Bellator 258 ‘Archuleta vs. Pettis’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Erik Perez (135.5) vs. Blaine Shutt (135)

Round 1

Kicking off the card, Erik Perez (19-8), who had a sterling 7-2 record in the UFC but is presently 0-2 in Bellator, is a big favorite over Blaine Shutt (8-4). Officiating the contest will be referee Kerry Hatley. Shutt begins the action with a nice leg kick. Perez comes forward with a series of punches, but Shutt mostly avoids them. Perez is stalking forward, but Shutt is bouncing well and circling. Suddenly, Shutt starts limping on a foot and immediately shoots in. He is able to stall, but is eating plenty of punches and elbows. Nevertheless, he gets Perez against the cage and onto his butt. Even in this position, though, Perez continues to pepper him with strikes. Eventually though, Perez is able to get back up, and Shutt goes for a guillotine which has little chance of success. Perez is now on top, in half-guard. Halfway through the round, and Shutt is against the cage, absorbing the occasional punch from Perez. Perez is posturing up, but Shutt is unable to use the butterfly guard to get back up. With the additional space, Perez lands some heavy, hard elbows that find the mark. Shutt tries to scramble off the cage, and is able to get some exotic situations, albeit with Perez still on top. Shutt kicks off the cage again and seems to be up, but Perez maintains top control and hits Shutt with some elbows for his efforts. Shutt is active though, going for a triangle and then an omoplatta, both avoided by the experienced Perez. Perez continues to land solid ground-and-pound, mixing in punches and elbows at a steady rhythm. 10-9 Perez.

Round 2

Perez lands the first good shot of the stanza, with a nice body kick. Shutt goes for some type of roll for a possible submissoin, but only winds up on his back for his troubles. Surprisingly, after a short while, Perez stands back up with him, perhaps prefering to strike. And not long after that, as Shutt comes forward with punches, Perez catches him with a hard overhand right that stuns his opponent. As Perez comes forward with more punches, Shutt goes to his knees, preferring to be on his back. He might regret this decision, though, as against the cage, Perez mercilessly punishes him with elbows, which Shutt is simply eating. Kerry Hatley is taking a closer look. After a considerable amount of damage, Shutt is able to grab onto his biceps and slow the attack, at least for a while. Perez continues being active, hitting him with punches when the elbows aren't there. Shutt's head is trapped against the cage, making the impact of many of the blows from the top even worse. Perez continues teeing off at will with ground-and-pound, and Shutt is simply eating it, no longer trying to even scramble or throw up submissions. With a minute left, Shutt is simply looking to survive. Out of nowhere, Perez gets a little sloppy and gives up his back while on top, and suddenly, Shutt has some slim chance of a rear-naked choke! However, he doesn't have both hooks in and Perez is able to turn back into him, and lands some brutal punches and elbows on Shutt to end the round. Very dominant round, outside of about 20 seconds. 10-8 Perez.

Round 3

Shutt throws a few punches to start the final round, but they miss by a solid foot. Perez comes forward with punches of his own, which patially land. Shutt, surprisingly, lands a nice front kick to Perez's face, but it doesn't do enough damage. Against the cage, they trade head kicks, with Perez getting the better of the exchanges. Shutt decides his best opportunity to win is a guillotine, but again, he doesn't have it on well, and ends up on his back, with Perez in his half-guard. Finding himself in a familiar spot, Perez does what has worked all fight long, scoring with powerful, short elbows and nice punches. As a neat new wrinkle, Perez is ripping hard punches to the body now, not just the head. Shutt postures up, giving up his back, and then manages to stand up. Against the cage, however, he eats a number of hard knees to the head from Perez. It's bad enough that he decides to drop again to his knees. Shutt tries again to stand up, eating a number of punches, but in this case, is able to fully regain his feet. Finally, they disengage, and when Perez misses a spinning elbow, Shutt show-boats that it missed, a strange gesture for someone who is being dominated. Shutt is tired and his few punches are slow and lack power. Perez has also slowed down, but his punches still possess power. With thirty seconds left, Shutt shoots in for a single-leg, which Perez easily pancake sprawls. They scramble a little to end the fight. A game performance by Shutt, by a very dominant performance by Perez, giving his opponent few chances. 10-9 Perez (30-26 Perez).

The Official Result

Erik Perez def. Blaine Shutt via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Weber Almeida (145) vs. Johnny Soto (148.5: Missed Weight)

Round 1

Undefeated Weber Almeida (5-0), who has knocked out everyone he has fought, takes on Johnny Soto (3-1), the only weight miss on the card, coming in 2.5 pounds heavy. Referee Mike Beltran will keep them honest. Almeida uses a bladed karate stance, and keeps his distance early. Soto almost immediately clinches, and after a wild scramble, briefly ends up on top. Almeida is able to explode back up to his feet, though, and they are now grappling against the fence, with each man having one underhook. Soto is pressing, but Almeida stays upright. Eventually, he is able to push Soto back, and they disengage. Soto lands a solid body kick. Soto then lands a leg kick some time later, but gets countered by an Almeida left hand for his efforts. Almeida lands a solid head kick that pushes Soto back. Almeida is picking his shots, but landing well when he does. Indeed, as Soto comes in, Almeida nails him with a straight left. A spin with no strike by Soto leads to a series of punches by Almeida, only partially blocked. Almeida, circling on the outside, lands a leg kick for good measure. Soto is having trouble landing effective offense now. He goes for several kicks to the legs and body, but they're mostly blocked. Almeida throws a nice combo, with the straight left landing yet again. Soto lands a roundhouse leg kick, and Almeida lands a side kick to the legs. As the round draws to a close, Almeida opens up with a barrage of punches to the body and head, some of them getting through. Soto goes for a takedown, but it's defended well. 10-9 Almeida.

Round 2

Almeida lands a thudding body kick to begin the second stanza. A short while later, he throws a nice 3-punch combination, although Soto blocks it. Almeida is using his kicks more, landing to the legs and body in a series of shots. Soto scores with an inside leg kick of his own. Soon after, he goes for a double-leg, who sprawls, but doesn't angle off well enough. Soto is able to scramble onto Almeida's back. Almeida is defending well, but Soto has back-mount and is now landing punches to soften up his opponent. Now with both hooks in, he is threatening with a rear-naked choke. When Almeida defends, Soto lands with hard punches to the side of the head, before going back to the submission attempt. Finally, with 2 minutes left, Almeida is able to turn back, although he is still mounted. Soto continues delivering solid ground-and-pound, including some old-school forearms in addition to meaningful, hard punches. Almeida is in big trouble! He decides to turn again, but Soto manages to get his arm around his neck effectively, and the RNC looks tight. Almeida manages to gut it out, but he continues eating heavy damage. Finally, with 30 seconds left, Soto gets too loose, and Almeida is able to escape. After some changes in position, they get back up to their feet, and it's now Almeida who is landing punches to a tired-looking Soto. What a round! Very close to a 10-8. 10-9 Soto.

Round 3

Almeida starts the round like he did the last one, with a hard body kick. A short while later, he lands a front kick to the body that lands nicely, too. And then a third one to the exact same spot, which Soto looks too tired to defend against. He throws a 1-2, and the cross connects well. The Brazilian continues his kicks, scoring with a roundhouse body kick and then a leg kick for good measure. Soto is passive, likely conserving his energy for a shot. Indeed, he does so a short while later, but Almeida is ready and simply steps out of the way. Soto slowly lumbers after his opponent, and he eats a straight left for his troubles. With 3 minutes left, Soto gets a hold of Almeida's hips, and tired as he is, he manages to get the takedown! Yet again, he quickly gets to the back. Almeida turns back into him, but Soto is landing the occasional punch. Almeida keeps turning around, but it's a stalling tactic, and he is eating punches. Soto now has full mount, and he starts to open up with punches and elbows. When Almeida turns around, Soto takes his back with both hooks and threatening with a rear-naked choke. It looks fairly tight with a minute remaining, but Almeida fights the helping arm to stay alive. Finally, Almeida is able to spin around with the cage and creates a scramble, but Soto is still on top of him. As the fight winds down, Soto is all over Almeida's back. What a dramatic, back-and-forth fight! Soto appears to have pulled off the upset. 10-9 Soto (29-28 Soto).

The Official Result

Johnny Soto def. Weber Almeida via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Johnny Campbell (135.75) vs. Henry Corrales (135)

Round 1

Long-time Bellator featherweight contender Henry Corrales (18-5) drops down to 135 to take on veteran Johnny Campbell (20-13), who has fought almost every fight of his career in Cage Titans. Referee Kevin MacDonald will look on. Campbell throws a unique side-kick to the head, but Corrales avoids it. A while later, he throws two spinning back roundhouse kicks which are also avoided, with Campbell falling down in the process. He does land a solid leg kick, though. A short while later, Corrales lands a 1-2 and Campbell briefly falls, although he doesn't appear to be too hurt. Campbell starts throwing punches of his own, but they're solitary shots he heavily loads up on. Meanwhile, Campbell has his hands down, relying on his head movement, but Corrales is catching him. A crazy power punch by Campbell catches Corrales though and clearly hurts him. He continues swinging wildly, but Corrales has recovered enough to avoid them. Campbell connects with another right hand. Corrales continues throwing 1-2s, but Campbell's head movement is effective now. Campbell continues coming forward, throwing wild power punches non-stop. Campbell drops down for a takedown, but Corrales defends without even having to sprawl much. Still, Campbell is persistent and he briefly scores with a double-leg pick-up. Still, Corrales quickly uses the cage to get back up. Further attempts by Campbell are unsuccessful, and in getting up, he eats an uppercut for his efforts. Corrales is starting to score a lot more on the feet with his jab and a chopping right hand, with the 1-2 being particularly successful. Campbell throws wild power punches that miss. After a leg kick by Campbell lands, Corrales shoots a double-leg of his own and gets Campbell down. Campbell doesn't get up though, but Corrales isn't able to land much ground-and-pound. Very, very close round. 10-9 Corrales.

Round 2

The two fighters pick up where they left off, exchanging punches in the center of the cage. Campbell lands a very hard calf kick that knocks Corrales off his feet. Corrales continues throwing 1-2s, but Campbell evades with his head movement. Corrales is doing a better job of avoiding Campbell's kicks, though. Campbell does eventually score with one, but Corrales hits him with the chopping right hand soon after. Campbell's punches are missing, but his follow-up leg kicks are frequently finding the mark and bothering Corrales more and more. In a change of tactics, Campbell starts throwing the jab instead of power punches, and they're landing. Midway through the round, Corrales scores with a series of punches that Campbell eats flush, with his hands down, though he doesn't look hurt. Campbell soon goes back to the well with his leg kicks. Corrales partially scores with the same 1-2 combination. Corrales then catches Campbell with a chopping right hand counter that stumbles him back. As Corrales looks to be in control, Campbell suddenly lands a right uppercut that drops Corrales like a ton of bricks! Campbell quickly follows him to the mat, attaining mount and delivering punches. Corrales turns his back and Campbell sinks in a quick, tight rear-naked choke! Corrales has no choice but to tap! What an incredible turn-around and upset! Great performance by Campbell, as the second big underdog in a row triumphs.

The Official Result

Johnny Campbell def. Henry Corrales via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:12 of Round 2

Johnny Eblen (185) vs. Daniel Madrid (185.5)

Round 1

Undefeated prospect and highly skilled wrestler Johnny Eblen (7-0) faces off against 37 year-old veteran Daniel Madrid (18-6). Referee Todd Anderson presides over the bout. Eblen scores first, with a solid leg kick. Madrid tries one of his own, but Eblen lifts his leg. Eblen scores with a couple of body kicks and then a right hand for good measure. Eblen scores with another leg kick and Madrid lands his first strike with one of his own. Eblen continues throwing kicks, this time to the body, and then two more to the legs. Impressive striking improvement by the grappler! Eblen throws some technical punches, though Madrid moves out of range. Eblen soon gets back to his kicks, which are continuing to score to the legs and body of his taller opponent. A lead left hook touches Madrid, who retreats, and is being purely defensive thus far. Eblen continues landing leg kicks. Coming forward with a series of straight punches, Eblen catches Madrid on the chin with a left hook, and Madrid falls down. Eblen immediately jumps on top of him, battering away with hammerfists, as Todd Anderson has no choice but to stop the action. Very impressive display by Eblen, whose striking is vastly improved over his previous fights. It will be exciting to see how far Eblen goes in the sport.

The Official Result

Johnny Eblen def. Daniel Madrid via KO (Punches) at 2:44 of Round 1

Omar Hussein Abufarah (170.75) vs. Logan Storley (170.25)

Round 1

The bout was canceled on Friday after Hussein failed his pre-fight medicals, with the news first coming from MMA Junkie

Patrick Mix (136) vs. Albert Morales (135)

Round 1

Submission artist Patrick "Patchy" Mix (13-1), whose first professional loss was his last fight, a decision loss for the Bellator bantamweight championship against Juan Archuleta, looks to bounce back against Albert Morales (10-6-1). Keeping a keen eye on the proceedings will be referee Todd Anderson. Morales comes out pumping his jab and landing with a couple of solid body kicks. However, it's not long before Patchy Mix grabs a hold of him and takes him down. Morales wall-walks back up, but Mix takes him down again. A second attempt ends with yet another mat return by Mix and this time, he has the back with both hooks in. Morales turns around, but Mix has three-quarters mount. Morales does a nice job to retain full guard. Mix backs up, looking for a way to pass, and Morales manages to stand back up. Of course, it's not for long, as Mix is back on him. Mix gets too high on the back, however, and Morales throws him forward on his head, and it's now Morales on top! Morales is mostly stalling here, but he does land a few short forearms, although they're not hard. Morales switches between half-guard and side control, as Mix stays on his back. Morales is looking to smother the grappling virtuoso, not giving Mix any opportunities for submissions. Eventually though, he postures up just a little, and Mix immediately hip-escapes back up to the feet. Morales throws a nice punch combination, with Mix blocking the punches to the head, but absorbing ones to the body. Unfortunately for him, he also goes for a jumping knee, which allows Mix to easily take him down. Still, Morales continues defending tough on his back, and with 15 seconds left he gets up. He comes forward with more punch combinations, scoring to the head and body as Mix retreats. Good round for the massive underdog Morales. 10-9 Morales.

Round 2

Starting the round, Mix lands a nice body kick. Morales is throwing punches, but Mix is blocking them a little better now. Mix lands a 1-2 of his own. Morales comes back with right hooks, scoring to the body. Mix ducks down for a takedown, pushes him to the cage, and then picks him up. With Morales off the floor, Mix calmly walks him to the center of the cage before slamming him down, shades of Matt Hughes. This time, Mix is looking to work his ground-and-pound more, landing with short punches and hammerfists from side control. Morales tries to scramble up, but gives up his back, and Mix gets his beloved body triangle position, from where he is as dangerous as any fighter in the sport. He peppers some short right hands to Morales, who is trying desperately to escape. At one point, Mix lands a very hard elbow to his head. Morales turns into the mount, but gets nailed with punches and elbows for his troubles. Still, he continues resisting, and Mix hasn't yet attempted any submissions. However, the punches are becoming more constant, and Morales is struggling to avoid them. Suddenly, with 80 seconds left, Mix goes for a quick rear-naked choke, but Morales attacks the helping arm to get out. Mix then continues to better Morales with punches and elbows on the ground, several of them landing hard and flush. Morales struggles to get away near the end of the round, but Mix still has the body triangle on. Nice turnaround for Mix, and an utterly dominant round. 10-8 Mix.

Round 3

Mix starts the round with two body kicks, both of which land. He immediately grabs onto the hips of Morales, gets him to the cage, and again lifts him up, although this time, he immediately drops Morales down. Working in side control, he lands short punches, but nothing significant. Morales has less energy now, and he isn't scrambling up the way he was in round 1. Mix goes back to half-guard and is working an arm-triangle choke. Morales knows how to defend, but Mix's squeeze looks tight as he seeks to get his right leg free and crank it from side-control. Mix wisely uses some knee strikes and punches to the body to soften up Morales. Finally, still in half-guard, Morales has no choice but to tap to Mix's deep arm triangle. Interestingly, despite being such a terrific grappler, this is the first arm triangle submission of Mix's career.

The Official Result

Patrick Mix def. Albert Morales via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 2:40 of Round 3

Rafael Carvalho (185) vs. Lorenz Larkin (185.5)

Round 1

Up next, resurgent middleweight contender Lorenz Larkin (22-7), having won 4 times in a row, takes on late replacement and former Bellator middlweight champion Rafael Carvalho (16-5). This could be an incredible striking battle. Referee Mike Beltran will get the best seat in the house. Both men walk slowly to the center, looking to gain a sense of the rythm of the fight first. Carvalho throws out a few solid leg kicks. Larkin throws a fast right cross, but it's blocked, and Carvalho lands another leg kick, although it's partly checked. Larkin isnow circling around the perimeter of Carvalho's reach well, and throwing the odd leg kick of his own, although Carvalho is avoiding or checking them well. Larkin throws a beautiful combination, but Carvalho covers up expertly. They fire off punches, and a straight right from Carvalho lands. Larkin explodes forward, and partially lands a three-punch combo. Carvalho comes back with punches of his own. The feeling-out proces didn't last long after all! They clinch, and Larkin disengages with a hard right elbow. Strangely, Carvalho decides to clinch with him again, and the paces slows, with 2 minutes left. Larkin lands two more elbows, one after the other, for good measure. Then, as Carvalho continues to clinch, he lands about three or four more, with the last couple hurting Carvalho. They throw punches at range, but interestingly, Larkin is occasionally throwing the same short elbow at range now, too. A right hand counter catches Carvalho coming forward and he ducks down before backing up. Carvalho fires off punches, but Larkin is avoiding or blocking them. As the end winds down, Larkin lands more short elbows as he comes forward and opens up with his punches as Carvalho covers up. Carvalho did well the first half of the round, but after he clinched, it was all Larkin. 10-9 Larkin.

Round 2

Carvalho is more tentative with his leg kicks now, which Larkin now avoids. Carvalho goes for a head kick, but Larkin retreats out of the way again. Larkin explodes with a body kick of his own, partially blocked. Carvalho now comes forward with a barrage of strikes, connecting with a head kick that partly hits the back of Carvalho's head, then throwing punches, several of which land. Larkin returns fire with a right cross and they clinch. It's Larkin now looking for a takedown, and he gets Carvalho to his knees against the cage. However, Carvalho works his way back up to his feet. Larkin disengages with a spinning back elbow, but it's blocked, unlike his elbows in the previous round. Carvalho lands a solid 1-2 at short range and inexplicably clinches again. The pace slows with 2 minutes left as referee Beltran warns them to keep working. Neither man is doing much, perhaps looking to get a breather after the furious action earlier. With 70 seconds left, Beltran separates them and restarts them in the center of the cage. They soon clinch again, but Larkin lands some powerful elbows. However, Carvalho finally disengages and lands solid punches of his own. Larkin is moving less and it's allowing Carvalho to score with his punches now. Late in the round, Carvalho scores with another 1-2, the latter of which snaps Larkin's head back. Larkin attempts his own punches, but Carvalho evades them well. Nice bounce back for Carvalho and I have it all tied up. 10-9 Carvalho.

Round 3

Larkin starts circling again to begin the final round, if less energetically than in round 1. He scores with a nice calf kick. He then lands a body kick. Carvalho comes forward with punches, but Larkin slips them and clinches, landing yet another short elbow in the process. Larkin is working for the takedown now against the fence as Carvalho defends. Mike Beltran is quicker with his warning for more work now, as neither man is doing much. Carvalho disengages and amusingly, lands a nice short elbow of his own. At range, he again scores with a 1-2, both punches landing flush. Larkin is throwing right hooks to counter, but they're slower and Carvalho avoids them easily. Meanwhile, Carvalho's straight right seemingly can't miss. They clinch again and now exchange elbows. Larkin lands a right uppercut, his best strike of the round. Larkin pushes Carvalho against the cage again and looks for a takedown. He again gets Carvalho to his knees, but the Brazilian is able to post back up. Larkin is persistent, but eventually Carvalho regains his position against the cage with a minute left. Finally, with 50 seconds left, they disengage. Larkin throws a few punches, but Carvalho avoids them. Carvalho's own strikes look slow now though, and miss. Larkin now starts to connect with his combinations, nailing Carvalho several times with straight right hands. As the fight winds down, they again clinch to end the bout. Very close round, and a strong showing for Carvalho given he took the bout on very short notice. 10-9 Larkin (29-28 Larkin).

The Official Result

Lorenz Larkin def. Pedro Carvalho via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Josh Hill (136) vs. Raufeon Stots (135.5)

Round 1

Finishing up the prelims, Raufeon Stots (15-1), whose only loss was to Merab Dvalishvili back in 2017, takes on "The Gentleman" Josh Hill (20-3) in another high-quality bantamweight clash. Referee Kevin MacDonald will look on. Stots fires off jabs to open up the fight. Hill lands a leg kick that stumbles him. Not long after, Stots lands a hard inside leg kick of his own. Stots fires straight punches, but Hill avoids them well. Stots scores with another leg kick, and then follows up with a 1-2 that partially lands. With Hill against the cage, Hill opens up with punches, and with Hill ducking, Stots takes his back against the cage. Stots continues working against the cage, but Hill is defending well, controlling his wrists. Stots throws the occasional punch, but they do little damage. Hill beings to post up and establish a base as Stots tries to break it against the cage.As Hill stands up, Stots hits him with several knees to the head for his effort. Not long after that, Hill goes back to the canvas while eating a few punches. Stots is using a wrestling ride to control Hill as the round draws to a close, and he lands a few weaker punches. As the bell rings, he locks in a rear-naked choke, but the round is over. 10-9 Stots.

Round 2

Stots begins the round with a few jabs. Hill lands a body kick. Stots continues to stalk forward, hoping to drive Hill against the cage again. Hill scores with a 1-2. Stots responds with a couple of left crosses that find the mark, causing Stots to retreat. Hill goes for a leg kick, but Stots responds with a hard check. Stots lands a flush body kick, too. They are now exchanging punches, with Hill landing right crosses and Stots landing left crosses. Both men are cautious with their strikes, though. Stots fires off a few jabs. They clinch halfway through the round, and Stots lands a few knees to Hill's legs. Hill is able to break the clinch and they return to the center of the cage. Hill comes forwad and lands straight right as Stots ducks. Stots fires off a 1-2, but Hill moves just out of range. Stots goes back to the 1-2, with the cross partially landing. The pace has definitely slowed, with both men being very cautious. Hill goes for a body kick, but Stots blocks it and almost catches it. To end the round, Stots lands a hard body kick. Close round. 10-9 Stots.

Round 3

Stots begins the round again with a few jabs. Stots lands a solid inside leg kick. Hill comes forward with straight punches, but has little success. Not long after the commentators remark on his lack of effectiveness, he lands a solid straight right, perhaps his best of the fight. Circling around, he lands a solid leg kick, and not long after, an overhand right. Stots then lands a big body kick. Hill throws a 1-2, but Stots avoids it. Stots lands a front body-kick, an effective strike it's surprising he hasn't used more. Stots lands a thudding left cross as Hill was throwing himself. Hill's 1-2 misses. They are going strike-for-strike a lot here, but Stots is getting slightly the better of it. With a minute left, Hill explodes for a double-leg shot, but Stots easily stuffs it and lands a knee on Hill's way up. As Hill comes forward with punches, Stots picks him up and slams him neatly. Stots is in half-guard now and lands a few solid punches to the body. The fight ends. A solid victory for Stots if not a particularly spectacular one. 10-9 Stots (30-27 Stots).

The Official Result

Raufeon Stots def. Josh Hill via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Michael Page (174.75) vs. Derek Anderson (175)

Round 1

Beginning the main card, one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, Michael "Venom" Page (18-1) faces a hard test in Derek "The Barbaric" Anderson (17-3) in a 175 pound catchweight affair. Keeping a close eye on the proceedings will be referee Todd Anderson. Page comes out with his trademark heavily bladed side stance. He lands a calf kick early, as Anderson tries to get a gauge on his opponent. Page throws a big right cross, but Anderson ducks down in time. Anderson comes forward with an overhand right, but Page easily avoids with his trademark movement. Page lands a right straight and then mocks Anderson when he covers up. Page attempts a jumping knee some time later, but Anderson is ready and defends well. As Anderson comes forward, though, Page partially connects with a hard right hand. A short while later, Page throws a brilliant 1-2 that Anderson eats. Anderson comes forward with leg kicks and an overhand right, but neither is successful. Finally, Anderson clinches Page's hips. Page is defending against the takedown well though, as the round reaches the halfway point. Page is throwing the occasional elbow to Anderson's head, but is careful to concentrate on defending the takedown around his waist. Anderson keeps grinding, but seems to have little success advancing position. Finally, Page gains underhooks, lands a few knees and separates. Anderson partially lands a leg kick. Then, out of nowhere, Page lands a lightning-quick roundhouse kick that crushes Anderson's nose and drops him. He gets up quickly though, and is game to continue. A short while later, Page explodes with a right cross that floors him again. Anderson's face is already a mask of blood, dripping all over his chest. Anderson tries a few punches of his own, but none land. Excellent round for Page, with two knockdowns. 10-8 Page. As the bell is about to ring to start Round 2, the referee waves off the fight, as Anderson's nose looks badly caved in by that vicious head kick. Yet another sensational, highlight-reel victory for Page, becoming the first man to stop Derek Anderson.

The Official Result

Michael Page def. Derek Anderson via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 1

Patricky Freire (155.5) vs. Peter Queally (155)

Round 1

In a lightweight affair, longtime Bellator contender Patricky "Pitbull" Freire battles tough Irishman Peter Queally (12-5-1). Making sure they follow the rules will be referee Kerry Hatley. Queally starts off with a front kick that touches Patricky. Freire responds with a hard calf kick that knocks Queally back. Queally responds with a body kick that lands solidly. As both men move to kick, Freire's lands below the belt line, and there is a brief pause. Meanwhile, it appears that Patricky was caught with an eye-poke. A rare double foul! They resume, and Queally scores with a leg kick. Patricky comes forward with some nice punches, a right uppercut followed by a left hook, though they're mostly blocked. Pitbull lands several solid leg kicks. Freire, after a pause, lands another hard leg kick. Queally seems to land an eye-poke, and as Freire protests, Queally lands a right cross. Patricky responds with a flush cross of his own, the best connection of the round. They go back to throwing leg kicks, and Patricky is getting the better of it. Queally lands a body kick followed by a right cross. Very hard leg kick now lands for Patricky. Queally lands a hard leg kick of his own and blocks the right hook that Pitbull throws. Freire then responds with a brutal leg kick that temporarily crumples Queally. Queally attempts a few jabs, but Pitbull easily evades. Freire goes for a jumping knee, but it only finds air. Near the end of the round, Freire shoots for a double-leg and gets Queally down to his knees. He is not fully down though, and he throws slaps to the side of Patricky's head. The round ends as Queally defends on his knees. 10-9 Freire.

Round 2

Queally scores first in the round, landing a solid jab. However, Patricky follows up with two brutal leg kicks that clearly hurt the Irishman. He then lands an overhand right that temporarily stuns Queally. Queally tries more jabs, but these are ineffective. Meanwhile, Pitbull's own jab has some success, and a short while later, he lands another leg kick, this one forcing Queally to his knees. Queally is now clearly hurt, to the point where he is switching to the southpaw stance. However, a straight left by Queally has opened up a cut right underneath Freire's right cheek. Freire throws another combination, mostly blocked, but digging a left uppercut to the body at the end. Freire continues his attack to the legs, but is throwing his hands more. Queally throws a 1-2 that partially lands. Freire responds with a two-punch combo of his own. Pitbull doubles up on the jab, with both landing. The Brazilian continues to circle well on the outside, and lands a hard right hook to the body. Queally responds with an uppercut to Freire's body. With forty seconds left, similar to the first one, Freire shoots a double-leg as Queally comes forward, and this time, gets the Irish fighter fully on his back. Queally lands a few elbows off his back to the crown of Freire's head that causes a lot of blood to gush out, as Freire peppers him with punches to the body. Blood aside, Freire is firmly in control. 10-9 Freire. The ringside physician looks at Freire's cut and decides that since it won't stop leaking, he can't continue. A curious decision, as we have seen fighters in similar situations allowed to keep fighting.

The Official Result

Peter Queally def. Patricky Freire via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2

Anthony Johnson (205) vs. Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros (204.75)

Round 1

In the co-main event, the Bellator Light Heavyweight tournament continues as long-time top UFC light heavyweight, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, comes out of retirement to face late replacement Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros (7-2), filling in for for Yoel Romero. Referee Mike Beltran gets the assignment. Johnson begins with several hard leg kicks and mostly evades Augusto's return punches. He neatly ducks a left hook by Augusto. Johnson scores with a hard front push-kick to Augusto's stomach that has him stumbling back into the cage. Johnson throws a very hard head kick that Augusto blocks, but still effects him. Augusto lands a right cross to the body. Johnson goes for a leg kick, and Augusto counters with an overhand right, but evidently injures his hand in the process. It might be broken. Johsnon stalks forward, with bad intentions, but Augusto evades. Augusto throws a right hand, but winces in pain upon impact. Johnson comes forward and lands a hard, short overhand right that hurts the Brazilian. Johnson has him against the fence now, and unleashes a barrage, including a right uppercut that hurts Augusto. Augusto is wobbly as he spins off. Then, as Johnson looks to finish him, Augusto fires a desperation power punch of his own and it has Johnson BADLY hurt. A follow-up left hook drops Johnson and has him close to knocked out. Augusto continues hammering away on a prone Johnson as referee Mike Beltran is very close to stepping in. He works for a rear-naked choke and somehow Johnson finds a way to survive. Johnson then manages to turn around and get the takedown. Johnson rides out the last moments of a crazy round on top. 10-9 Augusto.

Round 2

Starting the round, both men throw caution to the wind and exchange hard jabs. It will be interesting to see if Augusto will throw the right hand at all. At present, he is only throwing jabs and left hooks, but he is having success with them, digging a nice left hook to Johnson's body. He continues flicking a jab too, which finds the mark. Johnson has been notably passive, but out of nowhere, he throws a vicious 1-2, with the right cross completely turning Augusto's lights off. He lands a follow-up hammerfist, but it's unnecessary, as the valiant Brazilian martial artist is completely out. What a great, exciting fight, and yet another spectacular knockout for Johnson, whose power is still incredible.

The Official Result

Anthony Johnson def. Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros via KO (Punch) at 1:30 of Round 2

Bellator Bantamweight Title Fight:
Juan Archuleta (135) vs. Sergio Pettis (134.75)

Round 1

In the main event, Sergio Pettis (20-5) challenges Juan Archuleta (25-2) for the Bellator Bantamweight Championship in what should be a terrific mix of striking and grappling. Getting the final assigment of the night is referee Kevin MacDonald. Both fighters come out bouncing and moving deftly around the cage. Both throw out a few jab and leg kicks, and it's Pettis who lands first with his own jab. Archuleta explodes forward with a series of hooks, but it's Pettis who seems to get slightly the better of the exchange. Archuleta explodes forward again, but Pettis dodges and partially connects with a beautiful right cross. As Pettis comes forward, Archuleta times a double-leg perfectly, taking Pettis down. But Pettis instantly bounces back up and defends against the cage, as Archuleta holds onto a leg, trying to wrench it out. After a stalemate, Pettis manages to land a few side elbows to Archuleta's head. Eventually, he manages to gain separation and pushes Archuleta off. Archuleta again comes forward with punches but only hits air, as Pettis counters with another right cross that partially lands. Archuleta tries a head kick, but it's blocked. Then, as Archuleta comes forward, Pettis pops him with a gorgeous, perfect right cross, the best connect of the night thus far. Soon after, he lands another right cross for good measure. And, not long after, he connects with an overhand right. Archuleta continues bouncing around on the outside, but he is leery of coming forward with punches now. He does, however, manage to land a few leg kicks. As Archuleta comes forward for another takedown, he eats a hard head kick. He continues wrestling, but with no success. Great round for the challenger. 10-9 Pettis.

Round 2

As the round starts, Archuleta throws a punch combination, but it's mostly blocked. Archuleta pumps out a jab, and then follows it up with a few punches. Pettis touches him with a right cross, but it does little damage. Pettis works his own jab, but Archuleta is circling well on the outside, evading it. Then, a little over a minute into the round, Archuleta times an excellent double-leg and this one succeeds, planting Pettis firmly on his back. However, he does a fantastic job hip-escaping and getting back to the cage, from which he regains his feet and gains separation. Pettis scores with a nice jab pushing Archuleta's head back. Archuleta comes forward with a punch combination, and this time is more successful, as he targets the body and lands effectively. Pettis just barely misses with a powerful 1-2. Archuleta is looking for Pettis' punches more and seems to be evading them better this round. Pettis connects with a hard jab soon afterwards, though. Archuleta lands a solid right cross to Pettis' body. They both throw a series of punches, but both avoid them. A cut has opened up on the forehead of Archuleta now. Not long after this, he lands his best punch, an uppercut that gets Pettis' attention. Pettis responds with a head kick that is only partially blocked. Archuleta scores with a left hook that is only partially blocked. Pettis lands a short right to end the round, as Archuleta drops for a takedown attempt. Very close round. 10-9 Pettis.

Round 3

Archuleta is still bouncing energetically to begin the third, and he throws a head kick that Pettis ducks. Archuleta scores with a right cross coming forward, and then Pettis retaliates with one of his own. Archuleta now pops Pettis with his own jab, the most success he's had with that punch. Archuleta is evading Pettis' punches much better now, which look a little slower. Archuleta's punch combinations are having a little more success now, too. Archuleta lands a solid 1-2 and Pettis' response isn't as successful. Pettis throws a nice front kick to the face that partially gets through. Archuleta is looking for his straight punches, and lands a nice right cross. Pettis is landing the occasional jab and right cross, but without the same frequency or power as in earlier rounds. Archuleta decides to clinch with Pettis against the cage, perhaps feeling that a transition will be successful. Pettis defends ably, however, and they soon separate. They then rade jabs. As Archuleta comes forward, Pettis records a solid body kick. The pace slows a little, but Archuleta is still moving as energetically as ever. He lands a left hook to the body, and Pettis scores a jab to respond. A close round, but the first one I think the champion has won. We have ourselves a very tense, competitive championship bout. 10-9 Archuleta.

Round 4

Archuleta races to the center of the cage to start round 4, and immediately engages with punches in the pocket. He goes for a clinch, but Pettis defnds well. Archuleta scores with a few jabs to the head. Soon after, he scores with another jab, but this time to the body. Archuleta hits a nifty bodylock takedown, but as earlier in the fight, Pettis immediately springs back up. Pettis scores with a jab, and soon after, several more. Off one of these jabs, he lands a very hard right cross that has Archuleta's head rocking back and forth, likely the best strike of the fight. Archuleta wears it well, though. As Archuleta comes forward, it's Pettis who goes for a double-leg. Archuleta is brought to his knees, but gets back up. As Archuleta goes back into the pocket, Pettis blisters him with another hard 1-2, the cross clearly hurting Archuleta, despite his toughness. Archuleta goes for a huge uppercut, but it misses completely, and Pettis tags him with another one of those gorgeous straight rights. Pettis then hits him with a hard jab, and when Archuleta goes forward to clinch, Pettis lands a good knee. Pettis seems to have Archuleta's timing down well now, and Archuleta's forward advances are being consistently punished. Near the end of the round, Archuleta ducks low and eats a solid 1-2 for his troubles. About 15 seconds later, Pettis lands another powerful 1-2. Archuleta charges forward with a jumping knee and right hook, but Pettis deftly moves out of the way. A very clear, dominant round for the challenger. 10-9 Pettis.

Round 5

Archuleta, showing the heart of a champion, comes forward with a punch combination to begin the final stanza. Pettis avoids it. Pettis stuns Archuleta with a good jab, and touches the champion with a right cross. Archuleta hits a nice single-leg, but yet again, Pettis athletically regains his feet in short order. Tremendous work at getting up by Pettis all fight long. Archuleta is a little slow in coming forward, and Pettis tags him with a three punch combination, a cross followed by a jab and then another cross. Archuleta is at a loss for what to do, and a body kick is easily avoided. Pettis peppers him with yet another jab. Archuleta is coming forward, but with him slowing down, Pettis tags him with another laser-accurate jab. Soon after, Pettis hits him with a hard right cross. But Archuleta isn't done, as he comes forward, picks Pettis up over his head and slams him down with authority! Pettis is solidly on his back, but he manages to stall the champion, who is unable to land much ground-and-pound with only 90 seconds left. With a minute left, they're in North-South position, but without being able to knee a downed opponent, little damage is possible for Archuleta. Pettis eventually wall-walks back up, as Archuleta continues to grapple with him. The championship fight ends with Archuleta pressing Pettis against the cage. A phenomenal fight by Pettis, showing some of the most technical striking in the entire sport. 10-9 Pettis (49-46 Pettis).

The Official Result

Sergio Pettis def. Juan Archuleta via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)