Tim Wilde could’ve had a one-punch, walkoff knockout had referee Rob Madrigal not needed to see one more blow to a finished Mike Hamel.
On Friday at Bellator 301 in Chicago, Wilde (17-4-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) finished Hamel (11-6 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) with punches at 2:47 of Round 3 during their lightweight bout at Wintrust Arena.
Wilde stunned Hamel with a head kick in the sequence prior to the finish. As Hamel tried to regain his bearings, Wilde crushed him with a straight right. With Hamel visibly out of it, down on all fours and facing the wrong way, Madrigal took a closer look, but it wasn’t enough. Wilde, who celebrated with his hands up, reentered fight mode and put an exclamation point on the finish with a big left hand that forced Madrigal to step in.
A ???????????????????? finish!
The unbeaten streak continues for Birmingham's @TimWildeMMA.
#Bellator301 @MonsterEnergy Prelims
LIVE NOW: https://t.co/NxwCKFPRok pic.twitter.com/TJjOqeW0HR— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 17, 2023
With the victory, Wilde extended his unbeaten streak to six. In defeat, Hamel has a four-fight winning streak snapped.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 301 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.