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Strikeforce ‘Barnett vs. Cormier’ Live Results and Play-by-Play
Sherdog.com will report from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., at approximately 8:00 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of Strikeforce “Barnett vs. Cormier”, headlined by the heavyweight grand prix final between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier, and featuring the Strikeforce lightweight title rubber match between champion Gilbert Melendez and challenger Josh Thomson.

Ivan Menjivar’s original UFC 148 opponent, Renan Barão, has been promoted to the interim bantamweight championship bout with Urijah Faber. So now, Menjivar will square off with Mike Easton. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

A featherweight bout has been added to the UFC's fourth outing on FOX as Michihiro Omigawa is set to face Manny Gamburyan as part of the UFC on FOX 4 fight card. Sources close to the situation confirmed the news with MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani.

Both fighters appear to be in must-win positions ahead of this pivotal bout.

Gamburyan, 31, has dropped three of his last four at featherweight. He most recently faced Diego Nunes at UFC 141 in December of 2011 where he ultimately lost by unanimous decision. Omigawa, 36, has also lost three of last four in the weight class. In his last bout he was defeated via unanimous decision to Yuri Alcantara at UFC 142 in January of 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 will take place August 4th, 2012 and will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The event will be headlined by a non-title middleweight bout between Brian Stann and former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard.

MMA Fighting has Barnett vs. Cormier results for all of the May 19 Strikeforce fights, plus live coverage from San Jose, live blogs of all the fights and live Barnett vs. Cormier twitter updates.

In the main event, Josh Barnett will square off against Daniel Cormier in the Heavyweight Grand Prix final. In the co-main event, Gilbert Melendez will defend his Strikeforce lightweight title against Josh Thomson.

Check out the Barnett vs. Cormier results below.

Main Card
Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier
Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson
Rafael Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle
Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang

Undercard
Gesias Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (live blog)
Virgil Zwicker vs. Carlos Inocente (live blog)
Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen (live blog)
Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort (live blog)
Bobby Green def. James Terry by split decision (live blog)

UFC bantamweight and Washington, D.C. native Mike Easton will face Ivan Menjivar at UFC 148, the UFC announced Saturday via Twitter. Easton steps in for Renan Barao, who was pulled from the fight with Menjivar to face Urijah Faber for the interim bantamweight title at the same event.

Faber was originally scheduled to face champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 148, but Cruz was forced to withdraw after tearing his ACL. UFC President Dana White confirmed widespread speculation Saturday evening during TUF: Live that Faber's new opponent was, in fact, Barao.

Easton, 28, was originally slated to face Yves Jabouin at UFC on FUEL 3, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. He most recently competed at UFC on FX 1 where he defeated Jared Papazian by majority decision.

Menjivar, 29, last competed at UFC on FUEL TV 1 where he stopped John Albert with strikes in the first round.

UFC 148 takes place on July 7, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

SAN JOSE -- This is the Strikeforce undercard live blog for the Barnett vs. Cormier event from the HP Pavilion.

There will be five fights on the undercard. Gesias Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Virgil Zwicker vs. Carlos Inocente, Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen, Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort, and James Terry vs. Bobby Green will be featured on the prelims.

Check out the live blog below.

James Terry vs. Bobby Green

Round 1: Lightweight bout between former Affliction fighter Green and the AKA's Terry opens things up. Not much action in the first minute. Green throws a couple jabs, then Terry answers with a front kick. Terry barely misses with a head kick attempt. Terry more active midway through the round, but isn't doing much damage. Terry connects with a left hook. Terry connects with a left and walks into a Green counter. Green lands a combo. Green attempts a takedown and pushes Terry back to the fence. They end up center cage and Terry connects with the biggest punch of the round. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for James Terry.

Round 2: Terry connects with a left hand and a low kick after a minute of both fighters dancing. Terry finds a home with a big right hand and Green backpedals. Terry connects with a straight right. Green drops his hands and sticks out his tongue; Terry misses with a high kick in response. Terry with a combo. Green finally opening up a bit, connects with a straight left. Terry connects with a left to the jaw and follows with a right to the jaw. Green doing far more talking than fighting as the round ends. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for James Terry (20-18 overall).

Round 3: Another slow first minute. Green connects with a combo and opens a cut on the bridge of Terry's nose. Terry connects with a left and a low kick, and pushes Green into the fence. Green goes for a knee from the Thai clinch and just misses. Terry throwing with more volume, but Green's punches are landing on Terry's cut. Green lands a combo. One minute left. Terry throwing more, but Green's been more effective with his strikes in the round. Green with a pair of body kicks right before the horn. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Bobby Green (29-28 Terry overall).

The judges render a split-decision win for Bobby Green, as he took two out of three 29-28 scores.

Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort

Round 1: Welterweight fight here. Mulhern is a Strikeforce Challengers vet. The 21-year old Villefort is 6-0 but hasn't fought in two years. An early exchange ends with Villefort throwing Mulhern to the mat. Villefort with a crisp low kick, Mulhern flicks a couple jabs. Mulhern with a takedown, briefly gets up, goes back into Villefort's guard. Villefort is clearly comfortable on his back, but Mulhern briefly gets his back. They're standing and clinching along the fence. Fight ends up back on the ground, Mulhern on the ground trying to work a shoulder lock. Villefort in Mulhern's guard as the round winds to a close. Villefort lands a late elbow. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Quinn Mulhern.

Round 2: Fight goes right back to the ground, Mulhern is in Villefort's half guard. They stand and Villefort drills Mulhern with a knee, which busts open Mulhern's nose. Mulhern transitions from side control to mount, but Villefort escapes. They're briefly back standing, then end back up on the ground. Villefort tries to grab a leg, but Mulhern goes for a choke. One minute left and Villefort is in Mulhern's guard. Villefort connects with several punches in the round's closing seconds. MMAFighting sores the round 10-9 for Yuri Villefort (19-19 overall).

Round 3:

Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Virgil Zwicker vs. Carlos Inocente

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Gesias Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier live results and play-by-play on Saturday, May 19 in San Jose, California. The main event features Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier quick results on Saturday, May 19 in San Jose, California. The main event features Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Check out the show opener for tonight's Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier on Showtime. The opening features Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson, Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

By <a href="mailto:howie@mmanews.com">Chris Howie</a> <Br> MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer<Br><Br> UFC Light Heavyweight Jon Jones was arrested early this morning after crashing his near $200,000 Bentley into a pole.<br><Br> <a href=http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/19/jon-jones-ufc-arrested-dui/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter>TMZ.com</a> spoke to Law enforcement officials who informed them that Jones crashed the car at around 5:00am in Binghamton, NY. Jones, totaling it, and was then arrested on the scene for driving under the influence.<Br><Br> Jones was taken into custody and then later bailed out by his mom.<Br><Br> More as this story develops.<Br><br> Leave your feedback on this article by posting a comment directly below! You can also chat about the latest news in the MMANEWS.COM <a href=http://www.mmanews.com/forums >Forums</a> and/or the MMANEWS.COM <a href=http://www.facebook.com/mmanewsdotcom >Facebook</a>. If that wasn't enough, MMANEWS.COM is now on Twitter as well <a href=http://twitter.com/mmanewsdotcom >@mmanewsdotcom</a>.<Br><Br>

UFC Champ ‘Bones’ Jones Arrested on Suspicion of DUI in New York
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was arrested early Saturday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence.

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was arrested in the early morning ours of Saturday on suspicion of DUI when he crashed into a pole. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence early Saturday morning in upstate New York, his management team confirmed Saturday, shortly after news of the arrest was reported by TMZ.com.

According to the TMZ report, Jones was involved in a car accident at around 5 a.m. in Binghamton, N.Y., near his hometown of Ithaca. TMZ claims that Jones crashed his Bentley into a pole and was arrested on the scene, though those details were not confirmed by his management.

First Round Management, which represents Jones, sent out a statement confirming the arrest and asking for privacy on behalf of the fighter and his family.

"I can confirm that Jon Jones was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI," First Round Management's Malki Kawa said in the statement. "While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time."

There's no word yet as to whether Jones sustained any injuries in the incident, though TMZ reports that he was taken into custody by the Broome County Sheriff and released after his mother posted his bond.

Jones is expected to defend his title against former Strikeforce and Pride champion Dan Henderson at UFC 151 on September 1 in Las Vegas. There's no word yet on whether the arrest and the alleged car accident might interfere with those plans, and the UFC has yet to release a statement on the matter.

Jones last competed at UFC 145 in Atlanta, where he successfully defended his title against former UFC champion Rashad Evans.

Update: According to the Broome County Sheriff's Office, Jones was arrested at 5:02 a.m. after suffering "minor injuries" following a one-car accident wherein his car struck a pole. Sheriff's office officials refused to comment on whether there were any passengers in the car with Jones at the time of the accident.

Just when you think it's okay to look forward to your upcoming fight, somebody pulls a rug from under your feet at the last minute. That happened to me on Thursday evening, when I was told my opponent at UFC 146, Mark Hunt, had suffered an injury in training and would be unable to face me on May 26.


The news arrived at a very funny and awkward time actually. I was at my girlfriend's place and we were looking for potential holidays after the fight. It was then that my manager sent me a text message telling me I needed to call him immediately because Mark Hunt was injured and out of the fight. At that moment I panicked, as I wasn't sure whether I'd still be fighting or not. I didn't want my whole training camp to go to waste. Luckily, I spoke with my manager and he told me Lavar had already been put in place as the stand-in opponent - I was delighted. It's a really cool fight.

I just wanted to fight, and didn't mind who I was put up against. Obviously, Hunt would have been a great opponent, and is somebody I look up to, but it was important to just get some sort of fight. By Thursday evening, I didn't really care who it was against.

As it turned out, Lavar Johnson is every bit as exciting for me as Hunt was. Credit to him for stepping up to the plate. All in all, Lavar is a big, strong guy who likes to stand and punch, and he's also far easier to take down than Hunt. I truly believe Mark has better takedown defense than Lavar, and that makes it a fun fight for me.

After learning who my new opponent would be, I did a little bit of research, but already knew plenty about him. Lavar fought two weeks ago against my friend, Pat Barry, and that was a fight I have now watched a couple of times. I also saw Johnson's fight with Joey Beltran and a few of his Strikeforce fights from the last couple of years.

The next day I went to train with my BJJ coach and gather his thoughts on the match-up. He is the guy who tells me what to go for and what not to go for on the ground, and we discussed this fight with Johnson at length on Friday.

In the end, it doesn't matter who they put in front of me – the fight is still just three rounds of five minutes. Nothing changes. I'm not suddenly being asked to fight ten rounds of ten minutes.

Of course, it goes without saying, it would have been an absolute honor to fight Mark Hunt. I've been watching Mark's fights for years and was genuinely excited at the prospect of testing my skills against him. I hope he gets well soon and doesn't suffer too much as a result of the injury. It would be great to fight him at some point in the future and pick up where we left off. He's great for the sport and, so long as he can continue performing the way he's done recently, that man's going in the right direction.

It's a shame I won't be fighting Mark at UFC 146, but I'm more than happy with my new fight. Besides, I can't afford to live in the past - Lavar Johnson currently stands in my way of getting where I want to get in this sport and it's him, not Hunt, who I must now beat. Although they may have different faces, different bodies and a different set of skills, both Johnson and Hunt are still obstacles that needed conquering. That doesn't change, no matter who the actual person is. In order for me to keep living the dream in the UFC, I have to do my best to defeat everybody in my path, be it Mark Hunt or Lavar Johnson. It doesn't matter to me...

Stefan 'Skyscraper' Struve fights veteran Mark Hunt at UFC 146 on Saturday, May 26, live on pay-per-view. Follow @StefanStruve on Twitter for all the latest news ahead of his bout at UFC 146.

Jesse Juarez defended his title at CFC 21 on Friday night in Sydney, while Bob Sapp went down in flames at the hands of Sao Palalei. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Is there really much at stake in Strikeforce fight cards in 2012? There's certainly something up for grabs. The fighters are prominent enough as is the stage. More often than not, though, the relevancy of the action in today's Strikeforce exists closer to the margins of the fight game, not the center.

There are carved out spaces Strikeforce has held onto that still matter to the larger mixed martial arts world. Mercifully, many of them that escaped UFC gerrymandering are on display tonight. There is a very important heavyweight bout, a top-tier lightweight defending his title and a few others notable figures plying their trade. All of that is worth underscoring and appreciating.

Yet, Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier can't help but be compared to the state of Strikeforce at the beginning of the heavyweight grand prix. Tonight's event and the tournament opener from February of 2011 serve as book ends in the study of Strikeforce's diminished state. This evening and the beginning of the grand prix are supposed to be married in the minds of fight fans as a reminder of the stature and significance of both the moment and what brought us to our present position. I cannot speak for the MMA fan base, but the opening of this heavyweight tournament feels much more like a disconnected footnote in prize fighting history.

There's plenty on the line this evening, particularly in the main and co-main events. We should not lose sight of that. Relative to what could've been or what sixteen months ago Strikeforce was placing at stake and on display, though, it's hard to not notice the difference.

Let's examine the stakes each of today's main card fighter faces in their bouts.

Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier

At stake: a secured future as an elite heavyweight. I suspect (and certainly hope) regardless of outcome both Barnett and Cormier will end up in the UFC heavyweight division. Both are too talented to be anywhere else and their injection into the division creates a host of interesting and very legitimate match-ups. Cormier has stated the winner of this bout deserves to move into the top five in terms of rankings and it's basically impossible to argue otherwise. They need the UFC more than the UFC needs them, but there's mutual gain to be had all the way around.

Truth is, however, no future in MMA is ever secured. The only insurance a fighter has is popularity and wins, neither of which are easy to manufacture or maintain. That said, winning tonight could serve as a crucial springboard for the next chapter in their careers. Barnett is 34 years old. Cormier is 33. Both are still very capable, elite heavyweights, but they are also in a position where they need to maximize the time they have left in the sport. Winning the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix and transitioning to the UFC's deeper waters presents a huge opportunity for attention, money and big fights. Accomplishing something like that is always important, but as a prize fighter in one's early thirties that task becomes as important as it ever will be.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson

At stake: everything and nothing. There's a title on the line in this fight. That makes this fight important by default, at least at this level of the game. Thomson is, in this sense, a very dangerous opponent. Moreover, because Melendez has everything to lose - and does so in a fight against an opponent he is expected to handily defeat - there is a real threat to the Strikeforce champion. Facing opposition you pretty clearly outclass can be a temptation to coast or under prepare. That risk is compounded when there's a physical title on the line.

Yet, there's nothing to gain from this fight for Melendez (although there's plenty for Thomson). If he wins, he earns a check and little more. It does nothing to advance his position in the rankings or earn him a fight against a more worthy adversary. Melendez risks a lot here, but he can only move backwards. There's no true upside to the bout.

All one can hope for Melendez is that he doesn't inventory his circumstances to the point where he no longer cares about the stakes. Then he really will lose everything.

Mike Kyle vs. Rafael Cavalcante

At stake: revenge. Kyle's win over Feijao is arguably his best and most unexpected. With the backing of UFC middleweight Anderson Silva and standout performances in the IFL and EliteXC, Feijao was expected to immediately make waves in the Strikeforce light heavyweight division. Yet, in his first fight - a bout with Kyle - he was stopped by strikes in the second round. This is an opportunity for Feijao to prove his freshman Strikeforce fight's outcome was a fluke and all of the promise that surrounded his career is still worth holding onto for fans and media alike.

This may be a bit of a strained metaphor, but Kyle might be looking for 'revenge', too. Since his win over Feijao, Kyle hasn't lost at light heavyweight. He's suffered a couple of setbacks at heavyweight, but that isn't his natural weight class. Yet, Kyle vs. Feijao tonight won't be named a title eliminator for the light heavyweight strap by Strikeforce brass, something that visibly angered the AKA product at yesterday's presser. For Kyle, beating Feijao twice could serve as a repudiation to the suggestion he doesn't belong in title contention talk and that their first meeting was no accident.

Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang

At stake: visibility. While I'm not certain this event will draw huge ratings, it's still nevertheless good exposure for two young, athletic and striking-inclined talents. There is reason to believe both Burrell and Spang have upside, so watching their progress tonight and in the future is a worthy exercise. As for tonight, Strikeforce's rosters are thin and a standout performance can presumably do quite a lot for young fighters. Besides, they are on the main card for a reason. Strikeforce believes both in their talent and ability to deliver action. That's opportunity knocking.

Weigh-in Video: Strikeforce ‘Barnett vs. Cormier’
Friday’s Strikeforce “Barnett vs. Cormier” weigh-in event can be viewed following the jump.

By <a href="mailto:howie@mmanews.com">Chris Howie</a> <Br> MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer<Br><Br> Urijah Faber now has an opponent for UFC 148's interim Bantamweight Title fight as it was announced on last night's episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live by UFC President Dana White that "The California Kid" will face Renan Barao.<Br><Br> Barao will replace the injured current Champion Dominick Cruz who tore his ACL in training and has no clear return date to competition. The bout would have been the third between Cruz and Faber with the two splitting the previous fights. <Br><br> Barao holds at 28-1-1 record and has not lost since his professional debut in the summer of 2005. He has won all three of his UFC fights, the latest a February victory over Scott Jorgensen.<Br><Br> Leave your feedback on this article by posting a comment directly below! You can also chat about the latest news in the MMANEWS.COM <a href=http://www.mmanews.com/forums >Forums</a> and/or the MMANEWS.COM <a href=http://www.facebook.com/mmanewsdotcom >Facebook</a>. If that wasn't enough, MMANEWS.COM is now on Twitter as well <a href=http://twitter.com/mmanewsdotcom >@mmanewsdotcom</a>.<Br><Br>

By <a href="mailto:howie@mmanews.com">Chris Howie</a> <Br> MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer<Br><Br> Bellator 69 took place this evening in Lake Charles, LA and featured the conclusion of this season's middleweight tournament as well as one semi final bout from the welterweight tournament.<Br><Br> We have complete quick match results below:<Br><Br> Main Card (Live on MTV 2, 8:00 PM ET)<Br><Br> Middlweight Final<Br> Maiquel Falcao def. Andreas Spang via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)<Br><Br> Welterweight Semifinal<Br> Karl Amoussou def. David Rickels via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)<Br><Br> Women's Feature Fight<Br> Jessica Aguilar def. Megumi Fujii via unanimous decision<Br><Br> Feature Bout<Br> Mark Holata def. Abe Wagner via submission (achilles lock) - Round 1, 2:24<Br><Br> Preliminary and Post-Tv Bouts (Live on Spike.com, 7:00 & 10:00 PM ET)<Br><Br> Josh Quayhagen def. Cliff Wright via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)<Br> Shanon Slack def. Booker Arthur via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)<Br> Andrey Koreshkov def. Derrick Krantz (strikes) - Round 3, 0:51<Br> Richard Hale def. Josh Burns via submission (punches) - Round 1, 0:38<Br><Br> Leave your feedback on this article by posting a comment directly below! You can also chat about the latest news in the MMANEWS.COM <a href=http://www.mmanews.com/forums >Forums</a> and/or the MMANEWS.COM <a href=http://www.facebook.com/mmanewsdotcom >Facebook</a>. If that wasn't enough, MMANEWS.COM is now on Twitter as well <a href=http://twitter.com/mmanewsdotcom >@mmanewsdotcom</a>.<Br><Br>

Lake Charles, La. (May 18, 2012) — The Bellator Season 6 Middleweight Tournament came to a close Friday night as Maiquel Falcao earned a unanimous decision victory over Andreas Spang and secured his shot at the Bellator Middleweight World Championship, while Karl Amoussou moved one-step closer to an opportunity at the Bellator Welterweight World Championship with a hard fought win against a game David Rickels. Also, Jessica Aguilar and Mark Holata picked up impressive wins at Bellator 69 from L’Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX.<Br><Br> “Two of the most highly anticipated tournament fights of the Season were scheduled on the same night from L’Auberge Casino Resort and they did not disappoint,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang definitely lived up to the billing; and Karl Amoussou vs. David Rickels was a back-and-forth battle that could’ve went either way. It was a great night for Jessica Aguilar as well, as she proved she is the best in the world beating the world’s greatest pound for pound female fighter Megumi Fujii.”<Br><Br> One of the most heated rivalries in all of MMA came to a close in the Bellator cage Friday night as noted striker Maiquel Falcao and knockout artist Andreas Spang fought for the Bellator Season 6 Middleweight Tournament Championship, $100,000 and the right to fight Alexander Shlemenko for the Bellator Middleweight World Title. The first round saw a flurry of punches by Spang (8-2) that had his Brazilian foe stunned. Falcao (31-4), visibly hurt from the blows, was able to clinch with Spang and recover. Later in the round, Falcao landed an illegal knee to the head of Spang while Spang was grounded. After Falcao suffered a one-point deduction, the fight continued. For the final two rounds, Falcao was able to utilize his extensive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to control Spang and avoid multiple guillotine attempts. When cage announcer Michael C. Williams read the judges’ scorecards, all three scored the fight 29-27 in favor of Maiquel Falcao. <Br><Br> “I brought the best team in the world,” said a satisfied Falcao. “I have the best grappling coach in the world. There’s no way I won’t improve my grappling game.” <Br><Br> Karl Amoussou and David Rickels had some strong words for each other at the Bellator 69 weigh-ins on Thursday that certainly added fuel to the fire of their Bellator Season 6 Welterweight Tournament Semifinal bout. The Lake Charles faithful were fully in support for the duration of the action-packed contest as both fighters exchanged powerful blows standing and on the ground. In the first round, Amoussou (15-4) was able to land crushing strikes and displayed his impressive Judo. Rickels (10-1) remained unfazed with his opponent’s fast start as he battled back in a closer second round – The third was all Rickels. “The Caveman” controlled the majority of the round with vicious ground-and-pound from the top position that resulted in a mouse under the left eye of “Psycho.” After three hard fought rounds, the fight went to a decision. Two of the three judges scored the fight 29-28 to give Karl Amoussou the split-decision win. <Br><Br> “I think the fight was really close,” said Amoussou. “[Rickels] really earned my respect tonight.”<Br><Br> The top two female fighters in the world squared off inside the Bellator cage Friday night as No. 2 ranked Jessica Aguilar met No. 1 ranked Megumi Fujii in front of an excited crowd at L’Auberge Casino Resort. Through three razor-thin rounds, Fujii (25-2) looked to finish with her relentless submission attack while Aguilar (14-4) worked her boxing and appeared content to counterstrike with her Japanese opponent. When the decision was announced, all three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Jessica Aguilar.<Br><Br> “This is a legend,” said Aguilar regarding Fujii. “It’s an honor for me to have competed against her and to have earned my victory against her.”<Br><Br> In the first fight of the evening, heavyweights Mark Holata and Abe Wagner looked to earn a spot in the Bellator Season 7 Heavyweight Tournament. Holata (12-3) immediately took Wagner (10-6) to the ground with a single-leg and went to work in his opponent’s guard. After landing multiple hammerfists, Holata dropped back and grabbed Wagner’s leg where he was able to secure a fight-ending leg lock as Wagner verbally submitted at 2:24 of the first round. <Br><Br> “I’m honored because this is the place to be,” said Holata “It’s where I want to compete. It’s the best of the best.” <Br><Br> For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator<Br><Br> Leave your feedback on this article by posting a comment directly below! You can also chat about the latest news in the MMANEWS.COM <a href=http://www.mmanews.com/forums >Forums</a> and/or the MMANEWS.COM <a href=http://www.facebook.com/mmanewsdotcom >Facebook</a>. If that wasn't enough, MMANEWS.COM is now on Twitter as well <a href=http://twitter.com/mmanewsdotcom >@mmanewsdotcom</a>.<Br><Br>