If you like MMA cards with no action and tons of horrible judging, Bellator 155 was the event for you. Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho successfully defended his title via a controversial split decision over Melvin Manhoef (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) in Boise, Idaho, on Friday night.
Carvalho didn't deserve to win. He did almost nothing of note in the fight and looked to have given up midway through the fourth round. It's amazing that anyone could find three rounds to give to him.
Manhoef wasn't his normal action-packed self. He was tentative, but he made more of an effort to make it a fight than Carvalho did.
It would be nice to discuss highlights in this section of the recap, but there weren't any. Fans booed consistently, but like stubborn children rebelling against their parents, the combatants wouldn't respond to the cry for action.
Carvalho was nearly penalized for two low blows and received several warnings for keeping has hands open and fingers extended. He poked Manhoef in the eye on at least two occasions. For whatever reason, referee John McCarthy didn't deduct a point.
Perhaps he was asleep during the snooze fest.
If he had deducted a point, the fight would have been a majority draw. That would have been only slightly less criminal.
As it was, the main event that was supposed to be an all-action bout with a guaranteed knockout finish turned out to be the cherry on top of a mud-and-gravel sundae.
Here's what Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden and Combat Press' Rob Tatum said about the main event and the horrendous card:
This is a candidate for Worst Fight of the Year. #Bellator155
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) May 21, 2016
Worst event ever. Worst scorecards ever. Laughable. #Bellator155
— Rob Tatum (@RobTatumMMA) May 21, 2016
In Manhoef and Carvalho's defense, they weren't the only ones who laid an egg in this event. Check out the details from the other four fights on the card.
Curran Wins a Ho-Hum Co-Main Event
Pat Curran dropped Georgi Karakhanyan with a counter left hook in the first round. He pounced on his foe in an attempt to pound him out, but Karakhanyan showed his toughness and skills off his back to survive the round.
Bellator captured the biggest strike of the fight:
.@PatCurranMMA gets that unanimous decision vs @georgimma #Bellator155 pic.twitter.com/9ME5OqWovR
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) May 21, 2016
Curran seemed to control the second frame before he coasted in the third, allowing Karakhanyan to take a round. The decision was not a surprise, but like most of the card, the fight left a lot to be desired.
Instead of looking to make a statement and finish his opponent, Curran was tentative and rode the impact of his early knockdown to a less-than-awe-inspiring victory.
Here's a look at all the results:
- Chase Gormley def. Joey Beltran via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29),
- Alexis Dufresne def. Marloes Coenen via submission (first-round armbar).
- Augusto Sakai and Dan Charles fight to majority draw (28-28, 28-28, 27-30).
- Pat Curran def. Georgi Karakhanyan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
- Rafael Carvalho def. Melvin Manhoef split decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48).
Other Results
Beltran and Gormley Made Us Sad
Before the Joey Beltran vs. Chase Gormley bout began, the canvas of the Bellator cage was stained with blood from the non-televised bouts. Clearly, Gormley was determined not to add any of his or Beltran's blood to the scene.
Despite enjoying a 28-pound weight advantage, Gormley refused to throw much of anything with enough power to hurt his smaller opponent. That approach almost cost him the fight.
Gormley took a split decision, but it was closer than it needed to be. Two of the three judges seemed to give Gormley the first two rounds, but his work consisted primarily of leg kicks and overhand rights that didn't connect cleanly.
In the third round, Beltran rocked him with a hard right hand, but he couldn't finish. Snowden took a warranted shot at Bellator's matchmaking for moving lightweight contender Marcin Held to the prelims to make room for this heavyweight farce:
Good thing we pulled Marcin Held off the main card. Would have hated for a national audience to miss THIS. #Bellator155
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) May 21, 2016
There was nowhere to go but up after this one.
Dufresne Shocks and Submits Classless Coenen
Marloes Coenen is a legend of women's MMA, but on Friday night, she disgraced herself and the sport. Coenen is known for her excellent submission skills, but on Friday, she was the one being forced to tap.
After executing a solid sweep to gain top position in the first round, Coenen got careless, and Dufresne showed this woman of will what will really is.
Dufresne beautifully transitioned from a triangle choke to a neck crank to an armbar that forced Coenen to tap. The latter wasn't happy as she sat on her knees and stared blankly after the loss. Here's a look at the finish, courtesy of Bellator:
Here is what an upset arm bar sub looks like. Alexis Dufresne is back #Bellator155 pic.twitter.com/ttMXLwamtj
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) May 21, 2016
Tatum was shocked by the outcome:
Wow. Never saw that coming. #Bellator155
— Rob Tatum (@RobTatumMMA) May 21, 2016
The two had bad blood during the weigh-in, but Dufresne still went looking for the sportsmanlike hand shake. Coenen wasn't having it.
Per the Spike broadcast, Coenen was angry with Dufresne for missing weight by five pounds. Usually, that's understandable, but this was a special circumstance. Dufresne gave birth to her son on Thanksgiving and took the fight on short notice.
Those are extenuating circumstances, to say the least.
To not shake hands after a fight is unacceptable. The agreement fighters make with each other when they go to battle in the cage or ring is a different deal than in any other sport. It should happen even if there are issues before the fight.
Dreadful Draw
One judge in the Augusto Sakai vs. Dan Charles fight should be ashamed. He somehow scored the fight 30-27 for Charles.
Sakai was penalized a point in the first round for two low blows, but it appeared as though he was winning that round before the deduction. That should have made it an even round at 9-9.
Sakai got the better of the action in the final two rounds—notably in the third, when Charles was in retreat for the second half of the frame.
Because of the deduction, the draw was plausible but still probably not the right call. This was a horrible night for Bellator and MMA. On the bright side, it can only get better from here.
