Headlined by the Muhammed Lawal vs. Satoshi Ishii bout, Bellator 169 boasted four other fights on its main card from 3Arena in Dublin.
Three of the five fights didn’t go the distance in an action-packed evening, but the main event went all the way as we take a look at the results and scorecards from each bout:
Cameron Else def. Dylan Tuke
Ireland’s night did not get off to a good start when Dylan Tuke was dropped in the first round by Cameron Else.
Less than a minute in, 20 seconds to be exact, Else dropped Tuke with heavy blows, and he was out cold as the fight was quickly called.
It was quite an impressive performance considering that Else was subbed in for Sean Tobin, who suffered a back injury and had to withdraw earlier in December.
Daniel Weichel def. Brian Moore
The fight between Daniel Weichel and Brian Moore didn’t look like it would last long the way the two rushed toward the center of the Octagon at the opening bell.
While Moore went for the home run punch, Weichel looked to tie him up, slow him down and wait for an opening.
It came just three minutes into the first round, when Weichel abandoned the defensive approach and rushed Moore into the fence and worked him down to the canvas.
They stayed there as the first round wound down, and in the final seconds, Weichel was able to put the arm triangle on Moore, who tapped out with just 16 seconds left.
Sinead Kavanagh def. Elina Kallionidou
Sinead Kavanagh wasted no time going right after Elina Kallionidou, landing a number of heavy blows to the head within the first half-minute of the fight, via Bellator MMA:
Kallionidou managed to sustain the heavy damage and get out of danger but was a victim of some solid Kavanagh combinations a few minutes later.
However, she didn’t look like it bothered her much. But it was clear she wanted no part of her in the second round, as Kavanagh basically had to chase Kallionidou around the Octagon.
When she caught her, she made her pay with knees and a left hook that knocked her off balance.
The third round was more of the same, as Kavanagh was able to mount Kallionidou and unleash big-time shots toward the turtling 18-year-old, however she did manage to go the distance.
James Gallagher def. Anthony Taylor
Anthony Taylor had moments to get on top of Gallagher in the first minutes of the fight after a few trips sent him down. But given the Irishman’s ability to work on the canvas, Gallagher was given the opportunity by Taylor to stand back up.
While Gallagher did record a takedown in the first round, he wasn’t able to capitalize as Taylor tried to combat it with heavy punch attempts.
Bellator MMA showed the early takedown:
Gallagher played plenty of defense in the second round after Taylor went after him, trying to land those big punches again. However, Taylor began to slow down and left his left leg open in the process for Gallagher to focus on.
The third round saw Gallagher attack, jumping on Taylor and forcing him into the fence. But with Gallagher on top of him, Taylor’s left leg finally gave out, allowing the hometown fighter to put on a rear-naked choke and force the tap.
Muhammed Lawal def. Satisho Ishii
There were two conflicting styles on display, but Muhammed Lawal‘s approach proved to be far superior in a win by unanimous decision.
Ishii tried to go for the legs while Lawal all but drove his challenger back with an array of punches and takedowns, as Bellator MMA showed his plan of attack:
It forced Ishii to change his plan and rebut with punches, but he couldn’t touch Lawal, who didn’t have that problem, via Bellator MMA:
Within the first two rounds, Lawal took down Ishii four times and added another big one in the third round on his way to a convincing win, via Bellator MMA:
It might not have been the most entertaining bout and Lawal looked frustrated even after being named the winner, but he does improve to 20-5 in his quest for the light heavyweight crown.
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