Bellator 207 Live Results
Bellator 207 marks the first of two events held on back-to-back nights across the northeast, and at the end of it all, two heavyweights will emerge as the Heavyweight Grand Prix finalists.
It all begins tonight with Bellator 207, which takes place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. In the main event, Matt Mitrione and Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader collide in the first Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix semifinal.
After a short football playing career that featured stints with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, Mitrione entered MMA with the tenth season of the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter. He went 9-5 in the UFC — with victories over the likes of Kimbo Slice, Derrick Lewis and Gabriel Gonzaga — before joining Bellator as a free agent in March 2016.
Mitrione is 4-0 in Bellator, picking up a huge first-round knockout over fellow Grand Prix semifinalist Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator NYC in June 2017. Mitrione won his quarterfinal fight by majority decision, defeating Roy Nelson in the main event of Bellator 194 back in February.
Bader’s career also had The Ultimate Fighter playing a role, as he became the light heavyweight winner of season eight. Bader went 15-5 in the UFC, scoring victories over the likes of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Ovince Saint Preux, Phil Davis, Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio “Little Nog” Nogueira. He signed with Bellator as a free agent in early 2017, and in his first bout with the promotion, he defeated Davis to become Bellator light heavyweight champion.
Bader made a successful defense against Linton Vassell before entering the Heavyweight Grand Prix. In his quarterfinal bout, he knocked out Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal in just 15 seconds. By winning the tournament, Bader would become the first Bellator fighter to simultaneously hold titles in two different divisions, and the first Bellator fighter since Joe Warren to win titles in two different weight classes — both feats Rory MacDonald recently failed to accomplish against Gegard Mousasi.
The winner of tonight’s Mitrione-Bader bout will meet the winner of tomorrow night’s Chael Sonnen vs. Fedor Emelianenko semifinal in January to determine the new Bellator heavyweight champion.
Bellator 207 Live Results:
Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinal: (Bellator LHW champ) Ryan Bader def. Matt Mitrione via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-24, 30-25)
Heavyweight: Sergei Kharitonov def. Roy Nelson via KO (Rd. 1, 4:59)
Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix Alternate Fight: Lorenz Larkin def. Ion Pascu via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lightweight: Corey Browning def. “Baby Slice” Kevin Ferguson Jr. via TKO (Rd. 2, 2:08)
Lightweight: Mandel Nallo def. Carrington Banks via KO (Rd. 2, 0:57)