Bellator 47 Prelims: Bezerra, Romero, Ricci Victorious
Once-beaten Brazilian prospect Alexandre Bezerra needed less than a minute and a half to put away Jesse Gross on Saturday at the Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada, as he rendered the 23-year-old Canadian unconscious with a rear-naked choke 1:28 into round one in a Bellator 47 preliminary duel.
Bezerra (10-1, 2-0 BFC) paired a right hand with a double-leg takedown and transitioned almost immediately to his opponent’s back. He cinched the choke underneath the chin, tightened his grip and waited for Gross (6-2, 0-1 BFC) to black out. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Bezerra has rattled off five consecutive victories.
Romero (left) outpointed Langbeen.
William Romero halted a three-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory over King of the Cage veteran Daniel Langbeen in a lightweight dark match. Two of the three judges, Jason Rodgers and Frank Jackson, scored it 30-27 for Romero; a third, Pasquale Procopio, saw it 29-28 for the Canadian.
Romero (6-3, 1-1 BFC), who had not won in nearly two years, set the tone from the start. The 28-year-old scored with two first-round takedowns and landed the cleaner strikes over the course of the 15-minute encounter. He attacked the grounded Langbeen’s legs from a standing position with regularity, racking up points with his defenseless opponent on his back.
With two rounds in his pocket, Romero followed a beautiful three-punch combination with another takedown, transitioned to Langbeen’s back and threatened briefly with a choke. Langbeen (3-4, 0-1 BFC) reversed into Romero’s guard and landed a few elbows from top position. They represented his only significant offense of the fight.
Ricci (top) stopped Matewa.
Canadian muay Thai practitioner Alex Ricci stopped Alka Matewa on second-round punches in a preliminary matchup between Bellator newcomers. Matewa met his end on the end of Ricci’s fists 2:40 into round two.
Ricci (3-0, 1-0 BFC) mounted the Belgian import briefly in the
first round, as the two men traded takedowns, and survived a
significant scare in the second. The unbeaten 29-year-old recovered
from a stout left hook and a knee up the middle that put him on the
mat. Ricci pressed the clinch, mounted Matewa (1-2, 0-1 BFC) again
when the action hit the ground and dropped a series of punches that
forced referee Josh
Rosenthal to intervene.
Bellator 47's local undercard was a thin one, as two slated bouts were canceled at the 11th hour.
A bantamweight bout between Stratford, Ontario's Syd Barnier and "The Bosnian Menace" Denis Puric was nixed after Barnier did not appear at Friday's weigh-in. Bellator officials confirmed to Sherdog.com that Puric, who showed up and made the 135-pound limit, would be paid his purse anyhow.
Also, a welterweight contest between Michigan native Daron Cruickshank and Toronto-based Lithuanian Sergej Juskevic was also canceled. Sources close to the situation informed Sherdog.com that Juskevic had failed an electroencephalogram as part of his pre-fight medical examination, and was pulled from the bout by the Ontario Athletics Commission.
Like Puric, Cruickshank will also receive his contracted show money despite not fighting on the evening.