All photos by: Bellator MMA/Eric Coleman

TEMECULA, Calif. (May 15, 2015) – While Brandon “Bull” Halsey (9-0) can no longer say he’s Bellator MMA’s Middleweight World Champion, he’s still managed to show his talent with a one-sided destruction of proven veteran Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (21-15).

The contest served as the feature main event of Friday’s “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” card at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.

Halsey nearly finished the fight in the early going, moving to an arm-triangle choke that would have finished a lesser opponent, but Grove somehow battled through the effort. Still, it was a one-sided round for the former champ.

Grove was able to avoid such a precarious position in the second, but he was still forced to be on the defensive throughout most of the frame. With a high-paced wrestling attack, Halsey simply pushed his way to the floor and enjoyed top position for almost the entirety of the round.

The pattern continued as the fight wore on, with Halsey simply overpowering his opponent and constantly earning himself the dominant position. Grove briefly threatened with an armbar in the fourth frame, but Halsey simply yanked his limb free and pounded away with punches shortly after until he earned the TKO win at the 2:25 mark of the frame.

The undefeated Halsey, who was stripped of the Bellator MMA Middleweight World Title for failing to make weight, will look to again earn the belt in his next appearance.

“I was my own worst enemy. It was how I performed. He didn’t throw anything at me that I wasn’t ready for. I was just trying to tough through the injury. I had to tough it out and come out with the victory,” Halsey said.

“Obviously, you want to be as dominant as possible. I just felt like I couldn’t explode through my combinations or explode through the fight and finish how I wanted to. But like I said, you’ve got to deal with adversity, and I did it the best I could,” Halsey continued.

“I learned my lesson. I thank Bellator. I apologize to the commission. It’s unprofessional not to make weight. No excuses, but anybody knows that it’s hard to cut weight with an injury. The belt’s just a decoration, so I’m still the champ in my eyes. No one has taken the belt from me.”

In the night’s co-main event, former Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4), of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, took a step toward another shot at the title with a hard-fought decision victory over the hard-hitting Mike “The Marine” Richman, of Rose Mount, Minn.

While Richman showed excellent takedown defense throughout the 15-minute affair, Dantas’ work rate helped him earn the favor of the judges. Constantly pressing and looking to bring the fight to the floor, Dantas was able to just edge out Richman on the cards, 29-28 according to all three officials.

“I went out there and fought the way I trained to fight,” Dantas said after the win. “I knew Mike Richman was going to come with everything, but I wanted to win this fight and get back to the title. The only fight that makes sense next is for the title.

In a welterweight contest, Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (24-13), of Menifee, Calif., scored a thrilling, come-from-behind victory over “Curtious” Curtis Millender (7-2), of San Bernardino, Calif.

With Millender enjoying a six-inch height advantage, the smaller Gonzalez struggled to score points in the first two rounds. But when the fight hit the floor in the third, Gonzalez latched onto a guillotine choke and earned a tap from his opponent at the 1:14 of the final round.

“I’m 4-0 right now,” Gonzalez said after the win. “That’s one step closer to the title, and I’m excited to get in there and mix it up with whoever is next.”

With the result, Gonzalez now boasts four-straight Bellator MMA victories and put himself in line for a potential shot at the promotion’s Welterweight Title.

In the night’s first main-card matchup, undefeated prospect Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (7-0), of Rahway, N.J., used a superior wrestling game to outwork more experienced opponent Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-5), of Lajes, Brazil, en route a unanimous-decision victory.

With Caldwell scoring takedowns throughout the matchup, Silva looked for submissions when available, but he simply couldn’t find the necessary hold to work past his opponent’s defense. Instead, Caldwell kept his pressure high, and judges awarded him the fight, 29-28 on all three cards.

After the victory, Caldwell made it clear he’s clearing his way to a shot at the Bellator MMA World Title.

“I don’t think there are any fighters out there as explosive as me at 135 pounds, or as fast,” Caldwell said. “Eventually, I’ll be able to prove that.”

In the night’s final preliminary bout, Guam’s Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1) scored a third-round knockout of Mexico’s Antonio Duarte (18-6).

Additionally, featherweight prospect Jordan Parsons (11-1), of San Diego, Calif., earned a third-round decision win over the previously undefeated Brazilian Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-1).

In a light heavyweight contest, Virgil Zwicker (14-4-1), of Temecula, Calif., earned a first-round knockout win over Razak Al-Hassan (12-5), of Milwaukee, Wisc.

And in the night’s first fight, Ricky “The Sniper” Rainey (11-3), of Gastonia, N.C., earned a second-round knockout win over Jessie Juarez (22-10), of Torrance, Calif.

Brandon Halsey (9-0) def. Kendall Grove (21-15)

Eduardo Dantas (17-4) def. Mike Richman (18-6 )

Fernando Gonzalez (24-14) def. Curtis Millender (7-2)

Darrion Caldwell (7-0) def. Rafael Silva (22-5)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:

Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

TEMECULA, Calif. (May 14, 2015) – All twenty-six athletes competing at tomorrow’s “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” event were happy to rehydrate after stepping on the scales at today’s official weigh-in, which took place at the Cabaret Theatre inside the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif.

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT, features a main event between Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) and well-respected veteran Kendall “Da Spyda” Grove (21-14). The incumbent champion failed to hit the required mark of 185-pounds. As a result, Grove is the only fighter who can leave the event as the champion, if Halsey does manage to win, he will be forced to vacate the belt.

In the co-main event, a bantamweight battle will go on as planned between former 135-pound champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas(16-4) and a streaking Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), despite Richman missing weight.

In a critical welterweight battle between two hometown fighters, Cinderella Man Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (23-13) looks to continue his hot streak against a young Curtis “Curtious” Millender (7-1).

In the opening televised bout of the evening, one of MMA’s most promising prospects Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (6-0), looks to keep his record unblemished against a tough Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-4), who has only suffered one defeat in his last 15 bouts

CLICK HERE FOR ALL WEIGH-IN PHOTOS

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (188.1 lbs.) vs. Kendall Grove (184.9 lbs.)

Bellator Bantamweight Fight: Eduardo Dantas (135.2 lbs.) vs. Mike Richman (139.8 lbs.)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (170.9 lbs.) vs. Curtis Millender (170.8 lbs.)

Bellator Bantamweight Fight: Darrion Caldwell (135.7 lbs.) vs. Rafael Silva (135.7 lbs.)

Preliminary Card (7:45 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Fight: Benji Radach (186 lbs.) vs. Ben Reiter (186 lbs.)

Bellator Bantamweight Fight: Joe Taimanglo (136.2 lbs.) vs. Antonio Duarte (135.1 lbs.)

Bellator Featherweight Fight: Jordan Parsons (145.5 lbs.) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (146 lbs.)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Fight: Virgil Zwicker (206.7 lbs.) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (205.6 lbs.)

Bellator Welterweight Fight: Jesse Juarez (171 lbs.) vs. Ricky Rainey (170.7 lbs.)

Bellator Featherweight Fight: A.J. Jenkins (146 lbs.) vs. Arlene Blencowe (145.8 lbs.)

Bellator Lightweight Fight: Steve Kozola (155.8 lbs.) vs. Ian Butler (155.2 lbs.)

Bellator Bantamweight Fight: Shawn Bunch (135.4 lbs.) vs. Rolando Perez (135.3 lbs.)

Bellator Bantamweight Fight: John Yoo (135.4 lbs.) vs. Albert Morales (134.4 lbs.)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.