(Chris Lozano jacks Brent Weedman with an uppercut during their three-rounder at Caesars Atlantic City. Photo via Bellator)
Bellator’s fifth season kicked off last night, featuring the quarterfinals of their latest welterweight tournament. Still undefeated since his release from the UFC last year, Ben Saunders grabbed his second Bellator victory — and a spot in the semi-finals — in classic “Killa B” fashion, abusing Chris Cisneros for two rounds before ending the bout early in the third frame with a storm of knees from his infamous Thai clinch. Former MFC welterweight champion Douglas Lima also impressed in his promotional debut, winning a unanimous decision over Steve Carl.
On a less-triumphant note, former Bellator standouts Chris Weedman and Dan Hornbuckle ate their second-consecutive losses at the event. Weedman, who ran through his first four opponents under the Bellator banner before getting outpointed by Jay Hieron at the Season 4 Welterweight Finals, fell short once again against Chris Lozano. Weedman took the first round easily on the strength of a knockdown and a slam-takedown, but Lozano controlled the next ten minutes and won a unanimous nod from the judges. Earlier in the evening, Dan Hornbuckle was thoroughly handled by season Brazilian vet Luis “Sapo” Santos.
(Chris Lozano jacks Brent Weedman with an uppercut during their three-rounder at Caesars Atlantic City. Photo via Bellator)
Bellator’s fifth season kicked off last night, featuring the quarterfinals of their latest welterweight tournament. Still undefeated since his release from the UFC last year, Ben Saunders grabbed his second Bellator victory — and a spot in the semi-finals — in classic “Killa B” fashion, abusing Chris Cisneros for two rounds before ending the bout early in the third frame with a storm of knees from his infamous Thai clinch. Former MFC welterweight champion Douglas Lima also impressed in his promotional debut, winning a unanimous decision over Steve Carl.
On a less-triumphant note, former Bellator standouts Chris Weedman and Dan Hornbuckle ate their second-consecutive losses at the event. Weedman, who ran through his first four opponents under the Bellator banner before getting outpointed by Jay Hieron at the Season 4 Welterweight Finals, fell short once again against Chris Lozano. Weedman took the first round easily on the strength of a knockdown and a slam-takedown, but Lozano controlled the next ten minutes and won a unanimous nod from the judges. Earlier in the evening, Dan Hornbuckle was thoroughly handled by season Brazilian vet Luis “Sapo” Santos.
Spike.com’s broadcast of the prelims turned out to be a crowd-pleasing affair, as all five local feature fights ended by stoppage. Full Bellator 49 results are below.
Main Card (Season 5 Welterweight Quarterfinals)
– Chris Lozano def. Brent Weedman via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Ben Saunders def. Chris Cisneros via TKO, 0:29 of round 3
– Luis Santos vs. def. Dan Hornbuckle via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Douglas Lima def. Steve Carl via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x 2)
Spike.com Prelims
– Alexandre Bezerra def. Scott Heckman via TKO, 1:38 of round 2
– Giedrius Karavackas def. LeVon Maynard via TKO, 1:32 of round 3
– Joel Roberts def. Brylan Van Artsdalen via technical submission (triangle choke), 1:47 of round 2
– Lester Caslow def. James Jones via TKO (injury), 0:15 of round 2
– Azunna Anyanwu def. J.A. Dudley via TKO, 4:16 of round 2
The best part about watching combat sports is that no matter what you might be expecting, things are constantly changing. Whatever seemed expected might be completely unimaginable six months from now.For a sport where a fight can change in a …
The best part about watching combat sports is that no matter what you might be expecting, things are constantly changing. Whatever seemed expected might be completely unimaginable six months from now.
For a sport where a fight can change in a moment, a day seems almost like an eternity.
Sometimes the fights go the way that most think they will and sometimes they shock us all with how they end up.
Let’s take a look at some of the most unsurprising and incredible moments from last night.
Can you say fight of the night? Fireworks exploded in the first seconds of Round 1 as both men were dazed by the time the clock reached 30 seconds.Brent Weedman took control of the grappling initially, but Chris Lozano dumped him with a massive s…
Can you say fight of the night?
Fireworks exploded in the first seconds of Round 1 as both men were dazed by the time the clock reached 30 seconds.
Brent Weedman took control of the grappling initially, but Chris Lozano dumped him with a massive slam. Weedman reciprocated as Lozano gave up his back, which seemed to be a theme for this fight, and desperately sought out a rear-naked choke for the remainder of the first round.
The second round was a slug-fest with Lozano’s technical striking ruling the day, as he dazed Weedman quite a few times. However Weedman’s fighting spirit wouldn’t allow him to waiver as he walked forward taking punch after punch.
Both men’s conditioning came into play as they both seemed to wobble after launching offensive assaults, though Lozano’s punching power put him over the top in Round 2.
Round 3 was truly “survival of the fittest” as both fighters attacked with their strikes. However, once again Lozano was getting the best of Weedman in the boxing arena. Lozano attempted a spinning heel kick that Weedman avoided, but as his back was turned Weedman secured Lozano from behind and proceeded with a takedown.
Lozano fought off a rear-naked choke attempt and completed a short-lived sweep of Weedman in an attempt to get back to his feet. The third round ended with Lozano still on top in the striking area with Weedman taking control on the ground whenever the opportunity arose.
Chris Lozano was awarded a well-deserved decision in a fight that was definitely the best fight of the televised card. He will be a formidable opponent for whoever he crosses in the quarterfinals.
Ben “Killer B” Saunders has fought under the bright lights and scrutiny of large promotions. Chris Cisneros hasn’t, and it definitely showed on Saturday night at Bellator 49 in New Jersey.Saunders took care of Cisneros at in the third…
Ben “Killer B” Saunders has fought under the bright lights and scrutiny of large promotions. Chris Cisneros hasn’t, and it definitely showed on Saturday night at Bellator 49 in New Jersey.
Saunders took care of Cisneros at in the third round of the Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight tournament quarterfinals. If you were looking for a fight that exhibited many facets of mixed martial arts, then this was the bout to watch. Cisneros seemed to be a minor hurdle for Saunders as Killer B controlled the fight from start to finish.
Saunders came out blazing with a series of kicks and took control of Round 1 within the first minute. The Ultimate Fighter: Season 6 alum exhibited great wrist control and volleyed back and forth between Kimura and Americana attempts. Chris Cisneros was clearly overwhelmed, appearing just happy to be there.
This fight would’ve definitely been over if elbows were allowed in the tournament. I’m not sure if the short notice or lack of big fight experience blinded Cisneros to Saunders’ attacks, but he clearly wasn’t on top of his game.
Saunders did show some fight on the ground with a couple of reversals as well as thwarting off a few of the submission attempts from Saunders, but it was for not. As in many fights before, Saunders’ razor-sharp knees destroyed Cisneros in the clinch, and Saunders swarmed to finish with ground and pound before the referee stepped in and called the fight.
Saunders definitely looks like a solid candidate to win the tournament and challenge for the championship belt. Cisneros should be evaluated when he has a full training camp and against an opponent more on his level.
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has put in the time required for a Mixed Martial Arts organization to find success. Rebney works 18-hour days and the organization’s recent agreement to air preliminary action live and free on Spike.com is a testament to…
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has put in the time required for a Mixed Martial Arts organization to find success.
Rebney works 18-hour days and the organization’s recent agreement to air preliminary action live and free on Spike.com is a testament to his hard work.
Bellator 49, which takes place tonight at New Jersey’s Caesars Atlantic City, will be the inaugural event for the Spike.com stream which begins at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT).
Additionally, tonight’s action will air in high-definition on EPIX and MTV 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. PT) and kicks off the opening round of the organization’s welterweight tournament.
Prior to yesterday’s Bellator 49 weigh-ins Rebney spoke with BleacherReport.com regarding the event, Spike.com and the organization’s young stars.
B/R: Congratulations on the prelims being aired on Spike.com, how nice is it to have the preliminary action being aired for the Mixed Martial Arts world to see?
Bjorn Rebney: “It’s awesome, absolutely awesome. You and I know it, you look at Spike (and) you see the name, you see the brand, it’s anonymous with Mixed Martial Arts and it’s where the vast majority of us have gone since 2005 to watch Mixed Martial Arts. It’s the reason what you and I believe is the greatest sport on the face of the earth is crossed over into the general market.
“You think MMA, you think Spike so to be on Spike.com for the preliminary fights for two-full hours and to be associated with that spectacular brand is just an awesome addition to what we’re doing with MTV 2 under that MTV networks umbrella. Now, what we’re doing in HD every week, every Saturday night on Epix, it’s a very powerful way for fans to see four-hours of really spectacular Bellator content, going from Spike.com to MTV 2 and Epix. It’s very exciting to be connected and attached to a brand that has that kind of equity and the space.”
B/R: Bellator 49 features the opening round of the welterweight-tournament, with Ben Saunders, Dan Hornbuckle, Douglas Lima, and others slated to compete. It appears that fans are in for a full night of excitement…
Bjorn Rebney: “I think that when you’re looking at a tournament, whether it’s in basketball, or Bellator, Mixed Martial Arts fighting, or whether it’s in soccer, or whatever your sport is you’re hoping for a tournament where there are a group of world class fighters and not a prohibitive favorite. Where you can walk into any game and think ‘Hey, I’m going to get a great game out of it, or hey, I’m walking into this fight and I can potentially get an amazing fight out of it.’
“I think when you look down this fight, the (Chris) Lozano – (Brent) Weedman fight has potential (and) spectacular nature written all over it. The Luis Santos versus Dan Hornbuckle fight, I’ve said it many times it boils down to does Dan Hornbuckle show up or does the “Handler” show up? If the “Handler” shows up against Luis Santos, we could have a fight of the night candidate on our hands. If Dan Hornbuckle shows up against Luis Santos, I think Dan could be in for a very long night. That fight potentially could be something amazing. Lima is really the top prospect in the world at 170 pounds and he’s going to have his hands full with Steve Carl. What’s not fun about Ben Saunders versus Chris Cisneros, stylistically that’s going to be a stand up battle for as long as it lasts. So, I’m pretty excited and I think we have the potential for something pretty special.”
B/R: With the aforementioned matchups on the docket for tomorrow night, is there a particular fight that you’re looking forward to seeing as a fan?
Bjorn Rebney: “The one as a fan when I take the CEO hat off that I’m really looking forward to seeing is Luis Santos versus Dan Hornbuckle and like I said, ‘I hope against hope that the fight is Santos versus the “Handler”, because I know what the Handler can do, because I saw him fight for years before he came to Bellator. Dan had an initial few fights in the tournaments for us a year and a half ago and has not been a great roll as of late.
“But I do know what the “Handler” is capable of and if the “Handler” re-emerges then with his style and the way he puts kicks together, the way he puts punches together, and what he can do on the ground versus Luis Santos, who I know is in very high, very aggressive level right now then it has the makings for an incredible fight. But I don’t think the Dan we’ve seen over the last few fights is a guy who can stand in there with Luis Santos. So, I’m very, very interested in seeing what happens in that fight. That’s kind of the one I’m looking at going ‘Wow, this could be an amazing fight.’
B/R: You’re at Caesar’s in Atlantic City for this event, what has the atmosphere in the city been like leading up to tomorrow’s night action?
Bjorn Rebney: “It’s been great, if you’re here at Caesar’s in Atlantic City, you’re in the greater Philadelphia area or anywhere around New Jersey, I think there’s about 100 tickets left (and) we’re very, very close to a sell out, so people should come down. A lot of posters, a lot of billboards on the highway, a lot of excitement around the fights, (and) a lot of fight fans hanging around the lobby talking to the guys and getting autographs and pictures.
“It’s an exciting environment and there’s a lot of big fight action going on in Atlantic City this weekend. I think there’s an HBO here fight at Boardwalk Hall where we’ll be on October 15 for Eddie’s (Alvarez) fight against Mike Chandler and obviously our show that’s live on Epix and MTV 2. So, (there’s) a big excitement level and a very educated fan base.”
B/R: Your job is primarily to build the Bellator brand and to produce great shows with world class fighters like Eddie Alvarez, Ben Askren and Michael Chandler. What’s it like for you to see Bellator and the fighters continuing to grow and achieve success?
Bjorn Rebney: “It’s awesome, you hit dead center on it, guys like Mike Chandler who came to us with very few fights but have absolutely, unlimited potential, a crazy work ethic, and almost a sponge like ability to gather information and tools in this game of Mixed Martial Arts. If you would’ve asked me when Mike Chandler was going into the finals of the most recent lightweight tournament that he was going to stand and strike with Patricky “Pitbull”, who many people in the MMA space were saying is one of the most dangerous strikers in the world at 155, I would’ve bet the house that he would use his strikes to set up his take-downs and go in for a double leg, put him on his back, and try to win the fight. Chandler’s maturation in this game is like the maturation of Bellator, it’s been at such a fast level and it’s been so dramatic that he actually out-struck Patricky “Pitbull” in that fight. If you watched the fight, it’s kind of awe-inspiring that a guy who up until about three years ago had never hit anyone in the face intentionally in combat sports. He’d been a wrestler, gone through “Mizzou”, an elite collegiate level guy, but had really no striking experience in the game and to progress to that level and out-strike a guy who’s been hitting and kicking people in the face at a world class level since he was a kid is just shocking.
“Also, look at Pat Curran, if there ever is anyone that is a poster fighter for what Bellator can do for a fighter’s career and the opportunity it can provide it’s Pat Curran. He goes in 18 months ago in a lightweight tournament and he got in only because Jeff Curran begged me for a spot for Pat. He said that he wouldn’t disappoint and that if I ever trusted anything he’s said I should believe him that Pat was the real deal.
“Pat goes in and knocks out Mike Ricci, who supposed to be the next GSP (Georges St. Pierre) out of Canada, then beats Roger Huerta in an absolute must win fight for Huerta, then beats Toby Imada wins the lightweight tournament, and faces Eddie Alvarez, goes five rounds against a guy who I feel is the most dangerous puncher in the world at 155 pounds. Then drops to 145 pounds and continues to elevate his game and knocks out Marlon Sandro, who going into that fight was the No. 5 ranked featherweight on earth.
“To watch these guys progress and become some of the best in the world under this banner is awesome, it’s an awesome thing to see.
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It was a little less than 18 months ago that Ben Saunders stepped up to the plate to try and help bail the UFC out of a serious problem. UFC 111 was set to go off in just a few days when word came down that Saunders’ teammate at American Top Team, Thia…
It was a little less than 18 months ago that Ben Saunders stepped up to the plate to try and help bail the UFC out of a serious problem. UFC 111 was set to go off in just a few days when word came down that Saunders’ teammate at American Top Team, Thiago Alves, had been declared unfit to fight due to some abnormalities that had shown up during a brain scan.
UFC 111 was an important card for the organization as it was being held in New Jersey, right outside New York City, which the UFC has been unable to infiltrate to this date. Alves was scheduled to face fellow top contender Jon Fitch in a welterweight showdown and rematch that could possibly determine who would face the winner of the card’s main event.
The UFC Welterweight Champion was putting his title on the line against the charismatic Dan Hardy, and a convincing win by either Fitch or Alves could land them the winner and another shot at the championship. Now Fitch was left without an opponent, Alves career was in jeopardy and the UFC was about to lose one of its main card fights. In steps Saunders with a move that was sure to make UFC President Dana White proud.
Saunders forgot his bout with Jake Ellenberger in order to face Fitch in a fight that he would be considered a heavy underdog, but he showed balls and initiative, something White would surely appreciate. Unfortunately Saunders lost via unanimous decision, but one would think he would have built up some goodwill within the UFC.
Saunders followed up that loss with another unanimous decision loss to Dennis Hallman at UFC 117, which by the way is where Fitch and Alves finally met once again after having their fight canceled on two separate occasions. Not long after that loss to Hallman, Saunders received his release from the UFC in a move that somewhat shocked people. Yes, it was his second loss in a row, but shouldn’t he be given a little slack for the Fitch loss?
Now Saunders is set to take on Chris Cineros in the Bellator welterweight tournament which begins this Saturday night. Having no regrets and feeling no ill will towards the UFC, Saunders is happy to be fighting again and is excited for the opportunity that Bellator has provided him. Now it’s time for him to show the world what type of fighter he can be and what the UFC is possibly missing out on. He also has an interesting take on the whole tournament format.
“To be honest with you the way I look at the tournament it seems to be a more structured Ultimate Fighter,” Saunders explained to Bleacher Report. “The biggest difference is that TUF was spread out over 6-8 weeks while Bellator plays out over a span of three months. Also, the level of fighters who participate on The Ultimate Fighter aren’t the same caliber of the Bellator fighters.
“I really like the fact that there is an opportunity offered where I could possibly fight three times in as many months. That’s damn near impossible in this day and age of Mixed Martial Arts. You’re lucky if you get three fights a year with the UFC, just due to the size and talent their rosters hold.”
With other fighters like Dan Hornbuckle and Douglas Lima, who are also trained by American Top Team, Saunders has to be considered one of the favorites going into the tournament. Although Cineros doesn’t carry a big name, “Killa-B” realizes he is certainly capable of carrying a mighty big stick.
“I really don’t know much about him other than he has some pro boxing and pro kickboxing in his background,” Saunders said. “I believe his MMA record is 11-3, he fights out of Hawaii so you know he’s coming to fight. I’ve heard he has a lot of heart and a lot of passion, but for me I train for anyone and everyone, I try and improve my whole game when preparing for a fight.”
Saunders looks at the talent-laden roster that comprises the welterweight tournament and sees a mixed bag of talented fighters. While he likes to feel confident, he knows not to take anything too seriously. Even though some people have picked him to win, he learned a long time ago not to let the positive get him too high or the negative get him too low.
“Some people have chosen me, others have picked Hornbuckle and then there is Douglas Lima who is also the MFC champion,” explained Saunders. “The “Handler and Lima are teammates of mine and we all decided that if we had to fight we would do it and shake hands afterwards, this is what we get paid to do.
“At the end of the day I would hope that I would win, but do it without injuring either fighter. That would make it not worthwhile; I would never want to hurt any other fighter especially a teammate. We punch each other in the face everyday we might as well get paid to do it.”
As witnessed in his last two UFC fights, it was very evident that Saunders’ main Achilles Heel was his wrestling. Fitch took him down at will, and Hallman didn’t seem to have very many problems either. American Top Team has taken the initiative to recruit top-flight wrestlers to their camp with the hopes of not only developing some great fighters, but also to help their own fighters strengthen themselves in that department.
“The second I got back from the loss to Hallman I was back in camp working on my wrestling,” Saunders said matter-of-factly. “I always felt like I had a good base for wrestling, but never had to utilize it all that much. So when it came time to recall the training and put it into a real life situation I was unable to do it. I became overaggressive and put myself into some bad positions against some high level wrestlers.”
The big news recently has been the UFC jumping over to Fox, FX and Fuel which now leaves Spike TV without an MMA partner. The casual fan more than likely thinks of Spike when they think of MMA so it would make sense to see Bellator make the move to Spike and leave MTV2, which like Spike, is owned by Viacom.
“Right now the only thing I have heard is that they are both owned by Viacom and that some Spike TV officials have been showing up at our events,” said Saunders. “It would seem like the smart move to take Bellator over to Spike. We could then be offered in HD as well as become available to so many more households. For the fighters it would mean more money especially in sponsorship dollars. It would be a win-win all the way around.”
Can you say fight of the night?