Bellator 24: Quick Results

Added on Aug 13, 2010 by Joe Schafer in

UFC & MMA

Bellator 24 kicked off the Chicago based company’s third season at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Staying true to their preferred format, this season will focus on two tournaments: a 115lbs women’s bracket along with a men’s heavyweight competition.

The televised portion of the night was opened up with Neil Grove vs. Eddie Sanchez in a heavyweight quarterfinal contest. Grove looked much improved, overpowering in the clinch and out-striking Sanchez throughout the whole fight. After a few bombs, Sanchez was dropped to the mat where he succumbed to more damage until the referee stepped in to put a stop to the fight, awarding Grove a TKO victory in the first round.

After starting the festivities with the heaviest athletes on the card, the attention was redirected to the lightest fighters in the second bout, also a quarter-final contest in the 115lbs women’s tournament between Carla Esparza and Megumi Fujii.

Like the previous fight, this engagement was one sided, favoring the more experienced Fujii. The undefeated Japanese tactician was too quick to the punch and too overwhelming with her superior grappling, constantly threatening submissions from each position. For only having three professional bouts under belt, Esparza appears to have potential, but it was only a matter of time before Fujii was able to submit her–that time came at the end of the second round.

Overall, Bellator continues to put on exciting fights and this night was no exception. The only blunder in match-making came in the form of Hector Lombard vs. Herbert Goodman, nothing about this bout made sense and the results confirmed what everybody was thinking: what was the point of this fight?

Goodman, a former NFL running back, spent all 30 seconds of the fight retreating from Lombard’s onslaught, back pedaling into the cage for a big loss of yards. With odds in favor of Lombard at -1500 and Goodman at +750, the middleweight champ’s first round KO victory surprised nobody.

If a fighter of Goodman’s caliber was the only thing Bellator could scrap up as an opponent for their titleholder, fans and pundits, alike, will be concerned about Lombard’s future competition in such a weak division. A dried up 185lbs talent pool could also be a concern for his employers, who will be trying to prevent Lombard from detracting to bigger promotions, in search of higher levels of competition.

MAIN CARD

Hector Lombard def. Herbert Goodman via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:38

Megumi Fujii def. Carla Esparza via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 0:57

Neil Grove def. Eddie Sanchez via TKO (referee stoppage) – Round 1, 1:32

Jessica Aguilar def. Lynn Alvarez via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:01

PRELIMINARY CARD

Frankhad Sharipov def. Eric Luke via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Yves Edwards def. Luis Palomino via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Tulio Quintanilla def. Brian Eckstein via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 2:48