The Pachanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California was the location for the next installment of the Bellator MMA series. The televised portion of the event was broadcast on the Spike Television Network. Here is how the night went down:
The opening televised bout was a three round grudge match between welterweights Phil Baroni (15-17) and Karo Parisyan (23-10). Parisyan made quick work of Baroni with a barrage of power shots that initially stunned Baroni, sending him to the canvas. Parisyan followed up with non-stop punches which led the referee to stop the fight. Parisyan predicted a quick win and delivered.
Undefeated rising light heavyweight striker Liam McGeary (7-0) battled Russian veteran Egidijus Valavicius (27-10) in a three round tournament semifinal bout. McGeary had finished all seven professional fights by way of knockout and was looking to make it a quick night against his experienced adversary. The opening minute saw the Englishman using his superior height and reach advantages to land heavy artillery. When the fight became an inside affair, McGeary successfully used his knees to bloody Valavicius nose. Once the fight went back to distance, the Englishman landed a hellacious uppercut that hurt the Russian. McGeary quickly went to work, ending the fight by referee stoppage. The win was an impressive one for the undefeated young man.
The television promotion continued with Americans Joe Duarte (10-3) and Saad Awad (15-6) doing battle in the lightweight division. Duarte’s undoing was landing an awesome overhand right which deposited Awad to the canvas. As Duarte went in for the kill, Awad locked his opponent in a triangle and unloaded right elbow after right elbow with nothing coming back. The referee had no choice as the defenseless Duarte was being repeatedly pummeled with no way to protect himself.
Former NCAA Division I All American wrestler Brandon Halsey (6-0) took on veteran MMA combatant Bret Cooper (20-9) in a three round middleweight tournament final with the winner earning a world title shot. Halsey’s standup game was awkward as he just did not seem to naturally flow but he quickly took Cooper to the cage floor. Cooper was able to initially fight off an arm bar submission but Halsey adjusted and was able to secure the arm bar submission, leading to Cooper taping out. Halsey is young, skilled, built like a tank and strong as the day is long which makes him exciting to see.
The main event of the evening was a welterweight tournament final when American Adam McDonough (11-0) took on Russian Andrey Koreshkov (16-1) with the winner looking to challenge champion Douglas Lima. The opening salvo saw a boxing match early with neither man taking control. Both men mixed in some kicks but no one clearly dominated. Koreshkov was able to avoid takedowns and kept things vertical; he also was able to land some good punches to the head and body. The Russian’s size and reach kept giving the American trouble in the second. Koreshkov landed a brutal spinning back kick that sent McDonough to the canvas. The American was able to get back to his feet but was not able to accomplish much as Koreshkov began to take control of the fight. The third was a microcosm of the first two rounds: Koreshkov avoided takedown attempts and dominated the striking game. The Russian’s defense was superb and his ground-and-pound was vicious. Koreshkov cruised to a decision victory and now sets his sights on defending champion Douglas Lima.
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com
