Bellator welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov was too big and strong for Benson Henderson on Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The 25-year-old Russian dominated the former UFC lightweight champion and scored a lopsided unanimous-decision victory.
The three judges all scored the fight 50-45 in favor of Koreshkov, and a few rounds were so one-sided that they could have been scored 10-8.
Brent Brookhouse of MMAJunkie.com shared his takeaways from the Bellator 153 main event:
Henderson had beaten Brandon Thatch at welterweight in the UFC, but Koreshkov proved to be on another level. At 6'0", he enjoyed a three-inch height advantage and proved to be much stronger than Henderson in every area. The latter struggled to close the distance from the beginning of the bout.
When he did get into range, Koreshkov smoked him with hard right hands and vicious kicks to the body. To Henderson's credit, he took all of the shots and didn't fold, but he looked like a man fighting above his weight class.
Henderson was making his Bellator debut after signing with the promotion as a free agent. He had a long run in the UFC that included several main event bouts and the aforementioned run as the 155-pound champion. His decorated resume made the victory sweeter for Koreshkov.
In some ways, this win was not just a triumph for Koreshkov but also for Bellator as an organization. Former UFC fighters have come to Bellator before, but most of them have landed with the promotion after they had failed in the higher-profile organization.
Henderson is the first to come to Bellator while still highly respected and considered a top title contender. For one of Bellator's champions to not only defeat but also to dominate a newcomer like Henderson in this way says something for the improving caliber of fighters in President Scott Coker's organization.
If you find a publication that ranks fighters regardless of promotion, you can bet Koreshkov jumped a few notches with this win.
Here's a look at all of the results from the Spike card.
Bellator 153 Results
- Michael Page def. Jeremie Holloway via submission in first round (toe hold).
- Brent Primus def. Toninho Furia via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).
- Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos def. Brennan Ward via submission in first round (knee bar).
- Patricio "Pitbull" Freire def. Henry Corrales via submission in second round (guillotine).
- Andrey Koreshkov def. Benson Henderson via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45).
Notable Finishes
MVP Is Electric
If you've never seen Michael "Venom" Page fight and you're a fan of MMA, you've been deprived of something special. The only thing bigger than Page's flamboyant personality is his finishing ability.
Normally, Page finishes opponents with his dynamic arsenal of strikes. On Friday, Page showed us his advanced submission game. Jeremie Holloway's game plan was to close the distance and pressure Page. That didn't work out.
After running into a hard right hand in the opening seconds that knocked him off his feet, Holloway fell victim to an inverted toe hold against the cage as he went for his own leg lock. It happened so quick that referee John McCarthy almost didn't notice Holloway tapping desperately.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden was impressed by Page's new wrinkle:
When it was over, Page taunted, danced and added another level to the huge hype train that is building behind him. Page's next opponent was announced during his post-fight interview. Per the Spike broadcast, Page will be headlining a card in his hometown of London when he takes on Fernando Gonzalez.
Bellator provided Bleacher Report with the poster art shortly after Page's win:
There's no doubt that the 29-year-old Page, who is now 10-0 with nine stoppage wins, is one of Bellator's best stars. If he continues to win and impress, he'll be fighting for the welterweight title in no time.
Cyborg Contorts Ward
Brennan Ward came in with the hype, but his night ended with a fizzle. In Ward's hometown, Brazilian veteran Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos submitted him within a minute. As usual, Ward came charging in while looking for the quick finish, but Santos was ready for him.
As soon as their bodies clashed, Santos dropped to the mat, looking to control Ward's leg. Ward didn't defend the attempt properly, and it took just a few seconds before Santos had his leg extended with a deep knee bar.
Ward tapped and may have suffered an injury during the finish. Many in the MMA community, including Josh Gross of the Gross Point Blank podcast, were surprised by the outcome:
Ward looks the part of a title contender, but he lacks some of the basic techniques to defeat fighters with varied skill sets. While Santos is a veteran, he's just 21-16 in his career, and he's also 38 years old.
Ward is just 27, but after this disappointing loss, his career is at a crossroads.
Pitbull Guillotines Corrales
Patricio Pitbull came back strong after losing his featherweight title to Daniel Straus in November. It was their third meeting, and the first that Straus won.
Facing Henry Corrales in the co-main event, Pitbull battled through a lackluster first round to earn the stoppage in the second. Known for his massive punching power, Pitbull showed off his powerful submission game as he locked in the standing guillotine.
Corrales tapped almost immediately as Pitbull leaned back to add torque. It's unclear whether Pitbull has done enough to justify a fourth fight with Straus, but there is a path emerging for the two men to meet again for the gold.
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