Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz - live results, play by play, discussion

Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for live results, play by play and discussion as Bellator 141 takes flight from the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA.

Experienced striker Melvin Guillard meets Brandon Girtz in the lightweight headliner while Saad Awad, the first and only fighter to tarnish lightweight champion Will Brooks’ record, clashes with Patricky “Pitbull” Freire. Also on the card: former TUF’er Justin Wren draws Josh Burns in a heavyweight clash and, also in the heavyweight class, Raphael Butler faces Lorenzo Hood.

The sturdy preliminary card features watch-worthy talent such as Marloes Coenen, Derek Anderson and Emiliano Sordi. Live play by play will commence with the Spike TV main card at 9 p.m. ET; the preliminary card will stream live and free on Bloody Elbow at approximately 7:45 p.m. ET.

Main Card

Brandon Girtz vs. Melvin Guillard

R1: Girtz tags Guillard with an overhand left and then grabs a body lock, taking Guillard down. Guillard pops back up but Girtz repeats the process to re-ground Guillard, landing in side mount. Left elbows to the body for Girtz on top, now a knee to the body. Girtz isolates the right arm of Guillard in what might be a paintbrush attempt. He loses his grip and goes back to digging left elbows to Guillard’s ribs.

Girtz goes back to the Americana and wrenches it but loses his grip again. More elbows from Girtz to tenderize Guillard’s body, who is noticeably content to chill out on his back. Now it’s right back-elbows to the head of Guillard from Girtz, still in side control. More knees to the body. Girtz alternating between knees and elbows while Guillard merely lies stationary and takes it. 10-8 Girtz for almost five straight minutes of positional dominance with zero offense from Guillard.

R2: Guillard stings with a counter left after a hesitant start on both sides. Girtz hits an angle and unloads two heavy shots, again landing with the right and following up with a body-lock slam. Guillard is able to wriggle free before Girtz can stabilize and they reset on the feet. Girtz digs a lead left into the body of Guillard.

Guillard, with a left eye nearly swollen shut, walks Girtz into the corner but doesn’t fire his hands. He does on the second encounter but can’t connect and Girtz dings him with a retreating right hand on the third engagement. Now Guillard catches Girtz square with a straight right. Girtz gets in on Melvin’s hips and tosses him with another body-lock throw but Guillard is quickly back to his feet. Girtz lands a right hand to close the round. 10-9 Girtz.

R3: Guillard lands a short check hook but Girtz follows his flurry with a double-leg takedown, and Guillard’s on his back quickly. Girtz triangles his legs in half-guard to keep Guillard in place and bases down to prevent an escape. After he’s stabilized, Girtz starts chipping away with short right hands. Girtz baits with a guard pass to open up a kimura attempt but Guillard slips free and gets a full, closed guard.

Girtz staying just busy enough with punches to avoid a standup. Guillard, unable to create space in his closed guard, starts to futilely throw punches from his back. They’re stood up with 90 seconds left and Guillard jumps on Girtz with a step-in knee, then a searing flurry with his hands. Girtz is hurt and retreating; Guillard marches into striking range and keeps leather in Girtz’s face. Girtz hits a reactive takedown and closes the round on top. 10-9 Guillard. I have it 29-27 Girtz.

Brandon Girtz defeats Melvin Guillard by split decision (29-27 x 2, 28-29)

Saad Awad vs. Patricky Freire

R1: Awad lands first with a light inside low kick 40 seconds in. Freire answers with a harder one. Awad goes high with a left kick but it’s blocked. Awad checks an inside low kick. Freire goes inside with a kick to the thigh. Awad glances with a check hook but he’s stuffed on the level change.

Freire whiffs with a spinning back fist. Awad has a jumping high kick blocked and loses his footing momentarily. Freire ducks under a hook and hits a single leg but Awad pops right back up and breaks the clinch. Back in open space, Awad has two kicks blocked, then pulls back on a knee stomp. They trade low kicks and Freire misses with a flying knee. Awad clinches and puts Freire on the fence, looking for a high crotch. 10-10 round for even offense.

R2: Awad continues to attack with kicks from range. Freire tags him with a right hand and backs him off. Awad shells on two wild hooks from Freire. Awad stings with a pair of quick rights in the pocket. Freire again ducks under an Awad combo with a single leg and Awad nearly makes an amazing transition to back control, but is forced to work a closed guard with Freire on top.

Good posture and head control from Awad to stifle Freire’s strike attempts. Awad boots him off and zings an up-kick past Freire’s head before he dives back into guard. Awad clears space again with both heels to the chest and this time scrambles to his feet, then separates. Awad grazes with a right hook and lands an uppercut flush. Now a left kick to the body for Awad though it lands with the toes. Awad cracks him with an odd-angle right. 10-9 Awad.

R3: Freire draws first blood in the final round with a stiff outside low kick. Freire throws a heavy combo but it looks to land on Awad’s forearms. Retreating check hook lands lightly for Awad. Freire throws heavy again, catching Awad with a hook to the liver. Freire leads again with hooks to the body and they’re landing just below Awad’s elbows. Freire, seemingly growing in confidence, leads the next few exchanges with headhunting combos though nothing lands clean.

Awad starts to work his jab from distance to keep Freire at bay. Awad misses on a counter left elbow but scores with a glancing right. Freire heaving power shots that bounce off Awad’s guard with a thud. Freire’s output alone is keeping Awad on the defense and limiting offensive opportunities. They trade jabs. Freire with a left hook downstairs, then one high. Freire shoots to close the round but ends up eating a few elbows to the head from the sprawling Awad. 10-9 Freire. I have it a 29-29 draw.

Patricky Freire defeats Saad Awad by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)

Josh Burns vs. Justin Wren

R1: Wren closes the distance behind a short jab, then unloads a one-two but gets countered with a clean right by Burns. They clinch up with Wren looking to go hip-to-hip as Burns tries to keep space and disengage. Wren steers him onto the fence with the over-under, landing a pair of hard knees to the gut. Burns sneaks in a short uppercut but can’t get off the fence. Referee Jason Herzog splits them up at the 3:00 minute mark.

Wren leads with a right hook to the body. Wren tags Burns with consecutive right hands, then shoves him back into the fence and lands a body knee. The next knee might’ve landed low and Burns motions to the ref, who didn’t see it. The fight goes on and Wren lands two more stiff knees to the midsection. Wren lands a knee to the armpit and then separates with a flurry that Burns counters with a glancing right. Wren bull-rushes Burns with a level change but then lands a right over the top. 10-9 Wren.

R2: Wren follows a decoy left into the clinch but Burns spins off the fence right away this time. Wren locks his hands in the over-under and spins Burns onto the fence. Burns lands a left to the body and Wren tries a lateral drop but can’t complete it. Back on the feet, Wren lands a straight right. They trade glancing left hooks.

Wren lands a one-two but Burns slips in a sneaky right counter. Wren misses on a one-two but bombs a quick up-knee from the double necktie that wobbles Burns. Wren swarms with heavy punches but Burns recovers well and quickly. Wren goes back to work on the feet with hefty right hands and more body knees from the clinch. Now a pair of nasty left knees to the ribs of Burns. Burns, showing a big heart, just slugs his way out of Wren’s clinch and they both throw hands to close the frame. 10-9 Wren.

R3: The battered Burns is checked by the doc in between rounds and cleared to go. Wren opens with an outside low kick. Burns answers with short bursts of sharp punches. Wren forces a clinch and glances with a knee to the head as Burns puts him on the fence. They stalemate and are restarted in the center. Inside low kick to the thigh lands for Burns. And another. Wren misses a right cross but again snatches the double collar tie and lands a hard knee downstairs.

Burns counters with a body lock and nearly hits an outside trip. Wren circles off the cage and lands a short left forearm, then a knee to the body on the break. Now another outside low kick cracks home for Wren, then a right hand. Wren goes to southpaw and lands a hook-cross combo. Another right bounces off Burns’ jaw. Burns turns it on in the final seconds, landing some heavy shots, but it’s too little and too late. 10-9 Wren. I have it 30-27 Wren.

Justin Wren defeats Josh Burns by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26 x 2)

Arlene Blencowe vs. Marloes Coenen

R1: After a tense staredown, the ladies trade leg kicks and then combinations. They clinch up with Blancowe scoring a knee to the body. Coenen gets in on a single leg and finishes it, landing in side mount. Blancowe scrambles to turtle position and Coenen takes her back with one hook in. Now both hooks in and we’re just 90 seconds deep in the round. A few distracting punches from Coenen between short right hands from back mount.

Now with the body triangle, Coenen continues to hammer away at Blancowe’s head with right punches and hammer-fists. Blancowe goes belly up and tries to spin into the guard of Coenen to no avail. Coenen loses one hook but stays on Blancowe’s back, then goes to side control as Blancowe turtles. A knee to the ribs from Coenen, and another before transitioning back to back mount with the body triangle cinched. 10-8 Coenen for positional domination and zero offense from Blancowe.

R2: Blancowe opens with an aggressive one-two but eats a counter right from Coenen. Blancowe catches Coenen with her next outburst, and again on the following, both rights. Coenen forces a clinch and deftly slides behind Blancowe into the rear waist lock, then falls back to regain back mount. Coenen gets a tad overzealous by pursuing an armbar from back mount and Blancowe shakes her off — they reset on the feet.

It’s Blancowe this time who clinches and hits a takedown, but she backs out as soon as Coenen stabilizes her guard. They restart in the center at the halfway mark with Blancowe tagging Coenen in the pocket with short shots. Coenen ducks under a combo and hits an easy takedown, then immediately sits back for an armbar. Blancowe seems to be out of trouble until Coenen readjusts and goes belly-down to finish the submission.