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By Alvin Benjamin Carter III, MMA Torch Specialist
I am covering Bellator 26 live as it airs live from the Kansas City Power & Light District in Kansas City, Missouri. This is Bellator’s third event of the season, and it is featuring Heavyweight and Women’s 115 lbs tournament fights that will setup the semifinals for both divisions. There is also a welterweight bout for a spot in Season 4's welterweight tournament featuring Tyler Stinson vs. Steve Carl.
Fight 1: Tyler Stinson (16-6) vs. Steve Carl (13-2) Catchweight 175 lbs (Season 4 Welterweight Tournament Qualifier)
Round 1:
Stinson does not want to touch gloves. They feel each other out. They exchange leg kicks, and then Carl shoots and gets the takedown. Stinson has Carl in a high guard and goes for an armbar. He gets out and is still in guard. Stinson slaps on a triangle, and Carl lifts up and slams Stinson hard. Stinson holds the triangle, and works it, it looks like he has it, but Carl stands up again and eventually slips out and scrambles. Carl gets Stinson in his guard and applies a guillotine. It is on tight. The ref stops it as Stinson gets choked unconscious.
Carl def. Stinson via Technical Submission (Guillotine) R1 - 2:30
Post Fight: Carl said that his Stinson had the triangle choke on so hard he forgot he was in a fight. He thought he had to knock Stinson out with the slam or he was going out. He then said he is ready for the Season 4 welterweight tournament.
Fight Rating *** The fight was quick, but it was exciting, and it was great to see the submission attempts and the eventual finish. These two may be friends, but they came to fight and went for it. A great fight to start of the evening.
Fight 2: Aisling Daly ( 9-0) vs. Lisa Ward (13-5) (Women’s 115 lbs. Tournament Quarterfinal)
Round 1:
Daly lands a jab, and Ward returns. The lock against the cage and Ward holds Daly on the cage with a body lock. Daly switches and then Ward gets a trip and lands in side control. Ward ends up in half guard, and she works and works. Daly cannot get from under her. She put her knee on Daly and lands a couple of right hands. Now she postures up and drops some heavy right hands. Then she postured up and let both hands go on Daly. Daly tried to shrimp, but Ward help position. Daly is trying to get from under Ward, all attempts are stifled.The round ends.
Round 2:
Ward starts with a head mount through. She works her way up and pushes Ward against the cage, but Ward keeps the under-hooks. Daly lands a knee, but then is put to the cage. They clinch thai-style, and then release. Ward gets a takedown with the head mount throw again. Ward moves to mount, but Daly gets to half guard. Daly gets on top and is in Ward's half guard. She tries to pass, and she smothers Ward with her hand. Daly is warned about a headbutt but the action still moves. Daly is on top in a north/south. Ward locks her legs from the bottom and goes for an inverted triangle, but Daly gets up. They get up and slug it out for ten seconds until the bell rings.
Round 3:
The come in strong and Ward gets a quick takedown. Ward is in Daly’s half guard and is trying to past to side control. Ward looks as if she is working her arm for a kimura. Ward is pounding the ribs of Daly as she works to control Daly’s right wrist. Ward gets Daly’s back, but she is a bit high up on Daly’s back. Daly is trying to power her way up, but she topples over. Ward goes for the choke, and then ends up in Daly’s half guard again. Ward gets Daly’s back again and sinks in two hooks as she works for the rear naked choke. Ward then applies a body lock and then slides her hooks in deeper. Daly rolls over and gets to her knees, but Ward stays on her back and flattens Daly out and pounds Daly as the round ends.
Ward def. Daly by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Post Fight: Ward says she looks forward to running on the beach when asked if she is training during her honeymoon with her trainer and new husband Eddy Ellis. She said that people should not be mean in high school, as she had a tough time being a female wrestler.
Fight Rating: **/**+ Daly did not look as though she had a plan or a particularly dangerous skill set in this fight. Ward dominated with her wrestling, and Daly did not seem to stand a chance. I am looking forward to seeing Ward fight someone with a bit of takedown defense.
Jose Vega (8-3) vs. Danny Tim (9-2-1) (First Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal)
Round 1:
Tims unleashes a fury of punches like a wild man. He clips Vega with a right hand Vega who was attempting to bang with him, and then Vega took Tims to the ground. Vega recovers as he works, and then he postures up and goes for some ground and pound. Tims goes for armbars and triangles from his back. Tims is throwing these submission attempts up very quickly from his back. Vega lands some shots while in guard, and then Tims slaps on a tight armbar. Vega lifts Tims up, but Tims holds on. Vega gets out and is the north/south. Vega goes for a north/south choke, and Tims gets out and gets on top. They get back up and Tims lands a body shot. Vega and Tims exchange, and then Tims pulls guard. Tims sweeps and gets in Vegas guard as the round ends.
Round 2:
They come out swinging, and they end up on the ground in a scramble, but they both pop right up. Vega lands two leg kicks. Tims comes in with a high push kick. Vega hits Tims with a low blow and the ref calls time. Times with another fury and lands a strong left. Vega counters the wide fists with a right hand. Vega lands a stif left jab, and then lands a nice left hook. They did effect Tims. Tims shoots low, and Vega steps out. Vega gets knocked down with a right, but it looked as if Tims wanted to fall to guard. Tims lands a jab, and then misses a leg kick. Tims with a left and then shoots and rols to his back ended up in the bottom of a north/south. Vega controls Tims right hand with his legs and then movesto side control and attempting to get a crucifix. Tims tries to knee Vega’s ribs from the bottom, and the bell rings.
Round 3:
Vega lands a body kick. Tims shoots to pull guard again, and Vega has none of it. Vega with a outside leg kick. Tims moves in with a left and a right. Vega kicks and it is a low blow. The ref says stand up and fight. I guess he did not see it. They trade some punches, but nothing really lands hard. Tims went for a single leg, and Vega stands right up. They exchange again, but both look a bit tired. Tims lands a jab. Vega with a right hand low kick combo, and Tims replies with a push kick that misses. Vega with a roundhouse to the bod, and then a push kick. Vega with a jab that knocks out Tims’ mouth piece. Vega paws with his right and Tims with that missing push kick go back and forth. Vega then steams in with a takedown. Tims closes his guard tight. Vega looks like he is going for a kimura, but Vegas slips his arm out and stands up as though he was about to drop a bomb as the bell rings.
Vega defs. Tims by Unanimous Decision
Post Fight: Vega was surprised that Tims wanted to stand as much as he did. Vega gave himself credit for his takedown defense. Then said he thinks he has fans all around the country based on his previous Bellator performance. He also thanked his fiance for putting up with him.
Fight Rating: **+
This fight was alright. Tims kept trying to pull guard in an awkward fashion and seemed desperate at times. Both looked as though they wanted to bang at first so the fight started with fireworks. If Tims could have been a bit more accurate with his wild strikes at the beginning of round one, this fight might have ended early and differently.
Fight 4: Mike Hayes (13-3) vs. Alexey Oleinik (27-5) (Heavyweight Quarterfinal)
Round 1:
Both come out and throw hands. Haeys gets Oleinik to the ground and puts a lose triangle on Hayes. They work, but they stand up. Oleinik throws a big overhand. Oleinikgoes for a single leg, and has a rough time spinning out. Oleinik keeps going with the right hand. Hayes takes him down again, and Oleinik threatens with an armbar setip, but Hayes gets out and lands a hammer-fist. Oleinik ties up an arm, but Hayes keeps landing hammer-fists. The ref says to stay busy. Hayes postures up, but Oleinik controls the wrist of Hayes as he works for an armbar. Oleinik gets the armbar in, but Hayes gets out and takes Oleinik’s back. Oleinik stands up and gets in a clinch on the cage with Hayes. Hayes misses with a knee, and they ecxhange sloppy lefts and rights for ten seconds until the bell rings.
Round 2:
They wrestle to the cage and Oleinik goes for an ezekielchoke, and then Hayes takes Oleinik down, but it seems as though Oleinik wanted to pull guard. Oleinik goes for an armbar, but Hayes postures up. He goes for a triangle, but Hayes postures out. Oleinik is going for the armbar again, and Hayes seems not to worry one bit. Hayes stacks up and passes to side control. The ref calls for some action and threatens to stand them up. They are stood up. Oleinik comes in with a shot, but Hayes lands a great left hand that hurts Oleinik a bit. The bell rings.
Round 3:
They exchange blows and Oleinik goes for a guillotine, and then takes it to the ground. Oleinik transitions to the the ezekiel choke, and then the ref stands them up as blood is flowing in Hayes’ eyes. The doctor checks Hayes out, and then they start the fight from the lat choke position. Oleinik ends up on top, and Hayes goes for a kimura. Oleinik is going for ground and pound while in guard. Hayes with a scissor sweep and both are back to there feet. Oleinik with a right hand, and both men are back down after Hayes takes Oleinik and passes guard. Hayes starts to work ground and pound. Oleinik is trying to wotk for a submission from his back, but it does not seem the blood is helping his ground game. Both men are covered in red.Oleinik stands up but ends up in a standing guillotine. Hayes lands a shot as Oleinik slips out, and the bell rings.
Oleinik defs. Hayes by Split Decision (29-28 Hayes, 29-28 Oleinik, 29-28 Oleinik)
Fight Rating: ** This was a sloppy fight, and Hayes did not look as though he wanted to use his ground and pound. Oleinik could not get his sub attempts to work either. It has overall an uninteresting fight. I thought it might go to Hayes, but Oleinik was trying to finish the fight so I can take this decision.
So that is it for Bellator 26. The tournaments are shaping up, and now it's time to see what Season 3 really has in store.
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