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If Ryan Bader's 13-second knockout in his first-round match in May does not make him the instant favorite to win the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix, Matt Mitrione's shutout on Friday should deter all skeptics who subsist.
Bader (26-5), the reigning light heavyweight champion, organized a wrestling and ground wrestling clinic by dominating Mitrione (13-6) bell bell by unanimously taking the decision of the Bellator 207 in Uncasville, Connecticut.
What was Bader's dominance in his semifinal bout? Not only did he win the judges' 30-25, 30-24 and 30-25 scores in the three-round bout, he remained virtually intact, except for a center left that Mitrione landed to open the second round.
"I'm fighting against a 255-pound guy here and I'm getting past him and I'm doing what I know is best for this game plan," said Bader. "I started to catch him off guard and punish him, more and more.It needed 10-8 rounds for each round.I do not like to fight like that, but you have to stick to what you have. "
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Although the 35-year-old Bader started competing against the Mohegan Sun Arena crowd in the third round, his performance did not do much for him. Not only was his pace high, especially in the field, but he regularly took Mitrione to the ground and punched him.
Thanks to the benefits of the smaller man in speed and cardio, Bader completely removed the power and clumsy style of Mitrione by simply ensuring that it never stayed longer than the first few seconds each turn.
Bader qualifies for the Grand Prix finals in January, with a chance to become the first simultaneous champion of two divisions of the promotion when he fights for the vacant heavyweight crown. He will face the winner of the main event of the Bellator 208 Saturday in Uniondale, New York, while Russian legend Fedor Emelianenko will meet Chael Sonnen.
"They both have different styles, but if I'm a fan of this sport and have grown up looking at it, a Grand Prix type tournament with a chance to fight against Fedor for the title of champion world of heavy trucks, let's go, "said Bader to the question he would prefer to face.
Mitrione, 40, a former NFL defensive lineman, has gone through a four-game winning streak since debuting at Bellator in 2016. Mitrione has shown courage to never give up despite the fact that his tank is not going to give up. gasoline was emptied thoroughly. He nearly banged because of a kimura attempt in the third round before making his way.
Bader seems to be entering the pinnacle of his physical and mental heyday with his sixth consecutive win and improved to 11-1 since 2013. In July 2017, he won the title of the 205-pound promotion when he started at Bellator. defeating former UFC member Phil Davis by split decision.
Bellator 207 Combat Card, Results
Ryan Bader def. Matt Mitrione by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-24, 30-25)
Sergei Kharitonov def. Roy Nelson via TKO in the first round (strikes)
Lorenz Larkin def. Ion Pascu by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Corey Browning def. Kevin "Baby Slice" Ferguson via TKO in the second round (punches)
Mandel Nallo def. Carrington Banks via TKO in the first round (knee): Bellator MMA may have just found his KO of the year.
A straight knee jump from Mandel Nallo was enough to make Carrington Banks lose consciousness in a spectacular second-round finish, which dropped Banks' lightweight on the canvas Friday at the Bellator 207 in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Nallo (7-0) improved his score to 2-0 under the Bellator banner as he coached fans in the Mohegan Sun Arena Arena with the devastating strike that put an immediate end to the fight 57 seconds after the start of the second round.
"We knew [Banks] He was a great wrestler, but in the first round, when he was riding, he lowered his head to the right side and I missed his right hand because he was diving, "said Nallo. My trainer told me to start by focusing on some lower stuff, I figured the old knee was going to do the trick. "
While Banks (7-2) took a step forward at the start of the second round, Nallo perfectly synchronized with a jumping knee that caught him on the chin and knocked him out cold. "Big" color commentator John McCarthy, of the Paramount Network television channel, immediately ranked him among the top 10 KO's in the history of Bellator.
Nallo, originally from Vancouver, had almost finished the fight in the first run when he had surprised Banks with anaconda strangulation.
"I think that he was really close [to tapping]"Nallo said." I think he's a real skilled wrestler and he kept cracking and hurting my hips and I could not choke him with his own arm. I'm like hurry and if it's done in the first round, I can go hang out at the restaurant. I'm trying to do that very quickly, but I felt like a doofus when he came out. "
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