Bellator returned to London on Saturday night, and locals went perfect up until the main event at the OVO Wembley.
With a middleweight title bout between Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards cancelled just days before the show, Leah McCourt vs. Sara Collins was elevated to the main event slot. The winner potentially will earn a shot against Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, who faces PFL queen Larissa Pacheco in a superfight next month in Saudi Arabia, and Collins made the most of the opportunity.
Collins nearly knocked McCourt out cold with a brutal right hand early in the first round, but McCourt somehow survived the shock. Collins kept the attack and transitioned to the back, immediately going for the rear-naked choke. McCourt tried to fight the hands, but was forced to tap at the 2:25 mark.
“Cyborg, I’m coming,” Collins said after the win, with a smile on her face.
The co-main event saw England’s own Simeon Powell digging deep to emerge victorious against Brazilian-German light heavyweight Rafael Xavier. Xavier came out strong early and rocked Powell twice in the opening round, landing a front kick flush to the chin and a left hand in the final seconds of the round, but Powell survived the scare. The two engaged in a close striking battle with hand blows landed in the following rounds, with Powell emerging victorious via split decision.
Powell’s teammate Luke Trainer kept his streak alive in the Bellator cage with a quick finish over Laurynas Urbonavicius, dropping the promotional newcomer with a left hand and pounding him on the ground before taking the back and securing the rear-naked choke to force the tap in just over the four minutes-mark, improving to 6-1 under the company’s banner.
Trainer called out Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson in his post-fight interview.
“Mr. Corey Anderson, keep my belt warm because next year I’m coming for you,” Trainer said after the win. “If you guys make me go through Karl Moore first, I’ve got him, and then Mr. Anderson. My belt, let’s go.”
Lightweight veteran Marc Diakiese opened the main card for his Bellator debut, 10 months after walking away from the UFC with a win over Kaue Fernandes, and dominated Tim Wilde throughout 10 minutes with superior striking and well-timed takedowns. Diakiese slowed down in the third, but did enough in the first two rounds to win a decision and celebrate his first victory in the circular cage in London.
Mike Shipman delivered the highlight of the preliminary card with a huge knee to the face of promotional newcomer Eslam Abdul Baset, scoring his third straight victory under the Bellator banner with a second-round stoppage. Moments earlier, Joseph Luciano forced Steven Hill to tap to a tight anaconda choke in the second stanza.
Check the finishes below, and click here for complete Bellator London results.
