Bellator 231: Mir Beats Nelson Once Again
It was a turning back of the clock for Bellator, as two older MMA fighters fought one another for the first time since 2011. Just like their last encounter, the result was the same.
At Bellator 231 inside the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville CT, Frank Mir defeated Roy Nelson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Unlike their last encounter, Mir (19-3) defeated a leaner Nelson (23-18), who has now lost four straight fights in Uncasville.
Both fighters were hesitant to start right out of the gate, but when business picked up, it made for one competitive bout. Nelson ended up playing the aggressor early on, hitting Mir with multiple hard shots to the gut. Mir responded with kicks to Nelson’s leg, continuing to do so throughout the bout. Those kicks would end up affecting Nelson’s ability to utilize his power, as he buckled down to the floor several times.
There were times when both would hit back and forth shots against one another, but they were clearly getting tired. They were able to get a break when Mir kicked Nelson below the belt, but that didn’t stop “Big Country” from continuing on. In fact, Nelson took Mir down with a slam with ten seconds left in the fight, but it wasn’t enough to award him the victory.
💪💥 @RoyNelsonMMA closes out round three with a spectacular slam. Who do you think won tonight at #Bellator231? pic.twitter.com/1BcmnaazSr
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 26, 2019
Mir has now ended his four-fight losing streak he has had since 2015.
In the co-main event, Phil Davis dominated Karl Alberektsson via TKO in the third round. High kicks, punches and a strong wrestling ability were some of the ways Davis (21-5) was able to break Karl (9-3). “Mr. Wonderful” is now on a two-fight win streak. After the fight, Davis was requesting for a Light Heavyweight Grand Prix.
Opening up the main card was Jake Hager v. Anthony Garrett. In his third pro fight, Hager (2-0, 1NC) hit Garrett twice below the belt, the last shot resulting in his opponent not being able to continue on. The fight was ruled a no-contest.
Bellator 231 Main Card Results (Paramount Network, 10 p.m. ET):
Frank Mir def. Roy Nelson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Phil Davis def. Karl Alberektsson via TKO (3:06 into round three)
Ed Ruth def. Jason Jackson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Ilara Joanne def. Bec Rawlings via submission, kneebar (3:35 into round two)
Jake Hager v. Anthony Garrett ended in a no-contest via an unintentional low blow (1:56 into round one)
Bellator 231 Prelims (Bellator App, 6 p.m. ET)
Phumi Nkuta def. Adrian Haley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Connor Dixon def. Orkhan Ismatzade via submission (0:42 round one)
Killys Mota def. Mandel Nallo via TKO (1:16 into round three)
Jessica Miele def. Talita Nogueira via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Steve Mowry def. Gokham Saricam via submission (0:56 into round two)
Tim Caron def. Lucas Borges via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Dalton Rosta def. Claude Wilcox via TKO (4:23 into round two)
Jon Manley def. Thiago Oliveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Elise Reed def. Rebecca Bryggman via TKO (4:44 into round one)