San Jose, Calif. (May 14, 2016) — In the main event of Bellator MMA’s return home to San Jose, Phil Davis and King Mo showcased why their widely regarded as two of the top light heavyweights on the planet. In the end, it was Davis who emerged victorious, taking home a unanimous decision with scores of 29-28, 30-27, 30-27.
The first ten minutes of action were razor thin, with both men using their strengths to gain the upper hand. For Lawal, the American Top Team standout relied heavily upon his power punching, throwing overhand rights with frequency. Davis used his lower limbs, keeping Mo at distance with leg kicks and short jabs. The tides really began to shift in the final frame though, as Davis clipped his opponent with a shot that he parlayed into a single-leg takedown, nearly finishing the bout with a kimura.
After his hand was raised, Davis was joined inside the cage by current Bellator 205-pound kingpin Liam McGeary who will likely face Davis in “Mr. Wonderful’s” next action. The two traded words and passed the eye test when it comes to a future Bellator MMA main event matchup.
Welterweight Bloodbath Ends in TKO Victory for Saad Awad
In the co-main event of “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo,” Saad Awad (19-7) provided one of the most entertaining performances of the night with a first round TKO win over “Cyborg” Santos (21-17). The knockout came just 4:31 into the bout, when Awad unleashed a flurry of hammer fists that left forced referee Jason Herzog to call a stop to the action. “Assassin” fought off a brutal toe hold earlier in the round and countered with relentless blows to the sides of Santos’ head, eventually opening a large cut that spilled blood onto the canvas. With victories in four of his last five bouts and now a victory at 170-pounds to boot, the options for Awad’s future with the promotion remain endless.
San Diego-Labiano Give it All in Swing Bout on SPIKE
With two quick stoppages to start the card, Bellator aired a swing bout between Josh San Diego (7-1) and Jeremiah Labiano (9-5). A native of San Jose, “JSD” took full advantage of his opportunity on the big stage, and capped off the fight with a rapid flurry of attacks to end the final frame, earning himself a unanimous decision (29-28) victory over Labiano in front of a loud, hometown crowd. The win is “JSD’s” second with the promotion, both of which ended via unanimous decision.
Piccolotti Continues to Submit Opponents, Finishes Wood on Short Notice
In a highly emotional bout, Adam Piccolotti (8-0) thoroughly dominated Ray Wood (7-2) over the course of their lightweight bout, sealing the deal after 3:17 with a standing rear-naked choke submission. The win was Adam “Bomb’s” second first-round finish and the quickest of his budding career. With the victory, the Half Moon Bay, Calif. native remains undefeated and has solidified himself as one of the company’s brightest young prospects. Piccolotti was originally slated to fight Jordan Parsons before his death, which Bellator instated a memorial scholarship fund in his honor earlier on in the day.
Fialho Remains Unbeaten With Monstrous Hammer Fist Knockout
In the opening bout of the main card on SPIKE, Andre Fialho (7-0) finished Rick Reger (7-2) with a vicious hammer fist knockout 2:11 into the first frame. Fialho was the aggressor from the get-go, setting the tone early and often with heavy fists and quick combinations. The 22-year-old Portuguese star continues to climb the ranks in a stacked Bellator welterweight division, as he remains undefeated with six consecutive knockouts and back-to-back first round finishes since joining the Bellator fray. At the conclusion of the fight, Fialho took a moment to acknowledge the significance of his win, dedicating the victory to his friend who had recently passed away.
Preliminary Results:
James Chapman (1-0) defeated Sean Tucker (0-1) via TKO (punches) at 4:41 of round two
Anthony Taylor (1-1) defeated Victor Jones (0-2) via KO at 0:27 of round one
Danasabe Mohammed (4-0) defeated Martin Sano (4-2) via KO (punches) at 1:18 of round one
Josh Paiva (8-1) defeated Steven Gruber (5-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:14 of round two
Sam Spengler (9-5) defeated Doyle Childs (2-2) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Joshua Hardwick (1-0) defeated Jorge Acosta (1-2) via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:21 of round one
Jamielene Nievara (4-1) defeated Stephanie Frausto (5-6) via TKO at 2:43 of round three
Mark Dickman (11-2) defeated Thomas Diagne (5-6-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:05 of round three