Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for Bellator 102: Kongo vs. Godbeer from the Visalia Convention Center in Visalia, California. Live streaming video of the preliminary card starts at 7:00 p.m. ET while play-by-play will commence with the main card on Spike TV at 9:00 p.m. ET.
The Heavyweight Tournament kicks off with a couple of brick-throwin' bangers in former UFC'ers Cheick Kongo, who faces Mark Godbeer atop the card, and Lavar Johnson, who draws Team Nogueira's Vinicius Queiroz. The Middleweight Tournament progresses with the semifinal round, which pits Brennan Ward vs. Joe Pacheco (who's replacing Perry Filkins) and Mikkel Parlo vs. Jason Butcher. The next opponent for Bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas will be determined in the Bantamweight Tournament finals match between Team Bombsquad's Anthony Leone and Capoeira/Luta Livre practitioner Rafael Silva.
We're live! Fight-by-fight results descend below.
Bellator 102 Main Card (Spike TV at 9:00 p.m. ET)
Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Godbeer -- Heavyweight Tournament semifinals
R1: They trade jabs. Godbeer lunges with a left hook and steps inside with a right but Kongo counters with a powerful takedown. Godbeer holds an overhook to control Kongo's power hand and uses it to stand back up. Kongo stays on him with double underhooks in the clinch and then gets the bodylock and fires knees to the inner thigh. Big John McCarthy steps in to separate them and Kongo drops to his knees -- the replay shows a clear knee to the pills.
With 3:00 left, we restart and Godbeer head-hunts with big punches, getting inside effectively. Again Kongo changes levels and takes him down to counter his aggression. Godbeer is right back up and the same sequence occurs. Godbeer goes flat on his butt this time but pushes on the head to create space and stand up. Kongo sticks to him and tries to wrangle another double, then throws more knees to the thigh when he can't. BJM is a little too quick to intervene for my tastes. They resume in the same position; Kongo eats a low knee and looks to McCarthy but he gets no sympathy. 10-9 Kongo for his combination of control and effective strikes -- Godbeer just didn't land enough.
R2: They clinch up and Kongo drives him onto the fence with the rear waist cinch and thumps some heavy knees to his quads. Godbeer spins out but Kongo just directs his clinch-knee punishment to the solar plexus with a series of thunderous knees to the body. The heavy strikes accumulate and Godbeer goes down, then eats another volley of knees to the head from Kongo's vice-like clinch hold when he gets back up. He drops again and McCarthy waves it to a halt.
- Cheick Kongo defeats Mark Godbeer by TKO (knees), Round 2
Lavar Johnson vs. Vinicius "Spartan" Queiroz -- Heavyweight Tournament semifinals
R1: OK, wow. Queiroz unbolts a missile of a right hand on the first exchange that wobbles Johnson, who stumbles a bit and then nosedives into the canvas. Queiroz's follow-up punches seem to stir him back into consciousness but the ref's already waved it off.
- Vinicius "Spartan" Queiroz defeats Lavar Johnson by KO (punch), Round 1
Anthony Leone vs. Rafael Silva -- Bantamweight Tournament finals
R1: Silva fakes low and comes high with a head kick that narrowly misses. Silva is the first to clean a minute in with a fast jab. Leone comes back with a one-two-one combo. Leg kick from "Morcego." Silva slipping Leone's punches in the pocket, then nicely sets up a deeply penetrating double leg. Leone tries to butt scoot to the fence and wall walk but Silva powers him back down. Leone nearly gets his back taken during escape scramble but he toughs his way out of it.
Silva buries his head in Leone's chest and finds himself in a triangle. He stays patient and wriggles free, then jumps on Leone's back again when he explodes to escape. Leone spins out but Silva rides him to stay on top. 10-9 Silva.
R2: Silva's quickness remains a factor as he counters Leone with fast punches and a knee. Snapping lead jab from Silva. Silva attempts a Capoeira kick that misses. Leone looking for his big right hand but Silva sees it coming. Silva changes levels and finishes the double with a little muscle. Leone tries to hip escape and Silva sticks to him in a high half guard. Leone locks on underhooks and Silva smoothly hops into side mount.
Leone spins out and Silva attaches himself to the back again but gets both hooks in this time. Leone tripods and gets to his knees while Silva hangs on with wrist control. The super educated crowd boos as Silva sinks in the rear-naked choke with both hooks, but the bell sounds. 10-9 Silva.
R3: Inside leg kick from Silva but his spinning back kick whiffs. Leone's output is dwindling while Silva's increases with a steady stream of punches and kicks from range. Leone lands a left hook. Right straight/left high kick combo from Silva. Then a left, right and a spinning back kick. Spinning Capoeira kick from Silva misses. Silva nails a double and Leone locks him down in a full, closed guard.
The ref restarts them after a stalemate with 45 ticks left. Leone puts the pressure on with a charging left hook/right cross combo but Silva uses his forward motion against him by dropping for another double leg takedown. 10-9 Silva for a clean sweep by my tally.
- Rafael Silva defeats Anthony Leone by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Jason Butcher vs. Mikkel Parlo - Middleweight Tournament semifinals
R1: Butcher comes out flicking a front kick, then follows with some fairly wild punches. Parlo stops him in his tracks with a stiff jab. Parlo uncorks a 3-punch combination that lands clean. Butcher shoots a double but Parlo scrambles back and away. More crisp punches from Parlo find Butcher's chin. Parlo stuffs another takedown. Butcher leans in with a left hook and eats a left hook counter from Parlo. Butcher shoots a double and gets it momentarily but Parlo is right back up.
Another double from Butcher, then he switches to a single but Parlo fends it all off with his back on the fence. Right low kick by the taller and longer Butcher. Parlo goes downstairs with a lunging left. Butcher responds with a right. Butcher unloads a charging flurry that backs Parlo up. Double jab from Parlo. Butcher stays busy with leg kicks and Parlo catches it and swings a big right. Parlo touches Butcher up with more left hooks. Butcher now falling to his back to close the exchanges in an attempt to work his guard, which can't look good to the judges. Butcher charges with punches and falls to his back again. Now Butcher wades forward with lefts and rights and lands a few before the bell. 10-9 Parlo.
R2: Parlo lands a left to the gut and then one upstairs. Butcher connects with a strong uppercut on the way in. Parlo steps in with a few big punches before dodging Butcher's predictable level change. Butcher telegraphs a takedown attempt that Parlo easily evades. Parlo answers two to Butcher's bumrush left hook. Butcher comes in hard again and Parlo drops him to a knee with an uppercut. Commentary team says it might've been a slip.
Overhand right lands from Parlo. Butcher collapses on his back now to the tune of scattered boos from the crowd.Parlo puts Butcher on his heels with punches and unfurls a head kick that Butcher barely blocks. Butcher's nose has been bleeding slightly but is now flowing freely. Parlo now starting to tee off on Butcher, easily anticipating his takedowns (as he falls on his back regularly in every exchange) and timing his counters brilliantly. Parlo drops Butcher with a 3-punch combo and nearly finishes at the bell. 10-8 Parlo.
R3: Parlo finds the mark early and Butcher falls on his back to the crowd's displeasure. Butcher dives on another double and pursues it furiously on his knees but Parlo isn't having it. Butcher, who looks exhausted, falls down immediately on the next two exchanges and the crowd is on him now. Sloppy double by Butcher isn't there. Parlo digs a hard left to Butcher's ribs. He falls down. The ref steps in and waves Butcher up, but he's right back down when Parlo comes at him, this time drawing a warning from the ref.
Nice front-leg side kick from Butcher, then a front kick. But he's back down. Basically folks, every time they engage, Parlo connects and Butcher falls down. 10-8 Parlo for a 30-25 on my card. Yes ... it was that one-sided.
- Mikkel Parlo defeats Jason Butcher by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)
Joe Pacheco vs. Brennan Ward - Middleweight Tournament semifinals
R1: Ward doubles jabs but gets cracked with a straight right. A few left hook/right straight combos from Ward, who's starting with some heat. Pacheco closes distance with punches and Ward changes levels and puts him on his back. Pacheco gathers himself and closes his full guard, holding an overhook to control Ward's right hand. Pacheco explodes into a scramble and gets back on his feet, then crouches down and scoops Ward up high for a slam takedown. Ward hip escapes and gets back up halfway through the round.
From the clinch, Ward nearly hits a whizzer throw but Pacheco steadies himself and circles off the fence. Pacheco then explodes for a double and can't get it initially, but again gathers himself and dumps Ward, a D3 All-American, with shocking ease. Pacheco passes to side control and Ward cracks with him a knee off his back, which renders a warning from referee Big John McCarthy. Pacheco looks to isolate the far-side arm but settles for hammerfists when Ward defends. Pacheco figure fours the arm again and uses it bait Ward with a nice pass to full mount. 10-9 Pacheco.
R2: Ward stuffs Pacheco's first shot and bombs a knee from the clinch. Pacheco switches gears and goes for a single leg but Ward is ready for it again with a sprawl and heavy leather. Pacheco snaps Ward's head back with a stiff jab and shoots again, but this time Ward hits a beautiful counter throw and gets on top. Ward takes Pacheco's back but then surprisingly disengages to restart on the feet.
Ward cracks Pacheco with a stiff hook. Pacheco answers with a one-two, then shoots another double. Ward stuffs it with underhooks but this time cinches on a D'arce-grip guillotine, and sits into it from the standing position while Pacheco is still on his knees for the stoppage.
- Brennan Ward defeats Joe Pacheco by submission (power guillotine), Round 2
Preliminary Card (streaming live on Bloody Elbow at 7:00 p.m. ET)
Cain Carrizosa vs. Juan Quesada
Jonny Carson vs. Bryan Travers
Poppies Martinez vs. Brandon Girtz
Javy Ayala vs. Thiago Santos
Isaac DeJesus vs. Scott Cleve
William Richey vs. Brandon Cash
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