Joe Warren Crowned Interim Champion on Strength of Late Surge in Bellator 118 Headliner

Joe Warren did enough to outpoint Rafael Silva at Bellator 118. | Photo: Keith Mills/Sherdog.com

Warren, 37, took a unanimous decision from Renovacao Fight Team’s Rafael Silva and captured the interim Bellator MMA bantamweight championship in the Bellator 118 main event on Friday at the Revel Atlantic City in Atlantic City, N.J. The self-professed “Baddest Man on the Planet” swept the scorecards with identical 48-47 scores.

Silva (21-4, 2-1 Bellator) -- who replaced reigning 135-pound champion Eduardo Dantas on short notice -- moved to an early advantage, as he controlled much of the first two rounds with clean punches, occasional takedowns and superb close-quarters grappling.

However, it was not enough to deter the resilient Warren, who sustained significant damage to his left eye as a result of a fist-to-face encounter with a Silva right hand. The former Bellator featherweight champion turned the corner in round three and began to grind down Silva with clinches, takedowns and ground-and-pound. The fourth and fifth rounds followed a similar narrative, as Warren (11-3, 9-2 Bellator) rode his superior conditioning and dogged determination to a fourth straight victory.

“I’m so honored to get a second belt here in Bellator,” Warren said. “I went through war in here to get that, but I’ll keep this belt on as long as I can.”

The defeat halted Silva’s 13-fight winning streak.

“I thought I was going to get a finish,” Warren said. “He showed more heart than I’ve ever seen in this cage.”

Koreshkov Knee Wipes Out Baesman

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Koreshkov is gaining momentum.

Koreshkov (16-1, 7-1 Bellator) overwhelmed his counterpart with power, speed and technique. A left hook to the body set Baesman on unsteady legs, and the flying knee put him on the canvas. Koreshkov unleashed one last standing-to-ground right hand before referee Dan Miragliotta could intervene.

It was the 10th first-round stoppage of his 17-fight career.

A protégé of Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko, Koreshkov will face Adam McDonough in the 170-pound tournament final.

Galvao Outpoints Newcomer Vasquez

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Galvao was on another level.

Vasquez (7-1, 0-1 Bellator) enjoyed some success in standup exchanges but failed to stay upright against the relentless Brazilian. Galvao struck for takedowns in all three rounds, neutralizing the 27-year-old San Diego native on the canvas.

He did his best work in round three, where he grounded Vasquez, moved immediately to his back and corralled him with a body triangle. Repeated rear-naked choke attempts followed from Galvao, as he kept Vasquez bottled up with elbows and punches from behind to polish off his sixth win in seven appearances.

Undefeated McGeary KOs Mucitelli

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McGeary lit up Mucitelli quickly.

McGeary (7-0, 4-0 Bellator) bounded to his feet following a quick takedown from the 30-year-old Rochester, N.Y., native. He then met a left jab from Mucitelli with the finishing blow, folding him where he stood. No follow-up damage was necessary.

Prelims: Caldwell Choke Submits Pingitore

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Martinez took it to Contaldi.

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Outlaw beat Bannon down for 15 minutes.