Curran and Ronnie Mann engaged in a tactical battle that went the distance, with the Illinois native getting the decision. A capacity crowd was buzzing when the final two fighters entered the cage, as the electricity in the building grew throughout the night in anticipation of this featherweight semifinal. Both warriors relied on strategy and technical prowess, but it was Curran who earned the unanimous decision victory.
The other spot in the featherweight finals would be decided when Marlon Sandro took on submission specialist Nazareno Malegarie. Throughout the three rounds, both fighters stayed on their feet, which played into the hands of the powerful Sandro. Connecting on numerous strikes and various combinations, the Brazilian dominated on his way to a unanimous decision and a spot in the Bellator Featherweight Finals.
In a lightweight feature fight, “The SoCal Kid” Chris Saunders faced Ontario native and fan favorite Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki. Taking control early on, Horodecki, who was fighting with a heavy heart after the sudden death of his good friend Jake Sawicki earlier in the week, dictated the pace throughout the fight and thrilled the hometown crowd with a unanimous decision victory.
In a fight that saw the fans on their feet from start to finish, Neil “Goliath” Grove went back and forth and finally finished former TUF competitor Zak Jensen with a vicious ground and pound attack that brought the capacity crowd to its feet. While both fighters exchanged blows, the raw power of the “Goliath” was too much for Jensen to handle.
“With the energy in a sold out Casino Rama, tonight’s show spoke volumes about the state of mixed martial arts in Canada,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “My excitement is matched only by the upcoming Featherweight Finals on Aug. 20 at Mohegan Sun and live on MTV2.”
Bellator 47 Full Results
Main Bouts:
Pat Curran def. Ronnie Mann by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), R3
Marlon Sandro def. Nazareno Malegarie by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3
Chris Horodecki def. Chris Saunders by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3
Neil Grove def. Zak Jensen by TKO (Strikes) at 2:00, R1
Preliminary Bouts:
Alexandre Bezerra def. Jesse Gross by Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:28, R1
Will Romero def. Dan Langbeen by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), R3
Alex Ricci def. Alka Matewa by TKO (Strikes) at 2:40, R2
]]>
Bellator 47 is taking place at the Casino Rama, where the official weigh-ins and pre-fight press conference have just been conducted. Bellator 47 will be broadcast LIVE on Saturday, July 23rd at 9p.m. EST/8 p.m. CT on MTV and The Score.
The official results of tonight’s weigh-in are as follows:
MAIN CARD:
Featherweight Semifinal Fight: Pat Curran (146 lbs.) vs. Ronnie Mann (144.8 lbs.)
Featherweight Semifinal Fight: Marlon Sandro (145.6 lbs.) vs. Nazareno Malegaire (145.6 lbs.)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Neil Grove (264.4 lbs.) vs. Zak Jensen (263.4 lbs.)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Chris Horodecki (155.4 lbs.) vs. Chris Saunders (155.4 lbs.)
UNDERCARD:
Catchweight Local Feature Fight: Daniel Langbeen (149.6 lbs.) vs. Will Romero (149.6 lbs.)
Catchweight Local Feature Fight: Alexandre Bezerra (152 lbs.) vs. Jesse Gross (151.4 lbs.)
Lightweight Local Feature Fight: Alka Matewa (159.2 lbs.) vs. Alex Ricci (155.8 lbs.)
Welterweight Local Feature Fight: Daron Cruickshank (lbs.) vs. Sergej Juskevic (lbs.) will be weighed in later this evening.
]]>