One week after Bellator’s Kimbo vs. Shamrock tentpole event, Bellator MMA is back with another event to close out June. The main event features former UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo against ex-Bellator HW champion Alexander Volkov, with both men coming off decision losses. In the co-main, David Rickels battles John Alessio in a lightweight clash. Also on the card are former featherweight champ Pat Curran and middleweight kickboxer Joe Schilling.
Feel free to check out the MMA Vivisection for Bellator 139, led by Zane Simon, Eddie Mercado, and Victor Rodriguez.
Bloody Elbow is your place to watch the preliminary card at 6:45 PM ET/3:45 PM PT. The video stream can be found at the top of the page. The Spike TV broadcast begins at 9 PM ET/PT (delayed to the West Coast) from Kansas. Complete results will be posted after the event is over.
Play-by-play is being done by none other than Mr. Dallas Winston! He’s here for a one-off return so give him a warm welcome back when the time comes.
Here’s a look at the bout order:
Main card (Spike TV at 9 PM ET)
Cheick Kongo vs. Alexander Volkov
Round 1: Both fighters look to establish range with long punches from distance. Kongo changes levels but can’t get in on the lanky Russian’s hips. They trade sharp jabs from range. Kongo halfheartedly reaches out for a single leg. Kongo grazes with a right to the head and Volkov answers with a right roundhouse kick. With Kongo on the fence, Volkov peels off a low kick, a right hand and a high kick. Kongo eats a straight jab while extending his arms for a double leg but does succeed in putting Volkov on the cage.
After three or four attempts to hoist him up, Kongo completes a power double halfway through the round. Volkov scoots his back on the fence with half guard but Kongo cradles his leg to prevent the escape. Volkov takes a knee and looks to stand but Kongo dumps him again. Short hammer-fists and a hard left elbow from Kongo on top, and the latter slashes open a cut on Volkov’s forehead. 10-9 Kongo.
Round 2: Kongo drives into Volkov’s hips early and has the former heavyweight champ on his back less than a minute in. Volkov, again in half guard, remains way too stationary as Kongo postures up to hurl down more punches and elbows. Kongo bases out wide in half guard and hammers strikes to Volkov’s exposed ribs. Still no apparent urgency from Volkov as he fights for posture and wrist control, and he succeeds enough to force a pause in Kongo’s methodical ground-and-pound. Volkov sits up and locks his hands in kimura position, nearly executing a sweep, but Kongo maintains control and finishes the round on top. 10-9 Kongo.
Round 3: This time the French Thai-boxer fearlessly plants Volkov on the canvas just 30 seconds in, then turns up the heat with his ground striking. Volkov gets wrist control and sits up on the fence; Kongo pinches Volkov’s knees together and drags him back flat. Volkov, searching for an answer, tries to cage walk but Kongo again cradles the leg to stifle the attempt. Kongo stacks the legs and dings Volkov with an elbow. Now a loose, desperation triangle attempt from Volkov but Kongo isn’t having it.
With two minutes left, Volkov is reduced to holding double wrist control with a closed guard, trying to coax a referee stand up. And it works. Kongo telegraphs an immediate takedown on the restart and Volkov goes back to the guillotine, then foolishly falls back for it. Kongo slips his head out and resumes the grind from on top. 10-9 Kongo for a clean 30-27 sweep on my card.
Official result:
Cheick Kongo defeats Alexander Volkov by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Round 1: Rickels lands a low kick, has a high kick blocked but lands another low, all in rhythm. They clinch and Alessio steers Rickels onto the cage. Rickels circles off and blasts Alessio with a heavy uppercut, then a beefy knee to the body. Rickels swarms Alessio, who covers up and jogs out of range. Rickels struts forward and wheels out a big high kick that Alessio blocks, but the thunderous impact is evident. Rickels walks Alessio down and pins him on the cage with a nasty flurry of heaters.
Alessio, hurt, goes down to both knees and Rickels gets pounces for the finish, but gets overzealous with an illegal knee to the head. Referee Rob Hinds is all over it and separates the fighters to check on the dazed Alessio. Despite a few minutes to recover and with the advice of the ring-side doctor, referee Rob Hinds deems Alessio unable to continue and waves the fight off.
Official result:
No Contest (unintentional knee to grounded opponent) R2 2:24
Joe Schilling vs. Hisaki Kato
Round 1: Kato plants a left roundhouse kick under the ribs of Schilling. Schilling responds with a right roundhouse and it lands with a dull thud. Kato expresses his distaste for the blow by charging Schilling with windmill punches to set up a takedown. Schilling establishes his guard but gets warned twice by Rob Hinds for punches to the back of the head. Kato’s corner clearly barks, “He hates it on the ground!” as Schilling tries to work a high guard.
Kato is warned for an ill-placed strike and then again for grabbing the cage from on top. Kato bases down and smothers Schilling with pestering but ineffective punches, and Schilling can only muster a loose triangle that Kato shakes off. The boos start to echo with 30 seconds left. Schilling escapes and Kato plugs him with an uppercut in the final seconds. 10-9 Kato.
Round 2: Kato puts himself on the map by jogging forward and looking down to feint with a low kick before coming high with a Superman punch. Schilling crumples into unconsciousness.
Official result:
Hisaki Kato defeats Joe Schilling by KO (Superman punch) R2 0:34
Pat Curran vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
Round 1: Curran draws first blood with a crisp uppercut/left hook combo. Sanchez connects on an outside low kick. Curran plunges a stomp kick to the knee and follows up with a right high kick that’s blocked.Curran backpedals and stings with cautious flurries from range. Sanchez uncorks a succession of hooks but Curran gets his gloves in front of them.
Right hand and then a quick jab lands for Curran as Sanchez continues to walk him down. Sanchez deflects a Curran combo down low, then another up high. Outside low kick lands for Sanchez. Now another to the upper thigh. Sanchez goads Curran with some fancy footwork and the former champion bobs his head back with a sharp salvo. Another low kick lands outside for Sanchez. 10-9 Curran.
Round 2: Sanchez opens strong with a one-two and a high kick, then the fighters accidentally clash heads during a mutual flurries. Sanchez gets the worst of it, suffering a deep gash above his left eyebrow. Curran hits a smooth single leg on the restart but can’t capitalize before Sanchez escapes. Side-step right hook lands for Curran. Sanchez continues to attack with low kicks though he’s not really committing on delivery.
Curran reverts to his methodical counter-punching with Sanchez taking the lead with a high pace and busy output. Sanchez charges with a one-two and closes the combo with a low kick to the thigh. Curran fakes a level change and Sanchez dots him with a cross. Curran stings with a counter on the next exchange and Sanchez plugs him with a heavy right in the following collision, causing Curran to either slip or buckle from the impact. Curran hits another single to close the round. 10-10.
Round 3: After about a minute of even exchanges, Curran clinches up and hits an outside trip. He’s patient in maintaining control before passing to half guard and slashing with a few arcing elbows. Sanchez steadies himself and gets good posture control with full guard but Curran snatches up a topside guillotine, then takes the back of Sanchez during his escape. Curran fights for the mata leao but Sanchez’s defense is feisty and effective. He escapes in the waning moments of the round and the exchange shots on the cage. 10-9 Curran. I have it 30-28 his way.
Official Result:
Pat Curran defeats Emmanuel Sanchez by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Preliminary card (Bloody Elbow, 6:45 PM ET)
Bubba Jenkins defeats Joe Wilk by TKO R2
Augusto Sakai defeats Daniel Gallemore by TKO (retirement) R2
Bryanna Fissori defeats Iony Razafiarison by unanimous decision
Alex Huddleston defeats Javy Ayala by submission (rear-naked choke) R1
Bobby Cooper defeats Pablo Villaseca by split decision
Gaston Reyno defeats Greg Scott by submission (guillotine) R1
Derek Bohi vs. Frederick Brown
Marcio Navarro vs. Cody Carrillo
Aaron Ely vs. Jeimeson Saudino
About the author
