Bellator 220 aftermath: What do all the results mean going forward?

E. Spencer Kyte

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Bellator 220 aftermath: What do all the results mean going forward? image

It was a rare head-to-head Saturday evening for the two biggest mixed martial arts promotions in North America.

While the UFC was running a show in Sunrise, Florida (that may or may not have been called UFC Fort Lauderdale), Bellator MMA broke out the big guns for a star-studded event at “The Shark Tank” (SAP Center) in San Jose, Calif. featuring a pair of championship fights, a two-time title challenger, two former champions facing off against one another and one of the most electric prospects on the roster returning to action.

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This was the kick-off to what should be a very interesting and eventful spring and summer inside the Bellator MMA cage and it delivered some crucial results that will certainly factor into how things play out in a couple key division going forward.

Here’s a look at what transpired on the main card and what that means for the winners and losers.

Rory MacDonald, Jon Fitch battle to a draw; champion expresses doubts about future

What would an MMA tournament be without some kind of wonky result?

Saturday night in San Jose, the opening round of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix came to a close with a pairing between the welterweight champion, MacDonald, and the grizzled veteran, Fitch. It was a hard-fought affair where the titleholder landed the more impactful blows, while the challenger controlled large stretches with his smothering grappling, and in the end, the judges were deadlocked, resulting in a majority draw that sees MacDonald advance because he’s the champion.

 

 

The scorecards were almost identical, with all three judges giving MacDonald the first two rounds, Fitch a 10-8 round in the third and a 10-9 round in the fifth. The lone frame that saw any difference of opinions was the fourth, where judge Anthony Maness saw the frame for Fitch, while the other two officials, Ron McCarthy and Mike Bell, awarded the round to MacDonald.

Since it was a championship fight, the tie goes to the titleholder, which means MacDonald moves forward to meet Neiman Gracie in the next round, although that kind of feels up in the air at the moment.

What it means: MacDonald gave a very honest post-fight interview to John McCarthy, explaining that he’s having a hard time pulling the trigger and that perhaps his faith has changed him to where he’s not so keen on beating the ever-loving hell out of another human being for money any more.

 

 

While it doesn’t exactly sound inspiring from your welterweight champion and a guy who is supposed to fight again in roughly six weeks, it’s the kind of truthful, genuine response we often demand from these athletes and you have to tip your cap to MacDonald for expressing such complex ideas immediately following a tough fight.

As for the fight itself, my personal feeling is that it shows we still have issues with judging because if you’re going to give Fitch a 10-8 for smothering MacDonald and doing very little damage in the third, there should have been myriad other 10-8 rounds awarded throughout the evening. Maness scoring the fourth for Fitch was questionable as well, given that MacDonald wobbled him in the opening two minutes of the frame before the veteran grinder brought the action to a halt along the fence line for the final half of the round.

In terms of the tournament, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the fight with Gracie get delayed while MacDonald figures out his next move, which could be anything from regrouping and returning as scheduled to walking away entirely. This is a fluid situation and one that has a lot of layers to it, so for now, it’s best to take a wait-and-see approach and keep the options open if you’re Bellator MMA.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane busts open Vera Arteaga, retains title

Don’t be surprised if these two run it back in the not too distant future because before the stoppage, Macfarlane and Arteaga were locked in a close, competitive scrap.

Over the first two rounds, it played out as most anticipated, with the champion chasing takedowns and looking to grapple, while the challenger sought to make it ugly, attacking Macfarlane with solid shots off bottom that gave her problems. Early in the third, Macfarlane put Arteaga on the canvas and uncorked a left elbow that produced a massive cut that prompted referee Jason Herzog to press pause on the action and ultimately led to the fight being stopped.

 

 

What it means: The simple answer is that we’re going to get a rematch because Macfarlane wasn’t happy winning by doctor’s stoppage, Arteaga looked solid over the first 10 minutes and the options are limited.

That said, there is no reason for Macfarlane to be disappointed with her performance because the elbow was beautiful and she was able to find a way to pull out a victory when she wasn’t feeling her best. Those are the things that really produce separation between champions and contenders and although she wasn’t too pleased with her effort, this was a more impressive win than some of her previous championship performances.

Arteaga showed in this one that she’s capable of hanging with Macfarlane. Whether she gets a rematch right away or has to go out and win one more, she has the toughness and tenacity to work her way back into another championship opportunity. If she can further shore up her takedown defense, the sequel could end up being even better than this one.

Benson Henderson edges Adam Piccolotti in entertaining scramble-fest

Henderson’s penchant for starting slow nearly cost him, but in the end, the former two-division title holder was able to sneak out of San Jose — and back home for the birth of his third child — with a narrow split-decision win over the very game Piccolotti.

The former UFC champion got clipped in the first, which gave Piccolotti an opening to test Henderson’s submission defense, which held up nicely. Over the next two rounds, both men had their opportunities, with Henderson getting a little better of things on the feet and showcasing his offensive grappling, as well as having to do more defending.

The fans in attendance didn’t like the verdict and it felt like Piccolotti had done enough to pull off the upset, but in the end, “Smooth” stole a victory to push his winning streak to three.

 

 

What it means: Henderson wants to stay active and this was a “keep busy” fight before baby No. 3 arrives next week, but it could be the first fight in a series between the two, given how it played out and the dissatisfaction with the decision.

Not only did it further underscore that Henderson needs to find out how to get loose in the back and start quicker, but it made it clear that the underrated Piccolotti is a player in the lightweight division. He gave Henderson all he could handle and then some and if he doesn’t get a rematch down the line, he should find himself in the cage with another solid contender next time out.

Bigger picture, it also shows that Henderson might be starting to slow down and is never going to be the “top of the division” standout many expected him to be when he first signed with Bellator MMA. He came up short in twin title bids, got right with two good wins over veteran fringe contenders and struggled against a younger, fresher man on Saturday. While guys like MacDonald, Gegard Mousasi and Ryan Bader have come over and won championships, the MMA Lab product has settled in being a strong veteran presence and familiar name capable of fighting in two weight classes.

That’s not bad, it’s just not as good as many envisioned when he left the UFC.

Phil Davis finishes fellow former champ Liam McGeary

In a battle of former light heavyweight titleholders, Davis used his superior athleticism and all-around skills to get the better of McGeary, holding a narrow edge heading into the third round before getting a late tap while he was trying to set up a submission.

McGeary was actually having some success in the final stanza and was coming forward at Davis when “Mr. Wonderful” hit him with a left hand that stiffened McGeary up and stopped him dead in his tracks. Seeing his opening, Davis drove through a powerful takedown and climbed right into mount, forcing McGeary to give up his back.

When Davis started hunting for the choke, McGeary tapped, later acknowledging that he’d suffered a broken jaw.

 

 

What it means: In addition to getting Davis back into the win column after suffering an upset loss to Vadim Nemkov back in November, this one gets the former titleholder back into the title conversation. It also shows that even at 34 and more than 25 fights into his MMA career, the pink-short-wearing wrestler is still adding elements to his game and continuing to improve.

Light heavyweight has a limited number of contenders and while Nemkov is ahead of Davis as a result of their head-to-head contest, the Penn State alum put himself in the running for a championship opportunity if Ryan Bader needs a dance partner in the next few months.

McGeary is now 1-3 over his last four and just 2-4 since defending the light heavyweight strap against Tito Ortiz. He’s 36 and has now lost to Davis twice, so he’s likely out of the title mix for the time being. Plus, having suffered a busted jaw, he could be on the sidelines for quite some time.

Gaston Bolanos stops Nathan Stolen in “Condit vs. Hardy” finish

Bolanos has been piling up explosive finishes and he added another one to his highlight reel on Saturday night in San Jose, flooring Stolen with a sharp left hook before putting him away with a quick series of follow up punches.

Remember when Carlos Condit fought Dan Hardy in London and it ended when both guys landed left hands, only Condit’s had a little more mustard on it? That’s what happened here — both guys uncorked lefts and both landed, but Bolanos landed the heavier blow, Stolen buckled, fell to the ground and the up-and-comer didn’t let him get back up.

 

 

What it means: This is what was expected and the reason Bolanos was stationed in the opening fight of the main card. He’s been a consistent thrill ride over his last few fights and delivered again here, although not without facing a little adversity.

Stolen had some good moments in the brief, entertaining fight and it showed that there are still some holes in Bolanos’ game that he needs to address before he should be in the cage with any of the big names in the featherweight division.

He’s got potential, but for now, keeping him on the MVP program makes the most sense.

E. Spencer Kyte