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After a month's absence, Bellator returned with another PPV offering - Bellator 222 - from the Madison Square Garden that was stacked from top to bottom.
Rory McDonald took on Neiman Gracie in the Welterweight Grand Prix semi-finals which also was for McDonald's Welterweight strap. MMA veterans Lyoto Machia and Chael Sonnen squared off against each other in the co-main event of the evening. 'The Bad Guy' drew curtains on a memorable career as he announced his retirement after the fight.
The highly-rated Aaron Pico was also featured on the card and he suffered another crushing loss against Adam Borics.
It was an entertaining night of fights as most contests had definite highlight-reel finishes. With that being said, here are the results and highlights of the show:
Bellator 222 Results (Premilitary Card)
Adam Borics def. Aaron Pico via KO (flying knee) (3:55, Round 2)
Taylor Turner def. Heather Hardy via TKO (3:53, Round 1)
Brandon Polcare def. Brandon Medina via submission (guillotine) (4:33, Round 1)
Phil Hawes def. Michael Wilcox via TKO (doctor) (5:00, Round 1)
Mike Kimbel def. Sebastian Ruiz via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)
Robson Gracie def. Oscar Vera via submission (armbar) (3:15, Round 1)
John Beneduce def. Kenny Rivera via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Kastroit Xhema def. Whitney Francois via TKO (3:17, Round 2)
Lindsey VanZandt def. Rena Kubota via technical submission (RNC) (4:04, Round 1)
Haim Gozali def. Gustavo Wurlitzer via submission (triangle) (4:02, Round 1)
Valerie Loureda def. Larkyn Dasch via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Marcus Surin def. Nekruz Mirkhojaev via split decision (30-27, 27-29, 29-28)
Bellator 222 Results (Main Card)
#1. Kyoji Horiguchi (27-2) vs. Daniel Caldwell (13-2) (Bellator Bantamweight Championship fight)
Former UFC fighter Kyoji Horiguchi took on the Bellator Bantamweight Champion Daniel Caldwell. The two exceptional Bantamweights last faced each other at Rizin 14 in December last year to crown the inaugural Rizin Bantamweight champion.
Horiguchi came out on top in the aforementioned encounter and it was a similar outcome this time as well.
The Karate Kid put on a dominant performance against the champ in a gruelling five-round fight and in the end, managed to score a unanimous decision win to become the new Bellator Welterweight Champion.
Caldwell started off strong as he took the first two rounds, with a single leg takedown in the second round being one of the biggest factors behind the scoring.
Horiguchi stepped it up when it mattered the most and moved well to get his range and striking going. He took the final three rounds and did enough to get the job done.
Result: Kyoji Horiguchi def. Daniel Caldwell via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) to become the new Bellator Welterweight Champion
This was the Karate's Kid's 13th straight victory and it was the one that will mean the most to him.
#2. Juan Archuleta (22-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (21-6) (Featherweight)
Juan 'The Spaniard' Archelta came into the second contest of the night on a 17-fight win streak. His opponent - Eduardo Dantas, had just won one of his last three fights. Archuleta was the all-out favourite and he lived up to the tag by notching up a knockout that would have made Mark Hunt proud.
The fight got off to a slow start as an early eye poke derailed the proceedings. Both men got an understanding of each other's range but Archuleta was the more precise of the two.
He amped up the intensity in the second round with some brilliant offensive pressure that resulted in a cut on Dantas' eye. Dantas attempted to cut the angles but Archuleta was probing for a killer blow. Juan stunned Dantas with a strike but Dantas held on. However, just before the round came to a close, Archuleta would connect with a perfect right hook that would floor Dantas. It was a walkout finish à la Mark Hunt.
Result: Juan Archuleta def. Eduardo Dantas via KO (Right hook) (4:59, Round 2)
That's 18 straight wins for Archuleta who will surely be in line for a shot at Patrício Freire's Featherweight title.
#3. Patrick Mix (10-0) vs. Ricky Bandejas (11-2) (Bantamweight)
Ricky Bandejas - the man who handed James Gallagher his first MMA loss - was on a mission to remove the zero off of another record as he took on promising undefeated prospect Patrick Mix.
The Bantamweight showdown barely lasted a minute! Mix and Bandejas chose not to tap gloves and got right to business. Mix locked up with Bandejas and within twenty seconds, effortlessly wrapped himself around Bandejas for a potential finish.
Mix worked his way into a body triangle position and got hold of Bandejas' back. Before anyone knew it, Mix had locked in a Rear Naked choke that forced a tap out of Bandejas.
That was as smooth as it gets.
Result: Patrick Mix def. Ricky Bandejas via submission (Rear Naked Choke) (1:06, Round 1)
'Patchy' Patrick Mix made it look easy against a highly-skilled competitor in Ricky Bandejas. The undefeated streak continues.
#4. Dillon Danis (1-0) vs. Max Humphrey (3-3) (Catchweight - 175 lbs)
Regarded as the most cringe-worthy fighter on social media, Dillon Danis took centre stage for his second pro MMA fight against the relatively inexperienced Max Humphrey.
The fight was fought at the weight class that has now been popularly termed as the 'Dillon Danis weight class'. It was an easy outing for Conor McGregor's Jui-Jitsu coach as he finished off Humphrey with an armbar in the first round itself.
Danis took Humphrey down at the 25-second mark and softened him up with some ground and pound before taking the half guard position. He first attempted to get a Rear Naked Choke but didn't commit to it fully.
He remained patient and created an opening for an armbar with hammer fists. He locked in a firm armbar and forced Humphrey to tap out.
Result: Dillon Danis def. Max Humphrey via submission (Armbar) (4:28, Round 1)
The win extends Danis' overall MMA record to 2-0, however, the real test awaits the loud-mouthed BJJ black belt as he will be pitted against more proficient opponents in the near future.
#5. Lyoto Machida (26-7) vs. Chael Sonnen (31-16-1) (Light Heavyweight)
The co-main event of the evening saw two seasoned former UFC fighters go toe-to-toe in a fight we wished happened when both were in their prime.
Sonnen pressured forward from the get-go and even got Machida down for a brief period. He tried to get in the Rear Naked Choke but Machida managed to wriggled his way out in time.
Machida got into the groove 3 minutes into the first round as he rocked Sonnen with two body kicks followed by a flying knee. Sonnen dropped down to the mat and Machida rushed in with hammer fists. Sonnen hung on and survived getting finished in the first round. However, he wasn't so lucky in the second round.
Sonnen ran forward to begin the second round and ate an epic flying knee courtesy of Machida, who applied the finishing touches with the hammer fists and right-hand strikes. Referee Todd Anderson stepped into the save Sonnen from taking more damage.
Result: Lyoto Machida def. Chael Sonnen via TKO (Flying knee and strikes) (0:22, Round 2)
In the post-fight interview, 'The Bad Guy' announced his retirement with the following statement, "I got one thing to say: I had a hell of a lot of fun had a good run. Scott Coker gave me a five-fight deal; he let me honour all five fights. And, ladies and gentlemen, I’m walking out. I appreciate the memories. And goodbye."
And that draws curtains on the career of the greatest trash talker in MMA, who was equally skilled and resilient when the bell rang. If you haven't checked out his Youtube channel yet, we highly recommend that you do. One of the best analysts in the business. We wish Chael all the very best for his future.
#6. Rory McDonald (20-5-1) vs. Neiman Gracie (9-0) (Bellator Welterweight Championship, WGP Semi-Finals)
Former UFC fan favourite Rory McDonald put his Welterweight title on the line against the undefeated Neiman Gracie in the main event.
It was a stern test for the Champion, but he put on a solid overall performance to score a unanimous decision victory against the 4th generation Gracie family member.
McDonald mixed things up really well in the first round with jabs, head kicks, and hooks to win it on the scorecards. The second round was closer in comparison as Gracie targeted McDonald's legs. McDonald took the fight to the ground in the third round and scored points for top control and for being in better offensive positions. Gracie knew he had to do something big to stand a chance of winning the fight, so he rushed in for a takedown. He did get McDonald down in the fourth round but McDonald ended up on top mid-way through the round.
While Gracie did win the final round, it didn't really matter in the grander scheme of things as McDonald had done enough to win the fight.
Result: Rory McDonald def. Neiman Gracie via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
A very clinical and professional performance from the champ who moves on to the WGP finals with the strap fastened around his waist. As for Gracie, it's back to the drawing board as he suffered his first pro-MMA loss against one of the best Welterweights in the world. No shame in that.
