Staying inside on a Friday night like me? Then stick around and watch some Bellator with me. While I won’t be doing a full PBP, I’ll be giving my thoughts once the main card starts.
Prindle vs. Graham is apparently opening up the card. Bellator heavyweight action is usually either awful or short; hopefully this isn’t an awful fight. Both guys love to throw so we’re probably looking at a violent knockout at some point, probably early.
Prindle sort of looks like what the world thought heavyweight MMA was going to turn into during the brief moment Lesnar & Carwin ruled the scene. Kind of fights that way, too. Just winging shots. Graham nearly finished him at the end of the first as Prindle is bleeding all over the place. 10-9 Graham for the first round.
Prindle’s corner does a great job between rounds patching him as he isn’t bleeding all over the place to start. Graham reopens it as he’s uncorking all sorts of violence on Prindle. Prindle just won’t fall down though. Graham’s out put slows as the round ends. Both guys look a bit gassed right now. Prindle with an awful takedown at the end of the round that gets stuffed and this is getting close to Kimbo Slice/Houston Alexander territory right now. 10-9 Graham, 20-18 Graham
Third round starts and we’re in tired striking territory. It’s one strike, wait, one strike, wait, et al. Both guys are gassed and now is the wrong time to be gassed for Prindle. He needs a finish but doesn’t have anything left in the gas tank to do so. All Graham has to do is sit back and grind the round out. And he does … though Graham gets a knockdown right as the fight ends. 10-9 Graham, 30-27.
Official decision – 30-27 x2, 30-26 for Graham
Grove vs. Vedepo is next. Grove’s 7-4 since he was released from the UFC. He’s following a journeyman’s path outside of it; everyone he should’ve beaten to get back in (Jay Silva, Jesse Taylor, Mamed Khalidov) all defeated him. This is about as high as he’ll get, career wise, unless something drastic happens. Grove’s best days are probably behind him, sadly. I liked him on TUF and he had a solid career in the UFC all things considered.
Round 1 is on the horizon. I like Bellator’s intro pieces. Grove has his back against the wall at this point in his career; if he has one final run of note it has to start tonight. Vedepo in early with his wrestling; he’s got a solid pedigree on the mats. Grove lands a nice shot but Vedepo with the double and he gets top control. Grove locks a triangle in, transitions to an armbar and Vedepo manages to get out. Scramble and Grove winds up in mount. Another scramble and Grove winds up with another triangle. He can’t finish it though and the round ends with Vedepo escaping and not having time to do anything on top. 10-9 Grove
Round 2: Vedepo with the takedown early and Grove is fighting off his back again. Vedepo tries to grab back and we’re back standing. Grove with some nice strikes standing and Vedepo goes for the takedown. Grove reverses and he has top position. He moves to triangle mount on the head, Scramble and Grove goes for a guillotine. Has it deep but Vedepo fights it off. Grove rolls for an armbar off his back, moves to a triangle but can’t complete. Grove works his way back to his feet, Vedepo goes for a double and Grove stops it with a switch. 10-9 Grove, 20-18 Grove
Round 3: Vedepo goes in for the takedown again and Grove stops him. Grove decides to out strike him and lands some nice knees to the head out of the Thai Plum. Vedepo with the takedown and Grove is active off his back. Armbar misses and Vedepo tries to move to back again but he can’t lock it in. Grove gets the takedown and Vedepo is bleeding. Vedepo back up and Grove lands some nice strikes. Vedepo needs a finish and he takes Grove down. Grove is active off his back and Vedepo defends against it all. 10-9 Grove, 30-27 Grove
Official decision – Unanimous decision 29-28, 30-27×2 for Kendall Grove
Full Results:
Now it’s time for the man who might be holding a Bellator title sooner than later, depending on Ben Askren’s status: Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver. The intro package features the TUF contestant talking about his “alpha male shit” and whatnot. I’ll give WM credit; he plays the d-bag stereotype to its absolute fullest.
Round 1: Keslar drags WM to the ground early and grabs back quickly. He takes a body triangle is looking for that rear naked choke. Slowly but surely working but WM is doing a good job defensively. He’s also bleeding profusely. He stands and Keslar is on his back, looking for that choke again. War Machine doesn’t tap and Keslar gets the technical submission win.
For Ron Keslar .. that’s some real alpha male stuff I think.
Official decision – Ron Keslar wins via technical submission due to a rear naked choke at 3:31 of the first round.
Hawn vs. Weedman is up next.
Round 1: Weedman tries to take him down early but Hawn stops him, letting him back up after landing some big shots. Hawn catches him with a big left and Hawn dives into his guard. Back up and Hawn is looking for that one shot KO. Weedman wants to grapple and we’re in an awkward striker/grappler phase. Hawn is throwing some nice combinations. Weedman tries to get in the clinch late and eats some big shots for his efforts. 10-9 Hawn
Round 2: Weedman tries to get the takedown early and can’t. Hawn lands some big shots and Weedman is staggered at one point. Hawn is looking for the counter and getting it; he’s using distance effectively as Weedman is trying to get inside and is eating some shots while trying to do so. 10-9 Hawn, 20-18 Hawn
Round 3: Weedman finally manages to get the fight to the ground and is working rubber guard off his back. Can’t lock it in, though, and Hawn is laying in his guard trying to posture up. Weedman is working a stalemate game, then throws a triangle up that Hawn throws off. Back standing halfway through the round. Hawn spends the rest of the fight lighting him up on his feet. 10-9 Hawn, 30-27 Hawn
Official decision – Hawn via unanimous decision 30-27×3
Main Card (Spike TV)
Welterweight Tournament Semifinal: Rick Hawn vs. Brent Weedman — Hawn via unanimous decision 30-27×3
Welterweight Tournament Semifinal: War Machine vs. Ron Keslar — Keslar via technical submission 3:31 of the first round
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Eric Prindle vs. Peter Graham — Graham wins via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 30-26)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Kendall Grove vs. Joe Vedepo –Grove via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27×2)
Spike.com Undercard
Paul Bradley vs. Karl Amoussou — Bradley wins via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Rod Montoya vs. Paul Sass — Sass defeats Montoya via toe hold submission at 2:01 of the first round
Rob Emerson vs. Jared Downing — Emerson defeats Downing via heel hook submission at 1:44 of the first round
Mike Estus vs. Brandon Girtz — Girtz defeats Estus via armbar submission at 4:25 of the first round
Derek Loffer vs. Cliff Wright — Wright defeats Loffer via armbar submission at 4:28 of the second round
Andre Tieva vs. Chris Lane – Tieva defeats Lane via TKO at 2:14 of the first round
