Live Event Reports
BELLATOR 42 RESULTS: Carter's Report - Season 4 Light Heavyweight Semifinals
Apr 24, 2011 - 9:20:08 AM BELLATOR 42 RESULTS: Carter's Report - Season 4 Light Heavyweight Semifinals

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By: Alvin Carter, MMATorch Specialist

Bellator 42 is coming to you live from the Lucky Star Casino in Concho, OK. Tonight's MTV2 televised card features Light Heavyweight Semifinal match ups.

Fight 1: Jerod Spoon vs Luiz "Betao" Nogueira

Round 1:
Spoon throws a body kick, and then Nogueira comes in with a flurry. Spoon lands a cross that has Nogueira back pedaling. Spoon advances but Nogueira keeps his feet under him. They are training singular strikes Nogueira lands a inside thigh kick and then a looping hook that stuns Spoon a bit. Nogueiramoves in and throws a combo with a nice body kick and Spoon covers up. Spoon defends and starts to come in. Spoon wiffs a left hook that had bad intentions. Nogueira gets Spoon down on his back, and both end back on tier feet shortly. Nogueira lands a combo and Spoon tries tries to counter with an overhand right. Spoon lands a leg kick and slips. Nogueira stays off. Spoon shoots and works for a takedown right before the bell. Nogueira sprawls a bit, but ends up getting takendown. The bell rings.

Round 2:
Spoon shoots in and tries to take Nogueira down. Nogueira goes in with a flurry and Spoon responds in similar fashion. Nogueira throws a big rleft and Spoon tries to thro a counter right but misses. Spoon starts to jab. Nogueira lands a left hook. Spoon throws that wild right again, and Nogueira lands a combo to the body and the head. Nogueira stalks and Spoon lands a right, and Nogueira counters with right as well. Nogueira shoots in and takes Spoon down with some authority. Nogueira starts some ground and pound. The bell rings.

Round 3:
Nogueira stalks with body kicks and leg kicks. He is pushing the pace. Nogueira takes Spoon down and as Spoon gets up Nogueira lands a nice right hook. Spoon gets pushed to the cage and eats to flying knees but he does not seem especially hurt. Nogueira comes in with a three punch combo and Spoon shoots in gets a double leg takedown. Nogueira gets right back up. Nogueira is landing quick punches and then stuffs a Spoon takedown attempt. Nogueira shoots under a punch and lifts Spoon up and puts him on his back, but Spoon gets right to his stomach and then back up. They exchange some big shots at the end and Spoon lands a heavy right at the bell. The bell rings.

Nogueira def. Spoon via Unanimous Decision

Fight Rating: (**/**+)
Nogueira has some pretty good boxing and that was the real thrill of this fight.


Fight 2: Christian M’Pumbu vs. Tim Carpenter - Light Heavyweight Semifinal

Round 1:
Carpenter comes out with a jab. Carpenter stalks and moves forward. M’Pumbu responds with a leg kick. Carpenter returns one on the inside. M’Pumbu lands two more leg kicks. M’Pumbu is back pedaling but is actually controlling M’Pumbu ring positioning. Carpenter double jabs in. The each snipe each other out with jabs as they trade, most of them did not connect flush. They both throw left hooks that land at the same time. Carpenter throws a wide left and M’Pumbu exploits that and lands a big right hand and knocks Carpenter out.

M’Pumbu def. Carpenter via KO - Rd. 1 - 2:08

Fight Rating: (***+)
This fight gets a "+" because because that was a great knock out.

Fight 3: Josh Arocho vs. Ronnie Mann

Round 1:
Mann throws a left hand and slips. Arocho lands a nice shot to the chin of Mann. Both reset and circle. Mann lands a left hook. Arocho shoots and takes Mann down. Mann with a nice sweep and stands up and puts Arocho on his back. He pushes Arocho to the cage and lands some big elbows. More ground and pound by Mann with some great right hands. Mann works shorts elbows. Mann hits the body and returns back to the head. Arocho eats another elbow, Mann postures and lands this stiff elbows. Arocho has a cut on his forehead that opened a while go, but it is not bleeding that much. Mann is still in Arocho's guard landing elbows and combinations. Arocho tries a triangle without any real chance of getting it. Arocho strikes from his back with a right hand, and the bell rings.

Round 2:
Man comes in with a leg kick and Arocho takes it and comes in with a combo. They dance, and Mann lands a good right hand. Arocho shoots in and he ends up getting taken down. Mann works his ground and pound like he did in Round 1. More elbows while he is in Arocho's guard. He does not seem eager to pass as he postures up and throws a sharp elbow. Mann throws a two rights to the body and then one to the head. Arocho throws a couple strikes from his back. Mann lands a large left hand, but Arocho holds on as the bell rings.

Round 3:
Arocho throws a kick. Mann backs off and then lands a big head kick. Mann takes Arocho down gets a crucifix and goes for an Americana. He does not get it and throws some big elbows. Mann goes for to north/south and attempts an inverted triangle and while he pounds on Arocho's face. The mouse under Arocho's eye has popped and his forehead is bleeding. Man ends up in half guard and goes for an arm triangle. Then Mann goes for a straight armbar. He let's go as it is hard to get form half guard. He is back in Arocho's guard landing big shots. The bell rings.

Mann def. Arocho via Unanimous Decision

Fight Rating: (***)
Mann was very impressive with his ground and pound from guard. It was a one-sided fight, but Arocho was tough and took the beating without being finished. This is was a great Bellator debut for Mann even without getting the finish.

Fight 4: Chris Bell vs. Jared Hess
Bell shoots in and they get up. Hess shoots and Bell stuffs. Bell takes Hess down against the cage, and Hess shifts his hips. Hess locks on a triangle and pulls Bells head down. Bell taps.

Hess def. Bell via Triangle Choke - Rd 1. - 1:40

Fight Rating: (***)
Hess showed he is dangerous from his back by ending the fight a bit quicker than expected. Bell did not get to show much of his game as the takedown that lead to his submission was the only real showcase during this short outing.


Fight 5: DJ Linderman vs. Rich Hale - Light Heavyweight Semifinal

Round 1:
Linderman lands a right. Hale with a leg kick. Linderman lands a left and Hale swings him off. They exchange leg kicks and work combos. Hale lands a straight left and then another. Linderman lands a right hand. Then he returns with another combo but misses Hale. Hale with a leg kick. Hale throws a head kick, and then two leg kicks. Linderman is not checking the kicks. Hale pushes Linderman to the cage and they lock horns. They exchange plows. Linderman reverse on the cage and they break. Hale throws a head kick and Linderman blocks. Linderman attempts a spinning back ckac and then Hale throws a spinning back kick. Linderman lands a right and Hale flys in with a short knee. They get in a fire fight and Linderman gets rocked a bit by a left but he brawls through it and the bell rings.


Round 2:
Linderman lands a spinning back fist that rocks Hale. He swarms and then pushes hales to the cage. They clinch and Hale can recover. Linderman takes Hale down. They get up and clinch on the cage and Hale accidentally knees Linderman in the groin. The pause action. Action starts back up they each exchange tough combos and Linderman throws a big body kick. Hale throws a strong left that misses. Linderman moves in with a combo and clinches and throws a knee to Hales body. Then Linderman lands a stiff left. He throws a standing hammer fist that misses. Hale hits a light body combo. Linder man lands another stiff left, and Hale comes in with a big superman punch. Linderman smiles. They look for power shots. Linderman throws a spinning head kick that lands lightly and Hale laughs. They each attempt big power shots and the bell rings.

Round 3:
They start in and the ref stops the fight thinking there was a groin shot, but there wasn't and action picks back up almost immediately. They clinch and get to the cage. Linderman has Hale against the cage. Linderman falls back and Hale lands in mount. He attempts to strike and Linderman turns and gives up his back. Hale attempts a rear naked choke. Linderman turns around again and Hale has mount again. Linderman gives up his back again and Hale is working hard for the rear naked choke. They role to the cage. Linderman is fighting this off. Linderman tries to stand up with Hale on his back. He then tries to turn into guard. Hale rides from Linderman's back and reigns head strikes as the bell rings.

Hale def. Linderman via Split Decision

Fight Rating: (***)
This was an exciting fight. Both men did not seem to be into defense as far as keeping your hand up goes, but they were ready to go out there and put it on the line. This was an exciting fight that in my eyes should remind fighters to never let it go to the judges as I would have scored it 29-28 for Linderman.