Bellator MMA 97 Closes out the Promotions Summer Series
A stacked Bellator MMA 97 main card closed out the promotions summer series with two title fights and two tournament finals. The promotions two most dominant champions were in action looking to stay undefeated and light heavyweight King Mo looked to earn a title shot.
The three-hour main card aired on Spike TV and here are the results and recap.
Jared Downing vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Friere: RFA’s former Featherweight champion, Jared Downing, jumped ship for a shot in the Bellator cage, but drew a murderous opponent in Pitbull. Working his fluid muay thai, Friere tagged Downing repeatedly in the first round as Downing hunted for a much-needed takedown, but couldn’t find it during the storm of strikes. With building momentum, Friere came out hard and started landing immediately, badly hurting Downing over and over, but not putting him out cold. On the fourth knockdown, the referee decided he’d seen enough, with Downing too dazed to argue.
Pitbull wins via 2nd Round TKO (ref stoppage)
Ryan Martinez vs. Vitaly Minakov: A tournament final that brought out the best of both men, Martinez clashed with Minakov in a grueling fight. Minakov worked from multiple ranges, coming in hard with unorthodox single shot punches that scored frequently, but Martinez counter shots were no less vicious when Minakov wound up in the pocket. Minakov worked from the clinch whenever he managed to get inside, but Martinez raw power made each attempted takedown a chore for Minakov. Fighting hard into the third round, Minakov finally found a solid inside trip that allowed him to float into mount and from there it was all over. Minakov slammed punches into the fatigued Martinez head, who was knocked out by the series of blows, giving Minakov the win.
Vitaly Minakov wins via 3rd Round KO (punches on ground)
King Mo Lawal vs. Jacob Noe: Looking to avenge the loss of his friend Babalu, King Mo came into the tournament final with a fire in his heart against Jacob Noe. Working a simple game of boxing and world-class takedowns, Lawal had his way with Noe early on, never letting his opponent get anything off and systematically breaking him down. Round after round, Lawal landed jabs, hit takedowns and ground away at Noe’s resolve, finally getting a verbal submission after nearly thirteen minutes of constant abuse.
King Mo wins via 3rd round Submission (verbal)
Champion Ben Askren vs. Andrey Koreshkov: Koreshkov came into this fight bravely declaring he hadn’t bothered with wrestling training, and it showed immediately. Hitting a takedown with ease, Askren would tie Koreshkov in knots using every wrestling hold imaginable, with the Russian fighting just to survive. Every round started the same, with Askren achieving a takedown and working through dominant positions, all while hunting for submissions or using ground and pound. After a short talk with the referee in the 4th round concerning when he’d stop the fight, Askren flatted Koreshkov out and landed ridiculous double punches to force a mercy stoppage in one of the most lopsided bouts of all time.
Ben Askren wins via 4th Round TKO (ref stoppage)
Champion Michael Chandler vs. David Rickles: One of the best fighters outside of the UFC, Michael Chandler came into his fight looking to show continuous improvement, taking on tournament finalist David Rickles. This one would be short and sweet, as Chandler darted in and out on Rickles, looking to light him up with fast hands and combinations. A stiff two-piece dumped Rickles to his knees, and the ensuing barrage blasted him to the canvas, where Chandler was none too gentle in putting him out cold in mere seconds.
Michael Chandler wins via 1st Round KO (punches)
Bellator 97 Preliminary card results:
Will Brooks defeated Cris Leyva via 3rd rd. TKO (2:20)
135 lbs. Tournament Semifinal: Rafael Silva defeated Rodrigo Lima via 3rd rd. Rear-Naked Choke Submission (2:03)
135 lbs. Tournament Semifinal: Anthony Leone defeated Frank Baca via 3rd rd. Rear-Naked Choke Submission (1:07)
Javier Palacios defeated Richard Jacquez by Unanimous Decision
Bubba Jenkins defeated Mike Barreras by 2nd rd. TKO (1:05)
Jeremy Kimball defeated Keith Berry by 2nd rd. KO (1:45)
Shawn Bunch defeated Russell Wilson by Split Decision
Adrian Cruz defeated Felipe Chavez by 2nd rd. TKO
Donald Sanchez defeated Cliff Wright by Split Decision
Following Bellator MMA 97 was another episode of Fight Master.
About the Author (Author Profile)
I'm a 20+ year veteran of martial arts and a fan of MMA since UFC 1, when my world was thrown on its head by the budding sport. I'm obsessive in the pursuit of martial abilities and have competed across the country in everything from Vale Tudo to archery to Scottish broadsword. Once my body broke down, I picked up a pen and went in the direction of writing. I specialize in betting advice, predictions, and I'm a walking encyclopedia of MMA trivia. I own a cafe in Exeter, NH called Hammersmith Sandwich Company and write out of my office between customers.Subscribe
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