MMASucka is front and center in the lovely Caesars Windsor casino in Windsor, Ontario for Bellator 64. The crowd is raucous and we are ready to go!
Nordine Taleb vs. Matt Secor – Welterweight bout
Secor attempts a takedown but Taleb winds up on top. Taleb landing some shots as Secor desperately tries to control the wrists. Taleb now landing shots to the body. I’m loving Taleb’s corner shouting empassioned instructions in French. The ref stands them up. Secor attempts another takedown and fails. Leg kick from Taleb. Taleb scores with a shot right down the pipe. Secor really wants this fight on the mat but Taleb is not obliging. High kick from Taleb blocked. Taleb floors Secor with a right. Taleb on top again. Taleb lands a couple of more shots as the round ends. Good round for Taleb.
Second round starts with Taleb stalking Secor. Secor clinching and Taleb spins him against the cage. Taleb landing knees to the legs and body. Nice standing elbow from Taleb. Secor again wants the fight on the mat but Taleb sprawls. Nice leg kick from Taleb. Taleb lands some body shots. Secor shoots and is looking to grab an arm but Taleb looks as relaxed as Paris in the springtime. Secor misses a high kick as the round ends. Another round for Taleb and Secor needs to do something drastic.
Third round starts with more of the same as Secor can’t get Taleb down. Secor swings at air. Taleb landing some punches and Secor is hurt. Secor gets on his bicycle and buys some time. Another failed takedown from Secor. Taleb standing with his hands down. Secore finally lands. Taleb pushes Secor against the fence and is landing knees. More sprawl from Taleb. Taleb on top again. Fight is over and I`m not sure Taleb broke a sweat.
Winner: Nordine Taleb by unanimous decision (30-24, 30-27 X2)
Chris Horodecki vs. Mike Richman – featherweight bout
Horodecki gets a huge response and many boos for the US Marine Richman. Fight starts with Richman looking confident in his striking. Richman tags Horodecki twice but Horodecki comes back with a flurry. Richman’s letting his hands go. Richman chucking bombs and Horodecki is KO’d.
Winner: Mike Richman by KO 1:23 R1
Josh Taverine vs. Chad Laprise – Welterweight bout
Taverine with a big takedown to start. Taverine with body shots from the top. Laprise wall-walks back to his feet. Taverine continues to pin him against the fence, then resumes the takedown. Laprise with a triangle from the bottom. It’s tight. Taverine taps and that’s all she wrote.
Winner: Chad Laprise by submission (triangle) 2:48 R1
We now move on to the main card.
Rodrigo Lima vs Hiroshi Nakamura – Bantamweight tournament bout
They come out swinging and then Lima pulls Nakamura down for a guillotinbe. Doesn’t work but he’s looking for an arm. Lima really aggressive from the bottom. Nakamura trying to land some shots from the top but spending most of his time avoiding subs. Lima with upkicks to the body and legs. Nakamura with a nice body shot. Now back to the feet and Lima has him against the cage. Lima with a knee that lands low on Nakamura and now we play the waiting game. Nakamura’s ready to go and we reconvene. Nakamura with a right hand then Lima bullies him into the cage. Lima with hammerfists to the side of the head as they hit the mat again. Nakamura again on top but defending as the round ends.
Round 2 starts and Lima looks for a high kick but it’s blocked. Lima with another knee that gets Nakamura in the unmentionables. Lavigne takes a point away from Lima. Back to it and we get a brief flurry before Nakamura clinches. Nakamura completes the takedown. Nakamura with some hammerfists from the top. Lima looking for an armbar. Lima now looking for a triangle. Lima keeps looking for subs but Nakamura is effectively stalemate-ing. Some hammerfists from nakamura. Lima looking for the omoplata. Nakamura escapes. Now Lima looks for a leg. We almost have stereo leglocks a la Shamrock-Frye as the round ends.
Final round and Lima comes out aggressive again. Now Nakamura has a waistlock and they fall to the mat with Lima looking for a kimura. Nakamura’s bleeding from the temple area. Nakamura again on top but it’s Lima doing the work. Nakamura lands a couple shots from the top. Nakamura working away. Lima looking for a leg. Lavigne stands them up. Lima swings and Nakamura grabs the waistlock again. They drop to the mat and again Lima wants that leg. The fight ends and we may have a draw.
Winner: Hiroshi Nakamura by unanimous decision 29-27 X3
Travis Marx vs Masakatsu Ueda – Bantamweight tournament bout
Marx fires a high kick to start that misses. Ueda looks composed, Marx looks antsy. Marx with a nice body kick. Marx with a HUGE slam. Ueda with an armbar attempt but loses it. Ueda tying him up from the bottom. Marx landing shots. Marx maintaining control. Back to the feet we go. Ueda with a nice body kick. Ueda landing with these kicks. Marx fires back. Round ends and that one looks good for Marx.
Marx comes out with a body kick to start round 2 and Ueda responds. Ueda catches a kick and takes him down. Ueda looking for a choke. Marx fights back to the feet as Ueda looks for a kimura. Marx now with top control. Marx in Ueda’s half guard. Marx now trying to make something happen from Ueda’s back. Ueda rolls him over. Ueda looks for a guillotine. Marx pops out and we’re back on the feet. Round ends and Marx looks to have a mouse under his eye. Really tough round to score.
Fighters exchange to start the round and Ueda tries to paintbrush him. That was cool. Ueda keeps landing those body kicks and Marx’s side is red. Marx responds in kind. Marx clips him and Ueda grabs a leg. Ueda now on top. Ueda with a modified crucifix and landing shots. Now looking for a guillotine. Marx looks to stand but Ueda drags him back down. Marx back up again. Ueda grabs a leg and they’re back down.Nice grappling exchange and Marx stands up again. They swing away as the fight ends.
Winner: Travis Marx by unanimous decision 29-28 X 3
Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra vs Marlon Sandro – Featherweight tournament bout
The bell rings and we’re off. Both men sizing each other up. Sandro lands first. Not a lot landing yet. Sandro’s kick catches Popo low. Leg kick from Sandro. Popo shoots but Sandro sprawls. This place is eerily quiet, like they’re waiting for an explosion. Sandro with a leg kick. Starting to open up now. Sandro looked like he was going for a flying front kick a la Machida but had to pull up midway as the round ended.
Popo starts round 2 with an inside leg kick. Both fighters firing away with these leg kicks. Popo evading well and trying to counter effectively. Popo whiffs on a high kick. Crowd is starting to get unsettled. Sandro attempts a takedown but is shrugged off. More leg kicks from Sandro. Brief flurry from both men as the round ends.
Popo with a takedown to start round 3. Sandro up but thrown back down. Sandro reverses into top position. Sandro with a couple of shots before Yves Lavigne stands them up. Popo drops Sandro but Sandro bounces back up. Now we’re chuckin’ some knucks. Sandro ducks a high kick. Popo pushing the pace. Sandro looks like he got caught low but keeps going. Sandro with a nice combination. Crowd getting impatient, then reacts to the 10 second flurry to end the fight.
Winner: Marlon Sandro by Split Decision (29-28,28-29,29-28)
Main event: Ben Askren vs Douglas Lima – Welterweight Title Bout
The bell rings and Askren tries to tie him up right away. Lima catches him coming in. Askren clinches and pushes Lima to the cage. Lima separates and catches him on the way out. Askren with the first takedown of the fight. Askren working from Lima’s half guard. Lima powers out and looked for an arm, Askren rolls him back over. Lima looks for an armbar. Lima loses it but catches Askren with an upkick. Askren with some shots from the top. Lima with a solid elbow from the bottom. Askren continues to work away as the round ends.
Round 2 starts and Lima whiffs on an uppercut. Askren has a hold of him and they hit the mat again. Lima briefly on top before Askren rolls him over. Askren working for a kimura. Lima wants the heel. Askren continuing to frustrate Lima. Askren keeping a good pace on top. Askren throwing some elbows. Askren with some heavy leather. Askren going from body to head. Lima’s upkicks now keeping Askren at bay. Two rounds in the books and they’re both Askren’s.
Askren looking for a takedown immediately in round 3 but Lima’s fighting it. Askren finally finishes the takedown. Lima trying to make something happen from the bottom but Askren’s tenacity is shining through. Askren with some good punches as he had Lima’s arm trapped. Askren dropping elbows. Askren working for a darce. A fight in the crowd has more attention then Askren’s GNP clinic. Back to the feet and Askren pushes Lima against the face. Lima switches and has Askren against the fence where he lands a knee. The round ends and Lima’s looking a little tired.
We’re into round four and our third fight in the crowd. Askren looking for an ankle pick, Lima working hard to keep him away. Lima catches Askren with a knee as Askren shoots in again. Askren again on top. Askren disrupting Lima’s breathing, Lima appears to be wearing down. Lima trying to tie him up. Lima trying for an armbar. Askren with some elbows and they’re stood up. Four rounds in the books and it’s Askren across the board.
Crowd chants for Lima as the fifth starts. Askren grabs on again and takes him down. Wash, rinse, repeat. Askren GNP from the top as the crowd unsuccessfully tries to rally Lima. Askren continuing to control and looks like he’s content to ride out the clock. Askren checks the clock as he works away from half guard. The pro-Lima crowd is impatient. Lima with a nice upkick. Askren with more GNP as the fight ends and dollars to donuts we’ve got a 50-45 decision.
Winner: Ben Askren by unanimous decision (50-45 X 3)
Bonus fights
Kyle Prepolec vs Lance Snow – 160 pound catchweight bout
Both fighters are local products. Prepolec lands early. Prepolec winging high kicks and landing. Prepolec now with a takedown. Prepolec controlling from the top. Snow spins him around and Prepolec gets an armbar out of nowhere for the tap.
Winner: Kyle Prepolec by submission (armbar) at 2:54 R1
Elias Theodorou vs. Rich Lictawa – middleweight bout
Lictawa missed weight by 7 pounds. Lictawa with back control. Lictawa with a HUGE slam. I made a joke about Lictawa being on the “Rampage” diet, and that slam makes it even more apt. Lictawa continuing to ride Theodorou. Back to the feet and Theodorou keeps him against the fence. Theodorou with a nice combination. Theodorou with some solid standing elbows. Theodorou with some knees, Lictawa answers with some punches. Another elbow from Theodorou. Theodorou gives Lictawa a double Diaz salute to end the round.
Theodorou comes out throwing high kicks. Theodorou again keeping Lictawa on the fence and battering him with knees. Lictawa bleeding badly and Theodorou is just hitting him with everything. Lictawa spins Theodorou against the fence. Theodorou reverses and continues to batter Lictawa. High kick from Theodorou lands. Lictawa with a trip to take it to the ground but Theodorou bounces back up as the round ends.
Third round begins and Lictawa appears to be having trouble seeing. Ref steps in quickly as Theodorou starts landing again and we have a TKO stoppage.
Winner: Elias Theodorou by TKO (verbal submission) at 0:33 R3
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen is our card.
