Bellator 110: Rampage vs. M’Pumbu live streaming video, results, play by play

Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for live streaming video, results, play-by-play and discussion of Bellator 110: Rampage vs. M’Pumbu. The show marks the first step of Season 10 for the promotion and takes place from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Starting at 9:00 p.m. ET on Spike TV, the Bellator 110 main card is topped off by the opening round of this season’s four-man Light-Heavyweight tournament: Quinton Jackson meets Christian M’Pumbu in the headliner while Muhammed Lawal faces Mikhail Zayats in the co-main. A pair of quarterfinal bouts in the Featherweight Tournament will lead off the main card as Diego Nunes draws Matt Bessette and Mike Richman clashes with Desmond Green.

The seven-fight preliminary card begins at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on Spike.com and right here on Bloody Elbow. The highlights of the preliminary card include the other side of the featherweight brackets with Will Martinez vs. Goiti Yamauchi and Scott Cleve vs. Daniel Weichel.

***We’re live on Spike TV — results below***

BELLATOR 110: Rampage vs. M’Pumbu

(Spike TV at 9:00 p.m. ET)

Christian M’Pumbu vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (Light-Heavyweight Tournament semifinal)

R1: Rampage comes out looking to engage and M’Pumbu backs off, causing Rampage to pause and raise his arms. M’Pumbu returns the gesture. Rampage again walks M’Pumbu into a corner but has yet to unload a minute deep. M’Pumbu swivels for some light inside low kicks with nothing on them. Rampage again raises his arms after chasing M’Pumbu down for a while. Rampage discharges a volley of heaters while bursting forward and looks to connect on a few of the later shots.

M’Pumbu counter-clinches to slow things down and circles Rampage onto the fence, throwing short knees to the thigh. Big John McCarthy breaks it up after a lull. Rampage paws with his left hook in open space but doesn’t commit. M’Pumbu does the same. Outside kick to the thigh from M’Pumbu but not much on it. Rampage clips M’Pumbu with a left hook during a right low kick that the commentary team mistakes for a slip. Rampage unwinds two short right hands as M’Pumbu leaves himself open pursuing deep half guard.

M’Pumbu goes limp, McCarthy waves it off and Rampage talks some trash to the half-aware M’Pumbu, who threatened to end Jackson’s career in a pre-fight skirmish. Jackson returns to shake M’Pumbu’s hand after he cools off, but then gets all fiery on the mic in his post-fight speech and nearly comes to blows with “King Mo,” who’d entered the cage for the traditional face-off.

• Quinton “Rampage” Jackson defeats Christian M’Pumbu by TKO (punches), Round One

Muhammed Lawal vs. Mikhail Zayats (Light-Heavyweight Tournament semifinal)

R1: Zayats attacks with a one-two a half-minute in. Lawal times a level change on Zayat’s next advance but has to settle for bombing a knee to the body when Zayats defends with wrist control and stands. Lawal breaks the collar and elbow clinch with a quick left hook to the chin. Zayats unreels a three-piece combo and follows with a high kick but nothing’s doing.

Blast jab from King Mo. Short inside low kick from Zayats. More jabs from Lawal, who fakes a level change and nearly eats a monster right from the Russian. Zayats ducks under Mo’s heavy straight right but can’t secure the single leg. Clean jab lands for Lawal. Zayats glances with a right hand. Lawal’s hands starting to drop as he pressures with combos at the bell. Both landed effectively but Lawal landed a few more meaningful shots in a razor-thin round. 10-9 Lawal.

R2: Not much cookin’ a minute into the second until Zayats backs Lawal up with an explosive flurry. Lawal tries to time a duck-under single leg but can’t finish it. Zayats has a left high kick blocked. Lawal again counters Zayats’ incoming flurry with a level change but whiffs on a big uppercut as Zayats regains his footing. Zayats gets a warning for grabbing the cage after Lawal works on an ankle pick.

Zayats labors back to his feet but eats a pair of heavy knees to the ribcage on his way up. Lawal again swoops under Zayats’ punches for a single leg that the Russian slips out of. The crowd murmurs their displeasure at the even pace. Lawal lunges in with a left hook to the liver. While nothing monumental has landed, Lawal’s driving pace has diminished Zayats’ offensive output. Zayats lands a right downstairs. 10-9 Lawal.

R3: Hard low kick lands for Zayats. Mo shoots a single leg from outside that Zayats shrugs off easily. Front kick to the body from Zayats. Mo drops down for a double leg and pins Zayats on the fence, then spins around behind him, threatening to take back mount. Zayats gets both feet underneath him but Lawal again punishes him with knees throughout the process. More knees from Mo with Zayats sandwiched on the cage.

Zayats spins free and takes a few noticeably deep breaths. Step-in right from Lawal. Zayats shoots a sloppy takedown that Lawal side-steps. Mo jabs. Zayats has another left high kick blocked. Zayats cleaves a short right hand that Lawal blocks with a thud. No dice on the spinning back fist from Zayats nor the takedown attempt from Lawal. 10-9 Lawal for a 30-27 that doesn’t reflect how close this fight was (I originally had R1 as 10-10 but changed it to Lawal).

• Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal defeats Mikhail Zayats by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)

Matt Bessette vs. Diego Nunes (Featherweight Tournament quarterfinal)

R1: They both come out swinging — Nunes unreels a pair of wide hooks with both hands and Bessette lands straight inside punches. Bessette lands an outside low kick after switching stances. Nunes having trouble finding his range against the longer fighter. Nunes ties up and hits a takedown, falling into Bessette’s full guard.
Bessette defends well and boots Nunes away with both feet, creating enough space to stand back up.

Nunes gets the front headlock during the scramble but can’t finagle a guillotine choke. Quite a busy pace to this scrap. Bessette catches a Nunes kick and beautifully tags him with a punch and nearly sweeps out his support leg with the follow-up low kick. Bessette charges after landing the counter-combo but eats a jumping knee, and Nunes finishes the frame on top.That’s a close one but I’ll go 10-9 Nunes.

R2: Nunes pings a left hand off Bessette’s chin and finds the mark on his next flurry. Nunes whiffs a left high kick and has a left body kick shield-blocked. Bessette times a knee to the body but Nunes clocks him with a left hook.
Bessette lobs a left hook wide while charging forward and stuns Nunes with a right hook. Nunes goes on roller-skates for a moment but gathers his wits shortly after.

Left front kick and spinning back kick from Nunes. Nunes hurls a huge overhand right that Bessette blocks.
Bessette catches Nunes again but Nunes lands a counter left hook. A left high kick from Nunes is blocked but lands with a crack. Nunes gets ballsy with a spinning back kick and two hooks while Bessette’s on the cage.Nunes tries another jump knee that misses but gets another late-round takedown. Back and forth round there — Bessette had the one big moment but Nunes was a little more effective overall. 10-10.

R3: They’re a little more hesitant to start the last stanza. Punches start flying a minute in, with Nunes closing the gap and heaving power from his waist, bordering on getting sloppy. Bessette is judicious in the counter-striking role and stinging back but not as busy. Bessette misses a lead low kick but follows up with a right to the breadbasket. Nunes lunging in with massive power hooks — it’s hard to tell what’s landing and what’s being blocked, but he’s squeezing the trigger more often and with more thunder.

Nunes continues his fearless assault and Bessette offense suffers as he’s forced to defend the Brazilian’s head-hunting.
Bessette sneaks in a jab and a straight left. More bull-rushing from Nunes. Head kick glances off for Bessette at the bell. Another close round in which I give Nunes a slight edge. 10-9 Nunes for a 30-28 on my card.

• Matt Bessette defeats Diego Nunes by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)

Desmond Green vs. Mike Richman (Featherweight Tournament quarterfinal)

R1: Big John McCarthy will watch-dog our featherweight opener. Richman comes out with a busy right hand, circling away from the power-hand when Green returns fire. Green accidentally pokes Richman in the eye while pushing him away with loose fingers. Richman’s ready to roll a minute later and plugging his right hand in Green’s face. Green shoots twice but Richman shrugs off both shots with balance and head control.

Richman casts an outside low kick and loses his footing, then gets taken down momentarily after Green capitalizes on the stumble. Green throwing hands back but they don’t have the accuracy or zing of Richman’s. Half-power outside low kick from Green. Green double jabs and fakes a level change; Richman unwinds a one-one-two and closes the combo downstairs. Green sneaks in a stiff right jab at the end of the round. 10-9 Richman for his striking via volume and effectiveness.

R2: They trade jabs to open the second frame. Green looks more comfortable on the feet in countering Richman with a retreating right hook but he can’t get the double leg. Green stays connected after both throw combinations and manages to slip behind Richman, holding the rear waist lock. Hard knees to the hamstring and thigh from Green. Richman posts to avoid a Green knee to the head and Green counters nicely by pivoting into top position.

Richman defends well and stays active from his guard, disallowing any meaningful ground-and-pound and forcing Green to hustle just to maintain position. He does, and eventually passes to side control though little offense was registered or attempted. 10-9 Green.

R3: Both southpaws once again look to establish their jabs, but it’s Richman tacking on follow up blows and piecing together more combos. Green changes levels and looks to have a single but Richman shrinks his hips away to negate it. Richman’s corkscrew straight left is answered by a short right from Green, both of which landed. Green stays busy with left circling as Richman continually presses forward.

Right hand from Richman. Then a short left. Green lands a glancing jab. Richman snaps a jab and lands a right to the body. More lefts and rights from Richman as Green stays on his bike. Green dabs Richman with a straight right in the closing moments. 10-9 Richman for a 29-28 his way on my card.

• Desmond Green defeats Mike Richman by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)

BELLATOR 110 Preliminary Card

(Bloody Elbow/Spike.com at 6:30 p.m. ET)