BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 17: Chael Sonnen reacts after winning the fight with a tap out by guillotine choke against Mauricio Rua in their light heavyweight bout at TD Garden on August 17, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
There’s a big fight feel in the Garden. Bellator 180 will showcase the best in mixed martial arts, headlined by the much-anticipated showdown between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva. The two 40-year-old fighters will duke it out in the “world’s most famous arena” Madison Square Garden.
Let’s get right to the results of every fight from the bottom card to the top. Who has the grit to win a Bellator fight?
Bellator NYC: Fight Time, TV Channel & Viewing Details
Event: Bellator NYC/180: Sonnen vs. Silva
Date: Saturday, June 24, 2017
Pay-Per-View Time: 10 P.M.
Spike TV Prelims Time: 8:00 P.M. EST
Bellator.com Prelims Time: 6:00 P.M. EST
Location: Madison Square Garden in New York City
Broadcast: PPV, Spike TV, Bellator.com
Catchweight: John Salgado vs. Hugh McKenna
Salgado dances around his opponent with right hooks and kicks to his opponent. John seemed to be controlling the pace, until Hugh brings out some devastating knee shots. Salgado may have just burned himself out early on. And McKenna proved to be a submission machine towards the end.
Hugh McKenna wins after Hugh McKenna taps out (armbar) at 4:06 of the first round.
Catchweight: Matt Rizzo vs. Sergio da Silva
Matt Rizzo makes Sergio da Silva tap out
Fact: This is Matt “Razor Sharp” Rizzo’s 8th career-submission victory.
Lightweight: Jerome Mickle vs. Anthony Giacchina
Mickle almost knocks out Giacchina in the second round. But Anthony scrambles to his feet and takes the fight to Jerome. Mickle is taken down by Giacchina who is absolutely relentless. But Mickle survives for the remainder of the round. Mickle has a lot of heart, and he won’t quit despite all the hard shots to the face and mid-section.
In the start of the third round, both men mix it up. Mickle attempts to lands some strikes, while Anthony tries to bring him down to the mat once again. Mickle hits Giacchina with some knees, but he is clearly tired. Jerome gets taken down once more and he doesn’t get up.
Anthony Giacchina wins with a rear naked choked at 3:40 into round three
Lightweight: Nate Grebb vs. Bradley Desir
Both men are military veterans. Bradley Desir was a marine who did two tours in Iraq. Meanwhile, Nate Grebb was a member of the United States Navy.
Nate started off hot, missing a big kick and then get nailed with a sick punch to the nose. Desir hits a kick of his own. Nate’s nose is bleeding. Grebb fights back, but Desir is much more collected and in control of the fight. Nate is too anxious and is missing some big-time shots and leaving himself open.
Bradley sets off a series of strikes, knocking Grebb is the ground and finishing off the fight with one final punch to the ear. The referee stops the match and Desir’s hand from striking again.
Bradley Desir wins by knockout at 2:54 into round one
Fact: This is Desir’s 10th career win.
Welterweight: Ryan Couture vs. Haim Gozali
Ryan Couture ends the match with a series of stiff shots on Haim Gozali.
Ryan Couture wins by unanimous decision
Fact: This is the 11th professional win for 34-year-old Ryan Couture.
Women’s Flyweight: Heather Hardy vs. Alice Yauger
This is Heather Hardy’s debut fight in Bellator. Alice starts off strong and makes Hardy bleed. Hardy looked in over her head. But Heather comes back as the match wears on. Hardy has transformed into a total animal, and now Yauger is a bloody f**king mess. Total knockout for Hardy first fight ever with 14 seconds left on the third round.
Heather Hardy wins by TKO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENFskWydX-E
Featherweight: James Gallagher vs. Chinzo Machida
James Gallagher comes out with a big boy persona, sizing up his opponent from the beginning. Gallagher makes quick work of Machida, taking him down, punishing him with strikes to the head, and making him tap with a rear-naked choke. Gallagher ran around the ring with an Irish flag to celebrate the victory.
James Gallagher submits Chinzo Machida via rear-naked choke in the first round
Fact: This is Gallagher’s third straight Bellator win with a rear-naked choke. Gallagher’s current Bellator record is 4-0. James is still undefeated!
Light Heavyweight: Phil Davis (c) vs. Ryan Bader
Both men fought from bell-to-bell. But in the end, judges decided a new champion…
Ryan Bader wins by judge’s decision and bcomes the new Light Heavyweight Champion of the World
Aaron Pico vs. Zach Freeman
Ten seconds into the fight, Pico gets stunned with an uppercut, and Freeman capitalizes immediately with a choke hold. Aaron tapped in 24 seconds.
Zach Freeman wins via submission in the first round
Douglas Lima vs. Lorenz Larkin
Both men aren’t in any rush to start off tonight’s fight. Both men exchange kicks and Lima executes a high body kick. Larkin tries to block Lima’s offense, but gets rocked with a right hand. Larkin comes back with a combo of strikes.
After a long fight, judges ruled in favor of Douglas Lima. The judges rule in favor of Lima 50-45, 48-47 and 48-47. Douglas wins by unamoious decision.
Douglas Lima defeats Lorenz Larkin according to the judges
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Matt Mitrione
Both competitors are weary to tore a shot until Matt breaks the ice with a left leg kick. Mitrione starts swinging with his right hand and Emelianenko gets back because he don’t know him like that. They throw punches at the same time and both men got knocked down to the mat at 1:07.
Mitrione quickly recovers and regains control. Matt hits his opponent with right hand uppercuts under Emelianenko’s arm. One more right hand from Fedor and Matt is seeing stars.
Matt Mitrione defeats Fedor Emelianenko via knockout at 1:14 into the first round
After the match, Mitrione had some unkind words to share about The Golden State Warriors. Its involves President Trump. Take a look!
Light Heavyweight Main Event: Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva
Only eight seconds into the fights, and Sonnen has already executed a take down. Sonnen has Silva squashed against the steel as he throws serious right hands to the head of his opponent. Silva manages to block some shots, but the ones that hit, hit hard. Sonnen rubs his elbows across Silva’s face and then drops him with another right hand shot.
At 2:42, Sonnen allows Silva to back-up and regroup, and the crowd goes wild. Silva escapes from Sonnen’s onslaught and clocks him with a right hand. Now, Silvia has Sonnen down.
At 3:48, Sonnen reverses the tide on his opponent. He attempts a full and half mount on Silva, but can’t pull it off. So he unleashes a series of vicious reverse right elbows. This is the end of Round 1
Sonnen hits a running knee on his opponent to begin round 2. Both fighters trade big-time punches. Sonnen is stunned by a left hand and goes for a takedown on Silva who instead puts him into a guillotine submission. Sonnen won’t tap out so easily. After a while under Silvia’s submission hold, Sonnen wiggles his left hand free and starts pounding his opponent’s side with body shots. Both men return to their feet, but Sonnen knocks Silva back to the ground. Sonnen is a wild man with punches. Sonnen ends this round on top.
Only 19 seconds into the third round, and Sonnen has already taken his opponent down to the mat. Silvia is able to prevent Sonnen from reaching full-mount. But Sonnen is relentless and Silva definitely knows it because he’s not given an inch. Sonnen has Silva grounded.
Sonnen is a complete beast in the third round. He won’t give his opponent air to breath. The referee tries to encourage Silva by saying, “Don’t just sit there Chael! Let’s work to a finish!”
But Sonnen is way too dominant as blood leaks across Silva’s forehead. Sonnen hits his opponent with a series of body shots. Silva can’t break free and this fight is finished.
Chael Sonnen by unanimous decision by unanimous decision in the third round
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haV2bwAgoAA
Bellator 180 Fight Card
Main Card (10:00 P.M. EST on PPV)
Lightweight: Aaron Pico vs. Zach Freeman
Welterweight: Douglas Lima (c) vs. Lorenz Larkin
Lightweight: Michael Chandler (c) vs. Brent Primus
Heavyweight: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Matt Mitrione
Light Heavyweight: Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva
Prelims (8:00 P.M. EST on Spike TV)
Women’s Flyweight: Heather Hardy vs. Alice Yauger
Welterweight: Neiman Gracie vs. Dave Marfone
Featherweight: James Gallagher vs. Chinzo Machida
Light Heavyweight: Phil Davis (c) vs. Ryan Bader
Prelims (6:00 P.M. EST on Bellator.com)
Lightweight: Bradley Desir vs. Nate Grebb
Catchweight (130 lbs): Matt Rizzo vs. Sergio da Silva
Catchweight (168 lbs): John Salgado vs. Hugh McKenna
Lightweight: Jerome Mickle vs. Anthony Giacchina
Welterweight: Ryan Couture vs. Haim Gozali
