Bellator 185: “Mousasi vs. Shlemenko” takes place TONIGHT (Fri., Oct. 20, 2017) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., featuring former Middleweight world champion Alexander Shlemenko (56-9, 1 NC) against Gegard Mousasi (42-6-2), who is fresh off an impressive Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) run that ended in the midst of a five-fight win streak.
Mousasi first gained fame in the United States as a fighter for Strikeforce, a promotion where he became Light Heavyweight champion. Tonight, he’ll look to insert himself into the title picture again with a win to potentially challenge the winner of Carvalho vs. Sakara in December.
Bellator 185 will start at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV with “Prelims” undercard action on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET. MMAmania.com will deliver results and play-by-play for the entirety of the Bellator MMA 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 185) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it’s always a lot of fun!
BELLATOR 185 QUICK RESULTS:
Gegard Mousasi vs. Alexander Shlemenko — Mousasi UD 29-28 X3.
Neiman Gracie vs. Zak Bucia — Gracie via sub (neck crank) 2:27 R2.
Heather Hardy vs. Kristina Williams — Williams TKO (doctor) 2:00 R2.
Ana Julaton vs. Lisa Blaine — Blaine SD 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.
Ryan Quinn vs. Marcus Surin — Quinn UD 29-28 X3.
Vinicius DeJesus vs. Joaquin Buckley — Buckley SD 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.
Steve Skrzat vs. Costello Van Steenis — Van Steenis via sub (strikes) 2:52 R1.
Jordan Young vs. Alec Hooben — Young via sub (triangle) 2:44 R1.
Jose Antonio Perez vs. Kevin Carrier — Carrier UD 30-27 X3.
Frank Sforza vs. Vovka Clay — Clay via sub (guillotine) 1:17 R2.
John Beneduce vs. Dean Hancock — Hancock TKO 3:38 R1.
Don Shainis vs. Matthew Denning — Shainis TKO 4:50 R1.
Pete Rogers vs. Timothy Wheeler — Rogers via sub (guillotine) 0:37 R1.
John Lopez vs. Billy Giovanella — Lopez UD 29-28, 30-27, 30-26.
BELLATOR 185 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Gegard Mousasi vs. Alexander Shlemenko
Mousasi comes into this bout 42-6-2. Shlemenko comes into this bout 56-9, 1 NC. Shlemenko enters first in the blue gloves and black trunks, fighting out of Omsk, Russia. Mousasi enters in the red gloves and trunks, fighting out of Leiden in The Netherlands. Our referee for this main event is Dan Miragliotta.
Round 1: A tap of the glove is exchanged during fight instructions and to open the bout. Mousasi pressures early and Shlemenko throws his first spinning strike – and misses. The same goes for the second. Shlemenko backs up to the fence and blocks a head kick. Mousasi drops levels for the takedown and Shlemenko goes for a guillotine. Mousasi turns and pops free and gets Mousasi down at 1:21, sitting on his legs and throwing rights. Shlemenko stands at 1:34. Mousasi throws him down nine seconds later and jumps on his back with both hooks in for a neck crank. Shlemenko was turning purple but he survived thanks to Mousasi’s back being against the fence. Meanwhile Mousasi has something wrong with his right eye and it seems to be swollen shut. An overhand left from Shlemenko did that damage. Shlemenko continues to defend as Mousasi fishes for submissions from behind. Shlemenko escapes at 3:50 and starts swinging hard. Mousasi immediately drops for a takedown and gets it at 4:08, once again sitting on the legs doing damage, but Shlemenko pops back up. Mousasi takes the back, Shlemenko escapes and avoids a triangle, Mousasi tries to take him down again before the bell but can’t. 10-9 Mousasi.
Round 2: After having his eye closely examined by the doctor, Mousasi is allowed to continue with the second round. Shlemenko swings wildly for a spinning backfist and misses. Mousasi flops to his back and Shlemenko forces him to stand at 41 seconds. Another backfist from Shlemenko at the one minute mark. Mousasi dives at 1:12 and gets stuffed. Shlemenko is working body shots and throws a spinning back kick. Mousasi pushes Shlemenko toward the fence but Shlemenko comes forward swinging at 1:45. Push kick from Mousasi. Spin kick from Shlemenko. Body shot by Shlemenko. Mousasi shoots at 2:23. Foot stomp by Mousasi. Shlemenko shoves him off at 2:42 and connects with a spinning backfist but Mousasi trips him to the ground and tries to take the back. Mousasi drags Shlemenko down but he gets up at 3:25. Mousasi gets him down again in half guard at 3:35 and moves to side control. Left elbows to Shlemenko’s head. Miragliotta needs to warn Shlemenko not to grab the cage. Mousasi takes the back. Shlemenko tries to turn out and almost gives up his neck in the process. This was Shlemenko’s round from the strikes.
Round 3: This is anybody’s fight in the next five minutes. Shlemenko lands a good knee at 51 seconds and follows with a hard body kick and left to the body. Shlemenko follows it with a spinning backfist that’s flush. Mousasi is trying to push him toward the fence. He goes for a spin kick to the liver. Mousasi kicks at the right knee. Mousasi finally gets Shlemenko pinned against the fence at 2:10. Shlemenko stuffs and reverses the takedown, landing on top and putting all his weight on Mousasi’s back, then standing up at 3:04. Mousasi is running out of time and he gets cracked by a big left hand. Shlemenko knows it and gives chase. Mousasi flops to his back and throws upkicks. Shlemenko stands over the top right at the edge of Mousasi’s feet and the crowd boos. Shlemenko with a knee to the ribs when he finally jumps into range and has North South before Mousasi stands at 4:30. Shlemenko gets another right off that wobbles Mousasi. He definitely takes the round but did he take the fight? The judges will decide.
Final result: The judges score it 29-28 X3 all for the unanimous winner – Gegard Mousasi.
Neiman Gracie vs. Zak Bucia
Bucia is out first in the red trunks and blue gloves, 18-8 overall, currently on a three fight win streak. Gracie comes out in the gray trunks and red gloves, 6-0, carried by the strains of Pharoahe Monch’s “Simon Says.” Bucia fights out of Lawrence, Kansas. Gracie fights out of New York, NY by way of Rio De Janeiro. The referee is Kevin MacDonald.
Round 1: Bucia jabs his way into range to open the right, stance low, hands up, but Gracie charges forward at 0:35 looking for a back take. He’s got it and he has the hooks in as we hit the one minute mark. Bucia is eating left hands to the head from behind while simultaneously having to defend against a rear naked choke. Bucia keeps tucking his chin but Gracie patiently waits for his opening and punishes Bucia with his fists and elbows. Bucia spins on top at 3:28. Gracie nearly sets up an omoplata then looks for an inverted heel hook. He’s also got a knee bar option with short time left. Bucia survives but it’s a 10-9 for Gracie.
Round 2: Gracie throws a head kick and drops down for a double. Bucia tries to spread his stance to block it. Ultimately 56 seconds in he’s down but he’s able to quickly stand back up. Bucia got away with grabbing the fence but gets taken down again anyway and Gracie has the back with both hooks in. At 2:26 Bucia finally taps out to the arm around his neck and it’s all over.
Final result: Neiman Gracie wins via submission (neck crank) at 2:27 of the second round.
Heather Hardy vs. Kristina Williams
Hardy is 20-0 as a boxer but tonight is only her second MMA fight. Williams enters for her pro debut wearing black head to toe with the blue gloves. Hardy has on a white top, gray trunks and red gloves. Williams fights out of Edmond, Oklahoma. Hardy fights out of Brooklyn, New York with a 1-0 MMA record. Todd Anderson is our referee.
Round 1: Hardy appears to offer a glove tap but Williams isn’t interested and starts throwing kicks. Hardy closes the range and the two exchange leather for 5-6 seconds. A Hardy left hook just whistles past Williams’ head. The two clash kicks. Williams misses with a spinning back kick. Hardy is starting to work shots to the body. Hardy connects with a left jab, Williams lands a kick, and the two trade leather for 5 seconds again. Williams lands some elbows in the trade. She also lands a head kick afterward. Williams unloads with a body kick. Hardy puts a left on Williams’ chin. Hardy with a right to the body. Hardy’s mouth is bloody. 10-9 Williams.
Round 2: Williams connects with a spinning back kick right away to open the round. Hardy seems to be flummoxed by the size, range and feet of Williams. Williams buts a heel on Hardy’s jaw and the blood is flowing again. It’s spraying all over Hardy’s white top. A head kick hurts her badly at 1:35. Her nose is destroyed. Her face is a crimson mask. This fight could be stopped. The referee calls time. The camera close-up only makes it look nastier. THIS FIGHT IS OVER.
Final result: Kristina Williams wins by TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at 2:00 of round two.
Ana Julaton vs. Lisa Blaine
Julaton is 2-2 in the red gloves, Blaine is 1-0 in the blue gloves. 37 to 38, 5’4” to 5’5”, 125.5 to 122.9 in weight and 68” to 66.5” reach respectively. Blaine has on a pink top and trunks with pink trim and fights out of North Haven, Connecticut. Julaton is in a black top and black trunks and fights out of Las Vegas by way of San Francisco, California. Bryan Miner is our referee.
Round 1: A respectful glove tap starts us off before Julaton lands the first leg kick. Both circle and size each other up as Miner reminds them to watch the outstretched fingers. Julaton lands a pair of kicks and spins to hit a third. Blaine backs out of the way of a spinning heel kick toward her chin. Blaine finally catches a kick and the two grapple their way to the fence as we pass the halfway point of R1. Blaine and Julaton spin each other around without gaining much advantage and Miner calls for more work. Blaine hits an outside leg trip to side control. Julaton is warned about elbows to the back of the head. Julaton gets back up at 4:07 and Blaine tries to turn it into a guillotine. Julaton stays standing and Blaine can’t get enough leverage before the round ends.
Round 2: Julaton is going hard for a high crotch takedown and Blaine is once again fishing for a guillotine. She lets go of it when she doesn’t have any more torque on it than she did in the first frame and the two spin around against the cage until Miner calls for work at 1:45, then again at 1:58. He resets them to the center at 2:15. Julaton is opening up with her kicks again now that she’s got the range. Julaton keeps trying to pressure her toward the fence and the two clinch up at 3:25. Blaine hits a takedown at 3:46. Blaine tries to drop hammerfists but gets swept at 4:01. Julaton drives knees into her opponents thighs as Blaine tries to tie her up. I’ve got Julaton narrowly ahead this round.
Round 3: Both ladies exchange leg kicks to start the third. Blaine catches a kick and puts Julaton on her back at 1:01. Julaton was starting to roll to her side for an escape but Blaine pushed her right onto her back again. Since they are in the center of the cage there’s little chance to wall walk. Blaine is landing some elbows from on top. Julaton is trying to push her away to no avail. 90 seconds remain. Julaton throws some upkicks and is admonished by Miner because her opponent was grounded. He doesn’t stop it and take a point though. Blaine backs away and forces a stand-up at 4:24. Julaton throws body shots and Blaine throws uppercuts as they stand in a phone booth. I’d give Blaine this round but I don’t know if it’s enough. Only the judges do.
Final result: The judges score it 29-28 Blaine, 29-28 Julaton, 29-28 Blaine by split decision.
Ryan Quinn vs. Marcus Surin
Surin has the blue gloves and black trunks, 4-0, fighting out of New York, New York. Quinn has on red gloves and black trunks, 13-7, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida but hailing from New Fairfield, Connecticut. Our referee is Todd Anderson.
Round 1: A tap of gloves begins the bout. Quinn pushes forward quickly and they clinch against the cage. Surin turns him away at 47 seconds and Quinn throws a leg kick. Quinn pushes forward and they clinch again at 1:08. Quinn drops for a single leg and yanks hard. Surin rolls and momentarily has an advantage but Quinn pushes his way into half guard an inch at a time. Surin rolls again at 2:17 and he almost gets back to his feet until Quinn pulls his legs out at 2:31. Surin finally gets up at 2:44 and narrowly avoids a knee to the chin. Quinn drags him down again at 2:55 and jumps on Surin’s back looking to get the hooks in and find a rear naked choke. Quinn doesn’t have it and Surin gets up at 3:58. Surin drives a knee to the body as they jockey for position. Surin gets a head and arm throw but can’t take the back and Quinn pops up. 10-9 Quinn.
Round 2: Quinn lands some good shots upstairs including a hard right hand before pinning Surin against the fence. Surin widens his stance to no avail as Quinn gets the takedown at 1:07. Quinn looks to take the back at 1:30 and get the hooks in and he’s going for the rear naked choke again. Surin escapes again at 1:59. He stands at 2:18 and Quinn takes him down 7 seconds later. Surin is back up at 2:40. It’s a war against the fence as the two try to out muscle each other and Quinn forces his opponent to his knees at 3:21. Surin is back up 20 seconds later and taken right back down again. Surin is up again in the final minute but can’t elude Quinn’s grasp. 10-9 Quinn.
Round 3: Surin grabs a headlock early in the third but can’t turn it into anything. They stand and exchange jabs until Quinn shoots for a single leg. Surin sprawls heavy to block and reverses the takedown to wind up on top in guard. Surin looks to pass to side control but Quinn kicks him away and gets up at 1:59. Surin tries to jump on his back against the fence. Surin slips off at 2:30 and Quinn has an anaconda choke attempt. Quinn lets it go at 3:03 and instead looks to take the back. That fails and Surin is back on top in side control. Surin lands some elbows to the head as Quinn tries to push off the fence with his feet. Surin loses control and Quinn stands at 4:05. Surin pushes him back down looking for a guillotine, lets it go and lands a right hand. Quinn cuts an angle and looks for yet another takedown late in the round. They stand before the bell. It was Surin’s best round but clearly not enough to win the fight overall.
Final result: All three judges score it 29-28 for Ryan Quinn by unanimous decision.
Vinicius DeJesus vs. Joaquin Buckley
Black trunks, blue gloves, 7-1 for Buckley fighting out of St. Louis, Missouri. Black trunks, red gloves, 5-1 for DeJesus fighting out of Rio Grande, Brazil. Our referee in charge is Bryan Miner.
Round 1: Both men are mixing it up in the center right away. DeJesus lands a right head kick and a left hook as he tries to back Buckley up. Buckley keeps swarming forward with a flurry of punches. Buckley hits a takedown at 1:08 when DeJesus is off balance from a kick and lets him right back up. DeJesus clips him with a right at 1:30. DeJesus sends Buckley reeling back to the fence to avoid a flurry of his foe. DeJesus slips again as he tries a knee up the middle. Buckley lands a combo at 2:40 and tries to follow with a high kick that’s checked. Another 1-2 connects at 3 minutes and DeJesus responds with a leg kick. Buckley flurries and DeJesus briefly cuts the angle and has him against the fence. Buckley goes to the body and DeJesus goes high. Buckley tries a spin kick. DeJesus takes Buckley down at 3:54 right into closed guard. Buckley is frantically trying to get back up. DeJesus throws an axe kick on the ground and the announcers debate if it was legal as his mouthpiece goes flying. DeJesus gets full mount for ground and pound to end a 10-9 round in his favor.
Round 2: Buckley clips DeJesus a couple of times in the first 30 seconds, his right hand in particular finding a home, but the left also catching the chin. Buckley picks up DeJesus and slams him down hard at 55 seconds. The action stalls there as Buckley is stuck in full guard, though DeJesus does land a nice elbow from the bottom. DeJesus kicks him away at 1:54 and gets back to his feet. Buckley keeps him pushed into the fence and throws a right hand at 2:18 before backing away and resetting. Buckley with a head kick, dropping levels, and he gets the takedown at 2:47. DeJesus is trying to get a wrist lock submission, transitions to a kimura, Buckley rolls and gets free at 3:35 and is on top in guard. Buckley pounds on the ribs of DeJesus and lets him up to stand and bang with 25 seconds to go, but DeJesus immediately goes for a takedown of his own and gets it. 10-9 Buckley.
Round 3: DeJesus gets a takedown 20 seconds into R3. Buckley gets back up at 52 seconds and throws a front kick that DeJesus shrugs off. DeJesus smiles at his opponent as he tries to find the range and misses, but it’s DeJesus who is connecting with the range and who also lands a knee. Front kick to the body. Buckley is taken down again as we we pass the 2 minutes mark. DeJesus is trying to pass to side control and look for another submission. He gets it at 2:44 and briefly has the back but loses it and Buckley springs back to his feet and clips him with a couple of shots. DeJesus pushes Buckley into the fence looking for a takedown and eats a couple elbows to the head. They break apart with 90 seconds left. Buckley lands a right hand. DeJesus with a kick. Buckley with a kick and he faints a jump knee. DeJesus shoots, Buckley sprawls and punches the ribs. DeJesus grabs a clinch and lands a knee to the head. Left hand to the chin by DeJesus. Head kick blocked by Buckley. DeJesus tries to go for a triangle late and Buckley POWERBOMBS him to block it. We are going to the judges.
Final result: The judges score this contest 29-28 Buckley, 29-28 DeJesus, 29-28 Buckley by split decision.
Steve Skrzat vs. Costello Van Steenis
Van Steenis is 8-1 in the red gloves and black trunks, fighting out of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Skrzat is 8-9 in the blue gloves and red trunks, fighting out of Burrillville, Rhode Island. Our referee in charge is Bryan Miner.
Round 1: Skrzat kicks Van Steenis’ legs out from under him and gets on top in full guard 30 seconds into the fight. Skrzat is trying to rain down heavy left hands and elbows from on top. Van Steenis is doing his best to control the arms and the posture, trying to pull Skrzat in close, forcing Miner to call for more work. Skrzat avoids an armbar but lets Van Steenis get his legs around his head and cut him open with elbows, and Skrzat taps to strikes as the blood gushes out “like a Jackson Pollock painting” onto the canvas to quote Mauro Ranallo.
Final result: Van Steenis wins via submission (strikes) at 2:52 of round one.
Jordan Young vs. Alec Hooben
Young is 7-0 in the black trunks and red gloves, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida. Hooben is 5-3 in the red trunks and blue gloves fighting out of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. The referee is Todd Anderson.
Round 1: Hooben takes the center early and has the taller Young backpedaling. He shoots in at 47 seconds and Young blocks the takedown attempt. Now Young is moving more to the center and throwing a front kick and trading a few strikes with Hooben, and forcing Hooben to shoot for a double, which Young is trying to turn into a guillotine choke. Hooben escapes that and goes for a single, then a leg trip, then pulls Young down from behind, and both men go for knee bars and ankles locks. Young finally ends up in the better position with a triangle around Hooben’s neck. It’s like the Van Steenis fight all over again as we pass the halfway point. Hooben is trying to scoot out backward to escape but has to tap at 2:44.
Final result: Jordan Young wins via submission (triangle) at 2:44 of the first round.
Jose Antonio Perez vs. Kevin Carrier
Carrier is 0-0 in the gray trunks and red gloves fighting out of Rochester, New York. Perez is 0-0 in the blue gloves and black trunks out of Newark, New Jersey. The referee is Bryan Miner.
Round 1: Carrier is trying to use his height and reach advantage early to push Perez backward around the cage. Perez spins and jabs as he backpedals. He keeps trying to duck slip and rip as Carrier comes forward toward him. Carrier connects with a body kick but eats a counter shot. Carrier lands a left to the chin. Carrier lands some hard shots, Perez catches a kick but lets it go, and Carrier continues to wing hard shots. The left hand is touching Perez’ head repeatedly and it’s forming a mouse under Perez’ right eye. Now Perez is bleeding from the left eye – this is not going well for him. He gets stung with a 1-2 combo at 3:33. It’s starting to seem like a matter of time until Carrier puts him away. Carrier shoots for a takedown late but lets it go at 4:41. 10-9 Carrier bordering on 10-8.
Round 2: Both men tap gloves to start the round. Carrier continues to impose his will. Perez leans way into his punches, particularly the left hand. Carrier digs hard to Perez’ body with a kick and he freezes for a second. Not a good sign. Perez is wincing each time he’s hit. He’s trying to lower his head and come forward winging hands praying something lands. Meanwhile Carrier is calmly walking him down all over the cage. Carrier lands a left hook, an uppercut, a right hand, and an accidental low blow to the cup that gets Perez a much needed timeout. Blood streams from cuts under both of Perez’ eyes as we await the restart. 90 seconds left at time in. Carrier is mixing in a few leg kicks in the final minute. It’s another blowout round in Carrier’s favor.
Round 3: Carrier continues to push forward as R3 gets underway. If I was Perez’ corner I would have at least considered whether it was in his interest to continue. The fact he once in a while wings a shot that lands on Carrier’s chin must give them some hope though in this and the other rounds. He’s looked better in the striking in the first two minutes of this round than he’s looked almost the whole fight. Still he’s backpedaling and letting Carrier be the aggressor. Carrier shoots and gets a takedown at 3:20 and that may just ice the fight. Carrier isn’t even really trying to advance – he’s content to stay on top in half guard and accrete damage. Time ticks away as he lands some lefts and rights in the last 10 seconds, coming very close to getting a TKO. This is a total blowout for Carrier.
Final result: All three judges score it 30-27 for Kevin Carrier.
Frank Sforza vs. Vovka Clay
Sforza is 6-0 in the red gloves and American flag trunks out of Rockland, Massachusetts, Clay is 3-2 in the blue gloves and black trunks out of Nashua, New Hampshire. Our referee in charge is Dan Miragliotta.
Round 1: With a touch of gloves we are underway. Sforza gets a takedown 15 seconds in. Sforza looks to take Clay’s back as he stands back up. Clay escapes, Sforza briefly picks him up, Miragliotta warns clay not to grab the fence with his hands or toes, then finally gets the takedown at 1:42 and momentarily has the back fishing for a rear naked choke. He lets it go and pushes Clay into the fence. Clay lands a need as Sforza drops levels. Sforza grabs the single leg at 2:39. Clay tries to counter into a guillotine choke. Sforza sweeps his way on top as Clay tries to pull guard for a guillotine. Sforza gets up at 3:42. Left elbow to the head by Sforza. Another to the chin. They move back to the center with 30 seconds left. Sforza catches a right kick and takes Clay down. Clay tries to turn it into a triangle or armbar and can’t. 10-9 Sforza.
Round 2: Clay has Sforza backing up early until he shoots for a single and pushes to the cage. He picks Clay up and gets the takedown at 30 seconds. Clay counters in the scramble and is briefly on top. Sforza goes for another takedown when they get up and Clay gets the tap to a guillotine just seconds later.
Final result: Vovka Clay wins via submission (guillotine) at 1:17 in the second round.
John Beneduce vs. Dean Hancock
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Dean Hancock wins by TKO at 3:38 of the first round.
Don Shainis vs. Matthew Denning
Shainis is 2-1 in the red gloves and blue trunks, fighting out of Easton, Massachusetts, Denning is 5-6 in the blue gloves and black trunks, fighting out of Lewiston, Maine. Our referee is Dan Miragliotta.
Round 1: Shainis goes for a takedown early and gets it at 35 seconds. Denning gets back to his feet and gets taken down again at 1:13. Denning tries to sneak his legs up around Shainis’ neck but he’s having none of it. He has side control briefly avoiding it but winds up back in full guard. Shainis puts a left elbow and right hands on the head. Body shots are accumulating as the fight drags on. Shainis once again avoids the legs and has side control at 3:27 but once again loses it as he’s trying to pass to full mount. He gets it for a third time and finally gets full mount at 3:54 and Denning gives up his back and is getting pummeled. If he doesn’t fight back Miragliotta could stop this before the end of R1. The hammer fists come down heavy but Denning escapes just at the moment Miragliotta was going to step in. Shainis gets back on top and starts pounding away again and this time Miragliotta waves it off.
Final result: Don Shainis wins via technical knockout at 4:50 of the first round.
Pete Rogers vs. Timothy Wheeler
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Pete Rogers wins via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:37 of round one.
John Lopez vs. Billy Giovanella
Round 1: Unaired on Spike.com.
Final result: Lopez wins via unanimous decision of 29-28, 30-27 and 30-26.