The Casino Rama in Canada was abuzz as Bellator 119 took center stage. The main event of the night was the Featherweight Tournament Final with three more bouts televised on the chief card via Spike Television network.
The main televised bouts kicked off with heavyweights as undefeated Raphael Butler (8-0) took on Nick Rossborough (23-18) in a fight schedule for three rounds. Both men are considered finishers and things got heated quickly: Butler and Rossborough came out swinging and ended up on the ground. Butler had some ground-and-pound success but let Rossborough come to his feet. This would be a mistake as Butler was hurt with a hook that sent him to the mat. Rossborough was looking for the rear naked choke but Butler illegally butted Rossborough, causing which a halt to the action. Even though the foul occurred while Bulter was on his back, the referee recommenced the fight with both combatants on their feet. Rossborough hurt Butler again with a left hook but the round ended. The second left Butler controlling the contest on the cage floor, executing some ground-and-pound mixed in with failed submission attempts. The final heat saw Rossborough looking exhausted and hitting the canvas quick. Butler was able to take control with a side mount and landed shots sporadically. Butler lackadaisically searched for submissions. It was an uneventful round but one that was most likely won by Butler. The cards resulted in a majority draw: Butler remains undefeated but it was a disappointing performance.
Welterweights Marius Zaromskis (19-8) from Lithuania and Canadian Vaughn Anderson (16-2-1) continued the night in a three round tilt. Both contestants came out looking to keep the bout upright. The Lithuanian's boxing kept Anderson at bay and Zaromskis circled and shot punching from a distance. The Canadian landed a headshot that hurt Zaromskis; the Lithuanian was able to dance away from trouble. Anderson was sent to the mat by a hard body punch but was able to guard against a ground-and-pound attack. The striking battle continued in the second with both men having their moments. Zaromskis was the shaper of the two. There was a stop in the action after the Canadian was hit low accidentally. The Lithuanian began to crank up low kicks that found their mark. Anderson tried to find his range but the kickboxing of Zaromskis clearly took control of the match. Anderson appeared to be in pain and fading as the round came to a close. The third was a complete round for Zaromskis as his superior striking told the tale, earning the Lithuanian his 20th MMA win via unanimous decision.
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BELLATOR 119 RESULTS - FULL ARTICLE