Bellator 192 results: Chael Sonnen grinds out 'Rampage' to advance in heavyweight grand prix

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Chael Sonnen became the first fighter to advance to the semifinal round of the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament when he defeated Quinton Jackson in the Bellator 192 main event.

As usual, Sonnen (30-15-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) relied on his wrestling to get him through the fight. Despite being at a 31-pound weight disadvantage, he outworked “Rampage” Jackson (37-13 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) over three rounds to take a unanimous decision, and he will fight the winner of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Frank Mir in the next round.

The bout, which was part of the opening round of the Bellator heavyweight grand prix, headlined today’s Bellator 192 event. It took place at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and aired on Paramount following prelims on MMAjunkie.

The fight began with Sonnen showing no hesitation to engage on the feet. He had an evident speed advantage, and used that to sneak in several left hands on Jackson, who didn’t seem affected. Sonnen finally went for a takedown in the final 30 seconds, putting Jackson his back until the bell.

Sonnen went wrestling-heavy in Round 2. He quickly shot in for a takedown on Jackson and was able to get the fight where he wanted. Jackson was essentially hopeless in getting up, struggling to stop Sonnen from being active enough to prevent a referee standup.

Jackson’s sense of frustration was obvious in the final round. He pointed to the center of the cage and implored Sonnen to exchange with him after landing some solid shots, but Sonnen didn’t take the bait. He once again waited for the opening to shoot for a takedown, and managed to put Jackson on his back without much difficulty.

It wasn’t the most exciting affair, but Sonnen for the unanimous decision with 29-28 scorecards across the board. Afterward, he sent a message to the winner of Emelianenko and Mir.

“God made 6 bullion men and he didn’t make any of them as good as Chael Sonnen,” Sonnen said in his post-fight interview. Fedor Emelianenko, Frank Mir, one of you is next.”

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 192 results include:

• Rory MacDonald edges Douglas Lima to claim welterweight gold
• Michael Chandler dominates Goiti Yamauchi, ties record for most Bellator wins
• Aaron Pico scores 37-second knockout with body shot
• Henry Corrales decisions Georgi Karakhanyan in first bout in Paramount history

For more on Bellator 192 check out the MMA Events section of the site.

(John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Inglewood.)