Bellator 97 live results and fight recaps

Bellator’s two most dominant champions continued to be just that on Wednesday with easy victories, just in different ways.

In the main event of Bellator 97, lightweight champion Michael Chandler knocked out David Rickels just 44 seconds into their fight, leaving “Caveman” stiff on the canvas. And in the co-feature, welterweight champ Ben Askren completely shut down Andrey Koreshkov over more than three rounds, then finally getting a TKO stoppage in the fourth.

Bellator 97 took place at Santa Ana Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The main card aired on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

Along with the two title fights, Muhammed Lawal took out Jacob Noe to win Bellator’s “Summer Series” light heavyweight tournament and Vitaly Minakov moved on to a heavyweight title fight by stopping Ryan Martinez in the heavyweight tourney.

Perhaps Chandler just wanted to give the fans in the crowd something to be wowed about after Askren’s stifling performance – a performance that had many booing. After a short feeling-out process, Chandler landed a trio of left jabs, then a giant right hand that was on the button.

Rickels dropped to his knees. But as soon as he popped back up, Chandler was on him with three big punches that had Rickels on his back, then three more big ones that left him stiff on the canvas. It was the seventh first-round finish of Chandler’s career. The end came just 44 seconds into the fight.

“I used to be (a wrestler). You’ve got to love wrestling, but I’m just blessed to be getting better every single day,” Chandler said. “You can’t have fear out here. I train my butt off every single day. Nothing bad can happen if you train your butt off.”

Chandler (12-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) remains unbeaten and moves on to his next title defense, which is scheduled to come against Dave Jansen. Rickels (14-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) had his four-fight win streak snapped and was finished for the first time in his career.

At some point, maybe Askren will be challenged. But that didn’t come on Wednesday. He completely dominated tourney winner Koreshkov, finally getting the TKO in the fourth. Things were so easy for Askren that as he was dropping punches on his opponent, mounted on his back, he was having a conversation with referee Jason Herzog asking him what else he had to do to get the fight stopped.

Askren promised a takedown within seconds, and he delivered. From there, it was easy for him. Through more than 15 minutes, the elite wrestler spent most of his time stifling the Russian on the ground with submission attempts and ground-and-pound, never giving him any kind of a chance to offer up any offense. The end came mercifully at the 2:58 mark of the fourth round.

“Andrey said he’s never been broken – well, snap, crackle and pop,” Askren said. “I’m the best fighter in the world, so let’s get in the cage and let me prove it, baby.”

Askren (12-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) won for the second straight title defense by TKO after six straight decision wins that had him largely criticized by fans for not finishing fights. Koreshkov (13-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) lost for the first time in his pro career.

“King Mo” makes easy work of Noe, moves on to title shot

There was a lot of bad blood between Muhammed Lawal and Jacob Noe heading into their light heavyweight tournament final. But perhaps surprisingly, the two touched gloves before the fight and touched again when the fight started. That was about as close as Noe would get to having a shot against “King Mo,” a massive favorite of 12-to-1. Thirty seconds in, Lawal scored a fairly easy takedown and went to work on ground-and-pound. He landed some big left hands there, and when Noe returned to his feet, “King Mo” took him back down and stayed right on him with knees to the body and more punches. With three minutes left, Lawal let the fight go back to the feet, but not for long before he drove in for a textbook double-leg. The crowd wasn’t in love with Lawal’s ground-and-pound out of Noe’s half-guard, but he kept getting closer as Noe covered up. Noe survived the round, and he would survive the second, as well – but he never presented much in the way of a challenge to Lawal, who stifled him with his wrestling at every turn. In the third, when Lawal rained down more punches, Noe verbally tapped at the 2:51 mark. “Today was a tribute to wrestling,” Lawal said. “We’ve got Michael Chandler, Ben Askren, Bubba Jenkins … You know I can’t come out here and not wrestle. I can’t get outshined. I came to show my technique.” Lawal (11-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) advances to a title shot – though he’ll have to wait in line behind Emanuel Newton. Noe (12-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) now has dropped two of his past three fights.

Minakov punches ticket (and Martinez) to heavyweight tourney title

Vitaly Minakov was the victim of a questionable point deduction in the second round – but he made sure it didn’t ultimately matter. Minakov pounded out Ryan Martinez late in the third round of their heavyweight tournament final, punching his ticket to a title shot against Bellator champ Alexander Volkov. Minakov wanted to get the fight to the ground against Martinez, but Martinez continually proved tough to get there. The two slugged it out early, with Martinez holding his own – but getting plenty bloody in the process. In the second, Minakov landed a knee to the groin – and without warning, he had a point taken away. That could’ve opened the door for Martinez in the third, but Minakov instead got the fight to the canvas and chased a rear-naked choke. When that wasn’t happening, he simply pounded away at Martinez’s face and head until he finally earned the stoppage at the 4:02 mark. Minakov (12-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) stayed unbeaten and now meets Volkov for the title, likely sometime this fall. Martinez (10-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) had his three-fight win streak snapped.

Freire drops Downing with one punch

If Patricio Freire was looking to make a statement heading into this fall’s featherweight tournament, consider it done. “Pitbull” had little trouble with Jared Downing through two rounds, and in the third he drilled Downing with one punch that sent him right to his back. Downing’s head bounced off the canvas, and that was all that needed to be seen. Freire moved in with his fist cocked, just in case, but it wasn’t needed – Downing wasn’t getting back up from the one-punch knockout. With the win, Freire (18-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA), whose only two losses have come to eventual or current Bellator champions, is back on track heading into his Season 9 145-pound tournament opening-round bout against Diego Nunes. Downing (9-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) now has lost two in a row.

Bellator 97 results:

MAIN CARD (Spike TV)

• Michael Chandler def. David Rickels via KO (punches) – Round 1, 0:44 – to defend lightweight title
• Ben Askren def. Andrey Koreshkov via TKO (punches) – Round 4, 2:58 – to defend welterweight title
• Muhammed Lawal def. Jacob Noe via verbal submission (punches) – Round 3, 2:51 – light-heavyweight tournament final
• Vitaly Minakov def. Ryan Martinez via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:02 – heavyweight tournament final
• Patricio Freire def. Jared Downing via TKO (punch) – Round 3, 0:54

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike.com)

• Bubba Jenkins def. Mike Barreras via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:05
• Anthony Leone def. Frank Baca via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:07 – bantamweight tournament semifinals
• Rafael Silva def. Rodrigo Lima via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:03 – bantamweight tournament semifinals
• Will Brooks def. Cris Leyva via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:20

PRELIMINARY CARD (Untelevised)

• Donald Sanchez def. Cliff Wright via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Adrian Cruz def. Felipe Chavez via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:24
• Javier Palacios def. Richard Jacquez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Shawn Bunch def. Russell Wilson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Jeremy Kimball def. Keith Berry via KO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:45

For the latest on Bellator 97, stay tuned to the MMA Events section of the site.

(Pictured: Ben Askren)