Kill-switch power can erase any deficit, and Daniel
James has it.
The Midwest Training Center export moved one step closer to title
contention in the Bellator
MMA heavyweight division, as he wrecked Marcelo
Golm with punches in the third round of their Bellator
293 headliner on Friday at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in
Temecula, California. James (15-6-1, 3-0 Bellator)
tagged the Brazilian’s figurative toe 26 seconds into Round
3.
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Golm (10-4, 2-1 Bellator) took charge through two rounds with
thudding leg kicks, grinding clinches and a takedown that he
managed to pair with positional advances and ground-and-pound. It
was not enough to keep his heavy-handed adversary at bay. James
rang the
American Top Team rep’s bell with a right uppercut early in the
third round, then followed it with a left hook and another
uppercut. Golm hit the canvas in a dazed state and in no condition
to shield himself from further punishment.
Meanwhile, former Ring of Fire champion Cat Zingano
cemented herself as Bellator’s No. 1 contender at 145 pounds with a
unanimous decision over Leah
McCourt in the three-round women’s featherweight co-main event.
All three cageside judges scored it for Zingano (14-4, 4-0
Bellator): 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28.
The 30-year-old McCourt (7-3, 6-2 Bellator) was her own worst
enemy. She moved to advantageous positions in all three rounds—she
had the UFC veteran in real danger in the middle stanza, where she
climbed to full mount and unsheathed her ground-and-pound—but too
often squandered it through undisciplined scrambles and untimely
reversals. The relentless Zingano connected with the most impactful
strike of the match in Round 3, where she opened a diagonal gash
between the Next Generation MMA standout’s eyes with a beautifully
timed knee at close range.
McCourt has lost two of her last three fights.
Elsewhere, Gym-O rep John Salter
closed out his career with a unanimous decision over former Cage
Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Aaron
Jeffery in a three-round middleweight showcase. Salter (19-6,
9-3 Bellator) swept the scorecards with 30-27 marks across the
board, then announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
Jeffery (13-4, 2-1 Bellator) was stymied at every turn. Salter
struck for takedowns in the first and second rounds, piled up
control time and applied some modest ground-and-pound. With 10
minutes in the bank, the Alabama native attached himself to Jeffery
in the backpack position early in Round 3, secured himself with a
body triangle and played it safe while bleeding the remaining time
off the clock.
The setback snapped Jeffery’s three-fight winning streak.
Further down the card, Elevation Fight Team’s Archie
Colgan kept his perfect professional record intact and did so
in spectacular fashion, as he brought down Justin
Montalvo with
punches in the first round of their lightweight
feature. Montalvo (5-1, 2-1 Bellator) succumbed to
blows 3:33 into Round 1.
Colgan (7-0, 4-0 Bellator) set the pieces in motion for the
stoppage when he followed an overhand right with a forearm shiver
and gave chase across the cage with punches. Close-range uppercuts
made matters worse for the reeling Montalvo, though he managed to
survive his initial brush with adversity. Later, Colgan floored the
Serra-Longo Fight Team export with a counter right hook, blasted
him back to the mat with uppercuts and mopped up what was left with
follow-up punches.
The 27-year-old Colgan has stopped six of his first seven
opponents.
Finally, Great Britain Top Team prospect Luke
Trainer continued to distance himself from a May 13 decision
defeat to Simon
Biyong, as he submitted the previously unbeaten Sullivan
Cauley with
a rear-naked choke in the first round of their light heavyweight
attraction. Cauley (5-1, 5-1 Bellator) bowed out 2:58
into Round 1.
Trainer (7-1, 4-1 Bellator) conceded a takedown but soon moved back
to his feet and engaged his counterpart in the clinch. From there,
he surprised Cauley with a takedown of his own, progressed to the
back and used his long arms to cinch the choke. Trainer then
tightened his squeeze and elicited the tapout.
It was the fifth first-round finish of Trainer’s career.
In other action, Rakim
Cleveland (23-15-1, 1-2 Bellator) disposed of Christian
Edwards (5-3, 5-3 Bellator) with
a guillotine choke 3:55 into the third round of their heavyweight
contest; Mike Hamel
(10-5, 3-2 Bellator) cut down Nick Browne
(13-3, 2-2 Bellator) with
a head kick and follow-up punches 42 seconds into the first round
of their lightweight duel; Adam
Piccolotti (14-5, 10-5 Bellator) vanquished Mandel
Nallo (9-3, 4-3 Bellator) with
a rear-naked choke 4:26 into the third round of their lightweight
tussle; Sara
Collins (4-0, 1-0 Bellator) subdued Pam
Sorenson (9-6, 1-3 Bellator) with
a scarf hold armlock 2:43 into the first round of their women’s
featherweight battle; Jefferson
Creighton (7-3-1, 1-0 Bellator) upset Joey Davis
(8-1, 8-1 Bellator) by split decision—29-28, 28-29, 29-28—in their
three-round welterweight confrontation; Lucas
Brennan (8-0, 8-0 Bellator) discarded Josh San
Diego (9-5, 4-2 Bellator) with
a rear-naked choke 2:14 into the first round of their featherweight
scrap; Vladimir
Tokov (8-2, 4-2 Bellator) wiped out Lance
Gibson Jr. (7-1, 5-1 Bellator) with
punches 1:02 into the first round of their lightweight
encounter; Randi Field
(4-1, 2-1 Bellator) was awarded a unanimous decision over Ashley
Cummins (7-7, 1-1 Bellator) in a three-round women’s
catchweight clash at 120 pounds, drawing 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28
marks from the cageside judges; Bryce
Meredith (4-0, 1-0 Bellator) took care of Brandon
Carrillo (2-1, 0-1 Bellator) with
a rear-naked choke 3:11 into the second round of their bantamweight
affair; and Mackenzie
Stiller (1-0, 1-0 Bellator) dispatched Maria
Henderson (1-1, 0-1 Bellator) with
an armbar 3:17 into the first round of their women’s strawweight
pairing.