Bellator 66 - Alvarez vs. Aoki, Results - MMA Combat

Bellator 66 - Alvarez vs. Aoki, Results - MMA Combat

Friday, April 20, 2012, Bellator Fighting Championships went live from the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio, for Bellator 66 - Alvarez vs. Aoki, which featured a lightweight super-fight between former promotion champion, Eddie Alvarez, and current DREAM champ, Shinya Aoki.

Also contested on the card, the semi-final round for two Season Six division tournaments were decided. The lightweight bracket saw Thiago Michel and Brent Weedman do battle, as well as Rick Hawn and Lloyd Woodard; later in the evening, middleweight tournament competitors Maiquel Falcao and Vyacheslav Vasilevsky went toe-to-toe, before Brian Rogers and Andreas Spang came to blows in the co-main event.

Talking Points
Despite extensive work on his stand-up skills at Reign MMA in Singapore, Shinya Aoki was no match for the former Bellator lightweight champion on his feet. Stalking his foe, Alvarez backed Aoki against the cage and when the Japanese star decided to close the distance, a series of short uppercuts floored the DREAM champion; but the real damage came shortly afterwards, when a lounging Alvarez followed Aoki to the mat, tagging him with a huge right hand that would force the submission specialist to cover-up in defense. The ensuing ground and pound would bring about a swift end to contest, as Alvarez avenged his second career loss in devastating fashion, stopping Aoki on strikes at 2:14 of the opening round.

Middleweight tournament late-replacement, Andreas Spang, shocked those in attendance; first by surviving the powerful strikes thrown his way by tournament veteran and local favorite Brian Rogers, then by knocking out the explosive striker with a well-place counter left hand. Spang, who entered the bracket not two weeks ago, now finds himself in the Season Six Tournament finals where he will meet Brazilian bomber, Maiquel Falcao. See the knockout HERE.

Falcao's power was the difference in his narrow decision win over Russian standout Vyacheslav Vasilevsky as he mounted a late, come-from-behind effort to capture the decision on two of the three judges' cards. Vasilevsky utilized his Sambo base early with a number of trips and takedowns, while getting the better of the combinations exchanged standing. True to form, Falcao poured on the pressure late, reversing the Russian in the second round while delivering some thudding ground and pound, before staggering him early in the third frame with powerful strikes standing.

In lightweight tournament action, Brent Weedman captured a split decision win over Thiago Michel in a wildly entertaining slug-fest, advancing to the tournament finals where he will meet former Olympic Judoka, Rick Hawn; Hawn knocked out Lloyd Woodard on the other side of the bracket with a huge right hand early in the second round after Woodard came flying out of the gates to open the frame. The winner of the Season Six Tournaments will be awarded $100 000, and a shot at their respective division champion.

Full main-card video highlights HERE.

MAIN CARD (MTV2)

Eddie Alvarez def. Shinya Aoki via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 2:14

Middleweight Tournament Semifinals
Andreas Spang def. Brian Rogers via knockout (punches) - Round 2, 3:34
Maiquel Falcao def. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29)

Lightweight Tournament Semifinals
Rick Hawn def. Lloyd Woodard via KO (punch) - Round 2, 0:10
Brent Weedman def. Thiago Michel via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike.com)

Jessica Eye def. Anita Rodriguez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
John Hawk def. Marcus Vanttinen via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Attila Vegh def. Dan Spohn via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Frank Carabello def. Donny Walker via knockout (flying knee) - Round 4, 2:25
Julian Lane def. Joe Heiland via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 2:49