Bellator 163 highlights: Blistering 16-second and 86-second 'KO of the Month' candidates

Friday’s Bellator 163 card produced two viable candidates for when MMAjunkie rolls out its “Knockout of the Month” finalists at the end of November.

Bellator 163 took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and the main card aired on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

In the main event, Phil Davis (17-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) earned a dominant unanimous-decision victory and dethroned Liam McGeary (11-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) to become the new Bellator light-heavyweight champion.

Elsewhere on the card, the night offered plenty of finishes. In the main-card opener, Javy Ayala (10-5 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) needed just 16 seconds to flatten veteran heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov (23-6 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and spoil his Bellator debut.

Additionally, Brennan Ward (14-4 MMA, 10-4 BMMA) reigned supreme in a welterweight slugfest with Saad Awad (19-9 MMA, 7-6 BMMA) and landed the fight-ending blow just 86 seconds into the fight.

Also, Neiman Gracie (5-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) showcased some ground skills that should make his family proud, and he secured a first-round armbar win over Rudy Bears (16-15 MMA, 2-7 BMMA) in their 175-pound catchweight bout.

Check out all the highlights above.

And for more on Bellator 163, including a full event recap, check out the MMA Events section of the site.