...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist
The semifinals in Bellator's season nine featherweight tournament are the focus tonight on Spike TV at Bellator 103, which will air live from the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane Kansas. We'll have live round by round coverage of tonight's televised card as it takes place, so tune in here as it kicks off at 9PM ET!
- The show kicks off with the Fox voice over guy doing the voice over for the Bellator PPV. You know, the ad where they barely at all mention the word Bellator and strive for as much brand confusion as possible.
- Straight to the action, as both fighters are in the cage.
FIGHT ONE: AARON ROSA vs. MIKHAIL ZAYATS (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS)
ROUND ONE: Rob Hinds is the third man in the cage for the evening's curtain jerker. Rosa makes Zayats look like a welterweight. Zayats gets the takedown less than twenty seconds in. Zayats is looking for a kimura, and he's got it. Wish there was more for me to say.
WINNER: Mikhail Zayats by submission at 0:47 of round one.
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**) Outside trip, half-guard, kimura, insta-tap. Again, I really don't know what more you want me to say.
FIGHT TWO: JJ AMBROSE VS. DAVID RICKELS (LIGHTWEIGHTS)
- Per the hype video Rickels doesn't like Ambrose because the hair on his head is long. Per the hype video Ambrose doesn't like Rickels because the hair on his face is long.
- Rickels came to the cage in a makeshift Flintstones car. No, really. this is so TNA #NotACompliment
ROUND ONE: John McCarthy is in charge. As he should almost always be. Both men come out swinging, and Ambrose gets Rickels into the fence. Rickels turns and gets the dominant position. Knee to the body from Rickels. Ambrose reverse and drops down for a double. Make that a single. Rickels fights it off, and Ambrose drops own again. They separate and start trading wild hooks. Push kick to the face caught Ambrose. Knee from Rickels drops Ambrose. Ambrose struggles to get up while Rickels punishes him. Rickels pushes Ambrose into the cage. Rickels misses a big elbow and Ambrose turns. The crowd is wild for Rickels who is unloading. They're clubbering, until Ambrose pushes Rickels into the cage. Outside trip by Rickels and Ambrose is down in the middle of the cage with Rickels in full guard. Ambrose scrambles, Ambrose gives up his back and Rickels is looking for the rear naked choke. He loses is and goes for mount, but Ambrose turns and gets on top, in guard. Thirty seconds in a sloppy but entertaining first round. Rickels with elbows from the bottom. McCarty warns him to be careful where he aims them. 10-9 Rickels almost 10-8, which says all you need to know about JJ Ambrose.
ROUND TWO: Ambrose tries to give Rickels a high-five, but he got pwned, or whatever the kids are saying now. Rickels walks Ambrose into the fence, but Ambrose circles to his left to escape. Ambrose is looking to counter, I say charitably. Rickels drops Ambrose with a knee to the gut. Ambrose gets back up holding a single leg and then gets the takedown. Full guard with Ambrose on top. Rickels is more dangerous from the bottom than Ambrose is from the top. Ambrose gets Rickels near the fence, but isn't, you know, punching or anything. McCarthy threatens to stand them up, and there it is. Rickels drops Ambrose with a left body kick, just above the liver. Rickels attacks on the fallen Ambrose but can't finish him and somehow Ambrose fights out of it and gets on top. He's got balls, but his offensive is Jacksonville Jaguarian. Rickels is looking hard for the triangle. He didn't have the legs controlled and Ambrose wormed free of it. Ambrose postures up, so Rickels pushed him away with a leg push and we're standing again. Rickels drops Ambrose with an ankle kick. Ambrose turtles and is getting pounded on. Rickels is looking for a front choke, and ends the round with elbows to the ribs. 20-18 Rickels
ROUND THREE: Rickels forces Ambrose to retreat with a leg kick and a high push kick. Rickels gets Ambrose down, but Ambrose reverses position and gets on top. Still no punch punchy though, so Rickels just stands up. Rickels with a ton of head movement, then drops Ambrose with a right hook. Ambrose turtles and grabs a single as Rickels gets on top of him. Rickels with some elbows while Ambrose desperately holds on to Rickels' leg. Rickels is punching the ribs at will, and Ambrose can't move as Rickels is sitting on the back of Ambrose's head. This is kind of cool, at least the position is. McCarthy has seen enough, and it's over.
WINNER: David Rickels by TKO at 2:37 of the third round.
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**-) Transparent squash matches do nothing for me. Rickels was fighting in his home town, and Bellator was damned determined to make the fans happy. Vince McMahon has said the problem with MMA is that you can't control what happens once the fighters get in the cage. This was as close as you can get, though.
FIGHT THREE: JUSTIN WILCOX VS. JOE TAIMANGLO (FEATHERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS)
ROUND ONE: Rob Hinds is back for another fight. Wilcox looks like a monster at 145. Taimanglo comes forward with punches, grabs a front face lock, and my TV goes dark for 15 seconds, sorry. Comes back and Wilcox is free. Taimanglo is flicking a lot of jabs out there, looking to get Wilcox to give him something he can take advantage of. Two minutes in and Wilcox finally attempts his first takedown. He's got it, and has half-guard. Wilcox isn't doing much more than looking to hold position. I'm really surprised he's been allowed to do this for ninety seconds. Make it two minutes now. Two very looooooooong minutes. Taimanglo looks to roll into Wilcox, but, two and a half very looooooooooong minutes. The rounds ends with Taimanglo getting to his feet. 10-9 Wilcox Taimanglo didn't do quite enough in the early parts to hold on to that round.
ROUND TWO: Wilcox slips on a high kick, but Taimanglo didn't pounce, showing that he wants to stay standing in this one. Wilcox shoots, can't get it, shifts to a single, and Taimanglo wriggles free rather easily. Taimanglo has been changing stances a little bit this round, trying to keep Wilcox guessing. Wilcox guesses right, grabs a single, and gets the takedown with three minutes left. Right in the middle of the cage. We're in half-guard. For a minute now. Wilcox gets his leg free and spins to Taimanglo's back. Taimanglo eats a knee to the head as he gets up. Taimanglo gets separation and comes forward. Wilcox grabs a single and gets the takedown. Again. Wilcox gets a stern warning for a strike to the back of the head. Jesus wanted him to cheat. 20-18 Wilcox Jesus wants Justin Wilcox to bore the whole world, apparently.
ROUND THREE: Wilcox takes twenty seconds to get the takedown, and is in full guard in the middle of the cage. Taimanglo gives up his back after missing on a triangle setup, but Wilcox moves around to half-guard. He's got head control, maybe an arm triangle choke is coming? Nope. Wilcox gave it up in order to resume not having any offense. Wilcox passes to side control position. This is dreadful to watch. I'm ever so happy Jamie made plans tonight. Wilcox steps over to mount, but Taimanglo was fortunate to re-establish half-guard on the other side. Ninety seconds remain. Wilcox starts moving around and gets to full guard. Now we know why he wasn't moving much before. Taimanglo doesn't have any idea how to escape. Thirty seconds left. Wilcox gets back to half-guard. Blechh. 30-27 Wilcox Taimanglo has a case for the second, and a faint case for the first round, but Wilcox should get the win here. Ick.
WINNER: Justin Wilcox by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS THE LESS SAID THE BETTER: (*)
ROUND ONE: Big John McCarthy has drawn the main event assignment. Thirty seconds in, no strikes attempted, and the crowd is booing. They clinch, Guerreiro fails to throw Freire, and Freire presses Guerreiro into the fence. Guerreiro looks for an outside trip, but Freire reverses and gets top position near the fence. Half-guard for Freire. Freire gets to mount, but Guerreiro manages to escape damage and escapes to standing. Freire has Guerreiro's back standing, but Guerreiro drops down and reaches for a leg. Freire gets his leg free and is on top. Looks like side control for Freire, and the crowd is booing. Full mount, but Guerreiro works out of it. Back to side control for Freire. Freire postures up and looks to land somethign with power. Doesn't quite land flush, and Guerreiro gets to standing. Tepid first round. 10-9 Freire
ROUND TWO: Guerreiro shoots a takedown, but Freire elevates through it and has north south on the turtled Guerreiro. Freire explodes through a spin to get Guerreiro's back and slams Guerreiro back to the mat as he tries to get up. Guerreiro gets back up, but Freire grabs a single. He lets it go and presses the taller Guerreiro onto the cage. Guerreiro presses Freire off of him far enough to land a knee to the gut before Pitbull presses Guerreiro back to the cage. McCarthy separates them with three minutes left. Guerreiro lands a nice right. Head kick from Guerreiro, blocked. Both guys throw and miss wild hooks, which leads to a clinch. Freire gets underhooks and marches Guerreiro into the fence. I can't believe this. Just horrible stuff so far. McCarhty beseeches both men to do something, and pulls them apart. Ninety seconds left. A little more action after this restart, as both guys landed a couple of nice punches shortly after the restart. Freire gets a takedown as the horn sounds. 20-18 Freire. It's closer to 19-19 than 20-18, but that's the 10-point must system, folks. This fight is more competitive than expected, and less entertaining than expected.
ROUND THREE: Guerreiro lands a left high kick, but Freire ate it well. Guerreiro gets a takedown in the middle of the cage, but Freire immediately sweeps ad gets on top to side mount. Shoulder strikes! Now we need some foot stomps! Guerreiro has an underhook; while trying to get up Freire goes for mount, but his back leg doesn't make it all the way. Deep half-guard here. Freire postures up a little and lands a few short knees to Guerreiro's chest. Freire stands up and allows Guerreiro to stand. Freire gets his back and forces him to the fence where he lands some knees to the back of Guerreiro's thigh. Freire lands a knee to the gut when he allowed Guerreiro to spin, and then took him down. Closed guard. Guerreiro is active with punches from the bottom. He needs a finish, though. I need this to BE finished, too. Ugh. Guerreiro gets to standing with 45 seconds left . Pitbull backs off for some reason, which allows Guerreiro space to swing for the fences. Guerreiro is in full stalking mode, but not landing hard. Pitbull grabs him, pushes him into the fence, and this thing is over. 30-27 Freire
WINNER: Patricio Freire by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (*) That fight was so bad I just don't know what to say. How in the hell can Patricio Freire be in such a lousy fight? Let's hope he just had WAY too much respect for Guerreiro, and that he doesn't have any respect for Wilcox.
Follow me on Twitter @MMATorchRich
(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.
