When you’re fighting a guy nicknamed “The Arm Collector”, who has won twelve of his sixteen victories by armbar, you might spend extra time working on your takedown defense. And maybe resist the urge to stick your arms out during the fight. I emphasize “you”, because Darryl Cobb, the middleweight who fought Giva “The Arm Collector” Santana on the undercard of Bellator 53 last night in Miami, Oklahoma, did not have the same gameplan. Giva Santana is now 17-1 in his MMA career, his only loss a split-decision at the hands of Bellator veteran Jaime Jara.
In main card action, Ben Saunders picked up his fourth straight victory since being bounced from the UFC by submitting Luis Santos in the third round. Killa B showed off a much more well-rounded attack than what we’re accustomed to seeing from him, thoroughly out-grappling Santos for the entire fight. In other welterweight tournament action, Douglas Lima picked up a brutal second round knockout against Cleveland native Chris Lozano. Lima has now won eight straight fights, and will meet Ben Saunders at Bellator 56 on November 12 to determine the winner of the welterweight tournament.
When you’re fighting a guy nicknamed “The Arm Collector”, who has won twelve of his sixteen victories by armbar, you might spend extra time working on your takedown defense. And maybe resist the urge to stick your arms out during the fight. I emphasize “you”, because Darryl Cobb, the middleweight who fought Giva “The Arm Collector” Santana on the undercard of Bellator 53 last night in Miami, Oklahoma, did not have the same gameplan. Giva Santana is now 17-1 in his MMA career, his only loss a split-decision at the hands of Bellator veteran Jaime Jara.
In main card action, Ben Saunders picked up his fourth straight victory since being bounced from the UFC by submitting Luis Santos in the third round. Killa B showed off a much more well-rounded attack than what we’re accustomed to seeing from him, thoroughly out-grappling Santos for the entire fight. In other welterweight tournament action, Douglas Lima picked up a brutal second round knockout against Cleveland native Chris Lozano. Lima has now won eight straight fights, and will meet Ben Saunders at Bellator 56 on November 12 to determine the winner of the welterweight tournament.
In non-tournament action, Thiago Santos, originally set to fight Blagoi Ivanov in the heavyweight tournament before visa issues forced him off of Bellator 52, easily took care of Detroit heavyweight Josh Burns. The victory propels Thiago Santos back into the tournament to replace the injured Mike Hayes. Coincidentally, Mike Hayes was scheduled to meet Blagoi Ivanov in the next round. Also, British prospect Ronnie Mann got back in the W column with a first round triangle choke over Kenny Foster. Mann dedicated the fight to his recently deceased trainer, Shawn Tompkins.
Beavis and Butthead return to MTV this October 27th. UFC pay-per-views will start broadcast on Xbox Live with UFC 140: here. Kenny Florian already beat Jose Aldo in the cage…at Soccer: here. Watch Bellator 53.
Beavis and Butthead return to MTV this October 27th.
UFC pay-per-views will start broadcast on Xbox Live with UFC 140: here.
Kenny Florian already beat Jose Aldo in the cage…at Soccer: here.
Chael Sonnen speaks to Ariel Helwani about his ring rust for his upcoming UFC 136 fight with Brian Stann, how he was the best in his division “by a lot” when he last competed, and who should get the next title-shot: here.
Get your girlfriends to send in those naughty pics they text you while you’re at work to the British Cage Fighting Championship Ring Girl Search: here (or send them to us at MMA Fix just for kicks).
Ben Askren walked around the city of Joplin, Mo., in late May and could hardly believe what he was seeing.
The Bellator welterweight champion had been in the nearby town of Neosho to help at a wrestling clinic not long after a massive EF5 tornado devastated Joplin, ravaging everything in its path. It was one of the deadliest tornados in world history, killing 162 people.
Askren went to view the damage with friends from his days wrestling for the University of Missouri. Looking at the destruction, he knew there had to be a way to give something back – some how, some way.
“We went to one guy’s house, and it wasn’t even a house,” Askren told MMA Fighting on Thursday, recalling the devastation. “It was just two walls, the roof was all gone, and you just look at that and think, ‘I can’t imagine this being my house. There’s nothing left here.’ Everything they owned is just gone, and they’re staying with family and friends. You feel for people at times like that.”
As Askren continued to look around, seeing buildings destroyed, cars thrown around like toys, trees uprooted and houses of his friends’ friends ripped apart, he decided to ask his boss, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, if the promotion could find a way to do something to help.
“It just blows your mind,” Askren said. “You see it on TV, but you could never really imagine until you actually go there. So I texted Bjorn and said, ‘Hey, it would be nice if we could do something for all these people.'”
Rebney, though, didn’t have any quick answers.
“He said, ‘What can we do? Can I do something?’ Rebney said. “He was just reaching out asking what could be done. And I said, ‘I don’t know, buddy. I don’t know what we can do.'”
Admittedly, Rebney said, coming up with a plan for the people of Joplin “fell off the radar screen” over the summer. But earlier this fall, when the promotion finalized the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla., a short drive from Joplin, for Saturday’s Bellator 53, a plan finally got put into place – when Askren again reached out and was adamant in his desire to try to make a contribution.
Friday night, Bellator and Buffalo Run Casino will give away 300 tickets to Saturday’s show to Joplin residents at Joplin High School’s homecoming football game. For those still trying to rebuild the lives they knew before May 22, it won’t change anything. But a temporary reprieve might help, even for just one night.
“I just hope the people that were affected can have some enjoyment for one night of fighting that Bellator’s going to put on,” Askren said. “It’s not a huge gesture. It’s not like we’re rebuilding their houses. But every small thing helps.”
“It’s a great thing to do,” Rebney said. “It’s not going to change the dynamic of anybody’s life in Joplin, but the people have been through a lot here. It’s an opportunity to kind of kick back and forget about your issues for four or five hours.”
Rebney said it was Askren’s perseverance in wanting to find a way to give something to the people of Joplin that ultimately got the plan rolling, and started Bellator down the community service path, really for the first time.
“Thank God we haven’t been in communities where something as tragic as what happened here happened before,” Rebney said. “But this was more about Ben Askren reaching out. He was the guy really pushing it. He called me, I didn’t have an answer, and he just stayed on it.”
Rebney said Askren, who defends his welterweight title later this month at Bellator 56 against Jay Hieron, proved to him he has talents that extend beyond the cage, and that his strength of character is typical of many MMA athletes.
“It gives me a sense of pride that we’re lucky enough to have a guy like Ben on our roster who isn’t thinking of himself, who isn’t doing it for any kind of sponsorship angle,” Rebney said. “He was just calling me, saying, ‘Dude, what can we do? How can we help? Can I do something? Can we do something? Big or small, it doesn’t matter.’ There’s more of that in the MMA industry than people realize. It’s a real good feeling, and I’m proud we have Ben on the roster – he’s an amazing talent, and I think he’s the best wrestler in mixed martial arts. But he’s also a very good dude, and that counts for a lot.”
