Goiti Yamauchi Uppercut Shuts Down Neiman Gracie in Bellator 284 Headliner

Goiti Yamauchi can scramble circuits if the situation dictates that he do so.

The most prolific submission artist in Bellator MMA history punched out Neiman Gracie in the second round of their Bellator 284 headliner on Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Gracie (11-4, 9-4 Bellator) checked out 3:58 into Round 2, as he was finished for the first time in his 15-fight career.

Yamauchi (28-5, 14-4 Bellator) was sharp from the start. He staggered Gracie with a left jab in the first round, executed multiple takedowns and more than held his own in their hotly anticipated ground exchanges. Yamauchi lured his counterpart into a trap in Round 2. He dodged a few jabs, drew Gracie closer and walked him into a devastating right uppercut. The impact floored the Brazilian where he stood and left him in no condition to defend against the follow-up attack. After a few more punches connected, referee Jason Herzog waved it off.

Meanwhile, an accidental eye poke from Valentin Moldavsky led to a no contest in the first round of his heavyweight co-main event against Steve Mowry. After an extended break, the unbeaten Mowry indicated he could not continue and was reduced to tears. The stoppage was called 54 seconds into Round 1.

Elsewhere, former women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane outstruck and outgrappled Team Nogueira product Bruna Ellen to a unanimous decision in a featured three-round attraction at 125 pounds. Scores were 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28.

Macfarlane (12-2, 11-2 Bellator) leaned on relentless pressure, effective counters and timely tactical takedowns. Ellen enjoyed some success with clean one-twos and a few left hooks, but she made her most significant move in the third round. There, she bit down on a tight guillotine and clung to the maneuver for several tense moments. The resourceful Macfarlane ultimately broke the Brazilian’s grip by bridging herself on the fence and pressing into a modified shoulder choke. The Hawaiian took a dominant position above Ellen in the waning seconds and consolidated those efforts with meaningful ground-and-pound.

The victory was Macfarlane’s first since Dec. 21, 2019 and snapped her two-fight losing streak.

Finally, former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Aaron Jeffery cut down Austin Vanderford with punches in the first round of their middleweight showcase. A short-notice substitution for Anthony Adams, Jeffery (13-3, 2-0 Bellator) brought it to a close 1:25 into Round 1.

Vanderford (11-2, 5-2 Bellator) was never afforded the opportunity to settle in. Jeffery sat him down with a right hand, reset in open space and floored him again with a right hook behind the ear. The Canadian then swarmed with standing-to-ground hammerfists, offered Vanderford no refuge and forced referee Bobby Wombacher to act.

Jeffery, 29, has rattled off six wins in seven appearances.

In other action, Gokhan Saricam (8-1, 4-1 Bellator) eked out a split decision—29-28, 28-29, 29-28—over Said Sowma (8-4, 2-3 Bellator) in a three-round heavyweight battle; Marcos Breno (15-2, 1-0 Bellator) was awarded a unanimous verdict over Josh Hill (21-5, 3-2 Bellator) in their three-round bantamweight scrap, earning 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 scores from the cageside judiciary; DeAnna Bennett (13-7-1, 3-1 Bellator) laid claim to a unanimous decision over Justine Kish (8-6, 1-2 Bellator) in their three-round women’s flyweight rematch, drawing 29-28 scores across the board; Sullivan Cauley (4-0, 4-0 Bellator) wiped out Tyson Jeffries (14-12, 0-2 Bellator) with a knee strike 1:39 into the first round of their light heavyweight confrontation; Pat Downey (1-0, 1-0 Bellator) dismissed Keyes Nelson (0-4, 0-1 Bellator) with an arm-triangle choke 36 seconds into the first round of their middleweight encounter; Bailey Schoenfelder (3-0, 2-0 Bellator) put away Mark Currier (1-2, 0-1 Bellator) with a rear-naked choke 2:35 into the second round of their heavyweight tilt; and Mitchell McKee (3-0, 1-0 Bellator) dispatched Tony Ortega (5-5, 0-1 Bellator) with punches 1:28 into the second round of their bantamweight pairing.