Bellator 59 is now officially history, and it certainly was memorable.  With no UFC event taking place there were more eyes than usual on this broadcast, which took place in Atlantic City, NJ.  And there was plenty to be seen.

The first fight of the live broadcast was Marcin Held vs. Phillipe Nover.  The fight went for the full three rounds.  Held was extremely active especially on the ground, pulling guard and going for submission after submission.  However, he never really threatened Nover seriously.  Nover was able to defend every sub attempt that Held threw at him, and had the upper hand in what little striking there was.  However, the judges awarded Held a controversial split decision.  As this was billed as a qualifier for the next featherweight tournament, Held should be guaranteed a spot.  Perhaps Bjorn Rebney will also award Nover a place in the tourney after his performance tonight - he certainly earned it.

The next fight was the bantamweight tournament final, Eduardo Dantas vs. Alexis Vila.  This one also went all three rounds.  Vila spent most of the first round controlling Dantas against the cage, but Dantas, with a significant height/reach advantage, was better on the feet and took the second round.  Third round saw Dantas taking Vila's back and working for a rear naked choke that he never quite got - but it was enough to give him the round and the fight.  So Eduardo Dantas will challenge Zach Makovsky for the bantamweight title sometime in the spring of 2012.

SBN coverage of Bellator 59

Continue reading this post »

As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results and commentary from Bellator 59.  Our live blog will begin with the start of the MTV2 broadcast (9 p.m. EST) so be sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event.

Tonight's event includes the tournament finals in the heavyweight and bantamweight divisions, plus a welterweight tourney qualifier and a lightweight feature fight. 

Heavyweights Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos will be battling for a $100,000 check and a title shot against current champ Cole Konrad.  Prindle made it to the final with victories over Abe Wagner and Ron Sparks, while Santos earned his place here by defeating first Josh Burns and then Neil Grove.

The bantamweight final is set with Eduardo Dantas facing off against Alexis Vila.  Both of these men won their quarterfinal fights with highlight reel knockouts:  Dantas with a flying knee against Wilson Reis, and Vila with a solid left that laid Joe Warren out flat.  In the semifinals Dantas took a decision over Ed West while Vila carried a spit decision over Marcos Galvao.  The winner of this bout will take home the $100,000 check and earn their chance to take the belt away from current champ Zach Makovsky.

In a qualifier for the next featherweight tournament, Marcin Held will be facing Phillipe Nover.  This is Held's second fight for Bellator and his first at 145 - he lost in the quarterfinal round of the lightweight tournament to Michael Chandler.  Nover, after an unsuccessful stint in the UFC, is making his debut for Bellator tonight.

Finally we have a feature fight between season 4 lightweight tournament finalist Patricky Freire and UFC vet Kurt Pellegrino.  Freire lost a decision to Michael Chandler in the final of last season's 155 tourney, leaving Chandler to challenge and ultimately defeat champ Eddie Alvarez.  Pellegrino is making his Bellator debut with this fight and, if victorious, will likely secure a spot in the next lightweight tournament.

We'll be live when the action starts at 9 p.m, so join us then!

SBN coverage of Bellator 59

Continue reading this post »

They may not be Cain Velasquez or Junior dos Santos, but Bellator will turn to two of its heavyweights to close up their fifth season as Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos battle in the main event of Saturday's Bellator 59.

The winner of the promotion's second-ever heavyweight tournament gets a shot at Bellator Heavyweight Champion Cole Konrad in 2012.

Prindle (9-1) hasn't lost since 2008 and comes into Saturday on a seven-fight win streak. The 35-year-old debuted in Bellator in April with a second round TKO win over Josh Burns, literally punching his way into a tournament berth this fall. No big surprise here: six of his nine wins have come via T/KO.

A U.S. Army veteran, Prindle was a successful boxer while enlisted, winning several Army and Armed Forces titles amidst 100 amateur bouts.

Like Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce Grand Prix, Santos (10-1) got added to the tourney after Blagoi Ivanov had to withdraw due to injury. The Brazilian debuted back in 2007 and mainly competed in his native country and Russia before making his Bellator debut this fall.

He comes into Saturday on a four-fight win streak and may have destiny on his side. He originally was set to face Ivanov in the tournament's opening round but due to visa issues, he had to be replaced. Again he was set to face Ivanov as he replaced the injured Mike Hayes, but Ivanov withdrew due to injury. With all of that, Santos is now one win away from a title shot.

How do these two stack up?

Prindle: 35 | 6'5" | Preferred form of victory: KO (67%)
Santos: 25 | 6'3" | Preferred form of victory: Submission (50%)

How did these two get here?

Prindle defeated Abe Wagner via unanimous decision and then knocked out Ron Sparks in 40 seconds in the semifinals, while Santos submitted common opponent Burns in the second round of an alternate bout and submitted Neil Grove in just 38 seconds in the semifinals.

Why should you care?

This is a fairly simple fight breakdown. If Santos gets this fight to the ground, Prindle is in trouble. If Prindle can keep this standing and short, Santos could go to sleep. It's safe to assume both men would like to work quickly as Santos hasn't gone the distance in two years. Don't expect this one to get out of the first round.

SBN coverage of Bellator 59

At 40 years old, the odds are against Alexis Vila becoming a force in MMA. But the Cuban-born Olympic freestyle wrestler is just one win away from winning Bellator's current 135-pound tournament and running his record to a perfect 12-0 in the process.

A man 18 years his junior -- Eduardo Dantas -- stands in his way and the former Shooto champion is looking to complete his first run in a Bellator tournament with a big win.

Vila (11-0) and Dantas (12-2) meet Saturday in the co-main event of Bellator 59 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the promotion's final event of 2011.

Vila represented Cuba in the 1996 Olympics, taking home a freestyle wrestling bronze medal in the light flyweight division along with medals in several World Championships and the Pan-Am Games in the early-to-mid 1990s. After defecting to the United States in 1997 and later serving a three-year prison term, the American Top Team member debuted in December 2007 and ran up a 9-0 record on regional shows before being signing with Bellator earlier this year.

Despite being 22, Dantas also started in 2007 and competed mainly in Shooto in both Brazil and Japan before getting inked by Bellator. Dantas competed for the Shooto 132-pound title in 2009 and lost a decision to Masakatsu Ueda -- one of just two career losses. He comes into Saturday on a five-fight win streak.

How do these two stack up?

Vila: 40 years old | 5'4" | Preferred form of win: knockout (63%)

Dantas: 22 years old | 5'10" | Preferred form of win: decision (42%)

Before his decision victory in the semifinals, Vila had won six straight by T/KO and hasn't been past the second round in three years. While the majority of Dantas' wins are by decision, seven of his wins have come via T/KO or submission and before the West victory, he had finished straight four opponents.

How did these two get here?

In the tournament's opening round in late-September, Vila knocked out current 145-pound champion Joe Warren in 64 seconds, while Dantas knocked out Wilson Reis in 62 seconds with a flying knee strike. In the tournament's second round in late-October, Vila was on the right side of a controversial split decision win over Marcos Galvao, while Dantas also won a close split decision over Ed West.

Why should you care?

Makovsky needs quality opponents and either man will give him a run for his title. The story here is really Vila due to his age and his story, but a great fight could help create another two solid names that will be part of their bantamweight division for the next few years. One X factor? Dantas' six-inch reach advantage.

SBN coverage of Bellator 59

Athletes handle retirement differently. Some are able to go out gracefully and enjoy what they've accomplished. Others decide that returning to civilian life isn't that much fun and can't wait to get back into action. Then, there's Brett Favre.

Earlier this year, Kurt Pellegrino announced he was hanging up the gloves and didn't pursue a new contract with the UFC. He was coming off consecutive losses to George Sotiropoulos and Gleison Tibau and found himself right back in the middle of the lightweight pack he was trying to free himself from. But that's the thing about retiring at 32 years old. There's a lot of life ahead of you and when opportunities to make money arise, you usually take them.

Pellgrino returns to action Saturday at Bellator 59, but the man welcoming "Batman" back to action -- Patricky Freire -- is no joker. Freire is coming off a lightweight tournament final loss to Michael Chandler earlier this year and will be looking to send Pellegrino to his own Arkham Asylum with the power that knocked out his first two Bellator opponents.

How do these guys stack up?

Pellegrino: 32 | 5'8" | Preferred form of victory: submission (63%)

Freire: 25 | 5'7" | Preferred form of victory: knockout (67%)

How did both guys get here?

Before decision losses to Sotiropolous and Tibau, Pellegrino (16-6) had won four consecutive fights. The near 10-year veteran debuted in the UFC in July 2006 and compiled a 7-5 Octagon mark. He's never been knocked out.

Before his decision loss to Chandler in May, Freire (9-2) knocked out Rob McCullough and Toby Imada at the tail end of a five-fight win streak. Before signing with Bellator, the Team Nogueira member had competed solely in Brazil.

Why should I watch?

This will be a great test for Freire against a well-traveled and experienced fighter. A win over Pellegrino puts him in a great spot heading into next year's expected 155-pound tournament that will also likely feature former champion Eddie Alvarez. Pellegrino can't be counted out by any means, but the question is whether that desire to compete and win is still there following his short retirement. A victory Saturday puts him in a good spot in Bellator's lightweight division heading into 2012.

SBN coverage of Bellator 59

With injury comes opportunity and former TUF finalist Phillipe Nover has his opportunity to reintroduce himself to the MMA world Saturday at Bellator 59 against Marcin Held.

Nover/Held was originally slotted for the non-televised portion of the card, but an injury to main card fighter Michael Costa this week resulted in the fight being bumped up to TV. A source close to the situation said Lyman Good turned down two replacement options and was removed from the card completely, thus the opportunity for Nover and Held to make their presence felt to a national TV audience.

Best remembered for having a huge fan in UFC President Dana White ("a young Georges St. Pierre") during the eighth season of TUF, Nover (6-3-1) was released in early-2010 from the UFC after three straight losses. He disappeared for 18 months and resurfaced on a regional show in August, picking up a unanimous decision win over Jake Murphy. He was later inked by Bellator and will make his debut Saturday.

Held (11-2) returns to Bellator for the first time since losing to Michael Chandler by first round submission earlier this year. The 19-year-old (yes, he's that young) got back to his winning ways in September with a first-round submission victory at an Australian event. The Polish Held has been a pro since September 2008, competing solely in his native country before making his Bellator debut.

How do these two stack up?

Nover: 27 | 5'9" | Preferred form of victory: submission (50%)

Held: 19 | 5'9" | Preferred form of victory: submission (55%)

Why should I watch?

On paper, this could be a fun ground battle with plenty of submission attempts. Both guys will be looking for a slot in the next lightweight tournament and it should be interesting to see if Bellator has found anything in a potentially revitalized Nover.

SBN coverage of Bellator 59

All fighters did their jobs and made weight Friday at the Bellator 59 weigh-ins in Atlantic City, NJ, at the Palladium Ballroom. The event airs live at 9 pm EST on MTV2 with the prelims kicking off on Spike.com.

The 59th event in company history will wrap up their fifth season of action, headlined by the finals of their heavyweight and bantamweight tournaments. Viewers will also see the promotional debuts of former UFC fighters Kurt Pellegrino and Phillipe Nover.

MAIN CARD

Heavyweight Tourney Final: Thiago Santos (264.8) vs. Eric Prindle (264.8)

Bantamweight Tourney Final: Alexis Vila (135) vs. Eduardo Dantas (136)

Patricky Freire (155) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (155) Both men had to be separated after the staredown.

Marcin Held (156) vs. Phillipe Nover (155.6)
 

UNDERCARD

Karl Amoussou (174.6) vs. Jesus Martinez (175.5)

LeVon Maynard (171) vs. Chris Wing (170.5)  

Lucas Pimenta (173) vs. Doug Gordon (174)

Brylan Van Artsdalen (145.2) vs. Scott Heckman (146)

Brandon Saling (183.6) vs. Gregory Milliard (185.4)

Bloody Elbow.com will have live coverage on the site Saturday evening with fight card primers starting at 3 PM EST.

SBN coverage of Bellator 59

Bellator 58 took place Saturday night at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.  There were 4 fights on the televised card:  Rafael Dias vs. Marlon Sandro, Jessica Aguilar vs. Lisa Ward, Trevor Prangley vs. Hector Lombard, and the lightweight title fight between champ Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler.

The first bout was Rafael Dias vs. Marlon Sandro.  Dias came out strong and looked like he might make some trouble for Sandro early with a punch that put Sandro on his back.  Dias was unable to keep his momentum going, however, and Sandro managed a takedown that quickly resulted in an arm triangle.  Dias tapped with just over a minute left in the first round.

The next fight was one that was originally supposed to be on the undercard.  Jessica Aguilar took on Lisa Ward in a rematch of a fight from 2006.  Ward won their first fight, which was Aguilar's MMA debut.  But this time around Aguilar left little doubt which fighter has evolved more.  Ward was tough and persistent, but was content to stand and ignore her own wrestling background.  Aguilar's striking was sharper, harder, and overall just better than anything Ward was bringing.  After three rounds, the judges didn't hesitate to award Aguilar the unanimous decision victory.

Continue reading this post »