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By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist
BELLATOR 89
FEBRUARY 14, 2012
LIVE FROM CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
- Once nice change with the move to Spike TV, the broadcasts have been beginning with fighters in the cage. The Spike TV Bellator product highlights much better pacing. It's gone from world-class bad to just kinda lousy.
FIGHT ONE: DOUG MARSHALL VS. ANDREAS SPANG (MIDDLEWEIGHT QUARTERFINAL)
- Spang is three inches taller, and possesses a five inch reach advantage.
- I like watching Rhino fight, but those tattoos. Awful. Just, you know... Damn.
ROUND ONE: Someone's going to die in this fight. Dan Miragliota is the referee. Doug Marshall lands 42 left hooks to Spang's nose. Spang is dead. Big Dan is sitting in the corner laughing. No, just kidding. But part of you thought I was serious. Marshall lands several punches about a minute in, and did some real damage with a short right hook to the ear of Spang. Marshall grabbed a clinch and landed a flying knee. Credit to Spang for eating it. Marshall grabs a clinch and puts Spang against the cage. Spang turns him. Spang's trying to disengage, Marshall holds him close, and Big Dan splits them apart. Marshall lands another big right hook. Spang crashes to the canvas and walks away. Miragliota just pulled out his wallet and offered Rhino $500 to land 41 more shots. Rhino took the style points instead.
WINNER: Doug Marshall by KO at 3:03 of round one.
STAR RATING: (**+) That was a hell of a KO. What? It was a hell of a KO. He winged a hook, he landed it. Move on, nothing more to see here.
FIGHT TWO: BRETT COOPER VS. NORMAN PARAISY (MIDDLEWEIGHT QUARTERFINAL)
- Listen to Paraisy talk and you'd swear he's French. Or from Montreal or something.
ROUND ONE: Joe Hawes is the referee. Take some muscle off of Dan Hardy, shave off the mohawk, and they're twins. Creepy. Cooper got through quickly with a stiff uppercut. Cooper shoots a double and pushes Paraisy into the cage. Paraisy turns and lands a body kick before separating. Cooper ducks under a big hook and takes Paraisy down. Paraisy gets back up, but Cooper stays on him and is working a single against the cage. They separate briefly, but Cooper shoots another single and gets Paraisy down. Paraisy's seated against the cage. Paraisy walks back to standing and lands a couple of knees from a clinch. Paraisy grabs another plum and lands a few more knees. Cooper pushes Paraisy into the cage. Big Dan just ran into the cage and separated them. Not just that, but I think he slipped Cooper some brass knux. Not really. Cooper with a slam and strong ground and pound. Paraisy felt every ounce of that slam. Paraisy ate a half dozen punches before getting back up. Paraisy with a takedown, but Cooper gets right back up and presses Paraisy into the cage. Cooper drops down and lifts Paraisy back up and down. Half-guard for Cooper.The round ends with Cooper on top. 10-9 Cooper
ROUND TWO: Cooper lands a big uppercut that drops Paraisy. Paraisy looks rocked here, but manages to get back up. Not for long though, as Cooper takes him down and gets side-control. Cooper lands a dozen right hands to the head of Paraisy. Half-guard now. Paraisy is rocked. Cooper lands nine left hands to the head. Big Dan nods his approval, but wonders where the hell those brass knux went. Three more left hands from Cooper. Paraisy escapes and gets to his feet. Cooper pushes Paraisy back into the fence and is working a high crotch. He lets it go. Cooper gets the takedown, into half guard against the cage. Paraisy trying to get back up, and eventually gets back up. Well, he got up long enough for Cooper to lift him over his head and slam him down hard. Parasy gets back up long enough to land a single at the bell. 10-9, 20-18 Cooper
ROUND THREE: I made round 2 sound better than it was. I'm gifted. Cooper shoots a double agsinst the cage and gets the takedown. Too easy. Speaking of which, Happy Valentine's Day, y'all. Paraisy gets back up, and gets immediately planted. He's in capable of getting any space from Cooper when he does get to his feet. Paraisy back up, and Cooper shoots another double into the fence. Takedown. And I've used up all my magic. This is about as exciting as Jamie Penick's Valentine's Day. Of course, it's EXACTLY as exciting as my own Valentine's Day, since I'm in the basement watching this dreck and all. Oh, um, Paraisy is on his feet, ate an uppercut to the ribs, got slammed back down. Day, Paraisy is on his hands and knees with Cooper working for a D'Arce. It's not there, but he has so little challenge from Paraisy that maybe he's asking the audience to scream out submission suggestions, like he's on stage at the improv. Oh hell, the fight is over.
WINNER: Brett Cooper by unanimous decision
STAR RATING: (*+) Yuck. Instead of all those Mr. Yuck stickers I have to put on all of the poisons my 2 year old girl might get into, I'll just put the URL to this fight on the Drano. that should send her running.
- The boys are going to talk to someone who looks like Kurt Angle's fatter older brother. I'll be back. I might watch fights on Valentine's Day, but not TNA shilling.
- OK, they were talking about the Olympics and wrestling. Barely even mentioned the acting. And it was short, so there's that.
FIGHT THREE: DAN CRAMER VS. BRIAN ROGERS (MIDDLEWEIGHT QUARTERFINAL)
- Cramer is two inches taller, and has a two inch reach advantage. Eight of Rogers' ten wins are by first round KO.
ROUND ONE: Al Coley is the referee for this fight. After both fighters land big shots, Cramer grabs a thai plum and a few knees. Rogers throws Cramer and gets side control, but a really nice sweep by Cramer winds up with Cramer on top in half-guard. Rogers backs up into the cage, and Cramer is working to keep Rogers down. Coley calling for action. Rogers closes the guard. Cramer stands and backs off. Immediate body lock by Cramer, and he gets Rogers down. this time, they are in the middle of the cage with Cramer in half-guard. rogers threw his legs up for a triangle armbar, which led to a fast retreat by Cramer. Standing. Craner lands a nice right, he's got the timing down. Rogers with a leg kick. Cramer lands a lead right hook. Cramer feints the lead right hook this time. Rogers fakes a shot. One minute left. Cramer's nose is leaking red fluid. Cramer grabs a plum clinch, but ate about seven or eight uncontested shots before letting go. Whoopsie! Cramer complaining about an eye poke, but it fell on deaf ears. Rogers with a nice uppercut. 10-9 Cramer barely
ROUND TWO: Replays showed that Cramer definitely got poked in the eye. Rogers with a belly to belly, and Cramer is eating some big shots on his back. Rogers backs off and Coley lets Cramer stand. these guys are windmilling kill shots. Cramer with a lateral drop, but Rogers turned as he was falling and landed on top. Rogers lands a little ground and pound and then allows Cramer up. Cramer thanks him with a takedown. rogers works back up without taking any damage. Nice right by Cramer, and Rogers' left eye is bleeding. and apparently Cramer's is as well. Cramer hits a nice outside trip and gets half-guard. Rogers was working for yet another belly to belly, which left him open ot the leg trip. Cramer working hard to pass to side control. He's got it. 75 seconds left. Cramer is unable to go anything. goes for mount, misses, and back to half-guard. Rogers doing more damage form half-guard than he was from side control. Rogers gets back up. 10-9 Rogers. 19-19
ROUND THREE: Rogers' left eye is swollen up, and Rogers is squinting hard. Not much action in the first minute. Cramer's been looking for the thai plum behind diving straight punches, but he hasn't gotten there yet. Cramer manages to push Rogers into the fence. Rogers turns and disengages, and lands a nice body kick. Cramer lands a big knee from the clinch and Rogers crumples down. Big shots on teh canvas by Cramer, and Cramer is rocking him from half-guard. Cramer had an arm triangle set-up, but gave it up to punch some more. Cramer passes to side control. Rogers is completely exhausted, and gives up the mount with 1:45 left. Rogers is doing well to control posture here. Rogers explodes with a hip escape, and almost grabs a heel hook. Back to standing now. Cramer eats a flying knee. And several punches. And another flying knee by Rogers! Rogers has Cramer on the fence, looking for an outside trip. He gets it, they both roll, and Rogers is on top. Insane comeback. Cramer pops back up and gets a takedown. Cramer on top with 30 seconds left. What a round! neither guy has anything left, but they just aren't stopping. Cramer landing right hands from the top as the fight ends. That was a hell of a fight. 10-9 and 29-28 Cramer
WINNER: Dan Cramer by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
STAR RATING: (***+) that's the fight of the year, through 1/8 of 2013 mind you. neither of these guys are really all that great, but damn they freaking went at it. I wanted this to be a draw, just to get a rematch. It was merely a good fight going into the third round, but the action and constant momentum swings in the final stanza elevated this fight greatly.
FIGHT FOUR: EDUARDO DANTAS VS. MARCOS GALVAO (BELLATOR BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
ROUND ONE: Touch of gloves, and we're off. Dantas tried to hug it out, Galvao wanted nothing to do with that. Galvao keeping the distance close, but they're still feeling each other out. Dantas is landing the jab. Dantas is doing a good job with the quick left jab and avoiding Galvao's power. Dantas is clearly the quicker man, but we knew that coming in. Galvao trips Dantas with a leg kick/slip. Galvao chases down Dantas and takes his back standing. Galvao almost gets the takedown, but Dantas got back to his feet in less than a second. Galvao still has his back, though. Galvao working knees to the thigh. Goes for an outside trip, doesn't get it. The buffoon Big Dan keeps telling them to work. Galvao lost his back and we're back to the middle. Big right hand by Dantas. Jab to the body. Galvao's left eye is jacked up already. Galvao is trying to work the kicks. Galvao presses forward, misses his trademark wild right hand. Dantas's right eye is bleeding. 10-9 Dantas Galvao did nothing with back control.
ROUND TWO: Dantas' cut is in his right eyelid. Not a bad cut, but a horrible location. Dantas still working the jab, Galvao working his wild hooks. Exactly what we thought, so far. Nice kick from Galvao. And another, to the thigh of Dantas. Dantas is picking it up now, landing that jab at will. Dantas dropped Galvao with a lightning fast right leg kick to the head. Galvao touched the mat briefly, and looks a little loopy. Galvao was fortunate there. Dantas' movement tonight is phenomonal. He's not letting Galvao find his range. Dantas presses forward, lands a gigantic uppercut, three shots on the mat, and it's over. Galvao is stiff as a board. That was really, really fast.
WINNER: Eduardo Dantas by KO at 3:01 of round 2
STAR RATING: (***-) Eduardo Dantas is for real. Galvao was, and is still, vastly overrated, but Dantas fought like a man tonight. He's so fast, and clearly has laser precision and cannon power. It's time to disregard the Tyson Nam fight. he got caught in a fight he was winning. It happens.
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