Bellator MMA 141 Live coverage and results: Melvin Guillard vs Brandon Girtz

By F4W Staff
Published: 28 Aug 2015, 23:52

Live coverage of Bellator 141 kicks off at 9 pm eastern/8 Central with 4 fights. Melvin Guillard makes his promotional debut. Two lightweight mainstays in Bellator square off as Patricky Pitbull goes against Saad Awad and two fights featuring journeymen Heavyweights kick off the festivities. Join us her for bell to bell coverage of all 4 fights (and maybe some prelims if there’s time).

Late change – Marloes Coenen vs Arlene Blencowe replaces one of the Heavyweight fights on the main card. Good move as Coenen is probably the second most recognizable name on the entire card, having twice fought Chris Cyborg and being a former holder of the title that Ronda Rousey currently holds.

The substitution was made due to an injury to Lorenzo Hood, so his fight with Raphael Butler is off

Women’s Featherweights Marloes Coenen (22-6) vs Arlene Blencowe (6-4)

Coenen gets a takedown 30 seconds in and right into side control. Coenen transitions to the back and working for a choke. Coenen landing hard punches to the head from behind. Coenen lies on her back, while still in control of Blencowe’s at 3:15. Blencowe tries to escape but Coenen still in control. Coenen has to give up the body triangle though. Coenen just holds Blencowe down for the rest of the round for an easy 10-9. Almost a 10-8 really cause Blencowe did almost nothing.

Both ladies punching to start Round 2. Blencowe maybe getting the better of it. Coenen takes her back standing and brings her down at 1:00. Blencowe escapes and too her feet at 1:30 and forces Coenen to stand as well. Coenen tries for a trip takedown but Blencowe ends up on top. Blencowe to her feet at 2:15 and Coenen has to follow again. Blencowe landing a lot of punches on the feet but Coenen takes her down at 2:45 and right into side control. Coenen with an armbar at 3:15. Blencowe turns to escape and on top but Coenen gets the arm again and the quick tap.

WINNER: MARLOES COENEN (23-6) by submission (armbar)

A nice preview piece of Justin Wren, who fought on TUF 10, including a KO of Wes Sims. He took 5 years off to do humanitarian work in the Congo. He looks like a gigantic version of Daniel Bryan and sounds a bit like him as well.

Heavyweights Justin Wren (10-3) vs Josh Burns (8-8)

You may remember Burns as one of Lashley’s sacrificial Bellator lambs. He’s 0-5 in Bellator, being finished every time so this is clearly a showcase fight for Wren. Jason Herzog gets the reffing duties for this Heavyweight BATTLE.

They’re both just throwing bombs to start. Wren clinches up and lands a couple knees to the body. Wren landing punches as well as he’s got Burns backed up to the cage. Ref breaks up the clinch at 2:00. Burns bleeding a bit from under his right eye. Hard punch exchange at 3:00 and then Wren backs Burns up to the cage again, landing knees to the body and head. Wren also landing punches to the body. Burns pushes him away from the cage but Wren lands a nice punch/knee combo. Wren rocks Burns with a punch at 4:30. 10-9 Wren

Wren backs up Burns to the cage early but Burns takes control. Wren tries for a takedown but Burns fights him off and they’re in the centre again. Strikes were 21-20 in the first round for Wren. Hard punch exchange at 2:00 and Wren bleeding from the nose. Burns starting to control the pace. Wren rocks Burns with a couple of knees and backs him up into the cage. Wren landing a ton of knees to the body and the head and following up with punches. Burns punches out of it. Burns is all bloodied up on his face. Wren with a nice punch combo at 4:00 and backs him up to the cage again. More hard knees from Wren. Separation with 15 seconds left. 10-9 Wren

Doctor took a long look at the damage on Burns’ face but let him continue. Kicks landed were 16-1 for Wren in Round 2. Burns pushing the pace to start the round though. Clinch on the cage at 1:30 with Burns in control. Nothing happening. Ref separates them quickly. Wren with a nice punch/kick combo at 2:15. Wren clinches up again at 2:15 and lands some knees to the head. Burns gets control and lands a series of punches to the head. Wren with some elbows from the clinch and Burns gets separation. Wren with a series of punches and kicks standing. Wren just teeing off at 4:15 but Burns staying on his feet. Wren just picking him off. Burns with a nice punch combo just before the right ends. They embrace at the end. 10-9 Wren

WINNER: JUSTIN WREN (11-3) by unanimous decision (30-27; 30-26 x 2)

Wren cut a great promo to his friends in the Congo, in another language. Great story, really likeable guy. And it’s promo time for the Dynamite show on September 19th. Jimmy Smith and Scott Coker do their very best Dana and Rogan impressions, announcing the brackets for the 205 lb tourney. King Mo vs Linton Vassell and Emanuel Newton vs Phil Davis (fight guaranteed to put me to sleep) with the winners facing off the same night for a title shot.

They made mention of the fan fest that was promoted on the site today. Smith is fine but Coker is terrible in these things. They also announced another “tentpole event”, using that phrase. Pitbull-Strauss 3, Will Brooks defending the lightweight title against…..(Coker forgot his name, but Smith helped him out by saying) Marcin Held. Also Michael Chandler and Bobby Lashley in featured fights.
Lightweights Patricky Pitbull (13-6) vs Saad Awad (18-6)

Ox Baker/Mike Beltran is your referee. They do the main event ref instructions for this one for some reason. Very tentative to start even though the pre-fight video package showed a lot of hatred between the two of them. Grande mentions that the lightweight division is getting deep with the additions of Melvin Guillard, Josh Thomson and JOSH KOSCHECK. He said it. Pitbull with the slight advantage on the feet but almost nothing happening through 2:45. Pitbull with a flash takedown at 3:30 but Awad right back up. They trade leg kicks at 4:30 and then Pitbull hit a flying knee in the most action of the fight so far. 10-9 Pitbull

A little more action to start Round 2. Pitbull the aggressor. Nice punch exchange at 1:30. Pitbull with a takedown at 1:45. Not much happening on the ground. Pitbull with some light punches to the body and then stands up at 3:00. Awad follows. Awad bleeding around his right eye. Nice punch combo from Awad at 4:00. Pitbull answers back with a punch combo of his own. Pitbull continuing to advance. Very close round. 10-9 Pitbull

Round 3 started off really slow again with neither guy taking control or landing much. Pitbull with the first bit of offence around 1:45 in, but Awad works him back to the center of the cage. Nice punch exchange at 2:15. Pitbull seems to be doing more damage. Awad bleeding from the nose at 3:15. Pitbull starting to press the action at 4:00. Ptibull with a nice punch combo with 15 seconds left and Awad gets a late takedown. Another close round. 10-9 Pitbull

WINNER – PATRICKY PITBULL (14-6) by unanimous decision on scores of 30-27 x 3

Main Event – Melvin Guillard (33-14-2) vs Brandon Girtz (12-4)

Big John is out for the first time as ref after judging a couple of the undercard fights. Girtz rocks Guillard with a punch combo and then takes his back standing early. Girtz with a power takedown 45 seconds in. Girtz into side control and landing knees to the body. Guillard cut and bleeding around his left eye. Hard knees to the body by Girtz at 3:00. Girtz doing just enough to avoid a standup. 10-8 Girtz. Not like he was close to finishing but Guillard did absolutely nothing

Guillard landed just 2 strikes in that round to 37 for Girtz. Guillard controlling the cage to start round 2 though. Girtz with a nice punch combo early. Guillard answers back with some punches of his own, his biggest offence of the fight so far. Girtz with a power takedown at 1:30 but Guillard right up. Girtz takes him down again and trying for an armbar. Guillard escapes and to his feet, landing a nice punch combo on the way up. Guillard continuing to advance but eating punches from Girtz anyway. Nice punch combo from Guillard at 3:15. Guillard rocks Girtz with a hard right at 4:15 but Girtz gets a takedown right after. Guillard quickly to his feet. This round is still close. Guillard with a nice punch/kick combo. Nice punch exchange right before the bell. 10-9 Guillard but could’ve gone either way.

Girtz with an early takedown. Ground strikes are 33-2 for Girtz through 2 rounds. Girtz working for a head and arm choke. Gives that up and looking for a Kimura but Guillard fights that off with a couple of elbows from the bottom. Guillard landing a lot of hard elbows to the head from the bottom. Ref stands them up at 3:30. Guillard advancing on the standup and stalking him. Guillard lands a flying knee and follows up with hard knees and punches to the head. Girtz is in big trouble. Guillard with another knee/punch combo at 4:15. Girtz with a takedown at 4:30. This is going to be interesting. Guillard landing elbows from the bottom and Girtz just trying to hold him. 10-9 Guillard and I’ve got it as a 28-28 draw.

WINNER – BRANDON GIRTZ (13-4) by split decision on scores of 29-27, 28-29 and 29-27