Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for live results, streaming video of the preliminary card and detailed play by play as Bellator 130: Newton vs. Vassell takes flight from the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas.
The altogether atypical Emanuel Newton defends his 205-pound crown from the eager clutches of hefty UK grappler Linton Vassell in the headliner while heavyweights Bobby Lashley and Karl Etherington battle in the co-main position. Also on the main card: multifaceted vet Marloes Coenen draws Italian talent Annalisa Bucci in a women’s featherweight bout and Olympic Judoka Rick Hawn returns to lightweight to welcome the underrated Dave Jansen back to action.
The full Bellator 130 lineup and schedule follows.
Bellator 130 Main Card
Emanuel Newton vs. Linton Vassell — LHW Championship
R1: Newton slings an overhand right. Vassell holds his ground and counters Newton’s kicking attack by sitting down on a sharp one-two. No dice on Newton’s spinning roundhouse kick. Outside right kick to the thigh lands for Vassell, who then starts to combine his reach and jab for an effective distance game. Vassell digs a short right kick to the ribs. Thus far, Vassell’s imposing range is nullifying Newton’s spinning attacks.
Vassell follows behind a kick to clinch up; he goes for the guillotine and Newton counters with a high single. Vassell smoothly counters it with a sit-out, then shoots for a deep double leg while Newton’s on the fence. Vassell brilliantly teleports to mount and then back mount when Newton spins out. Vassell cinches on the body triangle for full back control and starts fishing for the rear-naked choke. He can’t get it under the chin so he lets go to throw punches, allowing Newton to scramble into top position. Vassell rolls him with a kimura sweep to regain position, and, soon after, puts Newton back down to conclude a back-and-forth scramble. Newton gets bold while escaping and Vassell takes his back again; now Newton reverses position and ends the round in back mount. Lotta action there. 10-9 Vassell.
R2: Newton looks for a few side kicks and then shoots during Vassell’s responding right kick. Vassell fends it off momentarily with the front headlock but Newton puts him down after readjusting and exploding. Vassell, showing unreal grappling savvy, rolls him instantly with a tight kimura sweep but this time maintains control and nearly forces Newton to tap from the hold. Newton straightens his arm and twists it free, taking a knee and looking for the back ride. Vassell, however, has held onto the single leg and uses it to reverse position.
Side mount for Vassell, who’s now looking for the crucifix. It’s a wide and heavy base for Vassell in side control with a few punches and elbows sprinkled in. Newton rolls onto his hip to create space but Vassell steps over into full mount, then takes the back again when Newton spins out. One hook in for Vassell as Newton hand-fights the choke. Vassell slips in the second hook and laces up another choke, again coming close to a full cinch. Newton calmly hand-fights it off and, amazingly, repeats the first-round conclusion by taking Vassell’s back to close the frame. 10-9 Vassell.
R3: Newton tries to counter Vassell’s kick with a spinning kick and it glances off the chest. Newton’s next kick accidentally lands low and we pause. On the restart, Newton whiffs with a spinning kick and can’t find his range with a step-in right. Lead left cross lands for Newton, then a pawing right hand from an odd angle. Newton counter clinches on a Vassell kick and takes him down with a body lock, and keeps it while moving to the back.
Quarter nelson and right hands from Newton until Vassell goes back to the kimura as his bailout; he’s unable to sweep with it but he does shake Newton off his back. It’s a high half guard for Newton … too high, as Vassell sweeps him with a butterfly hook. Newton rolls into turtle and carefully stands in Vassell’s front headlock. They both pursue takedowns in the 50/50 clinch but Vassell’s strength and leverage prevail. 10-9 Newton but it was close.
R4: Newton gets in on a single and sweeps out Vassell’s supporting leg for the takedown. Cross-face forearms from Newton in half guard, then rights to the body. Pressure-release elbows from Newton after posturing up. Closed half-guard from Vassell, who’s inactive for the first time in the fight. Vassell regains full guard after a short struggle but Newton passes right back into half. Vassell retains full guard and closes it. Sharp elbow from Newton on top. Newton sits up and lands an elbow to the gut. Vassell looks to roll out but Newton stays attached and closes the round throwing punches. 10-9 Newton.
R5: Vassell dives on a double-leg to start the final stanza but Newton sprawls out, then spins into back control. With no hooks, Newton pounces on a rear-naked choke and cinches it tight under the chin, forcing Vassell to tap.
- Emanuel Newton defeats Linton Vassell by submission (rear-naked choke) 0:47 R5
Karl Etherington vs. Bobby Lashley
R1: Etherington heaves a heavy left hand and they collide in the over-under clinch. Lashley pivots on his underhook to swing Etherington into the fence. Wrist control for Lashley to clear space for a knee to the body but Etherington’s counter knee smacks off Lashley’s cup. The ref intervenes but Lashley is ready to roll almost immediately.
They restart in open space and Etherington follows behind two lead rights to put Lashley on the fence. Lashley steps back and it looks to off-balance Etherington, allowing a vicious hail of right hands from Lashley in back mount. The torrent continues until referee Rob Hinds steps in to wave it off. The replay reveals that Etherington tapped during the barrage.
- Bobby Lashley defeats Karl Etherington by submission (punches) 1:31 R1
Annalisa Bucci vs. Marloes Coenen
R1: They collide in the center and Coenen immediately ties on a body lock and hits an outside trip, falling into half guard. Coenen keeps control with the front headlock when Bucci tries to stand and then transitions to back control after retaining half guard. One hook in for Coenen as Bucci looks to slip out the back door, which prompts Coenen to slide out of back control into an armbar attempt. Good composure from Bucci, who gathers her base and hand-fights her way out of the arm lock.
Coenen closes her guard and throws punches after establishing posture control. Coenen lands a prolonged series of light but pestering punches off her back until they stalemate and Big John McCarthy stands them up. Lead left hook scores for Coenen, who follows after it to clinch up. She goes back to the body lock but Bucci pummels to get an underhook and defend. Coenen drops a level and off-balances Bucci with a takedown. She gets in high half guard and isolates an arm but can’t pursue anything before the bell sounds. 10-9 Coenen.
R2: Coenen knifes inside to secure another body lock and hits a trip shortly after. Bucci closes her guard and looks for wrist and head control. Coenen jack-hammers a right hand. And another but it’s partially blocked. Bucci seems content to wait for the stand up with her closed guard work but Coenen increases her activity when the ref warns a stand up, stacking and then clearing the legs to fire a down a right. Coenen sacrifices position in the ensuing scramble while pursuing another arm lock but Bucci buries her head in Coenen’s chest rather than capitalize on top position.
Bucci manages a few blocked strikes before Coenen hits a slick sweep, isolating an arm in the transition. Bucci protects her arm and regains top position in the process, but is again unable to mount any offense in Coenen’s guard. Coenen shows excellent control with a closed guard and mixture of blocking and striking from her back. 10-9 Coenen.
R3: Bucci grazes Coenen with a horizontal elbow in the opening flurry but Coenen goes back to the body-lock/trip combo to ground Bucci early. Bucci stays feisty and rolls onto a knee during Coenen’s pass attempt but Coenen uses the whizzer while pushing down on the head to maintain her balance and then transitions to the rear-naked choke. Coenen craftily slips in a hook to get the unorthodox tapout via half-guard rear-naked choke.
- Marloes Coenen defeats Annalisa Bucci by submission (rear-naked choke) 0:57 R3
Rick Hawn vs. Dave Jansen
R1: Inside low kick from Jansen, then he cracks one outside. Another inside low kick. And another; Hawn isn’t checking any so far. Hawn anticipates the next low kick and steps inside to catch the kick and fire a salvo of short rights before disengaging. Now Hawn checks the inside low kick, then blocks Jansen’s left high kick. Pivoting left hook scores for Hawn but Jansen answers back with a right. Another pair of low kicks from Jansen followed by a third kick that chops into Hawn’s leg.
Quick counter combo glances for Hawn. Grazing outside low kick from Jansen, who’s finding success with endless kick from the fringe while staying out of Hawn’s boxing range. Hawn rushes with a combo but Jansen circles away. They both unload with a combo and land clean. Jansen tries an axe kick to close the round but Hawn dodges it. 10-9 Jansen.
R2: Jansen flashes his hands to set up an inside low kick and connects flush. Jansen sustains his low kick output with a good 4-5 in a row from distance. Jansen corners Hawn and lets his hands go but Hawn clips him with another off-tempo step-in right. Jansen sends Hawn’s lead leg flying with another nasty low kick, which prompts Hawn to spring forward and time Jansen’s next kick attempt with a clean right that knocks Jansen off balance. Jansen lands a low kick but Hawn’s counter finds his chin shortly after.
They reset and Jansen lands a low kick outside. Hawn catches the next one and tries to flurry with rights but Jansen regains his balance with the Thai plum and shucks him off. Stomp kick to the thigh from Jansen. Jansen scores with a left low kick and left body kick in sequence. A kick inside, outside and high from Jansen. Hawn catches the next kick but is again unable to capitalize. Jansen continues to tenderize the leg and then gets crafty with a chambered side kick to the head. 10-9 Jansen.
R3: Jansen pesters from the fringe with kicks but now starts to step into boxing range, starting with a searing overhand right that misses. Jansen catches Hawn with a left hook and follows up with a pair of knees to the body in the clinch. Jansen stays on the trigger with kicks, throwing a low roundhouse and another stomp kick to the knee after missing with an axe kick. Hawn flings out a right high kick but has his supporting leg swept out by a Jansen low kick.
They collide and land mutual right crosses. Jansen’s short, clubbing overhand slips through Hawn’s guard. Clipping left hook from Jansen. The knowledgeable and sportsmanlike crowd howls with a few boos. Jansen stays busy with lead-leg kicks and continue to follow up with punches, now landing a right hook downstairs. Spinning back fist from Hawn as time and his chances dwindle. A pair of jabs and a high kick close the round for him but Jansen defends well. 10-9 Jansen, which gives him a clean sweep on my card.
- Dave Jansen defeats Rick Hawn by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x 2)
Preliminary Card Results
Ricky Musgrave defeats Joe Wilk by TKO (punches) 2:45 R1
Marcio Navarro defeats Cody Carrillo by submission (strikes) 2:13 R3
Daniel Gallemore defeats Gzim Selmani by TKO (punches) 4:33 R2
Sam Oropeza defeats Gary Tapusoa by TKO (punches) 2:31 R1
Darrion Caldwell defeats Anthony Dizy by unanimous decision
Aaron Derrow defeats Nate Jolly by unanimous decision
Alex Huddleston defeats Derek Bohi by TKO (punches) 4:04 R1