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Bellator 92 Results: Live Play-by-Play & Updates

Bellator 92 Fight Card


Sherdog.com will report from Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif., at approximately 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with play-by-play and live results of Bellator 92, which is headlined by four Season 8 tournament bouts.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Have a question for Sherdog.com's medical expert? Tweet The Fight Doctor via @FightMedicine.

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Brandon Halsey vs. Rocky Ramirez

Round 1
The light heavyweights clinch and separate early. Halsey gets in on a takedown and puts Ramirez on the ground about 40 seconds into the opening round. Side control for Halsey, who leans from Ramirez’s left to right and drives a knee to the body. Short elbows on top give way to bigger elbow strikes and punches as Halsey works his way to full mount. Referee Michael Bell is hovering nearby as Ramirez gives up his back and Halsey goes for a rear-naked choke. Ramirez slips free but Halsey stays all over him and now works from top position, straddling Ramirez who has stalled out on his left side. Halsey is dropping some solid ground-and-pound, and Ramirez is sporting a serious welt on the left side of his forehead when he returns to his corner at the end of the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Halsey
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Halsey
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-8 Halsey

Round 2
Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Halsey stopped Ramirez in round three.
Halsey ducks a wide punch, gets a single-leg and drives Ramirez back down to the ground. Ramirez shrimps up underneath as Halsey drops elbows and forearms from deep half-guard. More elbows now as Halsey scoots Ramirez around the cage, and they’re falling on the side of Ramirez’s face that’s already sporting damage. Ramirez gets busy after about two minutes and tries to throw punches from his back, so Halsey tries to pin down the right hand and throw to the body on the other side. Ramirez tries to isolate Halsey’s arm, maybe angling for a submission. The ground-and-pound of Halsey slows in the latter half of the round but he keeps top position to the bell.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Halsey
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Halsey
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Halsey

Round 3
Ramirez tries to turn the tables, shooting in on a single-leg, but Halsey easily sprawls on it. Halsey drops a few punches from the sprawl before turning the corner to take Ramirez’s back. Ramirez puts his back on the ground, but it proves a poor decision: Halsey has an arm-triangle choke framed up instantly and steps off the right side to squeeze it. The referee checks Ramirez’s arm and it’s limp, giving Brandon Halsey the technical submission win at 50 seconds of round three.

Shad Smith vs. Aaron Miller

Round 1
Miller takes the outside and lands first with a few outside leg kicks. More leg kicks, getting harder now, as Miller continues to bounce around outside the range of Smith, who tries to find Miller’s chin with long punches. Smith is lunging and missing with wide shots, but he lands a left hook about midway through the round and Miller gets a little more space from his opponent. Miller hits a takedown with two minutes left in the round and extracts his head from a loose guillotine. Kimura attempt from Miller has Smith scrambling, and Miller is forced to adjust his grip as he straddles Smith’s head. Smith is doing well to defend, grabbing his left bicep and fending off the submission. Miller switches to an armbar with 20 seconds left, can’t get it extended before the bell.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Miller
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Miller
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Miller

Round 2
Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Miller dominated Smith for 15 minutes.
Miller gets another quick takedown and briefly works from Smith’s half-guard before being put back in full guard. Miller stands and comes back down, catching Smith turning over and taking the veteran’s back. Riding high on Smith’s back, Miller works to keep his hooks and then switches to a body triangle. A couple punches from Miller have Smith back on his knees, then flattened out underneath the “Blood Spiller.” More left hands from Miller, now elbows as Smith tries to guard the left side of his head. Miller keeps the shots coming while referee Herb Dean looks on. Smith seems to complain about Miller’s elbow strikes but the ref says they’re clean.

Smith is nearly out the back door, posturing up and trying to shake Miller off his back. Miller hooks Smith’s right leg and tries to crank a kneebar from back mount. Smith rides out the last 15 seconds and survives to see round three.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Miller
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Miller
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Miller

Round 3
Smith comes straight at Miller with punches, but Miller gets underneath them and soon puts Smith on his back again. Not much action on the ground as Miller works to extract himself from Smith’s half guard, while Smith just hangs on underneath. Smith tries a guillotine midway through the round but it doesn’t come close. Miller postures up and throws a double-handed chop, then gets a bit more serious with punches from on top. Smith shoves him off and tries to escape, instead giving up his back, which Miller takes with no delay. Both hooks in for Miller now, and he’s made good on his nickname, as Smith is spurting blood onto the canvas while he tries to shake Miller off his back. Miller goes from a rear-naked choke attempt to an armbar, rolling through with 10 seconds left in the round. He runs out of time, but gives Smith a couple more punches to remember him by.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Miller (30-27 Miller)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Miller (30-27 Miller)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Miller (30-27 Miller)

Official result: All three judges -- Mike Beltran, Jackie Denkin and Lester Griffin -- score the bout 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Aaron Miller.

Josh Appelt vs. Manny Lara

Round 1
Lara rushes at Appelt and pushes him against the fence with a double-leg takedown attempt. Appelt keeps a wide base and stays standing against the cage; he manages a few powerful right hands before Lara lifts him up and drives him to the ground. Appelt is right back to his feet, pushes Lara off with underhooks and lands a solid hook as he does. Lara charges again, but Appelt reverses the momentum this time and tosses Lara to the floor. Hard right hands from Appelt, who works from side control as Lara covers up. Appelt stands to throw a knee to the body. It lands, but it allows Lara to scramble up and pursue another double-leg on the fence. Appelt is in the reverse position as before now, dropping left hands on the kneeling Lara. Referee John McCarthy warns Appelt to mind the back of Lara’s head, so Appelt cleans up the strikes and keeps pounding away on Lara, who’s not offering anything in return. One minute left and McCarthy tells Lara to get busy. He gets to his feet and withstands a barrage of punches from Appelt, then backs Appelt off with a body shot of his own. Appelt is on the retreat now and Lara blitzes him, catching Appelt on a shot and forcing him to the ground. More punches from Lara have Appelt in trouble, and Lara lands a cracking knee while Appelt is trying to stand up. It’s illegal, and ref McCarthy recognizes it immediately. He calls the doctor in to examine Appelt and deducts one point from Lara.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Appelt
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Appelt
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-8 Appelt

Round 2
Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Appelt took it to Lara for the duration.
Appelt gets in on a double-leg, can’t get it on the first effort. He elevates Lara, who does a good job staying up this time with his back to the fence. The big men trade knees inside and Appelt drills a couple hard left hands to Lara’s body and thigh. Lara complains one punch was a low blow, but ref McCarthy isn’t buying it. Lara turns it around and clings to Appelt’s leg. Sprawling and turning things around again, Appelt puts Lara on his knees and blasts away with left hands. A punch or elbow has opened up Lara, who’s spraying blood on the canvas from the turtle position. Lara gets to his feet but keeps a hand on the ground to avoid knees to the head.

He rolls underneath for a desperation kneebar that’s quickly snuffed out by Appelt, who maintains the dominant position with his right arm looped around the kneeling Lara. Lara drives forward and Appelt gives up his back in a sloppy, sweaty scramble. It doesn’t last long, as Appelt slips back out and finishes the round standing over Lara, dropping left hands.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Appelt
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Appelt
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Appelt

Round 3
The heavyweights hug to begin round three. Appelt misses with a front kick; Lara tries to go upstairs with a high kick that’s deflected. As they stand about two feet apart, it’s Appelt looking fresher, at least giving some movement, while Lara stands stock-still with his hands by his waist. Lara comes off the fence and steps out of the way as Appelt throws long punches. Lara has a shot denied and Appelt puts him in the familiar position, punching away with left hands as Lara covers up on his knees. Lara throws two punches to Appelt’s thighs and the second lands on Appelt’s groin. Referee McCarthy deducts two points this time and issues Lara a stern warning that another infraction will mean a disqualification. They resume and Appelt puts Lara on the fence again, dragging him to the floor with about a minute remaining. Lara gets to his knees, then back to his feet. It looks like Appelt will finish the fight holding Lara on the fence, but Lara cracks him with his best punch of the fight just before the bell.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-7 Appelt (30-24 Appelt)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-7 Appelt (30-24 Appelt)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-7 Appelt (30-24 Appelt)

Official result: All three judges -- Mike Beltran, Jackie Denkin and Lester Griffin -- score the bout 30-24 for the winner by unanimous decision, Josh Appelt.

Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Barry quickly dispatched of Rigmaden.

Keith Berry vs. Richard Rigmaden

Round 1
Both middleweights are swinging heavy leather at the start, but it’s Berry who changes levels and hits a takedown 30 seconds into the frame. Leaning right to left on Rigmaden, Berry extracts from half-guard and passes to side control. He instantly frames up a kimura, cranks hard and forces Rigmaden to tap out. Referee Herb Dean waves it off at 1:31 of the first round, giving Keith Berry the win via submission.

Akop Stepanyan vs. Chris Saunders

Round 1
The lightweights trade body kicks early as Stepanyan stalks out from the center of the cage and Saunders tries to cut angles on the outside. A stiff jab from Stepanyan is followed by a body kick, and he repeats the combo again with success. Stepanyan winds up with a hard left high kick that goes off Saunders’ arms. A spinning back kick is partially blocked by Saunders, who tries a superman punch but can’t catch Stepanyan coming off the fence. Another Stepanyan left high kick is just off the mark; the next one gets through, but just grazes Saunders’ face. Saunders responds with an outside leg kick, tries a spinning back fist and nearly gets caught with a counter. Stepanyan spins with a kick to Saunders’ midsection. Saunders shoots with 20 seconds left and Stepanyan catches him in a standing guillotine. Saunders escapes just before the bell.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Stepanyan
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Stepanyan
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Stepanyan

Round 2
Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Stepanyan blasted Saunders for the finish.
Stepanyan is trying to time Saunders’ leg kicks with a right hand over the top at the start of the second frame. Outside leg kick lands for Stepanyan, and Saunders misses with his return fire. Not much landing for Saunders, who is getting out-quicked by the smaller Stepanyan. A right round kick to the breadbasket lands, but it grazes Saunders’ cup on the way and ref John McCarthy calls time. Saunders recovers quickly and Stepanyan resumes his kicking attack. A spinning kick to the gut backs Saunders up; 20 seconds later, Stepanyan just misses with one up top. A leg kick buckles Saunders’ leg, but he gets back to his feet before Stepanyan can pounce.

Right hand down the pipe lands for Stepanyan, who sprawls against the fence to deny a Saunders double-leg. Stepanyan turns him around on the fence with underhooks and throws a few knees inside before tripping Saunders to the ground. Saunders is right back up, but still pinned to the fence. He shoves Stepanyan away with 40 seconds left in the round. Another spinning kick grazes the right side of Saunders’ body. Stepanyan pops Saunders with a left and steps out of the way of a spinning back fist before the bell.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Stepanyan
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Stepanyan
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Stepanyan

Round 3
A left hook drops Stepanyan, but he’s quickly back to his feet and mugging. Saunders lands an outside leg kick, misses with a leaping knee. Stepanyan has the next low kick timed and pops Saunders with a crisp right-handed counter. Another right hand catches Saunders off-balance as he leaps in with another knee. He pops back up and goes back to throwing leg kicks, circling the outside. Stepanyan gets inside with a lead right hook and doubles up on it. He wings two wide punches to counter a Saunders leg kick, but neither land. The next pair of counters find their mark, and Stepanyan follows it up with a spinning kick to the body. Saunders is downed with a nasty spinning kick to the gut, but the ref tells them to fight on. Stepanyan, who was walking away, rushes back to drop a few more punches and get the stoppage. The stoppage win for Akop Stepanyan comes at 3:55 of round three.

Bellator Season 8 Featherweight Tournament Semifinal:
Mike Richman vs. Alexandre Bezerra

Round 1
Bezerra comes out with a leg kick for the southpaw Richman, and shortly thereafter dives for a takedown. Richman defends and grabs a guillotine while hopping on one leg, then loses it as they fall to the ground. Richman hops back up with Bezerra still attached to his right leg. Bezerra finishes the takedown with a bodylock, so Richman puts his back to the cage and tries to post up. Short right hands from Bezerra as he sits up in half-guard, and Richman goes to his back. Bezerra has Richman’s legs triangle, and he moves into full mount. Richman gives up his back and Bezerra is immediately trying for a rear-naked choke. Bezerra has a body triangle locked in and is punching from Richman’s back with 2:30 left in the round. They move away from the fence and Bezerra throws some hard left hands, trying to lower Richman’s defense for another RNC attempt. Bezerra keeps fishing for the choke in between left hands. Now he tries for a neck crank but can’t get that to go either. Richman is doing well to defend the constant RNC tries from Bezerra, but not offering any offense in return.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bezerra
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bezerra
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-8 Bezerra

Round 2
Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Richman slipped by to win by split decision.
Richman is sticking Bezerra with jabs early in round two, keeping the grappler at bay with snapping punches and a head kick which misses. Bezerra dives on a double-leg from way out and Richman sprawls all over it to continue pumping the jab. Richman switches stances now and hits Bezerra with a hook to the body. Back to southpaw and Richman catches Bezerra with a jab, answered by a glancing right. Bezerra is bleeding from his nose as he tries to find his range on the feet. More jabs are piling up for Richman, with Bezerra landing only the occasional response in between.

A pair of leg kicks land for Bezerra, followed by a left hook. Another leg kick and Richman comes back with a twisting hook. Richman covers up as Bezerra comes in to punch, then comes back with a nice left straight. A jab finds Bezerra’s chin, and Bezerra pulls up short with a combo just before the end of the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Richman
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Richman
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Richman

Round 3
Bezerra looks to change levels early but gets backed away. He lands an inside leg kick and a right hand, answered by Richman with a stiff jab. Bezerra drives on a high double in the middle of the cage and puts Richman on the ground with 3:30 to go in the fight. He passes Richman’s guard and goes from side control on the right to back control, finally winding up in side control on the left. Back to the right side and Bezerra comes in tight with his knees to drop short left hands on Richman’s face. Richman tries to escape underneath and gives up his back. Bezerra quickly sinks in his hooks, cinches up a body triangle and goes back to peppering with punches from the back. He comes close with two RNC attempts, but Richman peels his hands off both times and twists around to take top position with 90 seconds left. Richman stands and ref Herb Dean orders Bezerra up with just over 60 seconds remaining. Richman comes forward throwing hands and fends off a shot, tagging Bezerra with a left hook for his trouble. More hooks pouring on from Richman now, and Bezerra answers with a right hand. Richman is going for it with seconds left, tagging Bezerra with repeated left hooks while Bezerra catches Richman with a couple right hands that don’t look to have as much behind them. The close final round ends and this is going to the judges for what should be a razor-thin decision.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Richman (29-28 Richman)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Richman (29-28 Richman)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-10 (29-28 Bezerra)

Official result: Judge Mike Beltran scores the fight 29-28 for Richman, while judge Lester Griffin has it 29-28 for Bezerra. The final judge, Jackie Denkin, scores it 29-28 for the winner by split decision, Mike Richman.

Bellator Season 8 Middleweight Tournament Semifinal:
Brett Cooper vs. Dan Cramer

Round 1
Cramer fells Cooper with a right hand 15 minutes into the round and comes down on top with Cooper fending him off from the bottom. Active guard from Cooper, who got his wits about him quickly and is doing well to keep Cramer off him. Cramer settles down in half-guard leaning to Cooper’s right side. He passes to side control on the right and Cooper tries to buck him off as they move toward the fence. Cooper gets to his knees and Cramer whips around to take his back and sinks both hooks. Good defense from Cooper, who defends the choke while trying to scrape Cramer off his back. Cramer stops to throw right hands from his back with 90 seconds left in the round. The right hands keep coming until Cooper twists around to take top control with 30 seconds remaining and finishes the round dropping right hands of his own.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cramer
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cramer
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cramer

Round 2
Cooper quickly puts Cramer on the fence, looking for a takedown, and works to get it for the first minute. Cramer grabs the Thai plum and lands a couple knees before being put back on the fence. He pulls away again and lands another knee; Cooper changes levels, going to his knees briefly to try for the takedown. Again, Cramer lands a knee in the clinch. Cooper goes to his knees after landing a punch to the body. The sequence repeats, but now Cooper stays on his knees longer. Cramer gets off another knee, still can’t escape from Cooper’s grasp. Ref John McCarthy splits them up with two minutes left and now it’s Cramer putting Cooper on the cage. Cooper turns it around with an underhook. Cramer lands a knee to the body in the Thai clinch and Cooper counters with a body shot. They split and both land hooks before Cooper drops down again to try for the takedown. Cramer lands four or five knees in the clinch, catching uppercuts in return from Cooper but getting the last word with a big knee to the body. He separates with another knee and rocks Cooper’s chin with a left hand. Cramer lunges in with more punches and Cooper holds him on the fence to finish the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cramer
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cramer
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cramer

Round 3
Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Cooper rallied to shock the UFC veteran.
Cooper hits first with a right hook, answered right back by a pair of hooks from Cramer. Looking for the clinch again is Cramer, but Cooper wisely pulls out this time. Stiff left hand from Cramer pushes Cooper’s head back. Cooper comes in for a shot; Cramer reverses on to the fence and separates. Cooper lands an uppercut coming forward and Cramer puts him on the fence. They split quickly and Cramer rushes in to land a right hand and a knee in the clinch. Cooper slugs back with a looping right hand and changes levels to put Cramer on the ground. Cramer scoots his back up the cage and stands to clinch. Cooper lands uppercuts up the middle and Cramer is looking fatigued. Cramer lands a slow knee in the clinch and walks right into an uppercut from Cooper that jacks his jaw. Cooper smells blood and blitzes, can’t put Cramer down, and backs off to connect with a massive right cross that sends Cramer to the ground. Another right hand and John McCarthy is stepping in to save the fallen Cramer. Brett Cooper advances to the Bellator Season 8 middleweight tournament final with a knockout at 3:19 of round three.

Bellator Season 8 Middleweight Tournament Semifinal:
Doug Marshall vs. Sultan Aliev

Round 1
Marshall moves backward and misses with a leg kick and a straight punch to the body. Aliev comes in to get underhooks and put Marshall’s back to the fence before tripping the “Rhino” to the floor. Tight guard from Marshall as he’s lifted up and placed at the base of the fence. Marshall posts and tries to stand, gets shoved back to the ground by Aliev, who stands up in Marshall’s closed guard to drop punches to the body. Marshall pivots underneath and tries to escape but Aliev is heavy on top. Right-handed hammerfists come down from Aliev now as Marshall tries to keep him wrapped up in guard. Aliev advances to half-guard midway through the round and Marshall regains it, then scrambles up. Aliev keeps him on the cage with underhooks and Marshall uses both hands to try and push Aliev’s face away. It doesn’t work, and Aliev hits a trip to put Marshall on his side at the base of the fence again. A slow but steady stream of right hands from Aliev have referee Herb Dean calling for work from Marshall. The Rhino obliges and tries to stand up, only to be put back down by Aliev, who drops elbows from on top with 30 seconds left. The ref stands them up with 10 seconds left and Aliev hits another takedown before the bell.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Aliev
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Aliev
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Aliev

Round 2
Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Marshall handed Aliev his first loss.
A left high kick from Marshall puts Aliev on wobbly legs, but Aliev is able to stay alive by backpedaling under fire. Marshall swings and misses with wild punches, including one that hits himself in the face. Aliev changes levels to hit a takedown in the center and tries to strike while Marshall wraps him up. Herb Dean calls for work and Aliev doesn’t get busy enough to avoid a stand-up order. Just under three minutes left and Aliev is fending off the oncoming Marshall with long jabs and uppercuts. Marshall comes forward and misses a three-punch combo, lands an inside leg kick shortly after.

Aliev blocks a high kick and steps off with a jab before evading another series of punches. Aliev shoots right into a knee from Marshall but finishes the takedown nonetheless. He gets off a few good right hands before Marshall stands and explodes off the cage. Aliev throws Marshall to the floor in a clinch and Marshall stands right up. Marshall walks down Aliev, who shoots off the fence and is sprawled on. Marshall finishes the round with a punch to the body of Aliev on the fence.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Marshall
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Marshall
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Aliev

Round 3
Marshall is coming forward from the start of the round, walking into a couple jabs from Aliev but swinging right back with a hard left hook. Aliev shoots and gets a rear waistlock, then drags Marshall down at the foot of the cage. The kneeling Marshall covers up to block Aliev’s slow right hands, so Aliev comes down to pull Marshall to his back. Marshall twists out of back control and explodes to his feet, only to be shot on again by Aliev. Right hands from Marshall connect as Aliev tries to finish the single-leg against the fence. He gets the takedown halfway through the round and Marshall quickly begins complaining to ref Herb Dean, looking for a stand-up. Aliev is just busy enough to keep Marshall on the ground until Dean stands them up with 80 seconds left. Marshall comes straight at Aliev, who halts the Rhino’s momentum with a level change. Aliev holds Marshall on the fence as the fight enters its final minute and hits a takedown while Marshall throws right hands around the back of Aliev’s head. Dean stands them up again with 10 seconds left and Marshall comes charging with a flying knee, so Aliev falls to his back to get out of the way. Marshall comes crashing down with a huge right hand before the bell sounds.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Aliev (29-28 Aliev)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Aliev (29-28 Aliev)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Aliev (30-27 Aliev)

Official result: Judge Lester Griffin scores the bout 30-27 in favor of Aliev, while Mike Beltran sees it 29-28 for Marshall. The final judge, Jackie Denkin, has it 29-28 for the winner by split decision, Doug Marshall, who moves on to face Brett Cooper in the tournament final.

Bellator Season 8 Featherweight Tournament Semifinal:
Marlon Sandro vs. Magomedrasul Khasbulaev

Round 1
Sandro backs Khasbulaev away with low kicks, but “Frodo” keeps inching him toward the cage. Khasbulaev throws an overhand right and Sandro clinches briefly. When they separate it’s Khasbulaev landing a body kick before being clinched up again by Sandro. A knee up the middle from Sandro catches Khasbulaev on the cup and the Russian falls to the ground in agony. He writhes on the ground for a minute before referee John McCarthy orders him to stand. He can’t, and McCarthy gives him another minute on the ground before Khasbulaev is finally able to stand. Khasbulaev takes his five-minute allotment and a little extra to recover from the low blow. Action resumes without a point deduction and Khasbulaev throws Sandro to the ground in the clinch. Sandro gets back up, so Khasbulaev trips him back down, where the Brazilian throws up his legs for an armbar. Khasbulaev pulls out and threatens with a standing kimura for a few seconds. Khasbulaev kicks Sandro in the face and Sandro comes out holding his eye. They hit the ground and Khasbulaev has Sandro’s head trapped, his left arm in a deep armbar; somehow, Sandro rolls with it and extracts his arm to come out on top. The action slows as Sandro stays on top, then Khasbulaev comes alive with an armbar attempt. It doesn’t go, so he switches to a kimura and sweeps to top control. Frodo cranks the kimura until Sandro yanks his arm free with seconds left in the round. Good finish to the round by Khasbulaev, who drops heavy punches from the top.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Khasbulaev
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Khasbulaev
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Khasbulaev

Round 2
Tentative start to the round but things come alive after Khasbulaev slips and falls on a missed kick. Khasbulaev comes up, lands a body kick and rushes on Sandro, who stands with his back to the fence, throwing bombs that back Khasbulaev off. Sandro with the takedown to wind up on top with Khasbulaev’s left shoulder on the fence. Sandro creeps across to latch on an arm-triangle choke and then tries to step over to Khasbulaev’s right side. Khasbulaev turns to loosen up the choke and scrambles to his feet. He gets Sandro down now and drops huge right hands from the standing position, which turn to nasty hammerfists through Sandro’s guard. Sandro tries to push Khasbulaev away with his guard, then has to defend against the mount by trapping the foot of the advancing Russian. Khasbulaev threatens with a straight armbar from guard and Sandro gets to his knees. Khasbulaev widens his base and finish the round with half a dozen thumping right hands.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Khasbulaev
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Khasbulaev
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Khasbulaev

Round 3
D. Mandel

Khasbulaev absolutely throttled Sandro.
Sandro is slow coming out of his corner for the final round. Just after they touch gloves, Khasbulaev gets inside behind a left hand and takes Sandro down again. Side control for Khasbulaev, then north-south position, which he nearly turns into a crucifix. Khasbulaev has Sandro’s left arm and leg trapped and is holding the Brazilian’s right hand to drop hammerfists on his unprotected face. More hammerfists and Khasbulaev turns the corner now to take Sandro’s back as they stand. Khasbulaev keeps the rear waistlock and drags Sandro roughly to the ground, where he opens up the Nova Uniao product’s nose with hammerfists.

Another flurry of punishing right hands goes unanswered by Sandro, and ref John McCarthy has seen enough. With the TKO win at 2:38 of round three, Magomedrasul Khasbulaev moves on to face Mike Richman in the featherweight tournament final.

Sabah Homasi vs. Ricky Legere Jr.

Round 1
Homasi puts his jab in Legere’s face immediately, popping him and forcing the Californian to drive for a takedown. Legere can’t get the single-leg takedown he seeks and Homasi nearly throws him with an uchimata. Legere stands and drives him in the cage. Legere dives for the legs and on the way up, Homasi lands a knee that freezes referee Herb Dean for a second, questioning its legality, but Legere shows no ill effects and keeps driving Homasi into the cage. They separate and Homasi rakes his opponents with three hooks, forcing Legere to back off. At distance, he hits him with the left jab again, followed by a left hook. Inside low kick lands for Legere as he tries to back Homasi down. He finally drives him into the fence, locks his hands around his legs, elevates and slams him to the mat. As Homasi tries to scramble to his feet, Legere sinks one of his hooks and rides Homasi’s back, hammerfisting and elbowing. More punches and more hammerfists from “The IE Bad Boy,” who smacks Homasi with more left hands before trying for the rear-naked choke. Legere continues to punch away until the bell. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Legere.

Round 2
Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Legere Jr. tapped out Homasi.
Legere is more willing to exchange early, winging hooks with the American Top Team fighter. He eats a left hook then a right overhand that make him think better, prompting Legere to shoot in and put Homasi back on the canvas. Legere quickly passes to full mount. Homasi tries to kick off the fence to roll to top position but only succeeds in giving Legere a higher mount. Homasi tries to shimmy closer to the fence, but actually ends up trapping himself. He rolls and gives up his back, prompting another salvo of left hands to the head from Legere. Legere diligently digs for the rear-naked choke, securing it and tightening the submission. Homasi taps out at 2:52 of the second round.

Cleber Luciano vs. Nick Piedmont

Round 1
Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Piedmont took out Luciano early in round one.
Piedmont connects with early inside low kicks as the stocky Luciano tries to find his way inside. He gets there briefly, but Piedmont shoves him away. Piedmont pumps the jab on the approaching Luciano before uncoiling a right cross that drops him on his face. The Brazilian tries to recover, but Piedmont lands a couple more shots to the face on the downed Luciano, prompting referee Michael Bell to step in after just 55 seconds.
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