Bellator Fighting Championships 30
April 2, 2011
Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Bellator Lightweight Championship
Lightweight (155 lbs)
Eddie Alvarez (22 – 2 – 0) won a unanimous decision over Pat Curran (13 – 4 – 0). Alvarez stays ranked at [#5] with this victory. Alvarez is on a 7 fight win streak, and is regarded as one of the top lightweights in the world. Pat Curran drops 7 spots from [#38] to [#45]. Although he lost, Curran proved a lot by going the distance with Alvarez. Curran, who is 4 – 1 in is last 5, hinted at a possible move down to 145 lbs after this loss.
Bellator Welterweight Tournament Semifinal
Welterweight (170 lbs)
Rick Hawn (11 – 0 – 0) defeated Lyman Good (11 – 2 – 0) by a razor thin split decision. Hawn jumps 13 spots forward from [#60] to [#47]. He will face the winner of Jay Hieron vs. Brent Weedman in the finals of the season 4 welterweight tournament. Lyman Good drops 3 spots from [#54] to [#57]. Good, who has now lost 2 of his last 3, is still a top welterweight prospect inside the Bellator cage.
Bellator Lightweight Tournament Semifinal
Light Heavyweight (155 lbs)
Patricky Freire (9 – 1 – 0) blasted Toby Imada (29 – 16 – 0) and won by TKO due to a huge flying knee and punches at 2:53 into round 1. Freire, who bounds 80 spots forward from [#132] to [#52], has to be the odds on favorite to win the lightweight tournament now. Freire is on a 5 fight win streak, stopping 4 of his last 5 opponents. Toby Imada falls 31 spots from [#42] to [#73]. Imada, who hasn’t suffered a TKO loss since 2006, will have to go back to the drawing board and come back strong. He has been in this position before, and has proven capable to return from demoralizing defeats.
Other Bouts
Welterweight (170 lbs)
Ben Saunders (10 – 3 – 2) stopped Matt Lee (13 – 10 – 1) by TKO via doctors stoppage at 1:24 into the 3rd round. Saunders moves up 5 spots from [#68] to [#63]. Saunders thoroughly dominated Lee in this fight, but Lee showed tremendous heart and determination by lasting as long as he did. Saunders is riding back to back stoppage wins. Matt Lee cascades 40 spots down, from [#315] to [#355]. Lee has lost 3 of his last 4, 2 by stoppage.
Other Bouts
Welterweight (170 lbs)
Ryan Quinn (5 – 2 – 0) defeated Mike Winters (4 – 1 – 0) by unanimous decision. Quinn moves up 116 spots from [#347] to [#231]. Quinn has won 3 of his last 4. Mike Winters, who suffered his first defeat, remains unranked.
Lightweight (155 lbs)
Dave Jansen (15 – 2 – 0) submitted Scott McAfee (10 – 3 – 0) with a brabo choke at 4:58 of the 1st round. Jansen jumps up 41 spots from [#149] to [#108]. Jansen breaks a 2 fight losing streak attained in WEC. Scott McAfee, who was on a 2 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops 5 spots in the rankings from [#312] to [#317].
Lightweight (155 lbs)
Rene Nazare (7– 0 – 0), who was originally scheduled to face Matt Veach, defeated Luiz Azaredo (2 – 1 – 0) by TKO due to arm injury at 5:00 of round 1. Nazare, who was previously unranked, moves into the lightweight “Top 500.” Nazare has stopped 5 of his 7 opponents. Luiz Azaredo, who has gone 3 – 2 since returning to active competition in September 2010, drops 85 spots from [#112] to [#197].
Middleweight (185 lbs)
Dan Cramer (6 – 2 – 0) defeated Greg Rebello (10 – 3 – 0) by unanimous decision. Cramer jumps up 55 spots from [#196] to [#141]. Cramer has won 5 of his last 6, and we may see him in the next middleweight tournament. Greg Rebello, who was on an 11 fight win streak prior to this loss, enters the middleweight “Top 350” at [#339].
Bantamweight (135 lbs)
John McLaughlin (4 – 0 – 0) defeated Blair Tugman (5 – 4 – 0) by unanimous decision. McLaughlin enters the bantamweight “Top 150.” Blair Tugman, who has lost 3 of his last 5, remains unranked.