Bellator 266: “Davis vs. Romero” is set to air TONIGHT (Sat., Sept. 18, 2021) from inside SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., featuring a Light Heavyweight showdown between Phil Davis and Yoel Romero. In the co-headlining act, Neiman Gracie will face off against Mark Lemminger in a pivotal Welterweight affair. Bellator 266’s main card will air on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET. MMAmania.com will deliver results for the full card and comprehensive play-by-play for the televised portion of Bellator 266 below.
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 266) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it’s always a lot of fun!
BELLATOR 266 QUICK RESULTS:
205 lbs.: Phil Davis vs. Yoel Romero – Davis via split decision
170 lbs.: Neiman Gracie vs. Mark Lemminger – Gracie via first round TKO (HIGHLIGHTS)
125 lbs.: Alejandra Lara vs. DeAnna Bennett – Bennett via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Saul Rogers – Rogers via unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Christian Edwards vs. Ben Parrish – Parrish via first round KO (HIGHLIGHTS)
205 lbs.: Grant Neal vs. Alex Polizzi – Polizzi via split decision
185 lbs.: Khalid Murtazaliev vs. Anthony Adams – Adams via unanimous decision
175 lbs.: Abraham Vaesau vs. Albert Gonzales – Vaesau via first round knockout
135 lbs.: Socrates Hernandez vs. Bobby Seronio III – Seronio via unanimous decision
170 lbs: Rhalan Gracie vs. Shane Keefe – Keefe via unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Edwin De Los Santos vs. Jon Adams – De Los Santos via first round TKO
130 lbs: Jesse Delgado vs. Joshua Dillon – Delgado via unanimous decision
BELLATOR 266 PLAY-BY-PLAY
Phil Davis vs. Yoel Romero
Round 1: They touch gloves. A feeling out process for both men. Davis whiffs on a right hand. Lands a clean jab and then a right hand. High kick from Romero. Low kick from Romero. Davis trying to find his opening but Romero isn’t letting down his guard. Slow start from Romero. Low leg kick from Romero. Another low kick but Davis checks it this time. Romero lands another low kick and Davis fires back with one of his own. Davis throws a huge right hand but Romero evades. Not a ton of action to open the fight. 10-9 Davis
Round 2: Double jab from Davis backs Romero up. Solid shot to the body from Davis, counter left from Romero. Both men are starting to open up now, throwing heavy strikes. Nothing landing clean so far. Romero backs Davis up with a clean left hand and Davis shoots in for a takedown, stuffed by “Soldier of God.” Romero comes forward with a straight left hand. Romero is a bit more aggressive this round. Calf kick from Romero nearly drops Davis. Davis comes forward with a three-punch combo and then he clocks Romero with a straight right hand. Looping left hook from Romero. Davis goes in for the takedown and he gets it with 20 seconds remaining in the round to steal it. 10-9 Davis.
Round 3: Romero throws a huge right hand but catches nothing but air. Nice jab from Davis lands. Romero starting to bob and weave but needs to let his hands go if he wants to pull of the win. Davis scores another takedown and he takes Romero’s back. Romero works his way back up but Davis takes him down once again. Side control for Davis up against the cage. Knees to the body from Davis. Romero works his way back up only to be taken down for the fourth time by “Mr. Wonderful.” Davis is in full control, shots to the side of the body and all Romero can do is eat them. His ribs are going to be in pain tomorrow morning. They get back up to the feet and Davis pushes Romero up against the cage to close out the round.
Final result: Davis def. Romero via split decision
Neiman Gracie vs. Mark Lemminger
Round 1: Gracie starts things off with a stiff jab. They clinch and Gracie pushes Lemminger up against the fence. Right hand from Gracie, then a huge uppercut. Gracie jumps in and unloads one powerful shot after another. Lemminger is hurt and Gracie is relentless until the referee steps in to put an end to the fight. Wow, what a performance from the jiu-jitsu ace.
Final Result: Gracie def. Lemminger via first round technical knockout
Alejandra Lara vs. DeAnna Bennett
Round 1: Straight right hand lands for Lara and then another. Bennett goes in for a takedown and it’s stuffed. Lara with another solid right hand. Head kick by Bennett lands and Lara stumbles to the mat but she gets right back up. Lara land another right hand that rocks Bennett. Bennett goes in for the takedown and she gets it. She takes Lara’s back and is searching for the rear-naked choke. Bennett flattens out Lara and she continues to batter Lara with shots to the side of the head. She flattens out Lara again and is now unloading with some vicious ground-and-pound. Lara still hanging on. She sinks in the rear-naked choke but Lara escapes. Bennett once again peppering Lara with solid shots, a strong round for her. Lara manages to get up and fire off some shots right before the round comes to an end. 10-9 Bennett
Round 2: Lara with a solid kick to start things off and Bennett lands a solid jab. Overhand left lands for Bennett. Lara fires right back with a nasty right hand. Sold left hand from Bennett finds its target. Bennett looks great on the feet here. They exchange in the center of the cage but nothing really lands for either woman. Axe kick from Lara and then a body kick lands for her. Bennett — despite firing off one shot after another — looks very fresh. They grapple in the center of the cage for a bit before they separate. Spinning wheel kick from Lara lands but doesn’t bother Bennett. Lara looks exhausted while Bennett looks as if she can go for another five rounds. 10-9 Bennett
Round 3: Bennett fires off a high kick and Lara responds with a stiff right hand. Bennett with an overhand right that lands but Lara responds with a nice jab, and then a left hand. Lara needs to pick up the pace if she wants to avoid getting upset by Bennett, who is on a three fight losing streak. Bennett tries a takedown but Lara defends well. Bennett has thrown a whopping 212 strikes so far. Wow. Lara stuns Bennett with a nice left hand. Bennett fires back with a left high kick. Lara catches one of Bennett’s kicks and she manages to take her down. In half guard. Lara gets up and she dives in for a punch and gets caught with an up-kick from Bennett. Perfectly-timed shot. Lara is once again in half guard but can not do anything with it. 10-9 Bennett
Final Result: Bennett def. Lara via unanimous decision
Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Saul Rogers
Round 1: Left hook from Rogers, followed by a right hand. Double jab from Rogers. Karakhanyan connects with a right hand and then a knee to the midsection. Stiff jab and then a left hook from Rogers land. Rogers pushes Karakhanyan up to the cage and then he scores a takedown. Rogers peppers Karakhanyan with a few shots to the body and all Karakhanyan can do is try to defend. And that is pretty much how the rest of the round plays out. 10-9 Rogers
Round 2: Rogers goes in for a quick takedown and he lands it, not good for Karakhanyan, who had no answer for Rogers’ wrestling in the first round. Rogers takes his back, now connecting with some solid right hands. Rogers now peppers his foe’s body with some hard shots to the ribs section. Karakhanyan using a ton of energy trying to get Rogers off his back and it is getting him nowhere. Rogers holding strong and landing some heavy right hands to make Karakhanyan think about it. Karakhanyan finally breaks loose and they are back on the feet. Karakhanyan puts his foot on the has pedal and he is unloading on Rogers. One shot after another and now a jumping knee connects. Karakhanyan turning it up before Rogers takes him down again. That was a close round but Rogers takes it. 10-9 Rogers
Round 3: Rogers dives in for another takedown and he lands it but Karakhanyan has a guillotine choke in. He eventually lets it go and Rogers is in side control. He postures up and takes his foe’s back. Punches to the side of the head from Rogers. Karakhanyan just can’t find an answer for Rogers’ wrestling. More shots to the side of the head to score points for Rogers. Fans are starting to boo. Is normal. Karakhanyan just can’t seem to get up and Rogers is content to pepper him with shots to win the round and the fight. 10-9 Rogers
Final Result: Rogers def. Karakhanyan via unanimous decision
Christian Edwards vs. Ben Parrish
Round 1: One-two from Edwards followed by a front kick. Parish fires back and clips Edwards with a nasty left hand and drops him. He calmly walks toward his downed opponent and finishes the job with a couple of follow up shots to pull off the upset in less than a minute. WOW!
Final Result: Parrish def. Edwards via first round knockout
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