Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for live results, streaming video (prelims) and detailed play-by-play as Bellator 145 comes to St. Louis, Missouri. The card features a double main event, both of which are title fights. The headliner will see Daniel Straus try to take the Bellator featherweight title away from the main that has already defeated him twice, champion Patricio Friere. The other title fight sees young Polish submission artist Marcin Held challenge Will Brooks for the promotion’s lightweight title.
Be sure to check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for a preview of Bellator 145. You can also read a preview for the event here.
You can watch all of the prelim action starting at 6:45 PM ET by viewing the video stream at the top of the page. The main card begins live on Spike TV at 9 PM ET/PT (delayed to the West Coast). Join us and let us know what you think of tonight’s fights.
Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Justin Lawrence
Round 1 – Left hook and sweet chin music from Lawrence early. Sanchez pressing forward but not connecting with much. Nice counter shot from Lawrence. He’s making Sanchez miss. Good body shot from Lawrence and they trade in the pocket. Sanchez finally presses forward into the clinch and scored with some knees. Lawrence finally got away with a few seconds to go. 10-9 Lawrence.
Round 2 – Body kick from Sanchez, but ate a short left counter in return. Lawrence continuing to be evasive. They trade inside leg kicks. Sanchez with a body lock against the cage, and a knee to the gut. He looked for a takedown but Lawrence fought him off. Another try, and other rebuff. They’ve been against the cage for half the round. Knees to the thighs from Sanchez. They finally separate with a minute to go. Sanchez misses with a spinning heel kick. Sanchez has a couple of head kicks blocked. Sanchez with a big head kick that stuns Lawrence! That won the round for him! 10-9 Sanchez.
Round 3 – Sanchez went right back to the clinch game in the final stanza, looking for the takedown. Instead, he made a mistake and Lawrence got top position. Sanchez trying to be active with elbows from the bottom, while Lawrence isn’t doing much. Lawrence landed maybe one punch in two minutes, while Sanchez connected with a boatload of elbows. Sanchez rolled for a kneebar, then looked briefly for the kimura. Lawrence tried to take the back, but Sanchez got up with 30 seconds to go. They both threw down, with Sanchez landing a nice knee. Sanchez went for a takedown at the horn. I gave the final round to Sanchez, and the fight as well with a 29-28 score.
Emmanuel Sanchez defeated Justin Lawrence by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson
Round 1 – Thompson threw two punches, then Lashley shot in on a low double and got Thompson to the floor. GnP from Lashley. Thompson is covering up already. Big strikes to the side of the head and the ref jumped in. It seemed like an early stop, but Thompson fell down when he tried to protest. So….yeah.
Bobby Lashley defeats James Thompson by TKO, :54, round 1
Michael Chandler vs. David Rickels
Round 1 – Rickels’ entrance was epic. There was a dinosaur. The fight started with Chandler bringing big time pressure. After landing a bunch of strikes, he hit a nice throw and worked from the top. Chandler’s not doing a ton – he’s trying to posture up to throw strikes, but Rickels is controlling him well. A few elbows getting through now. Rickels threatened with a triangle and got up with two minutes to go. Stiff straight left from Rickels. And a leg kick. Chandler throwing winging rights, but not connecting. Emphatic takedown from Chandler. He controlled the rest of the round from there. Easy 10-9 for Chandler.
Round 2 – Hard leg kick by Chandler. Chandler continuing to bring the pressure. Rickels with a leg kick and a combo. Another. He’s gaining confidence. And right when he does, he gets dropped by a big shot from Chandler! Rickels immediately went for a takedown, but ended up on his back. Chandler’s all over him with strikes. A big right hurt Rickels again, and there’s a lot of blood. Rickels is game, but he’s getting beaten down. Finally, after an eternity, the ref waved the fight off. Great performance from Chandler in his hometown.
Michael Chandler defeats David Rickels by TKO, 3:05 of round 2
Will Brooks vs. Marcin Held [LW Title]
Round 1 – Held looking to strike early. He waded into the clinch and got a takedown. Brooks is only down on his butt though. Brooks is calm. Held methodically trying to get Held to his back, without success. Brooks tried to get up, no dice. Brooks finally got back up with two minutes to go, but was still tied up. He hit a nice reversal to work from the top. Held went for an armbar right away. Now a kneebar. Now a toehold. Now a kneebar again! Brooks was in an awkward spot, but managed to survive. He immediately looked for another sub from the bottom. Brooks with a right to the head at the bell. 10-9 Held.
Round 2 – Brooks brings the pressure right away and gets a takedown. Brooks fighting off Held’s sub attempts and landing a few lefts to the grill. Held going for an omoplata, but Brooks pushes him away. Going after the leg now. Brooks moves to mount. Brooks looking for an arm triangle. He tried to pop out to side, but took mount back and gave up on the choke. Short elbow from Brooks. Brooks looking for an arm lock, and dropping more elbows. Held gave up his back late. All Brooks, 10-9 though. Not enough for 10-8.
Round 3 – Held shot in right away, but ended up on his back. Held attacking a leg, as usual. Brooks defending well. Not much else happening. Brooks with a couple of elbows. He’s doing just enough to avoid getting stood up. Held just holding on for a while, but he tried attacking a leg again. Brooks opened up with his GnP in response. 10-9 Brooks.
Round 4 – Brooks scores with a counter right. As Brooks throws a kick, Held rolls for a leglock on the other leg. He flipped it over to an inverted heel hook. 50/50 guard for a few seconds, until Brooks takes top position. He just continued to stack him up and stifle Held’s sub attempts, while landing a few shots. Brooks has Held against the cage, landing a few elbows. Another kneebar attempt from Held. Brooks winced a bit but escaped. More GnP. 10-9 Brooks.
Round 5 – Held looks pretty tired. Brooks effortlessly moved into the clinch and got a takedown 30 seconds in. Held is very inactive now. Then again, so is Brooks. Referee John McCarthy is asking Brooks to work. He’s landing a few short shots now. Brooks is slowly moving him over to the cage. McCarthy stands them up with two minutes to go. Held charges in with an ineffective knee. Brooks clinches up again. Held tries to attack a leg but just gets stacked upside down against the cage. Brooks pins him down and grinds. He’s trying to throw a little more, while tying up one of Held’s arms. 10-9 and 49-46 Brooks.
Will Brooks defeats Marcin Held by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
Patricio Freire vs. Daniel Straus [FW Title]
Round 1 – Feeling out process to start. A long one. Nice counter left by Pitbull and he clinches up. Straus in on a double, but got stuffed. Freire with a right and another defended takedown attempt. Straus finally gets him down, but for less than a second. Nice knee in the clinch from Freire, and an elbow. Jab from Straus. Body kick from Straus. Now a leg kick. Straus with a big swing and a miss. Nice jumping knee connects. Straus with a nice knee in the clinch. Close round, but I’ll go 10-9 Straus.
Round 2 – Three outside leg kicks from Straus. Pitbull is defending the takedown well. They exchange knees in the clinch. Pitbull with a short elbow against the cage. Hard knee to the body from Freire and they separate. Inside leg kick and a straight left drops Pitbull! Freire recovers and goes for an immediate armbar! Straus escapes and is beating Pitbull down with GnP. Freire goes for a kimura to relieve the pressure, and it works as Straus is forced to defend. Straus gets it loose and looks to land short shots on Pitbull, who is sitting on his butt against the cage. Pitbull back to his feet and he opens up on Straus. He weathers it and they return to the center of the cage. Head kick from Straus. 10-9 Straus.
Round 3 – Straus with a left that staggered Pitbull a bit. He followed it up with a kick but Pitbull caught it. Straus with another nice left, this time as a counter. Freire with a leg kick. He looks to be recovered but isn’t throwing a lot. Straus with yet another over-the-top left that connects. Freire with a nice right that finds the mark. Pitbull starting to find his range a bit now, and evading Straus’ counters. Nice inside leg kick from Straus though, and another. Freire stuffs a shot. Eye poke from Straus stops the action briefly. Straus scores with a leaping right, and then a left. Pitbull comes back with a counter shot. 10-9 Straus.
Round 4 – Pitbull stuffs a shot. He scores with a left as they break from the clinch. Nice inside leg kick from Freire. Straus with a four-punch combo. Pitbull complains of a headbutt and stops fighting. He walked away and Straus almost clubbed him, but McCarthy stepped in and warned both fighters. Straus with a left that backs Pitbull up, but he comes back with his own that connects. Another big left from Straus. Not sure how they’re all connecting, but they are. Step-in elbow from Pitbull and he threw a multi-punch combo. Straus shot in but got stuffed. Pitbull with a spinning elbow. Straus’ hand may be injured. Nice right from Pitbull, and another. Strus pops him back, and comes forward. Freire opening up, but Straus weathers it. 10-9 Pitbull.
Round 5 – Straus with a winging left. Pitbull with a counter right. Pitbull looking for a takedown. They clinched up against the cage. Right scores for Freire. Good knee to the body from Pitbull and he got a takedown. He took Straus’ back and looked for the choke. Shades of the last fight. He’s opening up with punches. Straus is turtled up, but gets the hooks off him. Pitbull gets a hook back and tries to crank on the neck, without success. Straus is up with 1:15 to go. Pitbull looking for another takedown. Spinning elbow from Pitbull. Both men are throwing bombs, and landing. Great round. Pitbull closes the distance and they chuck knuckles some more. Pitbull with a hard shot! Wow, great ending. I have it 10-9 Pitbull, but 48-47 Straus. First round decides it.
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