Video: Melvin Manhoef DESTROYS Doug Marshall at Bellator 125

(Props: ZombieProphet)

Melvin Manhoef‘s Bellator debut did not disappoint. The hard-swinging Dutchman flattened Doug Marshall in less than two minutes, knocking “The Rhino” ice-cold with a haymaker to the top of his dome. Watch the video of the nasty finish above, and get full Bellator 125 results right here.


(Props: ZombieProphet)

Melvin Manhoef‘s Bellator debut did not disappoint. The hard-swinging Dutchman flattened Doug Marshall in less than two minutes, knocking “The Rhino” ice-cold with a haymaker to the top of his dome. Watch the video of the nasty finish above, and get full Bellator 125 results right here.

Bellator 125 Live Blog – Main Card Results and Commentary

Bellator 125 can be summed up in two words: MELVIN. MANHOEF.

The feared Dutch striker/laughable Dutch grappler makes his return to the American MMA scene tonight in the main event of Bellator 125. He’ll face off against Bellator mainstay and respected striker Doug Marshall.

Other cool things about Bellator 125: Brian Rogers will be fighting Rafael Carvalho. Touted (though slightly derailed) prospect Goiti Yamauchi is up against Martin Stapleton. There’s also Javy Ayala fighting Raphael Butler in a heavyweight bout–which means it’ll either be awesome or terrible.

Keep hitting refresh once the card starts at 9:00 pm EST for updates!

Bellator 125 can be summed up in two words: MELVIN. MANHOEF.

The feared Dutch striker/laughable Dutch grappler makes his return to the American MMA scene tonight in the main event of Bellator 125. He’ll face off against Bellator mainstay and respected striker Doug Marshall.

Other cool things about Bellator 125: Brian Rogers will be fighting Rafael Carvalho. Touted (though slightly derailed) prospect Goiti Yamauchi is up against Martin Stapleton. There’s also Javy Ayala fighting Raphael Butler in a heavyweight bout–which means it’ll either be awesome or terrible.

Keep hitting refresh once the card starts at 9:00 pm EST for updates!

Martin Stapleton vs. Goiti Yamauchi

Round 1: Yamauchi paws with some jabs then throws a knee. Stapleton catches the knee and takes him down. Yamauchi is going for an omoplata right now and he might actually get it. Stapleton is defending it well so far. The omoplata is still going on, and then Yamauchi uses this to sweep Stapleton and now he has his back with a body triangle locked in. Yamauchi is trying for the rear naked choke but it seems to be too much on the chin. Stapleton slips out of the choke but Yamauchi still has his back. Yamauchi goes for another choke but this one is on the chin as well and Stapleton gets out. Stapleton gets his back to the mat and manages to get back to half guard. Yamauchi passes very quickly. As Stapleton tries to scramble away, he gets his back taken again. Yamauchi tries another rear naked choke and gets it this time! The fight is over.

Javy Ayala vs. Raphael Butler

Round 1: Butler gets rocked with a left hand immediately and then gets pressed up against the cage. I have a feeling we’ll be here for a while. Ayala lands some knees to the thighs. Ayala is cut bad, not sure what cut him because he didn’t really take many shots. Ayala literally picks up Butler, throws him to the ground, takes his back, and chokes him out with a rear naked choke. Imagine the least technical way for that sequence to happen and that’s what it looked like.

Brian Rogers vs. Rafael Carvalho

Doug Marshall vs. Melvin Manhoef.

Here are the results so far:

Main Card

Javy Ayala def. Raphael Butler via submission (rear naked choke), 1:03 of round 1.
Goiti Yamauchi def. Martin Stapleton via submission (rear naked choke), 4:37 of round 2.

Preliminary Card

Matt Ramirez def. Oscar Ramirez via submission (armbar), 0:42 of round 1. Chris Honeycutt def. Aaron Wilkinson via TKO (punches), 4:45 of round 2.
Julio Cesar Neves def. Poppies Martinez via TKO (strikes), 2:16 of round 1.
Jonny Bonilla-Bowman def. Art Becerra via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).
Jesse Juarez def. Ron Keslar via unanimous decision(29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
George Zuniga def. Granson Clark via TKO (punches), 0:34 of round 1.

Doug Marshall Suspended by PSAC After Failing Drug Test; ‘Rhino Era’ Ends With a Whimper


(Still…how could you not love this guy? / Photos via Sherdog)

When middleweight slugger Doug Marshall got body-shot KO’d by Alexander Shlemenko during their title fight at Bellator 109, it put an end to one of the most unlikely career-comebacks in recent memory — a brief and terrifying period that we came to affectionately refer to as “The Rhino Era.” (aka, “Year of the Rhino,” “Rhino Time”) And unfortunately, Doug’s unhappy ending just got unhappier.

As first broken by TheMMAReport.com, Marshall tested positive for an undisclosed banned substance following his loss to Shlemenko last month, and has been suspended by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. PSAC Executive Director Gregory Sirb wouldn’t confirm the length of the suspension or any other details, but we’ll update you when we know more. In response to the news, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney issued a short statement to TheMMAReport:

Greg Sirb at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission operates one of the best commissions in the country. Doug Marshall will have to adhere to any and every penalty that the Pennsylvania Commission delivers. When competing at the highest level, fighters are expected to train and prepare for their fights according to the rules and should fully expect to be tested at every Bellator event.”

“Expect to be tested” is an interesting way of putting it…


(Still…how could you not love this guy? / Photos via Sherdog)

When middleweight slugger Doug Marshall got body-shot KO’d by Alexander Shlemenko during their title fight at Bellator 109, it put an end to one of the most unlikely career-comebacks in recent memory — a brief and terrifying period that we came to affectionately refer to as “The Rhino Era.” (aka, “Year of the Rhino,” “Rhino Time”) And unfortunately, Doug’s unhappy ending just got unhappier.

As first broken by TheMMAReport.com, Marshall tested positive for an undisclosed banned substance following his loss to Shlemenko last month, and has been suspended by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. PSAC Executive Director Gregory Sirb wouldn’t confirm the length of the suspension or any other details, but we’ll update you when we know more. In response to the news, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney issued a short statement to TheMMAReport:

Greg Sirb at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission operates one of the best commissions in the country. Doug Marshall will have to adhere to any and every penalty that the Pennsylvania Commission delivers. When competing at the highest level, fighters are expected to train and prepare for their fights according to the rules and should fully expect to be tested at every Bellator event.”

“Expect to be tested” is an interesting way of putting it. Marshall is only the second Bellator fighter to fail a drug test — see also: Steven Artoff, sticky-icky — which sounds impressive until you realize that Bellator hasn’t always required drug tests from its fighters. After reaching out to commission contacts, TheMMAReport could only confirm that drug testing had taken place at 11 of the 25 events that Bellator held in 2013.

One more bit of semi-relevant info: Marshall was originally supposed to face Shlemenko at Bellator 98 in September — and was granted a therapeutic usage exemption for testosterone replacement therapy, according to Mohegan tribal commission director Michael Mazzulli — but the Rhino dropped off the card due to a broken hand.

Bellator 109 Results: Shlemenko Destroys Marshall’s Liver, Hawn Batters Keslar

Bellator 109 was the final event in the promotion’s ninth season. Like most other fight cards, it had its ups and downs.

Of note on the prelims, famed wrestler Bubba Jenkins rebounded from his upset loss to Larue Burly at Bellator 100. Blagoi Ivanov, one of the few men to beat Fedor Emelianenko in Sambo and who recently recovered from near-death, extended his unbeaten streak to nine fights. Also, 20-year-old Brazilian prospect Goiti Yamauchi ran over Saul Almeida like a soccer mom in a Ford Excursion runs over a small possum (though the Brazilian was seven pounds overweight for the fight).

In the night’s first bout, Terry Etim faced Patrick Cenoble. This was Etim’s first fight outside of the UFC since the promotion let him go. After watching this match, the UFC is probably patting themselves on the back for that call. Etim won a pedestrian decision. If you like seeing a grappler lounge in dominant positions for 15 minutes, this was your kind of fight.

Fans who didn’t sprint away from Spike TV after Etim-Cenoble were treated to the lightweight tournament semifinal: Will Brooks vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy. The first round was closely contested. Sarnavskiy landed a few crisp combinations, as did Brooks. The American slowed the pace in the second round, employing the grinding style which he’s become known for. “Tiger” became a kitten under Brooks’ pressure. Brooks outclassed Sarnavskiy in the latter 10 minutes of the fight. He was stronger, better conditioned, and a superior grappler. He earned a unanimous decision victory.

Also on the card…

Bellator 109 was the final event in the promotion’s ninth season. Like most other fight cards, it had its ups and downs.

Of note on the prelims, famed wrestler Bubba Jenkins rebounded from his upset loss to Larue Burly at Bellator 100. Blagoi Ivanov, one of the few men to beat Fedor Emelianenko in Sambo and who recently recovered from near-death, extended his unbeaten streak to nine fights. Also, 20-year-old Brazilian prospect Goiti Yamauchi ran over Saul Almeida like a soccer mom in a Ford Excursion runs over a small possum (though the Brazilian was seven pounds overweight for the fight).

In the night’s first bout, Terry Etim faced Patrick Cenoble. This was Etim’s first fight outside of the UFC since the promotion let him go. After watching this match, the UFC is probably patting themselves on the back for that call. Etim won a pedestrian decision. If you like seeing a grappler lounge in dominant positions for 15 minutes, this was your kind of fight.

Fans who didn’t sprint away from Spike TV after Etim-Cenoble were treated to the lightweight tournament semifinal: Will Brooks vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy. The first round was closely contested. Sarnavskiy landed a few crisp combinations, as did Brooks. The American slowed the pace in the second round, employing the grinding style which he’s become known for. “Tiger” became a kitten under Brooks’ pressure. Brooks outclassed Sarnavskiy in the latter 10 minutes of the fight. He was stronger, better conditioned, and a superior grappler. He earned a unanimous decision victory.

Ron Keslar and Rick Hawn faced off in the welterweight tournament semifinal. Keslar controlled the first round and even floored Hawn with a brutal knee to the body. But Hawn turned things around in the second, using a stiff jab to dictate the pace and range of the striking. Hawn built off this success in the third round, scoring a beautiful walk-off KO less than a minute in. Words can’t really describe how brutal the third round was. Let’s say that Keslar started it as a fighter, but ended it as a punching bag.

Then it was time for the main event, a middleweight title bout between champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko and Doug “Rhino” Marshall. The fight didn’t last long. Shlemenko made Marshall worry about takedowns before unleashing a liver shot that would’ve made Bas Rutten’s tear up with pride. Marshall’s face grimaced and contorted as he fled from the pocket. The champ smelled blood (or the secretions of a wounded liver) and finished the fight with another body shot a few moments later.

Overall though, the televised card displayed the same banality that’s plagued both Bellator and the UFC throughout 2013. Each amazing knockout was balanced out by a lackluster, grinding decision that scared the casuals off and made even the most hardcore fan consider tuning out for a little bit.

Here are the complete results:

Main Card:

Alexander Shlemenko def. Doug Marshall via TKO (punch to the body), 4:28 of Round 1
Rick Hawn def. Ron Keslar via KO (punch), 0:55 of Round 3
Will Brooks def. Alexander Sarnavskiy via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Terry Etim def. Patrick Cenoble via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-26)

Preliminary Card:

Mike Bannon def. Ahsan Abdulla via technical submission (arm triangle), 1:51 of Round 1
Blagoi Ivanov def. Keith Bell via submission (rear naked choke), 3:59 of Round 1
Goiti Yamauchi def. Saul Almeida via KO (punches), 2:04 of Round 1
Bubba Jenkins def. Ian Rammel via TKO (punches), 2:38 of Round 3
Brent Primus def. Brett Glass via submission (rear naked choke), 3:20 of Round 1
Lester Caslow def. Jay Haas via submission (guillotine), 2:44 of round 3

Bellator Was Just Kidding About Giving Rampage vs. Beltran Top Billing Over Shlemenko vs. Marshall


(Two unrelated Bellator stories on the same day? Tell us how you feel, Mugatu.)

When Quinton Jackson vs. Joey Beltran was announced as the main event of Bellator 108 (November 15th, Atlantic City), we couldn’t help but roll our eyes. Not only does Jackson/Beltran have the potential to be a sloppy, gassy brawl, it’s kind of a slap in the face to Alexander Shlemenko and Doug “The Rhino” Marshall, who were scheduled to face off in a middleweight title fight that same night. Keep in mind, Shlemenko is one of the most exciting and successful competitors in Bellator’s history, and Marshall has “Comeback MMA Fighter of 2013” locked up if he manages to win this one — and yet they’ll be playing second fiddle to a couple of one-dimensional UFC refugees? Doesn’t seem fair to us.

Luckily, Bellator seems to have heard these complaints, because they just did a little flip-flopping with their event schedule. As confirmed by the promotion today, Shlemenko vs. Marshall will be pushed back one week so it can headline Bellator 109 (November 22nd; Bethlehem, PA), while the heavyweight title fight between Alexander Volkov and Vitaly Minakov has now been moved up from the main event of Bellator 109 to the co-main event of Bellator 108.

In other words, Rampage vs. Beltran will still be main-eventing over a title fight, but now it’s a title fight between two Russian dudes who you probably don’t care about. Plus, Rampage will likely be pulling out of his fight with an injury next week anyway. So good work, Bellator, you guys are on a roll lately. The full fight lineups for Bellator 108 and 109 are after the jump…


(Two unrelated Bellator stories on the same day? Tell us how you feel, Mugatu.)

When Quinton Jackson vs. Joey Beltran was announced as the main event of Bellator 108 (November 15th, Atlantic City), we couldn’t help but roll our eyes. Not only does Jackson/Beltran have the potential to be a sloppy, gassy brawl, it’s kind of a slap in the face to Alexander Shlemenko and Doug “The Rhino” Marshall, who were scheduled to face off in a middleweight title fight that same night. Keep in mind, Shlemenko is one of the most exciting and successful competitors in Bellator’s history, and Marshall has “Comeback MMA Fighter of 2013″ locked up if he manages to win this one — and yet they’ll be playing second fiddle to a couple of one-dimensional UFC refugees? Doesn’t seem fair to us.

Luckily, Bellator seems to have heard these complaints, because they just did a little flip-flopping with their event schedule. As confirmed by the promotion today, Shlemenko vs. Marshall will be pushed back one week so it can headline Bellator 109 (November 22nd; Bethlehem, PA), while the heavyweight title fight between Alexander Volkov and Vitaly Minakov has now been moved up from the main event of Bellator 109 to the co-main event of Bellator 108.

In other words, Rampage vs. Beltran will still be main-eventing over a title fight, but now it’s a title fight between two Russian dudes who you probably don’t care about. Plus, Rampage will likely be pulling out of his fight with an injury next week anyway. So good work, Bellator, you guys are on a roll lately. The full fight lineups for Bellator 108 and 109 are after the jump…

Bellator 108
November 15th, 2103
Revel; Atlantic City, NJ 

Spike TV Main Card
Catchweight Feature Fight (210 lbs.): Rampage Jackson (32-11) vs. Joey Beltran (14-9)
Heavyweight Title Fight: Alexander Volkov (19-3) vs. Vitaly Minakov (12-0)
Featherweight Tournament Finals: Justin Wilcox (13-5) vs. Patricio Pitbull (21-7-1)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Marcos Galvao (14-6-1) vs. Tom McKenna (7-3)

Spike.com Preliminary Fights
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Sergio da Silva (1-4) vs. Rob Sullivan (2-1)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Ryan Cafaro (0-0) vs. Dan Matala (0-0)
Catchweight Feature Fight (180 lbs.): Nah’Shon Burrell (9-3) vs. Jesus Martinez (8-4)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Najim Wali (3-2) vs. Liam McGeary (6-0)\
Catchweight Feature Fight (150 lbs.): Anthony Morrison (17-10) vs. Kenny Foster (10-7)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Kevin Roddy (13-14-1) vs. Will Martinez (6-2-1)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Jason Lambert (26-12) vs. Tom DeBlass (8-2)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Chip Moraza-Pollard (7-4) vs. Sam Oropeza (8-2)

Bellator 109
November 22nd, 2013
Sands Casino Resort; Bethlehem, PA

Spike TV Main Card
Middleweight Title Fight: Alexander Shlemenko (48-7) vs. Doug Marshall (18-6)
Lightweight Tournament Finals: Will Brooks (12-1) vs. Tiger Sarnavskiy (25-1)
Welterweight Tournament Finals: Rick Hawn (17-2) vs. Ron Keslar (11-3)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Matt Riddle (7-3) vs. Nathan Coy (13-4)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Terry Etim (15-5) vs. Patrick Cenbole (9-2-1)

Spike.com Preliminary Fights
Featherweight Feature Fight: Lester Caslow (10-8) vs. Jay Haas (11-12)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Brent Primus (3-0) vs. Brett Glass (2-0)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Terrell Hobbs (9-5) vs. Bubba Jenkins (4-1)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Saul Almeida (13-4) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (15-1)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Keith Bell (5-2-1) vs. Blagoi Ivanov (8-0)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Andrew Osborne (7-7) vs. Michael Page (5-0)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Ahsan Abdullah (5-3) vs. Mike Bannon (4-1)

You Guys are Never Going to Believe Who Bellator Chose to Fight Rampage Jackson Next…

…that’s right, a recently fired UFC veteran! NOW I’VE SEEN EVERYTHING!

Co-Main Event podcast co-host and former CP staff writer (Old Step Dad?) Chad Dundas said all that really needed to be said when he summed up the Tito Ortiz neck injury/Bellator PPV cancellation fracas as “the most Tito thing ever.” With that in mind, I think it’s safe to say that the most recent development in the shuffle to find a replacement opponent for Quinton Jackson can be described as “the most Bellator thing ever.”

Ariel Helwani broke the news just minutes ago that everyone’s favorite tiger-humping former UFC light heavyweight champion will face Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran at Bellator 108 on November 15th in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Internet’s reaction is below:

And so, Bellator wages on with its plan to acquire every last steroid-using washout the UFC has to offer in the hopes of somehow competing with the very promotion they are shamelessly poaching from. Not since Paddy’s Dollars have I seen a business model so woefully misguided…

…that’s right, a recently fired UFC veteran! NOW WE’VE SEEN EVERYTHING!

Co-Main Event podcast co-host and former CP staff writer (Old Step Dad?) Chad Dundas said all that really needed to be said when he summed up the Tito Ortiz neck injury/Bellator PPV cancellation fracas as “the most Tito thing ever.” With that in mind, I think it’s safe to say that the most recent development in the shuffle to find a replacement opponent for Quinton Jackson can be described as “the most Bellator thing ever.”

Ariel Helwani broke the news just minutes ago that everyone’s favorite tiger-humping former UFC light heavyweight champion will face Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran at Bellator 108 on November 15th in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Internet’s reaction is below:

And so, Bellator wages on with its plan to acquire every last steroid-using washout the UFC has to offer in the hopes of somehow competing with the very promotion they are shamelessly poaching from. Not since Paddy’s Dollars have I seen a business model so woefully misguided…

…God dammit, Jared. Look at the positives for once, will you? So what if Beltran *just* got dropped from the UFC for the second time; this is probably the best fight we could have asked for, all things considered. Beltran’s got an iron jaw, always shows up to throw down, and is almost a mirror image of Ortiz on paper (in that he has dropped 6 of his past 8 contests*). Besides, no one was asking for the original matchup in the first place and at least there’s no way this fight will headline Bellator 108 over the middleweight title fight between Alexander Shlemenko and Doug Marshall, right?

God damn you, Bellator. God. damn. you.

*excluding his NC with Igor Pokrajac at UFC on FX 6. 

J. Jones