3 Surprises from Bellator 207

Bellator 207 is in the books and was an outstandingly entertaining show from top to bottom.

The number two MMA promotion in the United States has been on a roll throughout the year, delivering huge marquee names on its events and mixing its veteran names such as its Bellator 207 headliners Matt Mitrione and Ryan Bader with the very best in young MMA talent.

This mixing of youth and experience makes an incredibly exciting environment for the viewer and the first show of a doubleheader this weekend started the action with a bang.

Riding a wave of huge interest in the sport following the heavily reported aftermath of UFC 229, Bellator 207 took advantage of mainstream media interest by delivering a stunning event full of twists and turns.

The battle to declare a new Heavyweight Champion continued as the show served up an unforgettable main event with the first Semi-Final bout between Mitrione and Bader, which saw Light-Heavyweight Champion, Bader take a step closer to becoming a Double Champion in the promotion as he dominated his rival.

Huge MMA stars Roy Nelson, Sergei Kharitonov and Kevin Ferguson Jr all highlighted the undercard in matches that thrilled and shocked in equal measure.

The event also offered up a massive eight preliminary bouts as young fighters attempted to make a name for themselves in this phenomenal sport. One such name, Michael Kimbel succeeded in that endeavor in stupendous fashion as he equaled a company record.

One of Bellator's biggest shows of the year delivered with some incredible moments and surprises and now there is no doubt whatsoever that most eyes will be on tomorrow night's Bellator 208 card in this hugely exciting weekend of world-class MMA action.

SK looks at the three biggest surprises from a hugely memorable night of MMA action at Bellator 207.

#3 Kevin Ferguson Jr loses in humiliating fashion

It was not a good night at the office for Kevin Ferguson Jr.

The son of the late, infamous MMA superstar, Kimbo Slice, "Baby Slice" Kevin Ferguson Jr. was heavily favored to continue his winning run against little known Corey Browning and boost his burgeoning career as he looks to eclipse the achievements of his father.

It seemed inevitable given Ferguson Jr.'s recent impressive form inside the cage that Browning would be nothing more than another name on his list of victims.

However, in a complete surprise, what actually happened is that Ferguson Jr.'s conditioning was exposed as he badly ran out of steam after the first round and brutally paid the price versus his opponent.

It was a bad night for "Baby Slice."

Defeat to Corey Browning has put a halt on his career advancement. The manner in which it happened will worry him greatly.

Ferguson initially came out strong with a take-down and big knees to the head that Browning absorbed. However, the dominant first round Ferguson put forth came at a cost.

Ferguson Jr was completely gassed.

Browning dropped Ferguson but "Baby Slice" recovered to maneuver his opponent into choke position. However, the ease with which Browning escaped was proof of how tired Ferguson was. Out of the mount, Browning got on top and quickly finished “Baby Slice” with strikes.

Browning ended a two-fight losing streak in his Bellator debut and shocked the fighting world.

Ferguson for his part has much to ponder.

#2 Bader overwhelms Mitrione in devastating fashion

It was a surprise when Ryan Bader chose to sign with Bellator rather than re-sign with UFC when his UFC contract expired back in late 2016.

UFC refused to match Bellator's contract offer and this performance demonstrated why Bader put a high price on his worth.

He is one of the finest MMA fighters in the world today. The Bellator Light-Heavyweight Champion is now just one fight away from becoming a dual Champion as only Fedor Emelianenko or Chael Sonnen now stand in his way of adding the Heavyweight Championship to his impressive resume.

Bader was favored to defeat his Semi-Final opponent, Matt Mitrione but what shocked the world was the ease in which he dispatched his foe.

Mitrione has fought his entire nine-year career at Heavyweight and defeated the very best in the business such as Emelianenko, Roy Nelson and Gabriel Gonzaga.

For him to be so utterly dominated on his feet and the ground by a man who is just several pounds over 205 pounds, making him an incredibly light Heavyweight fighter is nothing short of remarkable.

The judge's scorecards tell the story: 30-24, 30-25, 30-26. An unbelievable domination.

#1 Carrington Banks is destroyed by Mandel Nello

Heading into this fight, most observers picked Carrington Banks as the likely winner.

It seemed silly for anyone to doubt that fact. After all, Banks has competed in Bellator for over two years, competing against elite competition and despite losing his most recent fight versus Adam Piccolotti was a top-level performer who seemed set to comfortably return to the win column against Mandel Nello.

Nello came into this fight unbeaten, however, five of his six encounters came in small, regional promotions prior to his Bellator debut in December 2017.

Also, despite being a professional fighter since 2012, Nello had only fought six times meaning he was at a considerable disadvantage experience wise compared to Banks.

The standard of his competition was inferior on paper also.

However, Nello proved any doubters wrong with an incredible Knockout victory over Banks inside two rounds and now has a future career in Bellator whereas Banks now faces a fight to put his career back on track following two consecutive losses.