Bellator 179: “MacDonald vs. Daley” takes place TONIGHT (Fri., May 19, 2017) from inside SSE Arena in London, England, featuring the long-awaited promotional debut of Rory MacDonald as he takes on the hometown favorite with dynamite hands known as Paul “Semtex” Daley.
The main event should be worth the price of admission (free on SPIKE), but in case you had any doubts, former Light Heavyweight champion Liam McGeary faces Linton Vassell, and Heavyweight bruisers Cheick Kongo and Augusto Sakai are good to go. There’s also a “Baby Slice” fight scheduled for the broadcast as well.
Bellator 179 will start at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV with “Prelims” bouts on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET. MMAmania.com will deliver results and play-by-play for the entirety of the Bellator card.
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 (or 179) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it’s always a lot of fun!
BELLATOR 179 QUICK RESULTS:
Rory MacDonald vs. Paul Daley — MacDonald via sub (RNC) R2 1:45.
Liam McGeary vs. Linton Vassell — Vassell via sub (arm triangle) R3 2:28.
Dan Vinni vs. Alex Lohore — Lohore TKO R2 0:56.
Cheick Kongo vs. Augusto Sakai — Kongo SD (28-29, 29-28 X2).
Kevin Ferguson Jr. vs. D.J. Griffin — Ferguson TKO R1 3:40.
Jay Dods vs. Alfie Davis — Davis via TKO R1.
Dan Konecke vs. Stav Economou — Economou via sub (guillotine) R1 1:05.
Jamie Powell vs. Amir Albazi — Albazi UD 30-25, 30-26 X2.
Umer Kayani vs. Nathan Jones — Jones via sub (RNC) R1 4:35.
Fabian Edwards vs. Rafal Cejrowski — Edwards KO R1 3:44.
Jeremy Petley vs. Chase Morton — Petley UD 29-28, 30-27, 30-26.
Marcin Prostko vs. Mike Shipman — Shipman TKO R1 2:39.
Salih Kulucan vs. Diego Barbosa — Kulucan via sub (heel hook) R1 2:18.
BELLATOR 179 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Rory MacDonald vs. Paul Daley
The time for the long-awaited Bellator debut of “The Red King” MacDonald has finally arrived. He’s out first for the main event wearing red trunks and blue gloves. Hometown hero “Semtex” Daley gets a roaring ovation, sporting the black trunks with yellow trim and red gloves for this fight. 18-4 vs. 39-14-2 from MacDonald to Ward. MacDonald stands 6’0” and fights out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Daley stands 5’9” and hails from Nottingham, England. Our referee in charge is John McCarthy.
Round 1: MacDonald comes out throwing the overhand right and goes for a single leg right away, getting it 23 seconds in. Daley has him in full guard but he can’t be happy to be put on the ground that fast. MacDonald is trying to break his grip and posture up to do some damage. He finally gets a few left hands to the body and head. MacDonald slips to half guard and cracks his head with an elbow. Daley pushes him back to full guard at 2:35. MacDonald stands up at 3:00 and jumps back on looking for side control or the back. He gets full mount at 3:30 for a split second. More elbows grind into Daley’s face. He hasn’t completely broken Daley at this point, but the fight has been pretty one-sided since the opening bell. Daley looks for upkicks late to no avail. 10-9 for MacDonald in his first Bellator round.
Round 2: After opening this stanza with a nice head kick, MacDonald gets a takedown to side control 26 seconds in. McCarthy may already be concerned that Daley is turning away from the elbows to the head. MacDonald is jumping back and forth across Daley looking for an opening and he finally gets it — taking the back and sinking in a lightning quick rear naked choke. Daley knows he can’t fight it and doesn’t try to, tapping out the moment it’s sunk in.
Final result: Rory MacDonald wins via rear naked choke at 1:45 of the second round.
Liam McGeary vs. Linton Vassell
Vassell is out first for our co-main event in the light blue trunks and blue gloves. The former champion McGeary has the black trunks and red gloves. 17-5 for Vassell, 12-1 for McGeary, the height advantage going to the former champ at 6’6” to 6’4”. Vassell hails from Milton Keynes, England. McGeary fights out of New York by way of Kingsland, England. Our referee in charge of the action is Dan Miragliotta.
Round 1: McGeary is looking for the “punch up” he talked about before the bout early, head hunting with a left hand, though Vassell is taking it in stride and answering back for the first minute. Vassell forces McGeary to back off with a hard flurry but he gets right back into the fray with kicks. McGeary slips but Vassell nearly eats an upkick trying to get on top. McGeary keeps him in full guard and tries to punch the ribs from his back. Vassell is running up the riding time but not doing a lot of damage with it. McGeary keeps trying to peel him away and get to the fence to wall walk, but Vassell passes to half guard in the process. Good ground defense saved McGeary from getting caught but Vassell working constantly on top ekes out a 10-9 round.
Round 2: McGeary opens up again to start R2 with a lot of punches and kicks. His head kicks and right hands are finding the target. Vassell shoots at the one minute mark for a takedown which was the only safe thing he could do. McGeary vowed he wouldn’t let Linton Vassell do what Phil Davis did but so far that’s exactly what he’s done, and he’s even got full mount at 2:03. Vassell gets it go as he opts for side control instead. Vassell tries to pin an arm down with a knee but McGeary wrests it away. Vassell keeps going for it though and takes full mount back with 90 seconds left. McGeary looks to sneak out the back door but Vassell sizes it up correctly and gets full mount right back again. Vassell has an armbar opportunity late in the round but can’t get it set up before the bell. A much more dominant 10-9 for Vassell.
Round 3: McGeary opens with strikes again but Vassell easily scores the takedown at 26 seconds and gets the full mount 10 seconds later. Slowly and methodically Vassell works his way to the side for an arm triangle choke and there’s nothing he can do about it. MCGEARY TAPS AND THAT IS A WRAP. It’s the first time McGeary has tapped out in a fight.
Final result: Linton Vassell wins via submission (arm triangle choke) 2:28 of the third round.
Dan Vinni vs. Alex Lohore
Dan Vinni sports the blue gloves and black trunks tonight with a career record of 14-14. His opponent Lohore comes to the cage draped in the French flag, sporting black trunks and red gloves, boasting a career record of 11-1. Lohore weighs 170, Vinni 169.4”, but Vinni boasts a 2” height advantage at 6’2”. He fights out of London, England while Lohore fights out of London, England by way of Paris, France. Our referee is Bryan Miner.
Round 1: Lohore lands a right hand and gets a takedown before the camera has even zoomed all the way in on the action. Vinni is trying to go for a toehold on the ground while Lohore is trying to punch his way free from behind. He’s finally out of danger at 1:12 and has worked his way to the top dropping right hands from guard. He stands up at 1:45 and Vinni starts to go for the leg again. Lohore gets his back to the fence and waits patiently then jumps on top when Vinni lets up. Lohore is busting Vinni up with right hands but he’s still going for the leg lock again at 3:10. Vinni’s blood is painting the canvas. Lohore takes his back with an arm around his neck, Vinni tries to escape, and gives up his back to Lohore a second time. He actually sweeps on top at 4:05 but Lohore gets right back on top at 4:30 and is landing left elbows and right hands. 10-9 Lohore.
Round 2: Vinni backflops to the ground at 22 seconds hoping Lohore will take the bait. He does not and Miner forces a stand up. Lohore opens up with two CRACKING right hands, the first wobbling VInni, the second crumbling him, and Lohore seems to think Miner will stop the fight. He has to drop a couple more to a defenseless opponent on the ground before it’s waved off.
Final result: Alex Lohore wins via technical knockout at 0:56 of the second round.
Cheick Kongo vs. Augusto Sakai
Sakai comes to the cage with black trunks and blue gloves. He’s a thick stocky fighter at 263.75 pounds at weigh in — he’s probably even bigger after hydrating. He’s also undefeated at 9-0-1. Kongo sports black trunks and red gloves and brings a four fight win streak into the cage, weighing in at 244 lbs. Both men are 6’4”. Sakai fights out of Curitiba, Brazil and Kongo out of Paris, France. Our referee in charge is John McCarthy.
Round 1: Kongo takes the center and lets Sakai circle. He shifts to the left and to the right looking for an angle. The crowd starts to get a little impatient a minute in as neither man has thrown a big strike. Sakai finally throws a tiny leg kick, then a front kick, each one drawing a reaction. The London fans are hungry for action. Every time they think about booing Sakai lands another kick. Now Kongo is the fighter on the outer circle, letting Sakai press forward toward him. Sakai is starting to let his hands go a little more. The leg kicks are landing with resounding thuds. Jimmy Smith: “Cheick Kongo literally hasn’t landed anything.” It sure feels that way. Finally Kongo opens up with a leg kick. He throws a hard right and drops levels but can’t get Sakai off his feet. 60 seconds remain in R1. Sakai turns Kongo around at 4:27. He looks for an outside trip but can’t get it. 10-9 for Sakai.
Round 2: Kongo is pressuring to open R2 and lands some big shots 22 seconds in when he gets Sakai’s back to the fence. Kongo drops levels, Sakai looks to block, but Kongo keeps digging and gets Sakai off his feet at 1:08. He stands up at 1:20 but Kongo keeps his hands around Sakai’s waist. Sakai turns him around at the two minute mark but eats a knee before Kongo turns it back and drops deep around the legs, taking Sakai down again at 2:21. If you think you’ve seen a Cheick Kongo fight that looks like this, you’d be right. Sakai gets up at 2:58 and McCarthy reminds the fighters not to grab the fence. Kongo keeps digging for another takedown. Sakai is using the fence to keep himself upright as Kongo tries in vain to pull him down. McCarthy tires of it and resets them to stand-up with 40 seconds left. Kongo immediately drops levels and the English crowd roars with disapproval. 10-9 round for Kongo.
Round 3: In a fight that could go either way in the last five minutes, neither man is showing a supreme sense of urgency. Kongo is going back to the same well again and again with pressure against the fence. Sakai manages to turn Kongo around but eats knees as he does. An outside trip fails to materialize and Kongo reverses Sakai back to the cage at 2:00. By now the crowd has wandered to the concession stand for a pint of Guinness and you can hardly blame them. McCarthy demands more activity and breaks them up in search of it with 120 seconds left. Sakai lets Kongo pressure him backward and throws a couple of leg kicks, but Kongo responds in kind, landing a nice kick to the body in the process. Sakai falls down throwing a kick and Kongo very cautiously, deliberately and methodically gets on top. I’d like a pint myself after this fight but I’m on the clock. The fighters are not though as John McCarthy called time for an eye poke to Kongo with 10 seconds left. The replay shoves Sakai got a finger on his left hand in the eyeball as he was standing back up. McCarthy restarts them and the bell rings almost immediately. Ugh.
Final result: Cheick Kongo defeats Augusto Sakai via split decision (28-29, 29-28 and 29-28).
Kevin Ferguson Jr. vs. D.J. Griffin
Griffin takes his first pro fight tonight, but has an amateur record of 4-3. He’s got on the blue gloves and black trunks. “Baby Slice” Ferguson is 0-1 as a pro, sporting the black and red trunks with red gloves. Ferguson weighs 165, Griffin 164. Both men are 5’11”. Griffin fights out of Everett, Washington and Ferguson out of Long Beach by way of Miami, Florida. Our referee is Dan Miragliotta.
Round 1: Ferguson rushes to the center and Griffin responds with a leg kick. Ferguson keeps pressuring so Griffin tries to clinch and push him into the fence. They break at 35 seconds. Ferguson comes ahead landing rights and uppercuts. Griffin is thrown to the ground at 0:59 and Ferguson traps an arm and starts landing uncontested shots to the head, but Griffin recovers before Miragliotta can step in. Ferguson almost gets caught in a triangle then backs out at 2:26 to force a stand-up. Griffin throws a wild spinning strike that misses while Ferguson connects with his shots and Griffin fades to the ground. Ferguson is dropping rights down the pipe standing. He goes to the ground with side control driving knees to the body and landing more hammers. Miragliotta has finally seen enough with about 80 seconds left in the round.
Final result: Kevin Ferguson Jr. wins via technical knockout at 3:40 of round one.
Jay Dods vs. Alfie Davis
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Alfie Davis wins via technical knockout (body kick) in round one.
Dan Konecke vs. Stav Economou
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Stav Economou wins via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:05 of the first round.
Jamie Powell vs. Amir Albazi
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Amir Albazi wins via unanimous decision of 30-25, 30-26 and 30-26.
Umer Kayani vs. Nathan Jones
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Nathan Jones wins via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:35 of the first round.
Fabian Edwards vs. Rafal Cejra Cejrowski
Round 1: Bonus fight for Spike TV! Edwards has the red trunks and blue gloves, Cejrowski the green trunks and red gloves. For the first 30 seconds they circle with Edwards pressuring forward looking to land a big shot. Cejrowski responds with the occasional kick while keeping his hands high, not showing too much with his hands. Edwards is teeing off more and more in the second minute and Cejrowski gets wobbled at 1:54. Edwards pounces on the ground and Cejrowski tries to tie arms around the back of Edwards’ head and keep him there. It doesn’t work as he breaks free and stands up at 2:30. Edwards is connecting right away with left hands. Edwards’ corner is yelling out “If he rushes in the knee is there.” Cejrowski tries to bull rush him to the fence. Edwards breaks free jumps on his back, loses it, nails him with uppercuts and FINISHES HUGE with a jumping right knee. No further shots required.
Final result: Fabian Edwards wins via knockout at 3:44 of the first round.
Jeremy Petley vs. Chase Morton
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Jeremy Petley wins via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-26).
Marcin Prostko vs. Mike Shipman
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Mike Shipman wins via technical knockout at 2:39 of the first round.
Salih Kulucan vs. Diego Barbosa
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Salih Kulucan wins via submission (heel hook) at 2:18 of the first round.