Photo by Chris Unger/DWTNCS LLC
Even if you will never hear him complain about it, life just isn’t fair for Nick Newell (16-2).
The one-and-a-half armed athlete is an excellent fighter. In 18 trips to the cage, he’s won 16 bouts mostly via finish. He more than earned a position on the UFC roster from his record alone, but Dana White has never been enthusiastic about the idea. As a result, Newell was forced to fight on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series rather than being given a contract based on previous merit.
He faced an unknown 4-0 Lightweight and lost the decision. However, that Lightweight — named Alex Munoz — was a Division 1 wrestler and currently coaches at Team Alpha Male. Believe me when I say that Munoz is a great fighter himself, and at the very least, it was certainly a hard opponent to look good enough to earn a contract against.
Luckily, Newell was given a second chance in Bellator, a one-off contract just minutes away from his home town. In short fashion, Newell took his foe down to the mat, advanced passed the guard, and locked up a tight arm triangle choke, forcing the submission. Check it out below:
Victory for @NotoriousNewell in his @BellatorMMA debut
The congenital amputee improves to 16-2 pic.twitter.com/PpmQm8XqZS
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) August 25, 2019
It’s another quality win on the resume of Newell, and it’s likely one that guarantees him more fights with the promotion. There are plenty of interesting Lightweight foes available for Newell, so hopefully he is matched up sooner than later.
Huge win for hometown boy, @NotoriousNewell. Welcome to the big leagues.
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) August 25, 2019
On a final note, the Bellator 225 preliminary bouts were incredible! In addition to Newell’s submission win and a record-setting heel hook, every single bout ended within the distance. That’s simply unreal!
For complete Bellator 225 ‘Mitrione Vs. Kharitonov 2’ results and play-by-play, click HERE!