Bellator 214 ‘Fedor vs. Bader’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round-by-Round Scoring

Steve Ramirez vs. Desmond Torres

Round 1

We are ready to begin Bellator 214. Up first are the bantamweights as Steve Ramirez takes on Desmond Torres. The referee is Milan Ayers. Torres comes out kicking. He lands a couple low kicks. Torres lands a right hand. Now he throws a 1-2 but misses. Ramirez throws a low kick but it’s blocked. Torres is landing some hands now. He just misses a big right hook. Now a hard low kick from Torres. Ramirez is being bullied early. Torres pushes Ramirez against the fence now. Foot stomp from Ramirez but Torres is still pushing him against the fence. Now Torres lands a body-lock takedown. Ramirez closes the guard. Torres has top control but isn’t landing any offense. Ramirez is fishing for a guillotine now but he’s on the bottom so it will be hard to get. It looks a bit tighter now but Torres doesn’t appear to be in any real danger. Torres is now out of it. He’s on top and landing some hammerfists. Torres is now in half guard and starting to land elbows to the head of Ramirez. He lands a hard elbow and now Ramirez has a big gash on his forehead. Torres now locks in an arm-triangle choke and after a few seconds Ramirez is forced to tap. Great performance by Torres to kick off the card.

The Official Result

Desmond Torres def. Steve Ramirez via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R1, 4:21

Ian Butler vs. Craig Plaskett

Round 1

Up next are the welterweights as Ian Butler takes on Craig Plaskett. The referee is long-time MMA veteran Frank Trigg. Butler comes out pushing early and has Plaskett against the fence. Now they have reversed position. Plaskett is going for a double-leg takedown but Butler is defending well. Finally Plaskett switches to a single leg and gets a takedown. Butler finally gets up but lands a knee to Plaskett’s groin and the referee calls time. No warnings are issued. Butler comes out aggressive once time is in and has Plaskett against the fence and is going for the takedown. Plaskett is defending well. Butler finally gets the takedown, but Plaskett reverses him. This whole round has been these two jockeying for position against the fence. Plaskett is shoving Butler into the fence, but Butler gets back up. Plaskett lands another double-leg takedown and they are both back on the ground. Plaskett is starting to land some right hands on the ground, but Butler gets back up. They finally break free with about a minute left in the round. Butler throws his hands to get into range and attempts to land a takedown, but Plaskett reverses him yet again and slams Butler to the ground. Plaskett is now in half guard. He isn’t able to land much offense, but has secured himself the round.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Plaskett
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Plaskett
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Plaskett

Round 2

Round two see Butler pushing Plaskett against the fence, but Plaskett reverses it and now is on top of Butler on the ground. Butler is throwing elbows off of his back but it allows Plaskett to step over into half guard. Plaskett has a strong position on top but isn’t able to muster much offense. Butler is finally able to get back up, but Plaskett gets the double-leg takedown and the fight is back on the mat. Plaskett has now move into full mount. Butler looks like a fish out of water on his back but is finally able to explode and get back up, only to be takedown down with another double against the fence. Plaskett is really wearing on Butler now against the fence. They are exchanging hard elbows now, but Plaskett has been in a dominant position on top the whole round. Butler is trying hard to get back up but Butler keeps fishing for that double against the fence. Butler lands some hard elbows on Plaskett, but Plaskett gets a single-leg takedown and the fight is back on the mat. Plaskett is starting to land some hard punches on the mat and the round is over. Butler likely needs a finish at this point.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Plaskett
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Plaskett
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Plaskett

Round 3

Butler takes the center of the cage to start the third. He absolutely needs a finish to win this fight. Plaskett lands a left high kick that is partially blocked. Now he lands a low kick. Butler throws a left hook to try and get inside but Plaskett moves away. Plaskett lands a jab. Now he lands a right hook. Low kick from Plaskett, then another with his opposite leg. Now Plaskett’s groin protector has popped out and the ref calls time. Plaskett shoves it back into his shorts and the fight is back on. Butler lands a body kick with his right leg but Plaskett is starting to throw his hands. He lands a hard straight right hand and has Butler against the fence. Plaskett shoots for a double-leg takedown and gets it. Now he’s on top of Butler, pushing him against the fence. Plaskett is using his shoulder to press into Butler and wear him out. He’s sticky and Butler can’t shake him. Butler finally gets up but Plaskett lands another double-leg takedown. Butler is able to stand back up. Plaskett lands a hard kick to the body. Butler is pushing forward and now he lands a takedown. His corner is screaming at him to do something here. But Plaskett never goes away and is able to switch position and now has Butler pressed up against the fence. Butler is landing some punches but Plaskett is still driving him against the fence. Time is running out. Plaskett starts to land some hard punches against Butler. He’s able to take his back now, but time has ran out and he should take home the decision.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Plaskett (30-27 Plaskett)
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Plaskett (30-27 Plaskett)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Plaskett (30-27 Plaskett)

The Official Result

Craig Plaskett def. Ian Butler via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

James Barnes vs. Ryan Lilley

Round 1

It’s back to the bantamweight division as James Barnes takes on Ryan Lilley. The referee for this bout is the well-respected Jason Herzog. They are pawing at each other and Barnes lands a right low kick. Now a right calf kick from Barnes. Lilley lands a violent right high kick right behind the ear of Barnes, who is knocked down. Lilley rushes in and lands some punches to the head of Barnes and Herzog steps in and waves the fight off. Tremendous Bellator debut for Lilley.

The Official Result

Ryan Lilley def. James Barnes via KO (Head Kick and Punches) R1, 1:03

Jay-Jay Wilson vs. Tyler Beneke

Round 1

The featherweights are in the cage Jay Jay Wilson, a veteran of one pro fight, takes on Tyler Beneke, who is making his pro debut. Once again, Jason Herzog is the referee. Wilson lands some left low kicks. Beneke lands a short right hand as Wilson shoots in for the takedown. Beneke is swinging punches so Wilson goes in to tie him up and they are now jockeying for position along the fence. Wilson lands a body-lock takedown and is able to take the back of Beneke in transition. Wilson is throwing punches to distract his opponent and open up Beneke for the rear-naked choke. He now has the choke in place and it is very tight. Wilson has flattened Beneke out now, and Beneke is forced to tap out.

The Official Result

Jay Jay Wilson def. Tyler Beneke via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R1, 1:31

Sean Johnson vs. Arturo Rivas

Round 1

It’s time for the heavyweights as Sean Johnson takes on Arturo Rivas. Both men weighed in over 250lbs for this contest. Milan Ayers is the referee for the bout. Johnson lands a heavy jab. Rivas lands a low kick in return. Johnson lands a couple right hands in an exchange but Rivas lands a counter right and has Johnson on wobbly legs. Rivas has Johnson against the fence and is starting to land some hard knees to his head. Both men are now exchanging right hands along the fence. Rivas shoots in for a desperation single-leg takedown and gets it. Johnson gets back up, but Rivas switches to a body lock and briefly gets him back down. Rivas is now holding Johnson from behind near the fence. Rivas is starting to land some hard right hands. The referee warns Johnson not to grab the fence. Rivas now secures a single-leg takedown and is able to take Johnson’s back briefly, but Johnson gets back up. Rivas gets his back again and now has both hooks locked in. Johnson is doing a good job of defending and is able to reverse and get in top position. Rivas gets out of it, and now he is riding Johnson against the fence again. Johnson gets back up but is grabbing the fence to prevent the takedown. Johnson is now back on the ground and Rivas is landing some heavy right hands to his head on the ground. Rivas is riding Johnson hard against the fence. He now kicks him in the body. He’s landing some hand punches and Johnson is in serious trouble. The ref is warning Johnson to fight back. If Rivas can land a couple more punches this could be over. Johnson is grabbing the fence yet again to try and get up. Now Rivas is landing some brutal knees to the body and is punching Johnson in the head. The referee has finally seen enough and Rivas is your winner.

The Official Result

Arturo Rivas def. Sean Johnson via TKO (Knees to the Body and Punches) R1, 4:30

Weber Almeida vs. Odan Ruiz

Round 1

We have a catchweight (136.8lbs) bout up next between Weber Almeida -- who missed weight -- and Odan Ruiz. Frank Trigg is your third man in the cage. Ruiz comes out and lands a right hand, briefly dropping Almeida. Almeida and Ruiz now exchanges some hard strikes. As the announcers point out, Almeida has a very similar stance to his teammate Lyoto Machida. Ruiz lands a low kick and Almeida lands a counter left. Ruiz throws a big right hand but Almeida moves away and now lands a low kick. He moves very similar to Machida. They now exchange punches and Almeida lands a hard right in the crossfire. Ruiz returns fire with a low kick. Almeida now lands two hooks to the body of Ruiz. Ruiz tries to land a high kick but Almeida evades it and briefly gets the fight to the ground. Ruiz gets out of it and the fight is back on the feet. Almeida lands a right hand, and then a hard right kick to the body. Almeida lands a right hook, then a left high kick that is partially blocked but still wobbles Ruiz. A split second later, Almeida lands a brutal left hook right on the button and Ruiz is on the ground. Referee Frank Trigg has seen enough and calls off the fight.

The Official Result

Weber Almeida def. Odan Ruiz via TKO (head kick and punches) R1, 3:04

A.J. Agazarm vs. Jesse Roberts

Round 1

It’s time for a catchweight (160lbs) bout between BJJ sensation AJ Agazarm and Jesse Roberts, both of whom are making their pro MMA debuts. Jason Herzog is the referee for this contest. Agazarm flicks out a couple of jabs to test the distance. Roberts land a right hand that doesn’t have much behind it. Agazarm throws a jab but Roberts lands a counter straight right. Now Agazarm throws a left hook but Roberts moves away. Agazarm continues to throw out his jab but it isn’t landing. Roberts goes for a left hook and Agazarm tries for a takedown but Roberts stuffs it. He does the Mutombo finger wag to Agazarm after stuffing the takedown. Agazarm shoots in again but Roberts stops the double leg attempt. Roberts lands a hard left hook that briefly rocks Agazarm. Agazarm goes for a single leg but Roberts gets on top of him. Agazarm is now on the ground and has pulled guard. Roberts is on top and landing some punches to the body. He’s doing a good job of staying strong on top but decides to stand up. Now Roberts lands a right hand on Agazarm’s chin. Another right hand landed by Roberts. Agazarm now shoots for a single leg takedown and has Roberts shoved against the fence. Agazarm is working to take the back of Roberts. He uses the fence to take the back, but slips off. He’s able to get to Roberts’ back again but Roberts is defending well. Agazarm is landing some hard punches from back mount and the round is over.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Roberts
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Roberts
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Roberts

Round 2

Roberts is beginning to talk some smack to Agazarm in the cage and tells him he’s “doing a little better.” We’re a minute into round two and no one has landed anything. Now Agazarm shoots for a single leg but Roberts is able to defend it. Agazarm sticks to him like glue and now has Roberts pushed against the cage while he works for a double-leg takedown. Roberts is defending and landing some Travis Browne-style elbows along the fence, but Agazarm is able to complete the double. Now Agazarm is looking to take the back of Roberts. He’s landing some knees to the body. Roberts is finally able to get out of it and now they are on the feet again. Roberts tries to throw a straight right but Agazarm shoots for a double leg and Roberts defends it. Agazarm is still throwing out those jabs but there’s no power behind them. Now Agazarm dives in and gets the takedown, and he has taken the back of Roberts. He quickly locks in the hooks and is looking to secure the rear-naked choke. Roberts does a good job of defending Agazarm's arms around his neck and he's able to make it to the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Agazarm
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Agazarm
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Agazarm

Round 3

Strange start to the third round as Agazarm sticks his chin out with his hands down walking forward. Roberts is talking to him and Agazarm tells him to “throw your hands.” Very bizarre sequence here. Agazarm now has his hands up covering his head and Roberts is attacking the body. Right straight briefly landed by Roberts. Now Agazarm lands a right hand to the body. Agazarm puts his arms out and tries to egg Roberts on. Agazarm shoots in for a takedown and Roberts lands an uppercut but Agazarm is sable to get it to the mat. Roberts does a good job of getting back to his feet and now they are standing and exchanging jabs and low kicks. The crowd is starting to boo. Agazarm shoots in for a double leg but Roberts again does an incredible job of defending the shot. There’s a minute left and the crowd is really getting on the fighters now. Roberts lands a big left hook and Agazarm goes for another shot that Roberts defends yet again. Neither guy has any power in their punches now. With 10 seconds left they nod at each other and then Roberts starts swinging wildly and lands a couple hard hooks that should seal the round and fight for him.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Roberts (29-28 Roberts)
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Roberts (29-28 Roberts)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Roberts (29-28 Roberts)

The Official Result

Jesse Roberts def. AJ Agazarm via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Jesse Merritt vs. Thor Skancke

Round 1

It’s time for the last televised prelims as Jesse Merritt takes on Thor Skancke in a battle of welterweights. The referee for this bout is the man with the moustache, Mike Beltran. Both men circle and don’t land anything for the first minute. Skancke lands a low kick. Merritt returns, and Skancke throws a looping hook. Skancke puts his head down and throws wild left and right hooks. He finishes the combo with a low kick. Another low kick by Skancke, who shoots in for a double-leg takedown and gets it. Skancke is now on top working in the guard of Merritt. He’s not able to land much offense and you can hear the crowd starting to boo. Skancke moves into half guard and briefly gets the crucifix position. Now Skancke is in side control. He’s landing some hard punches to the head of Merritt, who just can’t get up. Skancke now moves into north-south position and it looks like he has the choke pretty tight. A second later and Merritt goes limp and the referee quickly jumps in and calls the fight off due to technical submission.

The Official Result

Thor Skancke def. Jesse Merritt via Technical Submission (North-South Choke) R1, 4:26

Brandon McMahan vs. Adel Altamimi

Round 1

It’s time for the main card and the first fight features featherweights Brandon McMahan and Adel Altamimi. Milan Ayers is the referee for the contest. Many were questioning why this fight was placed on the main card considering both men are coming off of regional scene losses, so let’s see what these two got. The fight begins. They both move into the center of the cage. Altamimi lands a hard kick to the body and then goes to throw a left hook but McMahan is able to duck under and push him against the fence. McMahan goes for a double leg takedown but Altamimi is able to get the switch and starts to work for a kimura. He decides to change submissions and gets McMahan locked into an armbar. He stretches McMahan out and gets the quick submission win. Great victory for Altamimi, showing why the Bellator matchmakers put him on the main card.

The Official Result

Adel Altamimi def. Brandon McMahan via Submission (Armbar) R1, 1:16

Juan Archuleta vs. Ricky Bandejas

Round 1

Up now is an intriguing bantamweight bout between Juan Archuleta and Ricky Bandejas. Many believe this could be the “Fight of the Night.” The referee for the match is Frank Trigg. Bandejas takes the center of the cage while Archuleta stays on the outside. Archuleta rushes in and pushes Bandejas to the ground. Bandejas gets up, Archuleta locks his body up, and he slams him to the ground. Bandejas gets up but Archuleta is throwing knees to his thigh against the fence. Archuleta lands a couple old-school foot stomps. Bandejas finally breaks free. Archuleta loads up a double jab and just misses a straight right. Archuleta lands a short right hook and briefly send Bandejas to the mat, but he gets right back up. Bandejas lands a low kick. Archuleta runs in and throws a left high kick, then a right body kick, and then an overhand right, but none of it lands hard. Bandejas goes for a spinning hook kick but misses. Bandejas throws a teep that Archuleta blocks. Archuleta goes in throwing a wild overhand right then moves out of the way. Archuleta lands a low kick. Now Bandejas throws a kick and Archuleta goes in for a double leg that Bandejas stuffs. Archuleta keeps darting in from the outside but isn’t able to land much on Bandejas. He runs in for another double leg takedown and is able to complete it before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: Archuleta 10-9
Jay Pettry scores the round: Archuleta 10-9
Ben Duffy scores the round: Archuleta 10-9

Round 2

Archuleta comes in and Bandejas hits him with a short right. Archuleta lands a left low kick. Archuleta runs in for another double leg but Bandejas evades it. Archuleta throws a wild right hook then circles away. Archuleta throws a right body kick but Bandejas catches it and Archuleta gets away. Archuleta goes in for another double leg and has Bandejas up against the fence. Bandejas gets out. Bandejas nearly lands a right high kick but Archuleta blocks it. Archuleta with the double jab and Bandejas with the side kick. Archuleta lands a straight right then throws a kick which Bandejas catches and lets go. Bandejas misses another spinning back kick attack. Archuleta misses a big overhand right. Archuleta goes in for a double leg but Bandejas is able to get to the fence. Archuleta is fighting hard for a takedown to seal the round. He can’t get it as Bandejas is able to stuff yet another takedown to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Archuleta
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bandejas
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Bandejas

Round 3

Archuleta throws hands in an attempt to get inside but Bandejas keeps moving away. Bandejas goes for a right high kick but Archuleta ducks under it and pushes Bandejas against the fence. Bandejas has exceptional balance and is able to break away. Bandejas lands a big knee as he comes in, the hardest shot of the fight so far. Bandejas goes for a flying front kick but Archuleta moves away. Archuleta goes in for a double leg and slams Bandejas to the mat but he quickly gets up. Archuleta is hugging Bandejas against the cage and is working hard for a body lock takedown but Bandejas is showing exceptional takedown defense here. They break free. Bandejas misses another spinning back kick attack and Archuleta goes in for another takedown which Bandejas stuffs. Bandejas is starting to walk down Archuleta, but Archuleta goes in for a single leg takedown and gets it. Bandejas isn’t down for long, though, as he gets back up and lands some hard elbows against the head of Archuleta along the fence. Archuleta is working hard for this single but Bandejas is showing exceptional takedown defense here. Bandejas throws caution to the wind when the 10-second clapper hits, landing some hard strikes with the final seconds ticking off the clock, and now we head to the judges. Very close fight that could go either way.

Sherdog Scores

Adam Martin scores the round: 10-9 Bandejas (29-28 Archuleta)
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bandejas (29-28 Bandejas)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Bandejas (29-28 Bandejas)

The Official Result

Juan Archuleta def. Ricky Bandejas via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Jake Hager vs. J.W. Kiser

Round 1

Up next is the MMA debut of Jake Hager as he takes on JW Kiser. The odds say this is a mismatch, but we all know anything can happen in heavyweight MMA. Mike Beltran is the ref for this fight. They touch gloves. Hager has a distinct size advantage. Kiser is circling around on the outside and lands a right hand as Hager comes in. Hager pushes Kiser against the fence and gets the single leg takedown. Hager is on top of Kiser now, working in half guard. It looks like he is trying for a keylock. He’s extending Kiser’s arm while Kiser lands hard punches off the bottom. Hager just misses a hard elbow to the head of Kiser. Hager lands an elbow this time and then lands a punch. Hager is landing hammerfists from top and finds himself in an arm-triangle position from half guard. He adjusts the choke and Kiser taps out. Solid MMA debut by the former WWE superstar Hager.

The Official Result

Jake Hager def. JW Kiser via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R1, 2:09

Aaron Pico vs. Henry Corrales

Round 1

It’s time for the co-main event featuring stud featherweight prospect Aaron Pico and the surging Henry Corrales. On paper this is one of the best fights on the card. The referee overseeing the action is Jason Herzog. They touch gloves. Corrales lands a low kick. Another low kick from Corrales. Pico with a 1-2 and Corrales returns with a couple low kicks. Pico with a left hook and right kick combination. Pico lands a massive uppercut with his right hand and drops Corrales. But Corrales is able to get back up. Pico goes after him and Corrales returns fire. Pico lands some huge punches to the body in an exchange in the clinch but Corrales is hanging in tough. Out of nowhere Corrales lands a massive overhand right hand on Pico's chin that drops him and then lands a left and right hand while Pico falls to the mat. One more right hand to Pico's chin on the mat is all she wrote as the referee jumps in and stops the fight. Corrales has knocked Pico out cold. It’s only January but we already have a knockout of the year contender. Unbelievable win for Corrales, who was a huge underdog at the sportsbooks.

The Official Result

Henry Corrales def. Aaron Pico via KO (Punches) R1, 1:07

Bellator Heavyweight GP Final:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Ryan Bader

Round 1

The main event of the evening, and the finale of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix, sees the legend Fedor Emelianenko take on Ryan Bader. The referee for this five-round title fight is Mike Beltran. The bell rings and the fight is on. Bader comes out bouncing around. Bader throws a jab and then lands a huge overhand left that drops Emelianenko. Bader goes to the ground and lands a right hand on Emelianenko’s chin and some hammerfists while Mike Beltran jumps in to stop the fight. Bader is your new Bellator heavyweight champion. Unbelievable performance.

The Official Result

Ryan Bader def. Fedor Emelianenko via KO (Punches) R1, 0:35