Goiti
Yamauchi can scramble circuits if the situation dictates that
he do so.
The most prolific submission artist in Bellator
MMA history punched out Neiman
Gracie in the second round of their
Bellator 284 headliner on Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Gracie (11-4, 9-4 Bellator) checked out
3:58 into Round 2, as he was finished for the first time in his
15-fight career.
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Yamauchi (28-5, 14-4 Bellator) was sharp from the start. He
staggered Gracie with a left jab in the first round, executed
multiple takedowns and more than held his own in their hotly
anticipated ground exchanges. Yamauchi lured his counterpart into a
trap in Round 2. He dodged a few jabs, drew Gracie closer and
walked him into a devastating right uppercut.
The impact floored the Brazilian where he stood and left him in no
condition to defend against the follow-up attack.
After a few more punches connected, referee Jason Herzog waved it
off.
Meanwhile, an accidental eye poke from Valentin
Moldavsky led to a no contest in the first round of his
heavyweight co-main event against Steve
Mowry. After an extended break, the unbeaten Mowry indicated he
could not continue and was reduced to tears. The stoppage was
called 54 seconds into Round 1.
Elsewhere, former women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei
Macfarlane outstruck and outgrappled
Team Nogueira product Bruna Ellen
to a unanimous decision in a featured three-round attraction at 125
pounds. Scores were 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28.
Macfarlane (12-2, 11-2 Bellator) leaned on relentless pressure,
effective counters and timely tactical takedowns. Ellen enjoyed
some success with clean one-twos and a few left hooks, but she made
her most significant move in the third round. There, she bit down
on a tight guillotine and clung to the maneuver for several tense
moments. The resourceful Macfarlane ultimately broke the
Brazilian’s grip by bridging herself on the fence and pressing into
a modified shoulder choke. The Hawaiian took a dominant position
above Ellen in the waning seconds and consolidated those efforts
with meaningful ground-and-pound.
The victory was Macfarlane’s first since Dec. 21, 2019 and snapped
her two-fight losing streak.
Finally, former
Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Aaron
Jeffery cut down Austin
Vanderford with punches in the first round of their
middleweight showcase. A short-notice substitution for Anthony
Adams, Jeffery (13-3, 2-0 Bellator) brought it to a close 1:25
into Round 1.
Vanderford (11-2, 5-2 Bellator) was never afforded the opportunity
to settle in. Jeffery sat him down with a right hand, reset in open
space and floored him again with a right hook behind the ear.
The Canadian then swarmed with standing-to-ground hammerfists,
offered Vanderford no refuge and forced referee Bobby Wombacher to
act.
Jeffery, 29, has rattled off six wins in seven appearances.
In other action, Gokhan
Saricam (8-1, 4-1 Bellator) eked out a split decision—29-28,
28-29, 29-28—over Said Sowma
(8-4, 2-3 Bellator) in a three-round heavyweight battle; Marcos
Breno (15-2, 1-0 Bellator) was awarded a unanimous verdict over
Josh
Hill (21-5, 3-2 Bellator) in their three-round bantamweight
scrap, earning 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 scores from the cageside
judiciary; DeAnna
Bennett (13-7-1, 3-1 Bellator) laid claim to a unanimous
decision over Justine
Kish (8-6, 1-2 Bellator) in their three-round women’s flyweight
rematch, drawing 29-28 scores across the board; Sullivan
Cauley (4-0, 4-0 Bellator) wiped out Tyson
Jeffries (14-12, 0-2 Bellator)
with a knee strike 1:39 into the first round of their light
heavyweight confrontation; Pat Downey
(1-0, 1-0 Bellator) dismissed Keyes
Nelson (0-4, 0-1 Bellator)
with an arm-triangle choke 36 seconds into the first round of their
middleweight encounter; Bailey
Schoenfelder (3-0, 2-0 Bellator) put away Mark
Currier (1-2, 0-1 Bellator)
with a rear-naked choke 2:35 into the second round of their
heavyweight tilt; and Mitchell
McKee (3-0, 1-0 Bellator) dispatched Tony Ortega
(5-5, 0-1 Bellator)
with punches 1:28 into the second round of their bantamweight
pairing.