Rafael Carvalho became the new Bellator middleweight champion after knocking out former champion Brandon Halsey in stunning fashion Friday. The previously undefeated Halsey came in aggressive as he dominated the first round with his powerful takedowns and jiu-jitsu.
He nearly submitted Carvalho in the first round with a head-and-arm choke, but the resilient Brazilian stayed calm and escaped the attempts. Halsey sold out, looking for the submission, and he seemed to tire after his unsuccessful attempt to end the fight.
In the second round, Halsey again shot for Carvalho's legs early in the frame. Carvalho showed excellent balance against the cage as he fought off Halsey's attempts at a dominant position. Finally, Halsey gave up the top position and backed away, looking to try his hand at a stand-up exchange.
That was a mistake.
Within seconds, Carvalho landed a perfectly placed kick to Halsey's liver. The hulking former champion turned into Bruce Banner before our eyes. Carvalho rained downed a few punches on his fallen foe, and referee Dan Miragliotta had seen enough.
He called a halt to the bout, and Carvalho was the new champion. Here's a look at the epic finish:
Bellator MMA captured footage of its newest champion celebrating his victory:
"And New!" @RafaelCarvalh74 loving life right now. #Bellator144 @spike pic.twitter.com/QsTC9NYjTm
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 24, 2015
Halsey vacated the title in his last fight with Kendall Grove back in May. Halsey came in overweight and lost the title on the scale despite tearing through Groves en route to a fourth-round TKO victory.
With a chance to regain his title, he couldn't overcome a cerebral and dangerous opponent in Carvalho. The Brazilian will enjoy his win and new title for now, but you can bet talk of a rematch will be in the wind shortly.
Here's a look at the rest of the results from the card:
| Matchup | Weight Class | Result |
| Prelim Bouts | ||
| Marius Enache vs. Pete Rogers | 155-Pound Catchweight | Enache by Submission (Scarf-Hold Armlock) |
| Jeremie Holloway vs. Matt Secor | Welterweight | Secor by Submission (Achilles Lock) |
| Kevin Roddy vs. Matt Bessette | Featherweight | Bessette by Submission (Heel Hook) |
| Walter Smith-Cotito vs. Kin Moy | Bantamweight | Moy by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) |
| Brandon Polcare vs. Billy Giovanella | Flyweight | Giovanella by Submission (Triangle Choke) |
| TJ Hepburn vs. Sam Watford | Lightweight | Watford by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) |
| Mike Zichelle vs. Kevin Haley | Light Heavyweight | Haley by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) |
| Main Card | ||
| Michael Page vs. Charlie Ontiveros | Welterweight | Page by KO |
| Goiti Yamauchi vs. Isao Kobayashi | Featherweight | Yamauchi by Submission |
| Brennan Ward vs. Dennis Olson | Welterweight | Ward by KO |
| Brandon Halsey vs. Rafael Carvalho | Middleweight | Carvalho by TKO |
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MVP Bashes Ontiveros
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden's night got better, thanks to Michael "Venom" Page:
I'm not having a great night. Did Michael Page style on some guy at @BellatorMMA? Please say he did!
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) October 24, 2015
Page has been electric in each of his appearances in the Bellator cage. The trend continued Friday, when he destroyed Charlie Ontiveros in the first round with some devastating elbows from a top position. Check out Page's savagery:
Immediately after the fight, Page added insult to injury by hitting his fallen opponent with the "What are those?" pose, per HDMG:
Whaaaaaatttttt are thooooose! @Michaelpage247 ?? ?????? pic.twitter.com/nRjRGfN9mg
— HDMG #HandsDown (@CPitts7) October 24, 2015
Page has become one of the biggest draws in the promotion, though he has yet to match up against one of Bellator's best welterweights. Perhaps he and Brennan Ward will lock horns in the future. That's undoubtedly a bout that would excite fans.
Yamauchi Is Dominant
In a battle between two Japanese warriors, Goiti Yamauchi pounded Isao Kobayashi for nearly three rounds before submitting him in the third. His maneuver of choice was the rear-raked choke. It was his 15th win by submission and 11th by way of the rear-naked choke.
Here's the finish:
There was nothing close about this one. Yamauchi got the better of Kobayashi in every aspect of the fight. He landed hard strikes during the moments the fight took place on the feet, and he had Kobayashi in danger of losing via submission on a few instances.
Prior to the bout, Kobayashi had never been stopped. Yamauchi's ability to accomplish what no other opponent had done against Kobayashi is a testament to his many weapons.
In his post-fight interview, Yamauchi made it clear that he wants champion Patricio "Pitbull" Freire next:
Ward Smokes Olson
Brennan Ward came to the cage to trade with Dennis Olson, and he got the best of the exchanges. Late in the first round, a hard combination dropped Olson, and Ward pounced on his opponent to finish the bout.
Check out Ward's fireworks:
Ward had taken a few shots early, and his face wore the scars of the brief war. But he had the advantage in power. His strikes had more of an impact, as is often the case when he lands big shots on opponents.
He may be in line for a title shot against Andrey Koreshkov down the line, but a more appropriate fight would pit Ward against Page.
Even Pitbull agrees:
I'd love to see @SwaggleBerryFin vs @Michaelpage247 next #Bellator144 I really enjoy to watch them fight.
— Patricio Freire (@PatricioPitbull) October 24, 2015
Let's make that happen.
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