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By Rich Hansen, MMA Torch Columnist
BELLATOR 82
NOVEMBER 30
LIVE FROM MT. PLEASANT, MI
FIGHT ONE: ALEXANDER SARNAVSKIY VS. TONY HERVEY
ROUND ONE: Good Old Big Dan is the referee tonight, increasing the chance of seriously unnecessary violence. Hervey comes out swinging immediately, but gets in too close and Tiger Sarnavskiy grabs a single and puts him on his back. This isn't where Hervey wants to be, as his game is all about movement and angles. Hervey looked to sweep, but Tiger was prepared and got full mount. He's got a high mount, and is looking for an armbar. He's got it. But Hervey rolled into Tiger and got out of it. That was really close. Hervey's back to his feet, but Tiger has him up against the cage. Hervey's arm was severely hyperextended there. Tiger gets him down again and is dropping elbows from guard. Tiger Sarnavskiy postures up, drops a couple bombs, and gets full mount. Hervey's up against the fence, and his head is trapped between the fence and the padding. Strange position. Hervey scrambles, and escapes mount. Full guard now. Hervey is active from the bottom here, but not landing anything with any power. Sarnavskiy stands up, eats an upkick, and dives back in. 30 seconds left. Tiger stands up, Hervey tries to grab a leg, doesn't get it, and the round ends with Sarnavskiy in guard. 10-9 Sarnavskiy
ROUND TWO: I'm still impressed HErvey was able to get out of that armbar. Sarnavskiy gets a quick takedown about ten seconds into round 2, and moves Hervey to the wall. Tiger gets to full mount very quickly. He's got a very high mount, looking again for an arm if one comes free. Hervey has his feet against the cage, but Tiger is using his balance to stay in mount as Hervey tries to explode out. Sarnavskiy is picking his shots here, landing bombs as they avail themselves to him. Tiger looking for an arm triangle, but Hervey explodes out and gets to his feet. Sarnavskiy has double underhooks and moves Hervey back to the fence. Hervey has a major strength disadvantage against the Russian. Two minutes left, and Big Dan is telling them to work. After all, how is he going to let someone take a hundred unnecessary shots if they don't work, right? Anyhoooo, as soon as Hervey gets some separation he bull rushes Tiger and gets himself taken down. Gee, at least he worked. Hervey trying to use the cage (again) to get back to his feet (again) and do absolutely nothing once he gets up (again). 10-9 Sarnavskiy; 20-18
ROUND THREE: Hervey charges straight in, Tiger ducks under, and guess what? Takedown in the middle of the cage. Tiger moving to full mount, but Hervey gets him back in guard. If only getting someone into your guard ten times automatically won you a fight, right? Hervey gets to his feet but gives up his back. Hervey went all bad martial arts movies and tried to run up the cage wall and backflip himself free. No, really. Capoeira is nice, but tight body locks are better. Cool spot, bro. Sarnavskiy repossesses himself, has Hervey's back, and is looking for a rear naked choke. Doesn't have the choke, but they do all sorts of redundant grappling. Hervey with elbows to the thigh. Which is dumb, because if Cecil Peoples hates leg kicks, I can't imagine he thinks thigh elbows will score well. Tiger gets to mount as the fight mercifully ends.
WINNER: Alexander Sarnavskiy by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (*) I've already forgotten this fight.
FIGHT TWO: KALA HOSE VS. DOUG MARSHALL
- Yes, THAT Doug Marshall.
- Yes, THAT Kala Hose.
- Sorry.
ROUND ONE: Normally I root for the guy with the least bizarre tattoos. So... no rooting interest here. Todd Anderson will be the referee for this fight. Marshall comes out swinging, as does Hose. Hose lands a knee from a quick Thai clinch. Marshall on his bike, Hose charges in, and Hose eats a wild left hook. Fight is over.
WINNER: Doug Marshall by KO at 0:22 of round one.
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**) Sure.
FIGHT THREE: DAVID RICKELS VS. JASON FISCHER
ROUND ONE: Jason Herzog is the third man in the cage. Six kicks thrown, three by each man, before the first punch. Both guys using kicks ot try to control the distance. Fischer breaks the pattern with a big jab and clinches Rickels. Fischer working for a single, but Rickels defends and they separate. Fischer is starting to work the jab after head kicks, a unique combination, but it's been working. Rickels is landing plenty of body kicks himself, too. Fischer has failed at a couple of takedowns off the jab so far. Fischer ducked under a hook and got the takedown, into closed guard. Rickels trying to get the rubber guard as Fischer postures up. Rickels looks for the triangle, Fischer pulls away, and back to standing. Fischer steps into an uppercut, which landed flush on the chin of Rickels. Fischer lands a single leg, but Rickels landed on top. Rickels gets aggressive and Fischer slaps on a triangle armbar from the bottom. Rickels stacked up and pulled out. Elbows by Rickels to end the round. 10-9 Fischer
ROUND TWO: This is a 160 pound catchweight fight as rickels works his way down from welterweight to lightweight. He was breathing pretty heavily at the end of the first round; something ot keep an eye out for. Rickels lands early with some nice kicks and hooks. Fischer lands a spinning backfist which forced Rickels to back off. Rickels is certainly the slower man in the cage. Rickels steps in with a 1-2, and eats a front kick for his efforts. Fischer shoots a single, but Rickels powered out. Rickels turns Fischer back into the wall. Rickels transitions, hops on Fischer's back and drags him down. Fischer spins and is now mounted and looking to cage walk. He failed to get out, and Rickels is in full mount off the fence. Fischer is trying to slide out the back, and ate a ton of shots. Fischer getting creative here and grans a footlock. That's tight, but Rickels wormed his way out, but now Fischer is on top, in full guard. Nice exchange there. Fischer has been unable to do much form the guard. Just noticed a big lump over Fisher's left eye. Rickels powers up, back to standing, clinched against the fence. Fischer pulled guard and is on his back. That lump has busted open, and Fischer is bleeding in a bad spot. Rickels is unloading now as the round ends. 10-9 Rickels; 19-19
ROUND THREE: Rickels has a body lock on Fischer, with back control. Fischer goes for a kimura, doesn't get it, and he's on the mat now, on his hands and knees. Rickels gets a little sloppy and Fischer exploded out and winds up on top, in full guard. 3 minutes left, anyone's fight. Fischer stands up inside of Rickels' guard, but gets caught in an armbar. Fischer put his foot on Rickels' face to pull out. He was standing on the cheek of Rickels, which forced Rickels to abandon the armbar. Fischer back on top. Double ear slaps from the bottom by Rickels. Rickels is effective form the bottom, but judges don't award points frm the bottom. Rickels is landing elbows to the head of Fischer, using rubber guard effectively. Fischer is doing nothing from the bottom, short of eating elbows. Rickels releases the rubber guard. Fischer doing nothing. 35 seconds remain. Fischer backs out, and jumps back into guard, refusing to let Rickels stand. He's landed a couple elbows, but nothing as effective as Rickels has done. 10-9 Rickels; 29-28 Rickels
WINNER: David Rickels by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**+) Nice fight. Neither of these are very, you know, good. But there is no direct correlation between quality of fighter and quality of fight. I don't know if Rickels should continue to drop in weight, as he didn't keep the pace he was keeping at welterweight. As to the scorecards, I can accept 29-28 for sure, but 30-27 is ludicrous.
FIGHT FOUR: LYMAN GOOD VS. ANDREY KORESHKOV
ROUND ONE: Todd Anderson is the referee of this welterweight tourney championship. the winner of the fight earns $100,000 and a shot at the welterweight champion, currently Ben Askren. Koreshkov is the best finisher int he division, at least for this promotion. Koreshkov is landing early, using his kicks to stay on the outside. Koreshkov is landing with the right uppercut as well. Good is getting tagged, and the left side of his face is showing some bruising already. Good works his way inside and grabs a clinch. Koreshkov pushes out. Koreshkov feinting with the jab to find range for wild right hooks. Good dropped with a short uppercut, but managed to get back up before Koreshkov could capitalize. This fight is being fought on Koreshkov's turf so far. Koreshkov with a big uppercut. He's landing that from distance at will. Spinning kick by Koreshkov finds a home on Good's jaw. Koreshkov is outclassing good on the feet so far. Hard body kick by Koreshkov. Good needs to change strategies here, he won't win a kickboxing match tonight. Koreshkov lands a right uppercut and overhand left. Jumping knee from Koreshkov. Koreshkov missed a turning body kick, and almost got taken down. Koreshkov charges in behind an uppercut from distance. 10-9 Koreshkov
ROUND TWO: Good coming forward to begin the round, but Koreshkov is circling effectively to keep distance. Good is firing the jab now, but is missing with it. Koreshkov is throwing and landing the uppercut again this round. Good is keeping his hands higher this round. Koreshkov ate a right hook and got taken down. Good is on his back, and has both hooks in. Good is on top, and has Koreshkov flattened out, patiently waiting for an opportunity to slap on the rear naked. Good let go of the body triangle, and Koreshkov is close to escaping. Good dragged Koreshkov back down, and has one hook back in. Two minutes plus remain for Good to try to get the choke. He's still on the back of the Russian, but in a less dominant back position. Koreshkov used the cage to get back up, and we're back to standing in the middle of the cage. Good defense by koreshkov. Good working the jab to tyr to get back in again. Good is being more aggressive with the jab now, but isn't landing with it. Good kicks, Koreshkov catches it, and throws good down. Koreshkov let him back up as opposed to diving in. Good looks frustrated. Koreshkov landing a high percentage again this round.The bell rang as Koreshkov was completing a double leg takedown. As the ref broke them up, Good landed a couple soft punches well after the bell. No harm done. 10-9 Good; 19-19 Could easily be 10-9 Koreshkov, though.
ROUND THREE: Good again pressing forward behind the jab. Koreshkov landed a huge overhand left, but Good walked right through it. Good shoots, gets stuffed easily. Lands a knee, but eats an elbow from Koreshkov. Good lands a leg kick, but Koreshkov caught the kick again. Koreshkov is more effective on the feet. All Good is throwing on the feet are jabs that miss and soft leg kicks. Good looks a little tired too. Koreshkov is getting tired too, he's slowed down tremendously, and is allowing Good to get inside more now. Good is effective from the clinch, and that seems to be giving Good some energy. Good catches a spinning back kick and takes down Koreshkov. He almost had Koreshkov's back, but he let it go and we're back to standing. Weird. Koreshkov shoots a double and gets Good down to his butt against the fence. Interesting tactic there by Koreshkov. Koreshkov isn't doing anything from guard, and Good is more active, but it's not like he's doing anything from down there either. One minute remains, and Koreshkov is trying to pass to side control. Nope, back to a closed guard. Good's going to need a miracle submission here, because Koreshkov will win this round if nothing changes. Koreshkov lands 4 or 5 lefts to the body and head of Good. Big right from Koreshkov who should get the win here. 10-9 Koreshkov; 29-28 Koreshkov
WINNER: Andrey Koreshkov by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**) That was a grueling, and a grueling fight to watch. This was an impressive tournament for Koreshkov, but if he doesn't finish Askren in the first, he's going ot be absolutely doomed.
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