MMA Combat - Bellator 48 – Results

MMA Combat - Bellator 48 – Results

Saturday, August 20, 2011, Bellator Fighting Championships went live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut; the event would feature the finals for the Bellator Summer Series Featherweight Tournament with Season Two Lightweight Tournament winner Pat Curran, going toe-to-toe with Nova Uniao standout and former Sengoku RC featherweight champion, Marlon Sandro.

Early in the fight Sandro was the aggressor as many would have expected, with the younger Curran looking to counter his man with conservative, well-timed punches; but after a flurry opened up a cut on the American’s left brow, it was evident Sandro was inching ahead on the cards based on a greater output of strikes and ring generalship. The second round saw Curran stay busier, offering a greater number of combinations while forcing the clinch, but Sandro remained effective from the outside scoring points himself. Looking to close the distance as he feinted his way into the pocket, Sandro bobbed his way into a perfectly timed right head-kick that sent the Brazilian star crashing to the mat. Curran pounced with a series of hammer-fists, but it wasn’t long before the action was halted at 4:00 of the second round, making Pat Curran the Summer Series Featherweight Tournament winner of $100 000 and a shot at Bellator featherweight champion, Joe Warren.

Also fighting on the card was Bellator heavyweight champion, Cole Konrad as he took on UFC veteran Paul Buentello in a non-title bout. Eager to showcase his developments early, Konrad stood with the veteran Buentello for two complete rounds and for the most part, got the better of the action in what was a less than thrilling fight over 15 minutes. With Buentello throwing more leather in the third, Konrad went to his bread and butter, securing a takedown early in the round. Smothering from above, Konrad sat in half guard for the next three minutes delivering punches to the ribcage of his foe. With a minute remaining, the fight was reset but Buentello was unable to find the finish; Konrad scored a unanimous decision victory and remains undefeated at 8-0 in his professional career.

When Ricco Rodriguez recently signed with Bellator Fighting Championships, he seemed overwhelmed with optimism and relief. A winner of twelve straight, his confidence was high as he looked ahead to a potential Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament spot; but a determined Seth Petruzelli had other plans as he controlled the distance early, landing effective strikes both with his hands and kicks from the outside. It was clear Rodriguez was desperate to clinch after the mid-way point of the round, and as he rushed in with a wild flurry of shots, Petruzelli landed a beautiful counter right hand that put Rodriguez out cold.

Other results from the card are found below:

MAIN CARD

Pat Curran def. Marlon Sandro via KO (head kick) - Round 2, 4:00 (featherweight-tourney finale)
Champ Cole Konrad def. Paul Buentello via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) (heavyweight non-title fight)
Seth Petruzelli def. Ricco Rodriguez via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 4:21
Rene Nazare def. Juan Barrantes via TKO (doctor's stoppage) - Round 2, 5:00

PRELIMINARY CARD

Jeff Nader def. Dan Cramer via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 1:04
Nik Fekete def. Mark Griffin via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 3:12
Andrew Calandrelli def. Matt Nice via submission (keylock) - Round 1, 3:55
Ryan Quinn def. Brett Oteri via technical submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 1:48
Saul Almeida def. Tateki Matsuda via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)


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