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By Alvin Benjamin Carter III, MMA Torch Specialist
Hello Everyone! I am cage-side at Bellator 17 at The Wang Theater in Boston, MA. I am excited to cover this stacked the televised card!
Fight 1:Carey Vanier (8-2) vs Toby Imada (24-13)
Round 1:
They touch gloves. A little feel out period. Varnier engages. More dancing as they feel. Varnier shoots, and Imada stuff. They clinch to the cage, and Varnier gets the takedown moves straight to side control. Imada goes for an arm off his back, and then stands up. Varnier cracks him with a high kick and Imada eats it. Carnier with another kick but to the leg. Imada shoots takes down Varnier, and then Varnier sweeps him. Varnier has side control with Imada on the cage. Imada goes for a heel hook, and Varnier rolls for dear life. He escapes, and they stand up. Back to the ground Variern had control, and they work back up to their feet. Iamda connects with a right, they clinch. Varnier with a suplex! They are up and clinching. Varnier lands a knee to the face in the clinch. Varnier shoots, and nothing happens. Varnier shoots again and ends up in a clinch. Imada is on the fence, and then he gets off and throws hard knees in the clunch. Imada connects with a hard fist to the head. He cracks Varnier again with a shot that puts him down as the bell rings. This is getting exciting.
Rounds 2:
Imada throws a kick, Varnier returns Imada kicks and Varnier Shoots. Imada stuffs it. Varnier lands a jab, and Imada connects with a leg kick. Varneir lands a jab. Imada lands a jab. Varnier with a leg kick. Imada thows some hands and there is heat on them. Imada is controlling the center of the cage, but both are dancing around looking for angles. Varnier lands a body kick, and then Imada goes in with a combo. Imada goes to the ground and leg trips Varnier with his hands. Varnier transitions seamlessly into what looks like a dangerous heel hook, Varnier scrambles out of what might have been a end-all submission attempt. Imada takes Varniers back, and turns it into an arm bar. Varnier rolls, and rolls, and rolls, but Imada has that armbar in tight.
Post Fight: Jimmy has Toby walk us through the submission. He asks Toby about how it feels to be back in Bellator again.
Fight Rating:**+ Both guys seemed gassed relatively early, but it was good fight. There was a lot of feeling out, but once they got comfortable they let their hands go a bit.
Fight 2: Patrick Curran (10-3) vs Roger Huerta (21-3-1)
Round 1:
They touch gloves. Curran wit low kick to the legs. Then a high kick smack on Huerta's face. Low outside kicks from Curran. Huerta tries to catch. They dance. They both meet with a leg kick. Hard kick! They meet on the cage, and they move back to the center. Teep kick by Curran. Curran with a body kick, Huerta sort of catches an lands two body shots. Huerta throws a high kick and the does a side kick to the body and almost connects. Low kick by Huerta. Curran has a high kick that is crazy. He overhand right's Huerta and he goes down and bounces back up. Huerta kicks and takes him to the fence. They stay in a clinch as they cross the cage, back to the fence. Curran with knees. Huerta keeps him on the fence, but Curran knees, Huerta catches Curran. They back. A teep kick to the face of Huerta, but it does not connect hard. Huerta catches a round house and answers with a roundhouse of his own, and a right to the face of Curran. Curran swings a kick at Huerta's head and the round ends.
Round 2:
Huerta throws two kicks up top. They clinch and Curran is on the fence. Huerta goes for the takedown. Curran gives him some knees. They are standing in the middle. Huerta gives Curran a kick to the head. They dance. Another high kick. Huerta is just throwing kicks. He knows he is low on points and he is just going in, but still not to hard. Curran with a front kick to the stomach of Huerta. Huerta keeps with those high side kicks. Curran is going for body kicks, but Huerta blocks. Huerta trows to lefts. Huerta dances. Curran throws a jump kick straights up to Huerta's face. They dance. Curran moves in with body shots to a clinch. Curran gets a single leg, but Huerta sprawls. From his knees he lands some hard head shots. Curran stand up and stumbles to the cage under the pressure, but then they are standing and dancing for a second. The clench and Curran is against the cage. They brak.Curran with a kick, blocked by Huerta. Curran lands a wild right as the round ends.
Rounds 3:
Huerta is jabbing his way around the cage. Leg kick to Curran. Curran lands a short right hook. They clinch and Roger gets Curran on the cage. Curran knees Huerta. The break. Huerta throws a kick with some heat. then a high kick. Curran throws combo. Huerta catches a front kick and Curran spins and runs back. Low kick form Curran. Huerta lands a right hook to the body and left hook to the head. They clinch. Huerta goes in with his hands. He and Curran exchange hard. Curran miss a hook and Roger takes his back. Curran sweeps, wow! He has rogers head, they stand up, and then they break. Curran takes down Huerta. They stand up. Curran goes in, but Huerta hits a left hook to the body. Throws a kick, they sand and bang in the middle of the cage!!!
Pat Curran def. Roger Huerta by Unanimous Decision (29 - 28)
Post Fight:
It is hard to hear from the press box (the speakers are aimed away from the cage), but I know he is happy to advance.
Fight Rating: ***+ Wow! A star is born! Pat Curran surprised a lot of people, including me. I thought Huerta had the fight even though he lost the first round, but the last thirty seconds must have left an impression on the judges. Curran got the better of the final exchanges.
Fight 3: Josh Neer (27-9-1) vs Eddie Alvarez (19-2)
Round 1:
They dance and feel out. They move in, and Curranlands a right tot he head, but they clinch. Alvarez gets Neer on the cage, and thwos an elbow. Curran lands some hooks, Alvarez throws some hard hooks back, and lands on. Alvarez takes him down and has Neer on the cage. Alvarez is limb switching for a submission. He works ground and pound. Neer lands an up kick. Alvarez takes control again and rains down shots. Alvarez grabs the fence, ref moves his hand. Alvarez is controlling form the top. Neer sets in a full guard, but Alarez punches it open. Ground and pound by Alvarex is ridiculous. He is dominating Neer on the ground. He moves to mount and pounds him down. Neer somehow sweeps!?!? Eddi gets up and Neer takes his back standing. He tries to through and Alvarez shrugs him off. They are in he mide of hte cage. Alvarez lifts him up and tosses Neer down easily. Neers knows is bleeding. Alvarez moves to side control, gets mound and works some hammer fists until the bell sounds.
Round 2:
They exchange hooks. Alvarez gets shoots a single leg putting Neer to the cage. They stand and break. Hands exchange, and Alvarez gets him to the cage. Alvarez lands an elbow, and Neer comes back with a fist to the head. Alvarez gets Neer down and on the cage. He rains a few down, and now h smothers him. Takes hise back. hooks in, Rear Naked Choke on a standing Neer. Neer goes out!!!!!! and falls to the ground with Alvarez on his back!
Eddie Alvarez def. Josh Neer by Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R2 2:08
Post Fight: Again the sound made it tough to hear, but he landed his signature celebratory flip before leaving the cage.
Fight Rating: **** That is a high rating I have here, but this fight was "off the chain." The crowd was loving it, and Alvarez came to play! Dominance is the only word I can think of at the moment. Props to Neer who seemed eager, but couldn't really get going. I have to say Neer didn't tap, but he did go to sleep. This card has been great, and so far this has been the best fight on the card.
Fight 4:Pat Bennett (1-0) vs Cole Konrad (2-0)
Round 1:
Bennett lands a head shot. The move and dance. Bennett goes in hard and lands one of two head sots. Konrad shoots in and takes Bennett Down. Konrad works and hits with a hard elbow. He lands three fists to the body, and continues to smother Bennett. They work and Konrad tries to get Bennett to the cage. He lands about six body shots while in Bennett's half guard. Bennett gets to full guard and lands an elbow to the head of Konrad. Konrad stacks and is trying to pass while hey rains down. He smothers Bennett from half guard. Bennett gives up his back, Konrad stays on him as Bennett spins. Konrad gets mount and just sits there to breath for a second (haha). Konrad lands more fists. Ground and pound is the name of the game. The bell seems to have saved Bennett.
Round 2:
Konrad lands a right, and puts Bennett on the cage. They beak. Konrad is bloody about the nose. The dance for a bit, Bennett looks like it is hard for him to breath through his nose. Konad seems to be taking a breather. They engage and Konrad gets Bennett on the cage. They tussle to the other side of the cage and the shake the ring as they hit the fence. They break. Both seem winded. Konrad lands a jab, and then a hard right. These big guys keep taking a breather.Konrad it him a right and a left. He had some heat on them. Konrad went for a foot stomp. Bennett through and misses. Konrad moves in and hits a combo. He does another foot stomp. Unorthodox... The crowd boos the lack of action as the bell rings.
Round 3:
Bennett lands a spinning back kick to Konrad's gut. Maybe their is more in his tank than I thought. They exchange, but they are breathing heavily. Konrad goes in hard wit a flurry and gets Bennett on the cage. Bennett gets off the cage, and swings away. He lands some good head shots. They back up to breath, and start to engage again. The lock up and break. Konrad with a nice jab to the face. They engage again, and break before an real shots hit. Both are tired and keep taking time to breath. Conditioning is a problem for both. The crowd boos again, but both are doing what they can with their gas tanks. Plus they are feeling each other out. Bennett does not want to be on his back again. Konrad lands an over hand right. Then a jab to the mouth. Bennett lands a leg kick, Konrad throws a nice shot an Bennett answers with a straight to the head of Konrad. Another nice jab from Konrad. They are on empty, but swing for the fences as the round ends.
Cole Konrad def. Pat Bennett by Unanimous Decision (29-26, 29-28, 30-27)
Post Fight: None, both must have been too tired...
Fight Rating:** This was not my favorite fight. Both need to work on cardio. A couple of good shots landed, but the only time anyone was in danger was when Konrad took Bennett down and worked some ground and pound. Not that exciting, but it was good to see some heavyweight action.
That's it for the televised portion of the Bellator 17 fight card. This is the best Bellator card I have seen to date. Eddie Alvarez gave an amazingly dominant performance, and Pat Curran upset Roger Huerta. Boston got a good one in Bellator 17.
Outcomes of the fights that were not televised:
Chuck O'Neil def. Damien Vitale by TKO (Cut) R2 1:02
Josh Labrege def. Dan Bonnell by TKO (Strikes) R2 :40
Justin Torrey def. Lance Everson by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:55
Greg Rebello def. John Doyle by Unanimous Decision
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