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SAN JOSE, California. – Rory MacDonald kept his title and progressed in the welterweight Grand Prix, but not what he and everyone expected.
Boos fell on the cage after two of the three judges declared a majority draw. Jon Fitch (31-7-2 MMA, 1-0-1 BMMA) denied his victory over MacDonald (20-5-1 MMA, 2-1 -1 BMMA).
The fight for the welterweight title and the first match of the welterweight grand prix was the main event of Bellator 220 on Saturday night at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
The final scores were 48-46 for Fitch, with the remaining two judges scoring the five-round bout even at 47. As a winner was not declared, MacDonald kept the belt he wore at the mid-weight grand prix -means and will face Neiman Gracie in the semifinals.
After 25 minutes, it seemed that Fitch would accept the majority of scorecards due to his control lead. Although he took several difficult shots from champion Bellator, he also spent much of the fight in Fitch's comfort zone, pulling the flanks and elbows in the face.
On several occasions, MacDonald seriously injured Fitch and seemed within seconds of a change of course likely to lead to a victory. In the fourth round, he had a nudge in front of Fitch and a header that made the challenger shake. But no matter what he threw on the challenger, he could not stop the forward push that put him on the back.
This is the second draw of his career career for Fitch, who beat BJ Penn in 2011. MacDonald, meanwhile, did not win a brilliant victory after a failed bid for the middleweight title last September .
The most recent results from Bellator 220 include:
- Rory MacDonald vs. Jon Fitch is Majority (46-48, 47-47, 47-47)
- Ilima-Lei Macfarlane def. Veta Arteaga via TKO (doctor's stop) – 3rd day, 1:50
- Benson Henderson def. Adam Piccolotti by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Phil Davis def. Liam McGeary via TKO (Strikes) – 3rd day, 4:11
- Gaston Bolanos def. Nathan Stolen via TKO (Strikes) – 1st day, 2:21
- Aviv Gozali def. Travis Crain via submission (choke on the back) – Round 1, 2:15
- Brandon Faumui def. Chris Avila by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
- Matt Perez def. Justin Tenedora via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:52
- Cass Bell Def. Peter Ishiguro via KO (Strikes) – 2nd round, 2:59
- Chuck Campbell def. Bruno Casillas via KO (knee) – 1st day, 1:45
- Hyder Amil def. Paradise Vaovasa via submission (naked choke on the back) – Round 1, 2:34
- Josh San Diego def. Brandon Laroco by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Jordan Williams def. Diego Herzog via TKO (strikes) – 3rd day, 1:21
- Abraham Vaesau def. Justin Roswell via TKO (Strikes) – 1st day, 1:59
For full coverage of Bellator 220, see the UFC Events section of the site.
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