Bellator 131, the first of Bellator’s BIG events under Scott Coker was pretty god damn awesome.
Look, we know you’re busy and just want the GIFs, so we won’t burden your minds by making you read a painstaking punch-by-punch recap.
BUT FIRST, Bellator debuted a wicked new entrance ramp. Look at King Mo and Jo Vedepo’s entrance:
Check out the GIFs (via Zombie Prophet) from Bellator 131 below, and the card’s full results are written at the bottom of the post:
(Photo via Getty)
Bellator 131, the first of Bellator’s BIG events under Scott Coker was pretty god damn awesome.
Look, we know you’re busy and just want the GIFs, so we won’t burden your minds by making you read a painstaking punch-by-punch recap.
BUT FIRST, Bellator debuted a wicked new entrance ramp. Look at King Mo and Jo Vedepo’s entrance:
Check out the GIFs (via Zombie Prophet) from Bellator 131 below, and the card’s full results are written at the bottom of the post:
King Mo smothered Joe Vedepo in the first two rounds while landing some intermittent ground and pound. He finally managed to put Vedepo away in the third round:
In the next fight, Mike Richman FUCKING DESTROYED Nam Phan. We’re not exaggerating. Richman straight up punching bagged him, landing unanswered combo after unanswered combo. Don’t believe us? Look at the GIF?
Melvin Manhoef vs. Joe Schilling was perhaps the fight of the year…or at least the bar room brawl-in-a-cage of the year. It was a true back-and-forth contest that saw both men hurt at times, but ultimately it was Schilling who prevailed and put Manhoef out COLD.
In the co-main event, Will Brooks scored a BIZARRE TKO finish over Michael Chandler, and in doing so defended his Bellator lightweight title. The fight was close going into the fourth round, but then Brooks landed a punch so hard it made Chandler literally forget he was in a fight. Chandler backed away and tried to wave off the fight, which proved to be a bad idea. Brooks blasted him multiple times, ending the match.
And finally, the main event bbetween Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar. This fight wasn’t particularly good, but it could’ve been WAY worse. Ortiz won a split decision by smothering Bonnar and also bruising and cutting up his face with some of the slowest punches we have ever seen. Like the only thing slower than Ortiz’s punches were Bonnar’s attempts at evading them. Ugly stuff. Even better (or worse), both fighters continued their feud after the bell. Ortiz flipped off Bonnar and threw his water at him. Bonnar told Ortiz to eat a turd burger (ugh). Here are some GIF highlights from the fight:
The complete results:
Main Card
Tito Ortiz def. Stephan Bonnar via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Will Brooks def. Michael Chandler via TKO (punches), Round 4, 3:48
Joe Schilling def. Melvin Manhoef via knockout (punches), Round 2, 0:32
Mike Richman def. Nam Phan via knockout (punches), Round 1, 0:46
Muhammed Lawal def. Joe Vedepo via TKO (punches), Round 3, 0:39
Preliminary Card
Joao Faria def. Ian Butler via submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 3, 1:58
A.J. Matthews def. Kyle Bolt via knockout (punches), Round 1, 1:39
Jonathan Santa Maria def. Ron Henderson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Andy Murad def. Bubba Pugh via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Nick Garcia def. Matthew Ramirez via submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 0:56
Jordan Bailey def. Alex Higley via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:27
Rolando Perez vs. Mark Vorgeas ruled split draw (29-27 Vorgeas, 26-30, 28-28)
(There ain’t no party like a Wanderlei party ’cause a Wanderlei party COMES WITH JALAPENO POPPERS AND A FREE $5 POWER CARD. Photo via Vegas News.)
Scott Coker & Co. continue to snatch up disgruntled former Zuffa employees like hot cakes, Nation, as Bellator has just announced that former UFC/Pride star Wanderlei Silva will be making an appearance at the Bellator 131 kickoff party inside Dave & Buster’s this Friday to take pictures and sign autographs.
The announcement comes a month after the #2 promotion in MMA managed to scoop up Royce Gracie as a “brand ambassador” in what could only be considered a triumphant middle finger to the UFC. From a Bellator press release sent out earlier today:
“The Axe Murder” Joins #Bellator131 Pre-Party Kickoff As Wanderlei Silva Set To Appear At Dave & Buster’s On Friday, November 14
Silva Joins Royce Gracie, Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock In Preparation for #Bellator131 on Saturday, November 15 Newport Beach, Calif. (November 10, 2014) – The festivities surrounding Saturday’s #Bellator131 continue to grow as Bellator will host a pre-party kickoff event from San Diego’s Dave & Buster’s on Friday, November 14. After weigh-ins, fans are invited to take pictures and have autographs signed with MMA legends Royce Gracie, Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, and now MMA icon Wanderlei Silva beginning at 6pm PST. Silva will join the other MMA legends in attendance for #Bellator 131 on Saturday, November 15.
(There ain’t no party like a Wanderlei party ’cause a Wanderlei party COMES WITH JALAPENO POPPERS AND A FREE $5 POWER CARD. Photo via Vegas News.)
Scott Coker & Co. continue to snatch up disgruntled former Zuffa employees like hot cakes, Nation, as Bellator has just announced that former UFC/Pride star Wanderlei Silva will be making an appearance at the Bellator 131 kickoff party inside Dave & Buster’s this Friday to take pictures and sign autographs.
The announcement comes a month after the #2 promotion in MMA managed to scoop up Royce Gracie as a “brand ambassador” in what could only be considered a triumphant middle finger to the UFC. From a Bellator press release sent out earlier today:
“The Axe Murder” Joins #Bellator131 Pre-Party Kickoff As Wanderlei Silva Set To Appear At Dave & Buster’s On Friday, November 14
Silva Joins Royce Gracie, Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock In Preparation for #Bellator131 on Saturday, November 15 Newport Beach, Calif. (November 10, 2014) – The festivities surrounding Saturday’s #Bellator131 continue to grow as Bellator will host a pre-party kickoff event from San Diego’s Dave & Buster’s on Friday, November 14. After weigh-ins, fans are invited to take pictures and have autographs signed with MMA legends Royce Gracie, Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, and now MMA icon Wanderlei Silva beginning at 6pm PST. Silva will join the other MMA legends in attendance for #Bellator 131 on Saturday, November 15.
“After we saw just an overwhelming response to our Bellator Fan Fest a few weeks ago, we wanted to once again give our fans a chance to be a part of something special and give everyone the opportunity to spend time with a group of fighters that built the sport we all love,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “We have events taking place all week around the San Diego area as we prepare for the biggest night of fights in company history, and we want everyone to be a part of it.”
You simply have to love Bellator’s blatant disregard for common decency here. Wandy was literally chased out of the sport and banned for life mere months ago amidst a drug testing scandal, only to be scooped up by a promotion he’s never even fought for in a rather transparent attempt to boost their brand. Basically, if you’re a famous face associated with the sport in any tenuous way, Scott Coker gives not a fuck about the sketchiness of your past. It’s a good thing those charges against Anthony Johnson were dropped or we’d probably hear word of him hosting a Bellator Bingo night in the near future.
But yeah. Wanderlei Silva. Royce Gracie. And the stars of Gym Rescue. At a Dave & Busters. It’s a great time to be an MMA fan with a passion for skeeball.
Yes, it’s 2014 and whispers about this “dream fight” from ages past are still happening.
“That’s a fight I would personally love to see,” Coker said after Bellator 123. “But I just don’t know if it’s going to happen.”
When pressed as to why he was pessimistic, Coker cited Couture’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars. However, Coker did not that he was currently talking with M-1 and was going to be speaking with Couture next.
“All I can say is that we’re in dialogue with M-1, but that’s all I have to say at this time about that,” he said about bringing the retired Fedor Emelianenko into Bellator.
And regarding Couture, Coker was equally mum.
“We’ll see him next. We’ll talk to him and see what he has to say.”
For the record, Couture is 51 years old and Emelianenko is 37. The UFC attempted to book this fight in 2007 and failed. Affliction tried to book this fight as well but ended up going out of business.
It seems that this fight is just one of MMA’s great “what-ifs.” And now that it’s 2014, it should stay that way.
Bellator seems to be obsessed with recreating MMA from 2007. While that seems like a smart goal–MMA in 2007 was great–you can’t recreate 2007 in MMA with 2007′s fighters. They’re all too old now. Recreating the MMA boom won’t come from recycling faded stars until they’re in their late 40s (or older in Couture’s case). While names are certainly important for Bellator, new talent is even more important. They obviously need to hire some names to draw attention to the product, but this attention should then be used to highlight younger prospects in the company, not some pipe dream from seven years ago or a some ridiculous, pro wrestling-like stunt.
It wasn’t even a Strikeforce: Nashville brawl between Mayhem Miller and Nick Diaz’s crew–the kind where your eyes can’t leave the TV screen and your heart races.
It was a terribly phony, laughable, obviously staged “fight” that brought down an otherwise stellar Bellator card.
Here’s the rundown:
Bonnar and Ortiz are in the cage. Bonnar tries to take the mic away from Jimmy Smith, who does his duty as a broadcaster and doesn’t let Bonnar take the mic. Bonnar starts insulting Tito Ortiz, saying that everyone who has ever associated with Ortiz hates him now. While Bonnar is going on this rant, you can see a guy in a mask beside him. Bonnar continues his rant and then points to the masked man.
The man begins to unmask. It’s…it’s…
Justin McCully, a former friend and training partner of Tito Ortiz.
Saying the crowd went mild would be too generous. The audience had zero reaction to McCully. This was to be expected as he was a forgettable journeyman who went 2-2 in the UFC and hasn’t fought in three years. Even some hardcore fans might not have remembered McCully, whose claim to fame is beating Antoni Hardonk and Eddie fucking Sanchez.
Then Bonnar started making Jenna Jameson references. Ugh.
It didn’t get any better when Ortiz started talking. Thankfully, he didn’t say much. He called both Bonnar and McCully drug addicts, then shoved Bonnar and a bunch of people came in to separate them. Literally five minutes later an ad ran promoting Bonnar vs. Ortiz (with clips of the “brawl” that happened minutes ago). The match will run on the same night as UFC 180, which is headlined by Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum.
It’s a shame this pathetic charade had to play out during what was one of Bellator’s most exciting cards to date. Bellator is in a peculiar position. They have Scott Coker bringing in some much-needed Strikeforce vibes but then they also have the lingering remnants of Bjorn Rebney’s booking. Even when fired, one casts a shadow. In addition, it seems as if Spike/Viacom is spoiling Coker’s plans. Coker never resorted to such pro wrestling hysterics during his time at Strikeforce (the Nashville brawl wasn’t staged and nobody was “unmasked”). It’s uncharacteristic of him to suddenly do it here. If you ask us, choreographing the brawl wasn’t his doing (though he’s just as guilty for letting it happen).
Bellator became a Twitter trend last night. So if nothing else, the farce that was last night’s brawl got the casual fans interested but the cost was any and all credibility Bellator had built up since hiring Coker.
Unless you’ve been trapped in your basement savoring celebrity nudes for the past few days, you can’t ignore the UFC vs. Bellator showdown this Friday night. Both MMA organizations are going head-to-head, and to make the pot even sweeter, both events take place in the not-so-glorious state of Connecticut.
Are Dana White and Scott Coker both there to lobby for MMA regulation in nearby New York, or petition for the return of the Hartford Whalers? No.
Not since Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson’s match of “Who Can Run Faster, You or Me” has the sporting world been on the edge of their seats for something of this magnitude. But first, a brief rundown of what’s been happening in each promotion.
Let’s begin with Bellator, the little-brother league that used to hold tournaments not only for its fighters to earn title shots, but also to give champions 14-month periods of rest between fights. Viacom, the mega broadcast company that currently pulls the strings, recently axed Bjorn Rebney from his presidential post for being a “dickrider,” and brought former Strikeforce mastermind Scott Coker into the fold to run this promotion before it runs itself into the ground. I mean, who else brought you the demise of Fedor Emilianenko, premiere women’s MMA battles, Frank Shamrock getting his arms broken by kicks, a post-fight brawl involving Californian gangs, and Gus “Call of the Century” Johnson?
As for the UFC, the promotion started out as an addictive source of violence after two casino heirs-turned-bodybuilders used their papa’s money to hire King Kong Bundy in a dress, and revolutionized the sport of MMA. Nowadays, UFC head honcho (and the sole reason why MMA exists) Dana White, has turned on the fans, media, and even fighters because nobody is watching the 2,034 shows his company puts on a year. Basically, it’s your fault that the UFC is watered down, and if you don’t like it, don’t watch it, but keep in mind, you’re a piece of trash for not watching and supporting fighters who are away from their families for six weeks. And fuck the media for telling you otherwise, because if they’re not with UFC, they have no business writing editorials or opinion columns that their employers pay them for.
So here we are on the eve of UFC Fight Night 50 (which really feels like 250) and Bellator 123 (which feels like 123, considering we have no idea what happened from 1 to 81). You have to pick one, and this writer is going to pretend that dual television sets, DVR, or sketchy Internet streams don’t exist. Which one is it going to be?
You bet your ass we’re watching Bellator…well, at least I am.
Unless you’ve been trapped in your basement savoring celebrity nudes for the past few days, you can’t ignore the UFC vs. Bellator showdown this Friday night. Both MMA organizations are going head-to-head, and to make the pot even sweeter, both events take place in the not-so-glorious state of Connecticut.
Are Dana White and Scott Coker both there to lobby for MMA regulation in nearby New York, or petition for the return of the Hartford Whalers? No.
Not since Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson’s match of “Who Can Run Faster, You or Me” has the sporting world been on the edge of their seats for something of this magnitude. But first, a brief rundown of what’s been happening in each promotion.
Let’s begin with Bellator, the little-brother league that used to hold tournaments not only for its fighters to earn title shots, but also to give champions 14-month periods of rest between fights. Viacom, the mega broadcast company that currently pulls the strings, recently axed Bjorn Rebney from his presidential post for being a “dickrider,” and brought former Strikeforce mastermind Scott Coker into the fold to run this promotion before it runs itself into the ground. I mean, who else brought you the demise of Fedor Emilianenko, premiere women’s MMA battles, Frank Shamrock getting his arms broken by kicks, a post-fight brawl involving Californian gangs, and Gus “Call of the Century” Johnson?
As for the UFC, the promotion started out as an addictive source of violence after two casino heirs-turned-bodybuilders used their papa’s money to hire King Kong Bundy in a dress, and revolutionized the sport of MMA. Nowadays, UFC head honcho (and the sole reason why MMA exists) Dana White, has turned on the fans, media, and even fighters because nobody is watching the 2,034 shows his company puts on a year. Basically, it’s your fault that the UFC is watered down, and if you don’t like it, don’t watch it, but keep in mind, you’re a piece of trash for not watching and supporting fighters who are away from their families for six weeks. And fuck the media for telling you otherwise, because if they’re not with UFC, they have no business writing editorials or opinion columns that their employers pay them for.
So here we are on the eve of UFC Fight Night 50 (which really feels like 250) and Bellator 123 (which feels like 123, considering we have no idea what happened from 1 to 81). You have to pick one, and this writer is going to pretend that dual television sets, DVR, or sketchy Internet streams don’t exist. Which one is it going to be?
You bet your ass we’re watching Bellator…well, at least I am.
You see, Bellator doesn’t really force me to watch its show; the broadcast is just there. After watching a Spike TV schedule of seven hours and realizing you’ve only seen three shows called Cops, Jail, and World’s Wildest Police Videos, it’s refreshing to see two guys who used to be really good fighters engage in a fight that if were food, would be the sloppiest of Joes. They even put on glorious title fights now and then.
On the other channel (which shows a high volume of Nascar and other crap) you’ve got the legendary Gegard Mousasi against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza battle in a middleweight rematch for the ages. You also have Alistair Overeem potentially ruining a man’s kidney or falling straight to hell after a tap to the chin, Matt Mitrione getting his brain shattered by THE BLACK BEAST, Call of Duty veteran Joe Lauzon going to war, and a bunch of preliminary fights that start right after your morning coffee.
Belltor’s counter-programming effort (because Lord knows THEY should be blamed for this coincidental booking) is another rematch involving Pat Curran vs. Patricio Pitbull for the featherweight title, “The Cheick Kongo Nut Shot” drinking game, the return of the sport’s only royalist, “King Mo,” and a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match featuring Bobby Lashley vs. ‘Merican Samoa Joe.
Look, man…I don’t know about you, but that’s far more tempting than hearing two blokes and a football panel go at it for four hours with an hour of scraps in between. UFC has become the brand Kurt Cobain couldn’t stand, or more so, Metallica after …And Justice For All. Inviting friends over to watch a UFC card basically turns into a sleepover an hour and a half in, shutting your eyes after you reminisce about the high school girls you’re contemplating liking on Tinder. It’s too freaking long, boring, and more importantly, you’re doing them a service by tuning in. In the end, all you get for it is backlash because you aren’t a real fight fan if you didn’t particularly enjoy what you just saw.
With Bellator, I know for a fact it’s going to be a total shit show; they go live from places I’d only stop for Burger King while on tour with my off-kilter punk-folk three-piece band, and truthfully, I have no idea what the process is to attend these fights. That’s what makes it so fun. It’s mysterious, and so goddamn trashy you’ll never stop loving it. Seriously, do the partisans even know where they are?
Also, they don’t bombard me with hours of programming that is deemed necessary viewing while I would love nothing more than to spend my evening in pajamas listening to my wife berate me while on the phone with her friend for two hours. Also, they’re not secretly trying to tell me that Tony Ferguson and Danny Castillo move the needle.
If we’re going to do our part to put an end to these slimy corporations stealing the sport we love, we have to fight for our cause. Do your part. We can’t change the world in a day, but eventually, we could rebuild Rome, where organized combat could or could not have first started.
UFC doesn’t care about you more than they do money. And if you’re not making them money — even if it’s a free card — then you’re not on board with the machine. How many UFC events have you watched on Fart Fight Pass wondering who in the hell was fighting? Do these motherfuckers care about mixed martial arts? They care about the growth of their own, and it’s happening at your own expense. If you seriously paid for UFC 177, close your computer, take a walk outside, and sit down in a park for three hours (minimum) to ask yourself what you want to do with your life.
Bellator doesn’t really give a nickel if you watch or not; it’s simply there. And if you’re on board, they’ll tell you it’s the greatest show on earth. The difference is, they say it followed by a smirk, and a big-ass swig of black label.
Except it wasn’t the end. According to a report from Ariel Helwani, Bonnar has signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator, and may also do some broadcasting work for the promotion on Spike TV. Bonnar’s debut date and opponent haven’t been revealed yet, but the rumor is that he’ll be fighting fellow UFC HoF’er Tito Ortiz, and he’s already angling for the match:
“I want everyone to know I’m coming out of retirement because it’s time to free the MMA world of the virus that’s known as Tito Ortiz,” Bonnar said in a statement provided by Bellator. “We’ve been suffering through his boring fights for too many years, and it’s about time that someone beats it out of him once and for all.”
In response, Ortiz promised to beat the juice out of him, and called him a #BitchBoy. Strong words, indeed.
Just four months ago, Bonnar told BloodyElbow that he wouldn’t fight for any other promotion besides the UFC, and that he’s currently enjoying his new life as a day-trader. (“It’s about loyalty,” Bonnar said. “More than anything, I take pride in being a part of the UFC and I wouldn’t want to screw that up.”) Well, loyalty only goes so far when Spikeforce is dangling a huge paycheck in front of you.
Bellator CEO Scott Coker had this to say about the Bonnar signing:
Except it wasn’t the end. According to a report from Ariel Helwani, Bonnar has signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator, and may also do some broadcasting work for the promotion on Spike TV. Bonnar’s debut date and opponent haven’t been revealed yet, but the rumor is that he’ll be fighting fellow UFC HoF’er Tito Ortiz, and he’s already angling for the match:
“I want everyone to know I’m coming out of retirement because it’s time to free the MMA world of the virus that’s known as Tito Ortiz,” Bonnar said in a statement provided by Bellator. “We’ve been suffering through his boring fights for too many years, and it’s about time that someone beats it out of him once and for all.”
In response, Ortiz promised to beat the juice out of him, and called him a #BitchBoy. Strong words, indeed.
Just four months ago, Bonnar told BloodyElbow that he wouldn’t fight for any other promotion besides the UFC, and that he’s currently enjoying his new life as a day-trader. (“It’s about loyalty,” Bonnar said. “More than anything, I take pride in being a part of the UFC and I wouldn’t want to screw that up.”) Well, loyalty only goes so far when Spikeforce is dangling a huge paycheck in front of you.
Bellator CEO Scott Coker had this to say about the Bonnar signing:
“Stephan is a guy that has been a huge part of this sport and we are excited have him part of the roster. He was one half of probably the greatest and one of the most important fights in MMA history, and it happened on Spike. [Ed. note:LOL…very subtle knife-twisting, Scott.] When you look at our light heavyweight division, with names like Rampage, Tito, King Mo, Emanuel Newton and others, there are a lot of fights Stephan can be involved in. Big fights against big names. After talking to Stephan, I know that’s what he wants, and we want to provide that to our fans.”
As Tito might say, FOTS SHIRED. Of course, seeing Stephan Bonnar slug it out with the likes of Ortiz and Rampage Jackson in the year 2014 isn’t exactly MMA at its finest. (Or more accurately, it’s 2007 MMA at its finest.) Then again, Bellator has just brought another well-known name onto its roster. Who needs Attila Vegh when you have the American Psycho?
We’ll let you know when Bonnar’s first Bellator fight is confirmed.
