Bellator Birmingham: ‘Primus vs Wilde’ Recap & Highlights

Bellator Birmingham ‘Primus vs. Wilde’ aired Saturday (May 4, 2019) from Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England. MMA Mania brings you a post-fight recap, results, .gifs and interviews from a card with a Lightweight main event! Bellator…

Bellator Birmingham

Bellator Birmingham ‘Primus vs. Wilde’ aired Saturday (May 4, 2019) from Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England. MMA Mania brings you a post-fight recap, results, .gifs and interviews from a card with a Lightweight main event!

Bellator Birmingham: “Primus vs. Wilde” aired Sat., May 4, 2019 via Channel 5 and the Bellator app from Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England. Former Lightweight champion Brent Primus (8-1) returned to face local prospect Tim “The Experiment” Wilde (12-3).

Even though the crowd was raucous for Wilde during the introductions, Primus quickly silenced them by letting Wilde jump on top of him after seemingly being knocked down. Primus was just fishing though and Wilde took the bait, as he used his jiu-jitsu skill and rubber guard to trap Wilde in a gogoplata for the submission at just 80 seconds of Round 1. Josh Thomson asked him afterward if he slept at all this week.

“Last night was the only night I could sleep and thank God. I got some melatonin in me and slept for six hours, it was amazing. I got the best coaches, the best training partners, they prepared me well. On the feet and the ground I felt comfortable for sure. I knew I was way way better than him on the ground. My jiu-jitsu is awesome. Once it went to the ground he’s in my world. I want Michael Chandler. Make it a trilogy. If I don’t get Chandler I want Patricky, Benson Henderson, but I really want Chandler.”

The show also had a second Lightweight affair as Pedro Carvalho (9-3) looked to rack up a fifth straight win against the hard hitting Derek Campos (19-8).

Even though experience would favor Campos on paper Carvalho was having none of it. He targeted the liver with precision over and over, and Campos’ only significant output was one takedown that Carvalho stood up from quickly. Using his left hand and that devastating organ shifting kick, Carvalho made Campos crumble against the cage for the knockout at 2:03 of Round 1. The victorious Pedro Carvalho spoke to Josh Thomson afterward.

“I mean again, again and again, I’m only 23 years old, I just fought one of the best in the world you know. From all of the so-called prospects, how many of them are facing the high level opponents I am? I want my spot in the 16 man tournament. I deserve it. It’s been 11 years so far, I’ve been working my ass to this moment, I deserve it. I absolutely deserve it. For all the Irish people supporting me, receive me, from the bottom of my heart I love you all.”

He wants a spot in the Featherweight tournament? If he can cut the weight why not. Let’s see more of what this SBG Ireland fighter can do. Moving on though, brash and bold Middleweight Fabian Edwards (6-0) looked to keep his undefeated record in tact against veteran fighter Falco Neto (11-9).

Edwards was taken to the ground a couple of times by the muscular Neto, but Neto miscalculated and backed up to come over the top with power strikes. He ate a hard upkick instead. Instead of moving back to force a stand up, he miscalculated again and stepped right into two more upkicks. Edwards leapt to his feet while Neto was dazed and dropped him with his hands for a TKO win at 3:51.

An unapologetically cocky Edwards relished the victory in his hometown as he spoke to Josh “The Punk” Thomson.

“What’s up Birmingham, what’s up? Let’s go! Let’s go!!! I landed the first upkick, I thought aw fuck it you can have two more. I was thinking the ref needs to step in, the ref needs to step in. I want everyone. 185, 205, 285, I don’t give a… I want everyone I don’t care. Bellator I’m here. I’m here for that title.”

Current Bellator Welterweight kickboxing champion Raymond Daniels had yet to win a pro MMA fight (0-1) but he’d have a second chance against fellow kickboxer Wilkes Barros (0-0).

Barros found himself in the position of being exactly what Daniels was a decade ago in Strikeforce — inexperienced in mixed martial arts and completely outclassed. While “Real Deal” had to deal with takedowns and submissions putting him at a disadvantage last time, neither man ever had the chance to consider a ground game in this fight, and that left Daniels a whirling dervish of strikes Barros could not overcome. A spinning kick to the body doubled him over and made him backpedal, and Daniels spun his way toward him to land a right hand for the knockout at 4:36 of Round 1.

“Real Deal” spoke to Josh Thomson after the sensational finish.

“First and foremost Josh it’s a pleasure — you clean up really nicely. I give the glory to God, it’s because of him all things are possible. I challenge myself to go out and be the best version of myself and that’s why you see me here today stepping into the MMA world. People like to call themselves the champ champ in two weight classes, I want to be the MMA champ. I know a lot of people are going to call me out. That’s okay. I knocked him down with the spin back kick, and I knew he was back against the cage, when I threw the 720 I was going to throw another kick but he backed up that little bit so I threw the right hand. I thought of all of that in a split second.”

For complete Bellator Birmingham results and coverage click here.