Join us tonight on Bloody Elbow for live results, streaming video (prelims) and detailed play-by-play as Bellator 171 comes to Mulvane, KS. The main event of the show will see veteran Melvin Guillard fighting well above his regular weight class when he takes on Chidi Njokuani at a 180-pound catchweight. The co-main will see David Rickels taking on Aaron Derrow.
You can watch all of the prelim action starting at 7pm ET/4pm PT by viewing the video stream at the top of the page. The main card itself begins live on Spike TV at 9 PM ET/PT. Join us and let us know what you think of tonight’s fights.
A.J. McKee vs. Brandon Phillips
Round 1 – McKee was a hard side kick to the chest to the start. And another. Head kick. Phillips with an inside leg kick. Two left hooks and McKee spins. The ref keeps warning McKee for extending his fingers. Leg kick from McKee. McKee presses with a combo. Phillips still trying to work a leg kick game. Phillips asking McKee to come into his range. The taller fighter mocks him for it. Nice lead uppercut. Phillips responds with a combo. Phillips with a cup check. Not much of a break. They trade kicks. Phillips clowning a bit now. They both are. 10-9 McKee.
Round 2 – Phillips trying to get his hands going. McKee throwing front kicks. The pace has slowed here. Side kick from McKee, and he stays sideways trying to bait Phillips in. Phillips just waves off the games. Nice combo from McKee. Phillips missing with his right hook, and McKee is catching him with counters. Nice jab. Phillips looking to wade in but Mckee threatened a takedown attempt that got Phillips’ attention. He backed off. Phillips with two rights, and another. Phillips really pressing late. 10-9 Phillips.
Round 3 – McKee not throwing much early. Phillips trying to find his range again. McKee with a body kick. Side kick as well. Phillips with a nice combo. McKee dives in for a double and gets a nice takedown. He can’t keep it there long though. Phillips punched him right in the balls as McKee threw a high kick. That was different. He takes a minute or so. Phillips with a nice right. McKee misses on a takedown attempt. Side kick from McKee, and two front kicks. Nice counter from McKee. Nice combo ending with a left hook from Phillips. McKee with a late takedown. 10-9 and 29-28 McKee.
A.J. McKee defeated Brandon Phillips by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Jessica Middleton vs. Alice Smith Yauger
Round 1 – Middleton with a front kick that backs Yauger off. Nice spinning back kick to the gut. Yauger fires back with a straight right. Low kick from Middleton but eats a counter jab. Middleton rips the inside of the leg with kicks. Left hook from Yauger. Middleton with a kick and a left that wobbled Yauger. Yauger throwing but coming up short. More low kicks from Middleton. Straight left from Yauger. Middleton with a left hook. Yauger with a right. 10-9 Middleton.
Round 2 – They’re off to a slow start. Middleton seemed to poke Yauger in the eye right before she landed a hard right. Yauger’s nose is bloodied. There are some cuts around her eyes. Middleton isn’t pressing forward too hard, but she is beating her opponent up. Yauger is showing some heart though and firing back. Still, Middleton is dominating with leg kicks. 10-9 Middleton.
Round 3 – Yauger looked for a takedown. Middleton has her back with a body triangle. She’s softening her up with short shots but isn’t able to secure a choke. Yauger’s stuck but she’s not giving up. Middleton is basically playing it safe. She looked for a late armbar but no dice. 10-9 and 30-27 Middleton.
Jessica Middleton defeated Alice Smith Yauger by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-26)
Aaron Derrow vs. David Rickels
Round 1 – Rickels with two body kicks. A big left from Rickels backs Derrow off. Rickels ends up on top and looked to beat him up from there. Rickels stands up out of guard and landed a few kicks to the legs before he jumped back in. Derrow looked for an armbar and threw an upkick. Rickels playing to the crowd as he stands up out of guard again. Back in, dropping forearms. Elbows. Rickels finally let him up with 50 seconds to go. Derrow with a quick takedown. Rickels with elbows from the bottom. 10-9 Rickels.
Round 2 – Rickels rocks Derrow with a shot and he looks like he’s going for a takedown but he just went to the floor from the shot. Rickels is beating up Derrow on the ground again. Like the first, Rickels periodically stands up out of guard to kick him a bit. He’s back in guard and dropped a bunch of elbows. Big GnP. This won’t go much longer. Derrow’s tough but he’s getting his butt kicked. He made it out of the round though. 10-8 Rickels.
Round 3 – Low kicks from Rickels. Derrow ties him up against the cage. Rickels drops him with a shot inside and beats him up until the ref finally stops it.
David Rickels defeated Aaron Derrow by TKO (strikes), :44 of round 3
Melvin Guillard vs. Chidi Njokuani (180-pound catchweight)
Round 1 – A lot of feinting to start. First strike thrown 42 seconds in – a front kick by Njokuani. Crowd is already getting on them for the lack of action. Referee John McCarthy stops them and tells hem to engage. Melvin caught a kick and looked for a takedown, but got muscled against the cage. Guillard with a knee to the cup. Pretty quick restart. Njokuani with a hard body kick but he got taken down. Quick pushoff and they’re back to the feet. Another body kick. A third one. Now one to the arms. Guillard pulled guard. Knees to the body from Njokuani and he’s all over him. Illegal knee to the head now. McCarthy restarts them on the feet. No point taken. Another body kick. Head kick. Guillard ties him up. 10-9 Njokuani.
Round 2 – Chidi with a jab. Both whiff with strikes. Guillard shoots in but ends up on his back. North south. He spins around and takes the back. Punches from Chidi. Guillard rolled through and took Njokuani’s back. A spinning elbow from Guillard and he lost his balance. Njokuani jumped on him with some GnP. Chidi beat him up for a bit, then slowed down and they got stood up with 40 seconds to go. Body kick from Njokuani. Front kick. Another hard body kick and Guillard was hurt at the horn. 10-9 Njokuani.
Round 3 – Njokuani with a body kick and a knee. Guillard tied him up. Chidi with another knee and he dragged Guillard down. Slow-paced ground and pound. Melvin with a couple of elbows from the bottom. He stands out of guard and lands and axe kick. He’s back in Melvin’s half guard. McCarthy stands them up with 30 seconds to go. Body kick. Guillard takes his back and looks for a late choke. It’s over. 10-9 and 30-27 Njokuani.
Chidi Njokuani defeated Melvin Guillard by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-24, 30-26)
Preliminary Card (7pm ET)
Jordan Young defeated Chris Harris by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Justin Overton defeated Gaston Reyno by submission (rear naked choke), :34 of round 2
Jarod Trice defeated Kevin Woltkamp by KO (strikes), 3:17 of round 2
Tyrell Fortune defeated. Will Johnson by TKO (strikes), 4:27 of round 2
Bruna Ellen defeated Carmela James by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Postlims
Dominic Garcia vs. William Lavine
Jake Lindsey vs. Chance Rencountre
Joe Fulk vs. Johnny Marigo
Scott Heston vs. Manuel Meraz
Mike Breeden vs. Craig Farley
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