Light Heavyweight Attila Vegh, Bantamweight Marcos Galvao Secure Title Shots at Bellator 73

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Attila Vegh needed less than half a minute to dispatch Travis Wiuff in the Bellator Fighting Championships Summer Series light heavyweight tournament final at Bellator 73 on Friday at Harrah’s Tunica Casino in Tunica Resorts, Miss. It was over 25 seconds after it began.

Vegh (28-4-2, 4-0 Bellator) clubbed Wiuff with an overhand right and dropped the hulking Minnesotan where he stood. The Slovakian pounced, battered Wiuff with right hands and forced the stoppage. Vegh, a winner in eight consecutive bouts, will next face promotional champion Christian M'Pumbu for the Bellator light heavyweight crown.

“It will be a hard, hard fight, but I will be champion,” Vegh said. “I’m ready to fight.”

The defeat halted a six-fight winning streak for Wiuff (68-15, 4-1 Bellator).

Galvao Ousts Nogueira, Eyes Teammate Dantas

Two-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Marcos Galvao dismissed Luis Alberto Nogueira with second-round punches and elbows in the Bellator Season 6 bantamweight tournament final. Galvao (13-5-1, 4-2 Bellator) finished it 4:20 into round two, as he secured a title shot against bantamweight champion and Nova Uniao teammate Eduardo Dantas.

Galvao and Nogueira (14-3, 4-2 Bellator) held nothing back. They traded takedowns in the first round, exchanging punches and kicks when upright. In the second, Renovacao Fight Team’s Nogueira appeared to take control -- until a straight right hand from Galvao sent him reeling. The World Extreme Cagefighting veteran followed up with a left hook and knee to the body, closing the distance on the wounded Nogueira.

A trip takedown came next, and Galvao moved immediately to mount. A barrage of punches and savage hammerfists forced Nogeuira to his stomach, and Galvao finished it with a series of elbows from the rear.

Wessel Earns Split Nod

Effective counterpunching, strong takedown defense and unabashed aggression carried UFC castaway Mike Wessel to a split verdict over Ryan Martinez in a heavyweight showcase. Two of the three cageside judges, Dave Ferguson and Jason Herzog, scored it 29-28 for Wessel; a third, Mike King, cast a dissenting 30-27 nod in favor of Martinez (7-2, 0-1 Bellator).

Wessel (12-4, 1-0 Bellator) backed up Martinez with right hands, weathered a few takedowns and executed in the clinch in the closely contested matchup. Martinez struck for takedowns in the first and second rounds but did little to capitalize on them. That worked in Wessel’s favor, as he remained in attack mode from start to finish and punctuated his victory with a series of knees from the clinch in round three.

“That was a tough fight,” Wessel said. “It was close. We went back and forth.”

Mucitelli Triangle Submits Van Buren

Mike Mucitelli submitted Matt Van Buren with a first-round triangle choke in a featured showdown between two undefeated light heavyweights. Mucitelli (3-0, 1-0 Bellator) coaxed the tapout 3:01 into round one.

Much of the back-and-forth duel took place on the ground after Mucitelli caught a head kick from Van Buren (5-1, 2-1 Bellator) and put him on the canvas. Sweeps and reversals followed, with Van Buren scoring with some stout standing-to-ground punches inside his foe’s open guard. After a failed takedown attempt, Mucitelli settled into bottom position and trapped Van Buren in the triangle. Submission soon became the only option.

“Words cannot begin to describe what’s going on for me now,” Mucitelli said. “I saw an opportunity and snatched it up.”

Uhrich Outpoints Spartan Williams

A strong third round carried Andy Uhrich to a unanimous verdict over former Michigan State University wrestler Joe Williams in an undercard tilt at 170 pounds. Uhrich (8-3, 1-0 Bellator) swept the scorecards by 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 counts, as he won for the fifth time in six outings.

The two welteweights spent much of their encounter jockeying for supremacy, Uhrich responding to a steady diet of takedowns from Williams (6-1, 0-1 Bellator) with leg kicks, jabs and the occasional combination. He threatened Williams with a guillotine and a kimura in the third round, while also trapping the previously unbeaten wrestler in a crucifix.

Overweight Tiller Still Undefeated

The unbeaten Kelvin Tiller kept his perfect professional record intact, as he put away Amaechi Oselukwue with second-round punches in a preliminary catchweight battle. Tiller, who failed to make weight for the bout, brought it to a close 4:21 into round two.

Tiller (5-0, 3-0 Bellator) struck for a slam in the second round and trapped his opponent beneath him, unleashing a string of punches, elbows and hammerfists. He transitioned to Oselukwue’s back and forced the referee to intervene shortly after. Oselukwue (3-7, 1-1 Bellator) has lost six of his last seven fights.

Noe Stops Albin on Cut

Surging Team Vortex representative Jacob Noe made the most of his promotional debut, as the Strikeforce veteran stopped Brian Albin with a nasty cut in an undercard duel at 205 pounds. The cageside physician made the call in between rounds one and two.

Noe (8-1, 1-0 Bellator) opened the cut near his opponent’s mouth during an initial exchange and never looked back. He later delivered a takedown, attacking Albin (8-9, 0-2 Bellator) with elbows and punches from the top. The volley enhanced the flow of blood and led to the stoppage. Noe has won six in a row, five of them finishes.

Alexandre Knee Wrecks Johnson

Muay Thai convert Cosmo Alexandre stopped journeyman Harry Johnson on a second-round knee to the body in a preliminary lightweight affair. The end came 39 seconds into round two, as Alexandre (3-1, 3-1 Bellator) posted his third consecutive victory.

The result, though decisive, was not without controversy. Referee Dave Ferguson, after initially ruling the finishing blow illegal, appeared to check in-house replays for confirmation. They clearly showed the knee strike to be aboveboard. He then urged Johnson (6-8, 0-1 Bellator) to his feet, but the Tennessean was done.

Alexandre controlled round one with his superior strikes, many of them kicks, and answered Johnson’s only takedown with one of his own.