Njokuani Annihilates Guillard

With the new unified rules of MMA taking effect in most states, the commentators for Bellator MMA have been saying 10-8 rounds are more favored, and we should expect more of them.

That may have not been more clear than in the main event of Bellator 171, which took place at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas. The featured contest of the evening saw a 180-pound catchweight contest between Chidi Njokuani and Melvin Guillard.

The fight was, mostly, uneventful. Njokuani and Guillard both did a lot of measuring to start, forcing referee "Big" John McCarthy to demand action early on. Guillard scored a takedown, but Njokuani got back to his feet right away. Guillard dropped down and Njokuani landed strikes, but an illegal knee put a brief halt to a first round with very little action.

The fight went to the ground early on in the second round, with Njokuani taking top. Guillard fought his hardest to try to get back in the fight, but Njokuani would bring the fight back to where it was, and his ground and pound got harder as the fight went on. McCarthy stood both fighters up for the remaining 20 seconds of the second round. The third round was the same song and dance as the second, and Njokuani won massively across all three judges’ scorecards — 30-25, 30-24, 30-26.

Main card
Chidi Njokuani def. Melvin Guillard via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-24, 30-26)
David Rickels def. Aaron Derrow via technical knockout (Round 3, 0:44) 
A.J. McKee def. Brandon Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Jessica Middleton def. Alice Yauger via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-26)

Undercard
Jordan Young def. Chris Harris via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Justin Overton def. Gaston Reyno via submission (rear-naked choke) (Round 2, 0:34)
Jarod Trice def. Kevin Woltkamp via knockout (Round 2, 3:17)
Tyrell Fortune def. Will Johnson via technical knockout (Round 2, 4:27)
Bruna Ellen def. Carmella James via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)