Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for live coverage and detailed play-by-play as Bellator: Dynamite 1 unfolds from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. This MMA and kickboxing hybrid event will feature bouts between both Bellator (MMA) and Glory (kickboxing) fighters competing in their respective martial arts.
The headliner pits newly christened champion Liam McGeary against the incomparable Tito Ortiz for the Bellator light-heavyweight championship. The show will open with a pair semifinal bouts in the four-man Light-Heavyweight Tournament: Phil Davis vs. Emanuel Newton and Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal vs. Linton “The Swarm” Vassell. The winner of each semifinal bout will face off in the co-main event to determine the tournament champion.
Also on the main card: Glory light-heavyweight gold is at stake when Saulo Cavalari rematches Zack Mwekassa, crafty lightweight Josh Thompson makes his promotional debut opposite Mike Bronzoulis, MMA sluggers Paul Daley and Fernando Gonzalez will square off in a Glory kickboxing bout, and Keri Melendez — the wife of UFC lightweight Gilbert Melendez — draws Hadley Griffith in a Glory featherweight kickboxing match.
The preliminary card, which is also a mash-up of MMA and kickboxing, is replete with 13 bouts and will stream live and free on Bloody Elbow. The full lineup and schedule follows. Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for Bellator: Dynamite 1 preview and picks.
Bellator: Dynamite 1 Main Card (SpikeTV at 9 p.m. ET)
R1: Ortiz doubles up on his jab and lands the second. Ortiz heaves a one-two but follows behind it with a single leg; he half-completes it as McGeary falls back for a sacrifice guillotine. Ortiz slips his head out and tries to peel McGeary off the cage. Ortiz finagles wrist control and gets the seatbelt, then pops McGeary in the head with a left. Now a trifecta of hard lefts to the head from Ortiz.
Ortiz goes to the body lock to prevent McGeary from sitting up on the cage, dragging him to his back. McGeary floats a leg up high, close to omoplata position, but Ortiz slips his head out and passes to side mount. McGeary goes for the unorthodox armbar while side-mounted and nearly gets it. Now McGeary slings a leg over and gets in inverted triangle position, and amazingly forces the tapout.
Liam McGeary defeats Tito Ortiz by submission (inverted triangle) R1 4:41
Francis Carmont (alternate) vs. Phil Davis (LHW Tourney Finals)
R1: After a prolonged, tentative start on both sides, Davis uncorks a leaping left hook that crumples Carmont. And that’s that.
Phil Davis defeats Francis Carmont by KO (punch) R1 2:15
Saulo Cavalari vs. Zack Mwekassa (Glory LHW championship)
R1: Cavalari opens with a strong front kick and a left outside low kick. His high kick is blocked but he slips the left kick under the arm and into Mwekassa’s ribs. Mwekassa’s huge overhand glances off the face of Cavalari. Mwekassa with alternating hooks to the body. Both fighters throwing with bad intentions. Mwekassa doubles up on his jab, then doubles up on left hooks to the body. Cavalari lands a left body kick, then an outside low kick. 10-9 Mwekassa.
R2: Cavalari comes out plunging a volley of straight and roundhouse kicks, backing Mwekassa up. Mwekassa clinches to stifle the barrage and they separate. Cavalari uncorks a right roundhouse kick to the head and Mwekassa goes down; the commentary team calls it a slip but I’m not entirely convinced. Mwekassa lets his hands go and they clinch; confusion ensues when the ref suddenly splits the fighters and takes a point from Cavalari for holding. Mwekassa goes hard to the body with punches. Cavalari backs him off with heavy check hook. 10-9 Cavalari; 9-9 with the point deduction.
R3: Mwekassa stalking Cavalari with big punches. Mwekassa checks two kicks and goes to the body with alternating hooks. They trade low kicks with Cavalari’s looking to dig in a little deeper. Cavalari closes his combo with a right outside low kick. Cavalari lands an outside low kick, then closes his combo with a sweeping roundhouse kick to the head; Mwekassa feigns being stunned to play it off. 10-9 Cavalari.
R4: Mwekassa continues to keep a steady hum-drum of leather in Cavalari’s face, forcing him to defend. Mwekassa closes his one-two with a hook downstairs. Right body kick from Mwekassa and it’s answered with a low kick from Cavalari. Cavalari scores with a clean right to the face. Cavalari catches a Mwekassa kick and sweeps out his support leg. Mwekassa is busier but Cavalari seems to be landing more. 10-9 Cavalari.
R5: Cavalari’s front kick slips through Mwekassa’s guard. A pair of low kicks score for Cavalari. Mwekassa, possibly out of gas, is just marching forward and launching punches, then clinching. Cavalari knocks out Mwekassa’s mouthpiece. Cavalari turns it up, leading the exchanges. Mwekassa snaps his head back with a right hand. Tornado kick from Cavalari is blocked but he knocks Mwekassa off balance with a crushing inside low kick. 10-9 Cavalari. I have it 48-46 Cavalari.
Saulo Cavalari defeats Zack Mwekassa by majority decision (48-46 x2, 47-47)
Josh Thomson vs. Mike Bronzoulis
R1: Bronzoulis glances with a pair of low kicks. Thomson lands a shot on the bull-rush. Inside low kick lands for Bronzoulis. Thomson sneaks in a low kick counter to the Bronzoulis one-two. Bronzoulis comes up just short on his next offering, then slips on a spinning kick. Thomson clinches up and hits an outside trip, landing in the full guard of Bronzoulis.
Thomson pinches the knees together but can’t pass to mount. Bronzoulis regains guard but Thomson pinches the knees again; this time Bronzoulis goes cross-knee to prevent the pass. Thomson into half guard, then immediately into side control. Now he’s in full mount with Bronzoulis’ legs triangled to keep him flat. Thomson grinds away with a few short shots but nothing significant gets through. 10-9 Thomson.
R2: Thomson scores with a left outside low kick. Bronzoulis rushes him and is met with a flurry of hooks and uppercuts from Thomson. Bronzoulis clinches and puts Thomson on the fence; Thomson cleverly circles off and slips behind Bronzoulis with the rear waist lock. The takedown follows soon after and Thomson is already in half guard and looking to mount. Thomson slices into side mount.
Bronzoulis turns out and looks for a counter single leg but Thomson anticipates it and gets the half back-ride. Bronzoulis turtles and explodes for a counter double leg and it gives him enough space to stand back up. Thomson smoothly returns to the rear waist cinch and fires a knee to the hamstring. Bronzoulis spins to face Thomson and they break. Bronzoulis whiffs an uppercut but glances with a right before he’s taken back down. Knee-pinch pass again for Thomson who goes to full mount. 10-9 Thomson.
R3: Thomson hits an early takedown and seemingly teleports into arm-triangle position. The transition was lightning quick and he forces the tap.
Josh Thomson defeats Mike Bronzoulis by submission (arm triangle) R3 0:39
Paul Daley vs. Fernando Gonzalez (Glory)
R1: Daley lands a nasty outside low kick as Gonzalez unwinds his first combo. Two right roundhouse kicks from Daley are deflected by Gonzalez. Daley lands a right roundhouse kick to the ribs. Gonzalez comes up short on his one-two. Left hook gets through for Gonzalez. Hook to liver lands for Daley. Gonzalez answers in kind. Two kicks to the upper thigh are there for Daley. Gonzalez lands a straight left. 10-9 Daley but not by much.
R2: Sharp jab lands for Daley, who then closes his combo with a snapping low kick. Straight left downstairs for Gonzalez. Daley grazes with a body kick as Gonzalez does with another left. Right roundhouse kick to the body is there for Daley. Gonzalez connects with his hands twice in a row. Grazing low kick and knee to the head from Daley. Hook/straight combo glances for Gonzalez. Roundhouse kick to the upper thigh is there for Daley, then a right body kick. Clean right scores for Gonzalez. Daley lands another right body kick. 10-9 Daley.
R3: Daley attacks with a combo, landing a left hook. Gonzalez answers with two consecutive flurries of his own. Daley lands downstairs as Gonzalez counters with a left to the face. Gonzalez now looking to close range and brawl with punches, and it’s effective. Daley goes down but it looks like a slip. Gonzalez lands a jab and overhand right as Daley counters with a low kick. Gonzalez swarms Daley with a straight to the body and a left hook to the head. Now a left lands upstairs for Gonzalez. They close trading punches and Gonzalez looks to get the better of it. 10-9 Gonzalez. I have it 29-28 Daley.
Paul Daley defeats Fernando Gonzalez by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
Keri Melendez vs. Hadley Griffith (Glory)
R1: Undaunted by the height and reach disparity, Melendez comes out of the gate by closing her combo with a sharp low kick. A pair of front kicks from Melendez keep Griffith at bay. More rapid-fire combos from the busy Melendez as Griffith is yet to get off. Melendez uses her hand-speed advantage to punch her way into the clinch and land a few body knees with the single collar tie. Melendez, keeping her body and head off-center beautifully, lands a solid check hook. It’s all Melendez as she flits in and out of range behind a torrent of leather. Clean right lands for Melendez. More glancing punches and another knee from the clinch. 10-8 Melendez.
R2: Melendez opens with the same one-two combo, closing with the low kick. Melendez vaults into range while firing with both hands and glances with a knee. Low kick and teep land clean for Melendez. Griffith half-checks an outside low kick. Melendez goes high with a right kick and then fires a stomp kick to the knee — impressive variety. Melendez counters Griffith’s telegraphed kick with a roundhouse kick to the body. Melendez corners Griffith and lands a right, then a knee downstairs. Counter left is there for Melendez. Melendez throws another stomp kick to the knee and is warned by the ref. 10-8 Melendez.
R3: Melendez looks to be in fast-forward as she showers Griffith with a dynamic array of punches and kicks. Check hook, jab and an outside low kick land for Melendez. Melendez, perhaps wisely, slows her pace and goes to a more methodical attack. She follows a lead knee with a clean right cross. Left roundhouse kick to the body. Counter right for Melendez. Griffith lands a counter right. Inside low kick for Melendez. A pair of one-twos bounce off the chin of Griffith. 10-8 Melendez. I have it 30-24 Melendez.
Keri Melendez defeats Hadley Griffith by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)
Phil Davis vs. Emanuel Newton (LHW Tourney semifinals)
R1: Both fighters use kicks to feel out and establish distance but nothing solid lands in the first 90 seconds. Davis glances on a low kick as Newton does with a right hand. Davis ducks under Newton’s next combo and off-balances Newton, then gets the half back-ride briefly. Newton stands up and spins to face Davis but Davis sits him back down with a body-lock trip.
Davis lands in side mount and immediately isolates the far-side arm in kimura position. Davis steps over but Newton times his escape perfectly; Davis goes back to the back-ride as Newton looks to squirm free. Newtons fights his way back to his feet but is again grounded via Davis’ vice-like body lock. Newton grabs a counter single and Davis goes to the front headlock. Again, Newton stands up but goes back down. Newton sits his back up on the cage and Davis, in the same position he submitted Tim Boetsch, snatches a nasty kimura and wrenches it. Newton taps.
Winner: Phil Davis defeats Emanuel Newton by submission (kimura) R1 4:39
Muhammed Lawal vs. Linton Vassell (LHW Tourney semifinals)
R1: Vassell holding his range behind a long, probing jab. Lawal unloads a nasty right-hand counter and it puts Vassell on wobbly legs. Lawal is surprisingly patient and doesn’t pounce; it allows Vassell to clinch up and recover despite not completing his takedown attempt. Lawal snaps Vassell’s head back with another shot. Lead jab downstairs for Lawal, then he throws a cross/hook combo and lands the latter square. Vassell switching back and forth from traditional and orthodox stances but he’s yet to make his mark.
They trade jabs with Vassell staying in southpaw. Lawal checks an outside low kick. Lawal connects on another lead right and Vassell clinches defensively. Nice knee to the body from Vassell. Lawal answers with an uppercut after putting Vassell on the cage. Lawal punches his way out of the clinch and Vassell glances with anothre knee. Lawal lands a hard counter left as Vassell’s coming in and this time swarms with a hail of heavy punches. Vassell is in pure survival mode and manages to clinch up to catch his breath. 10-8 Lawal; a 10-7 would not be unfathomable.
R2: The second starts at a much more measured pace. Vassell, in southpaw, keeps pumping his jab and starts landing a little. Lawal looks to counter with right crosses and left hooks but he’s throwing somewhat casually. Now Lawal sits down on a cross counter and lands it, then he crams a hefty left hook into his mouth and it causes him to stumble.
Vassell gets in on a double leg and hoists Lawal off the canvas before dumping him. Vassell quickly establishes full mount, then takes back mount. Lawal spins out, stands up and hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Vassell stays calm and works his way back to his feet but Lawal keeps him on the cage with double under-hooks. Double-leg takedown for Lawal with a half-minute left and that should seal it. 10-9 Lawal. I have it 20-17 Lawal.
Winner: Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (no scores announced)
Online Prelims Results
Gabriel Carrasco defeats Joe Neal by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Serhiy Adamchuck def. Anvar Boynazarov via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Gabe Carrasco defeats Joe Neal by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Adam Piccolotti defeats Salvador Becerra by submission (neck crank) R2 1:47
Thomas Diagne vs. Mike Malott is a majority draw (29-28 Diagne, 28-28 x2)
Francis Carmont defeats Roy Boughton by unanimous decision
Jose Palacios defeats TJ Arcengal by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Upcoming
Matthew Ramirez vs. Josh Paiva
James Terry vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Israel Delgado vs. JJ Okanovich
Brandon Hester vs. DeMarco Villalona
Nick Pica vs. Mauricio Alonso
Victor Jones vs. David Blanco
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