Bellator 280 is set to go down TODAY (Fri., May 6, 2022) live from inside Accor Arena in Paris, France, featuring a heavyweight championship rematch between division kingpin, Ryan Bader, facing off against Cheick Kongo. In the co-main event, Yoel Romero will face off against Alex Polizzi in a light heavyweight affair.
Bellator 280’s “Prelims” undercard will air on Showtime at 1:00 p.m. ET, with main card action beginning at 4 p.m. ET. MMAmania.com will deliver results for the full card and comprehensive play-by-play for the televised portion of Bellator 280 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 280) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it’s always a lot of fun!
BELLATOR 280 QUICK RESULTS:
265 lbs.: Champion Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo – Bader via unanimous decision (HIGHLIGHTS)
205 lbs: Yoel Romero vs. Alex Polizzi – Romero via third-round TKO (HIGHLIGHTS)
155 lbs: Davy Gallon vs. Benjamin Brander – Gallon via second-round TKO
185 lbs.: Lorenz Larkin vs. Kyle Stewart – Larkin via first-round TKO
185 lbs.: Michael Shipman vs Gregory Babene – Babene via first-round knockout
145 lbs.: Pedro Carvalho vs. Piotr Niedzielski – Niedzelski via split decision
170 lbs.: Lewis Long vs. Thibault Gouti – Gouti via unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Fabacari Diatta vs. Jordan Barton – Barton via split decision
160 lbs.: Søren Bak vs. Charlie Leary – Bak via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Yves Landu vs. Gavin Hughes – Landu via first-round TKO
125 lbs.: Lucie Bertaud vs. Katarzyna Sadura – Bertaud via unanimous decision
185 lbs.: Youcef Ouabbas vs. Matthieu Duclos – Ouabbas via first-round TKO
170 lbs.: Victor Verchere vs. Bourama Camara – Camara via first-round knockout
BELLATOR 280 PLAY-BY-PLAY
Champion Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo
Round 1: They come out quickly to the center. Bader moving forward. Left hand lands for Bader. Kong lands a stiff jab and Bader goes in quickly for the takedown. Kongo stuffs it for now. Bader takes Kongo’s back, Kongo defending the takedown well so far. Bader picks up Kongo and takes him down. Kongo grabbed the fence. Kongo works his way back up. Bader is not letting go. Stoppage in action. Don’t know why. Back at it, Reset and Bader scores the takedown. Kongo once again grabs the fence on Bader’s attempted takedown. Bader delivering some knees to the thighs. Kongo is making Bader work. Bader looking fr a step over for a better position. Kongo is slamming those knees in his foe’s thighs. Dominant round so far for Bader. Bader has held on to this position, Kongo can’t escape but it’s winning “Darth” the Round. Bader pushes through and puts Kongo on his butt to end the round. 10-9 Bader
Round 2: Stiff jab for Kongo. Bader is looking for the takedown again and eats a couple of shots from Kongo. They are starting to trade here and both men are landing. Bader shoots and once again scores the takedown. Kongo trying hard to get up. Bader looking strong here. This is going to be Bader’s rinse-and-repeat technique throughout the fight, and with good reason, because Kongo has no answer for his wrestling. Kongo trying to land elbows. Bader with some body shots. Both men are on their knees. Looks uncomfortable for both. Kongo eating some shots. The referee looking to step in might break it up. Kongo works his way back to one knee. Kongo is strong here, though because he refuses to let Bader fully take him down and get better control. Kongo manages to get back to his feet and Bader drags him back down, back up against the fence. Kongo is back to one knee but isn’t doing anything. Another dominant round for Bader. Bader really driving those knees to the thigh again. Those will hurt tomorrow. 10-9 Bader
Round 3: Kongo goes in for the kill with a huge knee but Bader evades. Again, Kongo puts his back to the fence, and I don’t know why. Bader with a huge right hand and Kongo ducks under. Bader grabs a hold of Kongo and takes him down once more. Kongo has zero answers for the takedowns. Not much action, just Kongo holding on for dear life. Bader takes his back, Kongo is back to one knee, this is literally the same as the first two rounds. THE EXACT SAME. Knees to the thigh again for Bader. Kongo is up to his feet, and Bader still not letting go. The referee has seen enough, FINALLY, and breaks it up. Bader whiffs on a huge right hand. Kongo, again, has his back to the fence. Lesson not learned. Bader goes in for the takedown, stuffed. Left kick for Kongo lands. And another. Bader pushes Kongo up against the cage, Kongo defending well. Both men are looking a bit tired here. 10-9 Bader
Round 4: Kongo needs a knockout or submission because he is down 3-0, Bader scores a big takedown and Kongo is back to his usual position. Bader is eating Kongo up in the wrestling department, no surprise there. Kongo is exhausted, he’s spent and Bader is on top of him landing blows. Kongo is literally just sitting there, not doing much. Kongo gets back to one knee. Bader drags him back down to his butt and Kongo is drowning here. Kongo manages to work his way back to his feet but still has Bader draped all over him. Bader manages to take Bader down one more time. Kongo trying to control the wrists, no-go. Rinse and repeat. 10-9 Bader
Round 5: Ryan Bader shoots for an immediate takedown, and he gets it. No resistance whatsoever from Kongo, who is not putting on the performance he was looking for in front of his hometown crowd. Kongo manages to get back to his feet, only to get dragged down to the canvas. It’s too easy for Bader, who is well on his way to a clean sweep. Kongo is working hard to get up here in the final round, but Bader isn’t letting him breathe. Kongo is once again on one knee, Bader is working the knees to the thigh, Kongo is going to be hurting tomorrow. Bader was working but the referee steps in and breaks it up. Odd. Kongo bull rushes in with a flurry of punches and Bader once again closes the distance and adds another takedown to his scoreboard. 10-9 Bader
Final result: Bader def. Kongo via unanimous decision
Yoel Romero vs. Alex Polizzi
Round 1: Polizzi starts off with a leg kick. Romero with a jab, then a front kick. Polizzi whiffs on a wild right hand and falls to the ground. A straight left hand for Romero finds its mark, same with a follow-up right hand. Another left hand lands for Romero. Inside leg kick for Polizzi. Romero with an overhand right and Polizzi closes the gap by rushing in rather wild. Solid kick lands for Romero. Jab to the body from Polizzi. Huge left hand misses for Romero. Another left hand lands for Romero, and sends Polizzi back to the cage. Front kick from Romero. Polizzi trying to find an opening, but it’s not there. Romero stuffs Polizzi’s takedowns. Romero with another looping left hand, it misses. Jab from Polizzi and then an inside knee, blocked by Romero. Left hand again From Romero, Romero grabs a hold of Polizzi and slams him to the mat. Polizzi gets back up as the opening round comes to an end. Close round 10-9 Romero
Round 2: Straight left for Romero lands yet again, and again. Inside leg kick from Polizzi, then a counter right lands. Romero rocks Polizzi with a left hook momentarily. Romero is starting to push the pace and he lands a huge elbow on Polizzi that rocks him for a second. Inside leg kick from Polizzi. Romero with a straight right hand. A massive left hand lands for Romero that once against rocks Polizzi. Romero stalking, now lands a left hand one more time. Polizzi working the inside leg kicks, but they don’t seem to be bothering Romero one bit. Left hand again for Romero, Polizzi just doesn’t have an answer for it. Polizzi goes for a weak takedown. One-two lands for Polizzi. Nice jab from Romero’s rocks Polizzi’s head back. One-two lands for Romero, then a jab to follow it up. Polizzi isn’t backing down, but isn’t having much success in the striking or with his takedown attempts. Romero drops Polizzi with a huge left hand and Romero lets him get up when he could have finished him. Odd. 10-9 Romero
Round 3: Polizzi is coming in needing a knockout, Romero is in full control. Another overhand left hand lands for “Soldier of God.” Romero is coasting here but he needs to be careful. Polizzi looking for an opening but there isn’t much he can do. Another takedown was stuffed by Romero. Stiff jab lands for Romero and Polizzi is busted up a bit from the nose, breathing heavily. Nice solid right hand lands for Polizzi. Romero drops Polizzi again with a massive left hand! Polizzi pops back up and Romero rocks him with a HUGE left hand, and another! Romero can seemingly go in for the kill whenever he wants, chooses to be patient. Kick to the body from Polizzi, barely bothers the hulking Cuban. Two left hands land for Romero. Romero drops Polizzi with a few seconds left and drops him as time runs out. Beltran steps in and calls the fight but time had already run out. 10-9 Romero
Final result: Romero def. Polizzi via third-round TKO
Davy Gallon vs. Benjamin Brander
Round 1: Gallon starts things off with a right hand and he drops Gallon with a flurry. Side control for. Gallon sinks in a guillotine. Brander defends well and Gallon is in side control. Brander works his way up to his feet. Huge shots from Gallon from the top position. Gallon again looking for a guillotine. He has a tight grip on it, standing on it now. Brander is surviving. A lot of time is being spent on the ground. Gallon simply does not want to let go, but Brander works his way up and pushes Gallon up against the fence. Gallon drops Brander with a huge kick. Gallon is manhandling Brander here. 10-9 Gallon
Round 2: Gallon starts off quickly with a low kick. Brander responds with a huge kick of his own. Gallon grabs a hold of Brander and pushes him up against the cage. Foot stomps from Gallon. Gallon judo throws Brander…hard. Gallon looking for another front choke. Brander escapes. Gallon circling on the ground and he is now in side control. Gallon has Brander in the crucifix position and he is punishing Brander with huge shots. Brander can not defend himself and Gallon is landing those elbows. Brander is cut above his right eye. There is no escaping this. Brander is a bloody mess and the referee finally steps in and puts an end to the fight. What an impressive win from Gallon.
Final result: Gallon def. Brander via second-round TKO
Lorenz Larkin vs Kyle Stewart
Round 1: Jab from Stewart to open things up. Larkin explodes with a right hand and a high kick, both land. Calf kick from Larkin. Stewart doing a lot of feinting here. Inside leg kick lands for Stewart. Right hand lands for Larkin. Larkin is pushing the pace here, pushing forward, forcing Stewart to back up every time. Another inside leg kick for Stewart. Larkin doubles up on the jab, and then an overhand right. Larkin with a quick clinch fires a knee, and Stewart separates. Huge overhand right from Stewart misses its mark. Larkin with a one-two and he pushes Stewart up against the cage and drops him with a huge right hand. Stewart is covering up and Lark is blasting him with knees to the rib cage. Stewart gets back up and fights his way out of trouble. Larkin drops Stewart against and lands a huge right hand standing over him. Stewart is covering up and the referee has seen enough.
Final result: Larkin def. Stewart via first-round TKO
Michael Shipman vs. Gregory Babene
Round 1: Shipman throws a huge overhand right and whiffs, goes tumbling to the ground. Babene takes advantage and locks in a guillotine choke. Side control for Babene. Half guard for Babene while eating some short shots from Shipman. Babene gets p and throws two huge bombs that barely miss. Shipman with a flying knee attempt again gets nothing but air. Babene dives in and rocks Shipman with a huge right hand, that drops Shipman. Babene pounces and follows it up with two huge shots! The fight is over! WOW!
Final result: Babene def. Shipman via first-round knockout
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