, it did so in entertaining fashion. Here is a look at the full results and a breakdown of the main card.
Bellator 127 Fight Card Results
Kendall Grove def. Christian M’Pumbu
Kendall Grove went into Friday night thinking he could dominate the fight on the mat, but was more than willing to stand up and exchange blows in a more traditional manner.
For Christian M’Pumbu, either approach would have worked—he just wanted to break a three-fight losing streak and was willing to drop weight classes for the first time in his career to make it happen.
Right from the start, though, it seemed obvious which way this one was set to go. After the opening bell, the two walked toward each other and Grove literally dropped M’Pumbu with a wicked right hand, almost as if the recipient wanted to see if a member of a lower weight class could knock him out.
M’Pumbu would recover and escape the first round, but as Jason Floyd of TheMMAReport.com notes, the stats were certainly not in his favor:
Grove’s thoughts of mat domination proved to be correct, as the majority of Round 2 was spent there. In the waning moments on bottom of an engagement, M’Pumbu attempted a risky escape and exposed his neck, which allowed the Hawaiian to apply a rear-naked choke and force a tap out.
For M’Pumbu, it was a desperation move to make something from nothing, and against a talent such as Grove, it cost him the match outright.
Rafael Silva def. Rob Emerson
This one was interesting, but another rather lopsided outcome by the end.
Rafael Silva once again came in heavier than the required 135 pounds, and he used every bit of overage to keep Rob Emerson pinned for most of the match.
Of course, Emerson was not doing himself any favors. Similar to the start of the above fight that kicked off the main card, Emerson stuck his chin out and got absolutely tagged, which instantly took things to the mat. Heidi Fang of Fox Sports 670AM details the encounter:
Emerson showed signs of life from a striking standpoint when he was not on his back, the only problem with that statement being he spent the majority of his match prone and trying to find a way to stand up without grabbing the cage as a crutch.
Credit goes to Silva for coming in with the smart plan and executing it to perfection, his being heavier notwithstanding. The lopsided scorecard really does not do the victor justice given his strong performance.
Fernando Gonzalez def. Karo Parisyan
Fans knew going in that this would be a grisly affair.
Parisyan used to make his money in the UFC against the likes of Georges St-Pierre and other recognizable names, while Gonzalez is similar in his being unafraid to stand in the strike zone and trade blows.
Let’s just say the underdog took this one in emphatic fashion.
Knowing full and well Parisyan would want this one to get to the mat, Gonzalez stood tall and hammered Parisyan as he went in for a clinch and quickly swarmed him with no retaliation, forcing the referee to end it.
Broadcast announcer Jimmy Smith put it best, as captured by the promotion on Twitter:
It is on to the next one for Gonzalez, while Parisyan needs to head back to the drawing board and not come out so sloppy with the mindset that a lesser weight does not pose a threat.
Daniel Straus def. Justin Wilcox
Let’s being with a flash back to before the fight with a few choice words from Straus:
Mission complete.
Wilcox came out wild and aggressive and missed on a few takedown attempts. On one such risky maneuver, Straus landed a single blow that sent Wilcox to the mat face first and with no ability to defend himself.
Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com put it best:
The emphatic finish means Straus is back and on the right path toward a shot at his lost featherweight title. As an added bonus, the timing and power on display Friday to land the decisive blow is a strong sign that he is better than ever as he continues to refine his skill set.
Credit where it is due—Straus put his mind to it, spoke his mind and delivered.
All stats and info via Bellator.com unless otherwise specified.
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