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Round 1
The Bellator 278 prelims begin with a welterweight scrap between
Makoa Cooper and Blake Perry refereed by Dayne Furuta. Cooper (1-0)
quickly gets Perry (0-0) on the ground. “Koa” is landing short
strikes on top and is comfortably in half guard. Perry regains
guard but isn’t trying to get off his back, instead comfortable
eating small shots. Cooper passes to side control and starts
landing elbows before looking for an Americana that wasn’t meant to
be. Perry tries to shuck his opponent off but eats several right
hands for his effort. The round ends with Cooper getting mount
position but not doing anything of note with it.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Cooper
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Cooper
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Cooper
Round 2
The two welterweights come out trading kicks to start the second
frame. Cooper then scoops up Perry and puts him on the floor with a
double leg takedown. Cooper begins raining down elbows and it looks
like we’re in for a repeat of the first round. “Koa” moves to side
control and is patiently picking his spots. He winds up putting
Perry in a crucifix and bloodies his opponent with well-targeted
punches. Perry shows his heart by getting up but eats several knees
as a result and then promptly put on his back again. Incredibly,
Perry forces a scramble and hooks in an anaconda
choke. It’s in deep and Cooper taps! What an amazing
comeback.
The Official Result
Blake Perry def. Makoa Cooper via Submission (Anaconda Choke); R2,
4:14.
Round 1
In another welterweight tussle, this time reffed by Chris West,
Scotty Hao faces Dante Schiro. Schiro (8-3) is the taller fighter
and begins attacking Hao (5-3) at a distance with leg kicks.
However, Hao closes the distance and the two fighters clinch
against the cage. Both men fail to get the other martial artist to
the ground, and Schiro begins looking for a standing guillotine
choke that he uses to land a knee to the head before separating.
Hao taunts Schiro to throw, which he does by landing several
punches and then a knee in his sharpest striking combination yet.
Hao then clinches again and they begin fighting against the cage.
Schiro again looks for a guillotine that ultimately goes nowhere.
They separate, with Schiro landing a sneaky elbow on the exit, and
Hao closes the round with a few punches before getting trapped in
another guillotine choke that isn’t close to being dangerous.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Schiro
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Schiro
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Hao
Round 2
The two trade punches to start Round 2 with Hao being more
aggressive and coming forward. Schiro lands a jumping knee but it
doesn’t connect cleanly and they briefly clinch again. Hao looks
for a head kick and then goes for another takedown, which finds him
in yet another guillotine choke. Hao escapes the choke but is put
on his back as Schiro looks for an arm-triangle choke briefly
before moving into mount position. Schiro is pushed back into half
guard but lands a few elbows and punches to assert his dominance.
Schiro looks for a brabo choke before letting go to land some
punches. Schiro hooks in the choke again late in the round and
blood begins bursting out of Hao’s forehead. The last 10 seconds
see Schiro raining down punches as Hao is saved by the bell.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Schiro
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Schiro
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-8 Schiro
Round 3
Schiro lands a huge front kick to open Round 3 and Hao is clearly
rocked. Hao is standing still as a target and Schiro lands a
jumping knee before Hao desperately goes for a takedown. Schiro
begins landing punches on the ground as Hao desperately looks to
tie his opponent up. Schiro stands up and begins raining down
punches on his grounded opponent, which causes the referee to
finally stop the fight.
The Official Result
Dante Schiro def. Scotty Hao via TKO (Punches); R3, 1:03.
Round 1
Referee Jason Herzog will oversee the 160-pound catchweight bout
between Luis Muro and Nate Andrews that will open the main card.
This is a rematch as Muro (12-7) was submitted by Andrews (16-4)
with a rear-naked choke back in 2016. Muro begins the round by
throwing plenty of kicks at range. They clinch against the fence
and Andrews grabs the fence to stay upright. Muro is able to land
some small knees while clinched and then takes his opponent’s back
before taking Andrews down. The round ends with Muro in the guard,
landing the occasional blow but doing minimal damage.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Muro
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Muro
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Muro
Round 2
Muro closes the distance and they are up against the fence again.
Muro is much more comfortable in the clinch as Andrews has to
feverishly work to stay off the ground. Muro occasionally
disengages in order to land punches but keeps reinitiating the
clinch shortly afterward. Andrews begins landing some elbows as
Muro is deep in on a takedown attempt. They break free temporarily,
which allows Muro to throw some wild hooks, but Muro once again
goes for a takedown. While Andrews temporarily goes down to one
knee, he gets back up. Finally finding space, Andrews lands a nice
body kick and a flurry of punches that force Muro to desperately go
for a takedown. Andrews locks in an anaconda choke as the round
ends.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Andrews
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Andrews
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Andrews
Round 3
Andrews lands a few straight punches to start the round but then
clinches with his opponent. Andrews attempts to drag Muro to the
floor and then lands a sneaky knee before giving up on the attempt.
Muro throws sloppy punches and then goes for yet another takedown
attempt. Andrews lands a solid elbow but is then put down to the
ground. Muro is unable to do any damage and is mostly sitting in
guard hanging on to Andrews to prevent him from getting up to his
feet. With a minute left, Andrews is desperate to get up and gets
to his knees but is promptly put on his butt again by Muro. The
fight mercifully ends as Muro finally gets to mount.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Muro (29-28 Muro)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Muro (29-28 Muro)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Muro (29-28 Muro)
The Official Result
Luis Muro def. Nate Andrews via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28); R3, 5:00.
Round 1
Both Grant Neal and Christian Edwards are looking to rebound from
their first career defeats. Reffing the light heavyweight bout is
Mike Beltran. Edwards (5-1) looks for a head kick to start the
fight but it veers wide of Neal (6-1). Neal closes the distance and
lands a quick punch before backing up again. Neal is able to catch
Edwards off guard and then attempts to take his back but is pushed
off. Edwards continues trying to land kicks and use his superior
reach but isn’t finding much success so far. Edwards lands a
textbook 1-2 combination and is starting to find success with his
hands rather than his feet. Neal is now having more trouble closing
the distance and gets clipped by an overhand right as he attempts
to do so. Neal fires off a head kick that just misses and Edwards
lands a 1-2 combo before being taken down. Neal can’t do any damage
before the bell rings.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Round 2
Neal is more aggressive to start Round 2, clearly inspired by his
success at the end of the first. Edwards tries to establish his
range again but isn’t able to do enough damage to keep Neal away.
Neal manages to get another takedown but he has time to work now
with two minutes left. Neal pushes Edwards to the cage and begins
raining down punches while having one of Edwards’ arms pinned.
Edwards is desperately trying to get back to his feet but eats a
solid elbow for his efforts. The round ends as Neal lands more
shots.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Neal
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Neal
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Neal
Round 3
Neal takes the center of the cage to start the final frame. Edwards
is then taken down by a blast double leg takedown. Neal is
desperately trying to keep “Pain” from getting back up as Edwards
pushes down his opponent’s head. Edwards turns around and is able
to spin to his feet. Neal lands several knees in the clinch and
then lifts up Edwards and slams him down. Edwards gets back to his
knees and then his feet. Neal still has a body lock and is
repeatedly landing knees. Two minutes left and Neal dumps Edwards
to the ground again. Neal is in control and is landing the
occasional shot while focusing on position. The round ends with
Edwards eating elbows and punches as Neal postures up.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Neal (29-28 Neal)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Neal (29-28 Neal)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Neal (29-28 Neal)
The Official Result
Grant Neal def. Christian Edwards via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27); R3, 5:00.
Round 1
Our first bantamweight grand prix wild card bout between Jornel
Lugo and Danny Sabatello is refereed by Frank Trigg. Lugo enters
the bout undefeated at 8-0, while Sabatello is 11-1. Sabatello
starts off aggressive and begins walking Lugo down and landing leg
kicks. Sabatello goes for a takedown and secures it for an early
advantage, but Lugo works his way back to his feet. Sabatello uses
a front headlock to take Lugo down. Sabatello is working in half
guard and landing short blows. Lugo is unable to get up and is
mostly deflecting punches from doing meaningful damage. Sabatello
begins landing some sharp elbows to cement his advantage in Round
1. Lugo eats several more elbows as the round comes to a close.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sabatello
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Sabatello
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Sabatello
Round 2
The second round is basically a repeat of the first as Sabatello
lands an early takedown. Lugo isn’t able to keep guard and
Sabatello is able to posture up and land some damaging blows.
Sabatello briefly gets mount then moves to the back of Lugo and
unsuccessfully looks for a rear-naked choke. Sabatello lands
several sharp punches and then locks in an arm-triangle choke. Lugo
gives Trigg a thumbs up and keeps Sabatello in half guard. Lugo is
able to escape but eats a series of elbows as a result and is now
bloodied as he eats a series of punches. Sabatello is in full
control as the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Sabatello
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Sabatello
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-8 Sabatello
Round 3
Sabatello shoots for a takedown to start Round 3 and is able to get
Lugo on his back once again. Working the body and occasionally the
head, Sabatello is landing plenty of punches with Lugo forced to
just hold on. Lugo is finally able to sweep Sabatello and gets back
up to his feet, although Sabatello immediately clinches and then
takes Lugo back down. Sabatello slams Lugo and continues to rain
down punches, firmly in control. Lugo spends the rest of the round
unsuccessfully trying to get back to his feet as Sabatello simply
outworks his opponent.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sabatello (30-26 Sabatello)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Sabatello (30-26 Sabatello)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Sabatello (30-26 Sabatello)
The Official Result
Danny Sabatello def. Jornel Lugo via Unanimous Decision (30-26,
30-26, 30-26); R3, 5:00.
Round 1
Reffing the co-main event between Nikita Mikhailov and Enrique
Barzola is Jason Herzog. Despite this being a 140-pound
catchweight, this is a wild card bout for the bantamweight grand
prix. Mikhailov (8-1) goes for a flying knee that doesn’t land and
follows it up with an unsuccessful takedown attempt. Mikhailov is
staying active as he throws a head kick, but the defense of Barzola
(17-5-2) is sound. Mikhailov throws a spinning backfist that lands.
Barzola lands a nice right hand that temporarily stuns Mikhailov
and then pressures him into the cage. Mikhailov throws a quick
spinning back kick but it doesn’t land. Barzola throws Mikhailov
down and begins landing punches. Barzola grabs the back and
Mikhailov looks tired. Barzola lands a series of punches as
Mikhailov works to his feet. Barzola lands several elbows as
Mikhailov looks for a takedown of his own. Barzola reverses and
takes Mikhailov down to end the first round.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barzola
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barzola
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Barzola
Round 2
Barzola gets another takedown to start Round 2 and puns Mikhailov
against the fence. Barzola is landing dozens of small blows that
Mikhailov has no defense for. Mikhailov seems tired and is just
accepting punishment. Barzola gets Mikhailov on his back again and
is throwing plenty of punches. Mikhailov gives up his back and
Barzola is looking for a rear-naked choke. Mikhailov is able to
escape but is still on the ground as Barzola regains control.
Barzola threatens with a brabo choke and then transitions to mount
briefly. Mikhailov is able to reverse position and gets up, then
clinches and briefly takes Barzola down. However, Barzola pops back
up and throws Mikhailov down, then takes the back. Barzola looks
for another rear-naked choke but Mikhailov once again rolls out of
it as the frame ends.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barzola
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barzola
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Barzola
Round 3
Barzola can’t quite get Mikhailov down to start the third round,
but they are once again clinched up against the cage. Mikhailov
winds up tripping Barzola but can’t keep his opponent down. Barzola
powers through and gets another takedown, which allows him to land
shots from guard. After a scramble, Barzola is looking for an
anaconda choke. Barzola pins Mikhailov against the cage and is in
full control. Barzola starts landing knees to the body and then
takes the back of Mikhailov. Barzola falls back for a rear-naked
choke. It is under the chin but Mikhailov fights valiantly for hand
control. Mikhailov gets out of it but Barzola rains down punches
until the fight ends.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barzola (30-27 Barzola)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barzola (30-27 Barzola)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Barzola (30-27 Barzola)
The Official Result
Enrique Barzola def. Nikita Mikhailov via Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 30-27, 30-27); R3, 5:00.
Round 1
Juliana Velasquez looks to make her second flyweight title defense
against Liz Carmouche. The main event will be refereed by Mike
Beltran. Carmouche (16-7) immediately comes out aggressive and
lands a leg kick on the undefeated champion. Velasquez (12-0) eats
another kick and is backing away defensively from her challenger.
Carmouche jumps in with a series of hooks but can’t quite find her
mark. Velasquez lands a nice counter and is showing more accuracy
on the feet. Carmouche charges forward and lands a left hand before
getting clipped by Velasquez with a 1-2 combination. “Girl-Rilla”
lands several more kicks and continues to control the opening
stanza. Velasquez lands a jab to the body and then circles away.
Neither fighter has been able to do damage so far beyond some leg
kicks that might pay off as the fight continues. The rounds end as
Carmouche catches a kick and then throws the champ into the
fence.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carmouche
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Carmouche
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Carmouche
Round 2
Velasquez catches Carmouche with a straight left hand that knocks
her opponent down to start Round 2. Carmouche composes herself and
then successfully takes Velasquez down. The two fighters are
largely deadlocked with both fighters controlling the arm of the
other. Carmouche passes to side control as Velasquez uses the fence
to get back to her feet. Carmouche starts landing foot stomps,
which is the most damage she’s done in this round. Velasquez is
able to switch positions as they are clinched up against the cage.
Velasquez ends the round with a takedown but is unable to do
anything with 15 seconds left.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Velasquez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Velasquez
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Velasquez
Round 3
Carmouche lands a calf kick to start the third frame. Velasquez
lands a big left hand that lands. Carmouche rushes in but misses
and eats a counter punch from the champion. Carmouche lands another
kick and is the one forcing the action, even if she’s not able to
do much damage. Velasquez starting to throw a bit more but is
mostly looking to counter. Velasquez walks Carmouche back into the
cage and throws a few 1-2 combinations. A straight left hand
connects for Velasquez. Carmouche gets a takedown with 80 seconds
left. Carmouche is unable to do anything as Velasquez controls her
and holds her in guard until the round is over.
Sherdog Scores
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Velasquez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Velasquez
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Velasquez
Round 4
The championship rounds begin with Velasquez knocking down an
off-balance Carmouche. The former UFC title challenger bounces back
to her feet and then clinches with Velasquez. The champ is able to
land a few knees and then the two break. Carmouche begins landing
leg kicks again but they’re not landing with any oomph. Velasquez
lands an overhand left and begins circling away defensively as
Carmouche walks forward, missing punches by a wide margin.
Carmouche clinches and is going for another takedown. Velasquez
manages to stay on her feet and Carmouche lands a takedown with 45
seconds left. Carmouche gets a crucifix and begins landing dozens
of small elbows. The referee waves off the fight extremely quickly
and a new champion has been crowned.
The Official Result
Liz Carmouche def. Juliana Velasquez via TKO (Elbows): R4,
4:47.