Bellator 156 Results: Play-by-Play & Round-by-Round Scoring

C.J. Keith vs. Carrington Banks

Round 1

Banks gets a quick takedown at the fence and makes sure to keep his opponent wrapped up as Keith tries to stand. Keith winds up on his knees, where Banks jumps on his back and establishes both hooks as he rolls Keith to his back. Banks rolls him over and transitions to full mount, but he loses the position and winds up back in Keith’s half guard. Keith waits for an opportune moments and chest-bumps Banks for the sweep, but Banks isn’t having it and sweeps Keith in return. Back to full mount goes Banks, now in the center of the cage with two minutes left in the opening round. Keith succeeds in bucking him off again but can’t sweep this time as Banks shoves him up against the wall. Banks moves back to mount and tries to isolate Keith’s left arm, but nothing materializes before time runs out. 10-9 Banks.

Round 2

Banks waits for Keith to step forward and then changes levels to execute another early takedown. Working from half guard, Banks crams Keith up against the fence and looks to land short punches. Banks threatens to frame up an arm-triangle choke and slowly works back to full mount, but Keith is able to reclaim half guard with ease. Thirty seconds later, Banks is back in mount, bearing down hard on Keith’s face with top pressure. Keith kicks off the fence and flips Banks onto his back, but Banks simply sits up and drives forward on Keith’s legs until he can score another takedown.

Banks finishes the round back in full mount, though he is still struggling to mount fight-stopping offense from the dominant position. 10-9 Banks.

Round 3

In a repeat of rounds one and two, Banks gets hold of Keith’s legs in the first 30 seconds and plows the Californian back to the canvas. Banks is in half guard but is basically working from side control on Keith’s left side, the right being flush to the fence. Rotating away from the wall, Banks feeds short right hands to Keith while maintaining heavy top control. Keith tries to power his way out of the bad spot, but the struggle only leaves him open for some harder right hands. Down to the final minute, Banks continues to grind away at Keith with grinding strikes. Banks takes full mount once more and presses his forearm down hard onto Keith’s already lumpy face. 10-8 Banks (30-26 Banks).

The Official Result

Carrington Banks def. C.J. Keith via Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-26) R3 5:00

A.J. Matthews vs. Ben Reiter

Round 1

Reiter takes up the center of the cage while Matthews moves around the outside, cutting angles and flicking kicks at Reiter’s legs. Matthews looks to pull Reiter into the Thai clinch, but Reiter instead gets hold of Matthews’ legs and runs him against the cage. The middleweights separate after a brief clinch, and Matthews thuds Reiter’s ribs with a body kick. Reiter closes the distance and shoots against the fence again, this time slamming Matthews to the canvas. Matthews struggles back to his feet with 90 seconds on the clock, but he still has Reiter wrapped around his waist. Reiter throws knees at Matthews’ legs from behind, briefly wrestles him back down but can’t hold him there. Reiter lands a few foot stomps and then hurls Matthews head over heels to the floor. Matthews eats a few left hands as he climbs back to his feet again at the end of the round. 10-9 Reiter.

Round 2

Matthews takes a right hand from Reiter, grins and throws a few shots in return, but Reiter appears to get the better of the exchange with his right hand. Now it’s Matthews scoring with a right down the middle as he cuts off a slow Reiter left hand. Reiter catches a body kick and rushes Matthews against the cage again. Matthews stays on his feet a bit longer this time but is ultimately dragged to the floor with just over two minutes left in the round. Reiter gets heavy as he leans right to left across Matthews’ body in half guard, then passes to full mount briefly to land a few short punches.

Matthews struggles to stand after rolling to his knees, but he’s roughed up with more punches and knees to the body. Matthews finally manages to stand just before the horn, though he finishes the round being held against the cage. 10-9 Reiter.

Round 3

Reiter rushes Matthews with a flurry of punches, causing Matthews to shell up and backpedal toward the fence. Reiter shoots in behind the strikes and takes down Matthews once again, but this time, Matthews is able to spring back to his feet with relative ease. The middleweights circle in the center of the cage, where Matthews has a head kick blocked. Matthews gets caught off balance throwing a punch and Reiter sends him slipping back to the ground. Reiter pounces on his fallen opponent, mounting Matthews in the center of the cage with more than half the round remaining. Matthews gives up his back, and Reiter wastes no time in securing back-mount with both hooks. Reiter fishes for a rear-naked choke but can’t get underneath Matthews’ chin, so it’s back to full mount with 90 seconds on the clock. This proves more effective, as Reiter’s Donkey Kong-style ground-and-pound quickly opens up a cut on Matthews’ left eye and forces him to roll over again. Reiter still can’t get the RNC, keeps pounding and tries to apply the choke again, but time runs out before he can get the submission. 10-8 Reiter (30-26 Reiter).

The Official Result

Ben Reiter def. A.J. Matthews via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) R3 5:00

Chris Honeycutt vs. Mikkel Parlo

Round 1

Parlo crouches low and steps forward to clip Honeycutt with a right hand on the ear, momentarily unbalancing the wrestler. Honeycutt keeps his balance and drives Parlo against the cage, but Parlo separates after a few seconds in the clinch. Honeycutt charges on Parlo again, this time digging an underhook to bring the fight to the fence. Parlo gets free again and clips Honeycutt with a left hook in an exchange. Honeycutt sticks a jab before both 185ers swing and miss with wild combinations. Honeycutt is doing well to stay out of striking range, but it makes his far-out shots easy for Parlo to fend off with a sprawl. Honeycutt tries a single-leg on the fence in the final minute, but Parlo defends and makes Honeycutt whiff on a big left hook on the break. Parlo hits the deck during a wild exchange in the closing seconds of the round, but it looks to be a headbutt from Honeycutt that did the damage. 10-9 Parlo.

Round 2

Honeycutt slips to one knee while throwing a punch and gets clipped with a left hook on his way back up. He drives on Parlo’s legs and runs the Danish fighter against a cage post, where Parlo tries unsuccessfully for a Thai clinch. The middleweights come back to the center, where Parlo lands an inside leg kick that he thinks may have been a foul; Honeycutt gives him a thumbs-up, and the fight goes on. Both men continue to pull up short with punches, but now Parlo flashes a nice jab in Honeycutt’s face. Honeycutt gives one in return, and now it’s back to both fighters swinging away.

Parlo tries a spinning backfist, but Honeycutt reads it perfectly and ducks underneath to hit a takedown. Parlo is back on his feet within seconds, and the round still looks to be up for grabs as they reset in the middle. Parlo lands a leg kicks, takes a hook to the body in return. Honeycutt is getting in a few good body shots here, and now he goes upstairs to turn Parlo’s head with a straight left. Parlo runs the American against the cage and drops to his knees to attempt a double-leg; Honeycutt defends it and circles away. Honeycutt doubles up on his jab and follows with a right hand over the top, maybe his best combination of the fight so far. 10-9 Honeycutt.

Round 3

Parlo tries to charge Honeycutt but gets caught off balance and is left slipping to his knees as Honeycutt circles away. Now it’s Honeycutt bringing the fight to the outside, holding Parlo to the fence with an underhook. Honeycutt scores with a pair of body shots in the clinch, but Parlo breaks free with two sneaky uppercuts. From his back foot, Honeycutt is using his jab to great effect here in the first half of the round, constantly tapping Parlo’s face while making him miss wind-up power punches. Parlo looks to be fading, breathing with his mouth wide open as his arms drop lower and lower. Honeycutt continues to keep his hands in Parlo’s grill, adding a step-in knee to the body here and there. Inside the final 90 seconds now, Parlo eats a left hook but then sends Honeycutt tilting sideways with a left of his own. Parlo walks him down and dives on Honeycutt’s legs at the fence, but Honeycutt fends off the shot and reverses to hit a takedown of his own. Parlo is back on his feet with seconds remaining, but the bell sounds just as he’s charging toward Honeycutt. 10-9 Honeycutt (29-28 Honeycutt).

The Official Result

Chris Honeycutt def. Mikkel Parlo via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

John Salter vs. Brandon Halsey

Round 1

Salter slips out of Halsey’s first brief takedown attempt, then lands a head kick as the “Bull” charges forward on him. Halsey catches the kick and uses it to shove Salter against the cage, but Salter is able to keep his footing. Halsey is coming out aggressive here in the early going, constantly walking forward on Salter, who stays on his back foot but whose head kick has busted Halsey open. The cut on the outside of Halsey’s right brow is leaking blood all over, covering his face and dyeing his beard.

Halsey keeps coming forward, grabbing Salter in the Thai clinch but not landing anything before Salter can score with a few body blows. Referee Mark Lawley wants the doctor to check on Halsey’s cut, and it’s not long beofore the doc clears him to continue. Salter stuffs a shot and pounds on Halsey’s body with hammerfists as he sprawls. Halsey stands and muscles Salter against the wall with an underhook, then drops levels and spins him to the ground with a single-leg. Almost instantly, Salter applies a triangle that has Halsey spraying blood all over him from above. Halsey tries to cut an angle and step over Salter to escape, but he’s stuck and has to tap out.

The Official Result

John Salter def. Brandon Halsey via Submission (Triangle Choke) R1 4:03

Chidi Njokuani vs. Thiago Jambo Goncalves

Round 1

Njokuani’s first hard jab sends Jambo staggering backward, but the Brazilian regains his footing and continues walking forward on his taller opponent. After a bit of slow going, Jambo ducks underneath a hook and tries a takedown, but Njokuani defends with his back against the fence. The welterweights are still in the same position at the halfway point of the round, jockeying for position and landing short punches in the clinch. They finally separate with 70 seconds left in the round, but Jambo is eager to bring it back to the clinch. Njokuani lands a knee to the body as Jambo charges inside, and the final seconds of the even first round tick away. 10-10.

Round 2

Jambo comes charging at Njokuani with a power punch and then looks to hold the muay Thai specialist against the cage. Njokuani turns him around before the welterweights trade knees inside; one of Jambo’s strikes lands on the cup of Njokuani, and referee Mike Beltran gives the American time to recover. Jambo continues to work from the center, pressing out toward Njokuani, who circles to his left around the edge of the cage. Two minutes in, it’s another bodylock on the fence for Jambo, now switching to a high single-leg. Referee Beltran calls for work, and Jambo tries to oblige by switching to a double-leg and pulling Njokuani away from the wall. Njokuani denies the takedown attempt, and Beltran breaks up the stalemate with two minutes remaining. A straight right hand from Njokuani has Jambo stumbling backward again, but he appears to recover quickly. Njokuani gets muscled against the cage again, but Jambo is doing little with the outside position. The fighters are split up again, but it doesn’t bring about much action in the last 30 seconds of the round. 10-9 Njokuani.

Round 3

Jambo goes straight for the takedown as the final frame begins, once again pushing Njokuani to the wall and holding him there with an underhook. The Brazilian switches to a bodylock while Njokuani keeps his balance and peppers the side of Jambo’s head with short right hands. Jambo tries to pull guard, nearly pulls Njokuani into full mount instead, but in the end winds up alone on his back, with Njokuani ordering him to stand. As soon as he’s back up, Jambo is going for the clinch again. Njokuani is ready with knees for Jambo’s midsection, and fence time doesn’t last very long.

Jambo walks forward and raises his right glove to block what he thinks is a left high kick. Instead, Njokuani’s kick goes under the arm and slams into the Brazilian’s midsection. Jambo collapses to the ground on his side, covering up as Njokuani pours on the punches. Njokuani can’t find a good angle to land the strikes at first, but when Jambo tries to recover by pulling guard, two pinpoint punches from Njokuani knock him out cold. Referee Beltran dives in to rescue the unconscious Jambo, whose head is being dribbled off the canvas by Njokuani’s strikes.

The Official Result

Chidi Njokuani def. Thiago Jambo Goncalves via KO (Body Kick and Punches) R3 2:39

Bellator Bantamweight Title Fight:
Marcos Galvao vs. Eduardo Dantas

Round 1

Referee John McCarthy is the third man in the cage for tonight’s 135-pound title fight. Galvao seeks to defend his belt for the first time against ex-champ Dantas, who won their first meeting in 2013. It’s a cautious start from both men, though Dantas lands two or three solid kicks to Galvao’s lead leg in the opening minute. Galvao gives the challenger one in return; Dantas sticks his hand in Galvao’s face and then thrusts his hips, trying to coax some offense out of the champion. Midway through the round, Dantas sticks a pair of stiff jabs and gives Galvao another chop on the left leg. Galvao seems content to sit back in the first frame, occasionally swinging punches but mostly just waiting for Dantas to act. Dantas’ strikes are coming too fast, however, and “Dudu” is already out of the pocket before Galvao can land a counter. 10-9 Dantas.

Round 2

Dantas continues to flick out his jab, circling off his back foot and using constant, twitchy movement to evade Galvao’s punches. Galvao tries to step into the pocket and gets stuck with a right hand to the mush; Dantas steps off to the left and out of harm’s way once again. Nothing is getting through for Galvao right now, as Dantas seems to anticipate his every strike. A jab-jab-right cross from Dantas turns the head of Galvao, and now two more straight punches send the champion backward. Galvao’s face is getting marked up, blood trickling from his nose as he absorbs more damage.

Dantas’ feints have Galvao flinching as he backs up to the fence, but now the bantamweights circle out to reset in the center with 90 seconds left in the round. Dantas scores with a left hook-straight right but leaves his hands down and eats Galvao’s best punch of the fight so far. It’s a one-off success for Galvao, however, as Dantas does damage to the champion’s body and legs with kicks in the last 30 seconds. 10-9 Dantas.

Round 3

Dantas slips a right hand down the middle and backpedals as Galvao tries to chase after him, whiffing with three or four ugly punches. The challenger continues to target Galvao’s left leg with kicks and has turned the knee purple through 12 minutes of abuse. Now it’s Galvao backing off as Dantas doubles up with his right hand. Galvao may be having trouble seeing out of his right eye, which is rapidly swelling shut. Dantas keeps targeting the right side with jabs, gets Galvao the other way with a body shot and then stings “Louro” with a blistering left hook up top. With 90 seconds left, Galvao’s eye is completely swollen shut, and he’s forced to play defense as Dantas stalks him from the middle of the cage. A spinning body kick lands clean to Galvao’s midsection, but he doesn’t go down. Dantas continues to swing combinations down the stretch, keeping Galvao in backward motion until the bell. 10-8 Dantas.

Round 4

Galvao is somehow cleared to come out for the first of the championship rounds, despite his right eye being completely shut. The champion tries to slow Dantas’ offense by holding him against the fence, but it’s not long before the young Nova Uniao product breaks loose. Dantas only manages a few punches before his back is pressed into the chain-link again, this time with Galvao sprinkling in a few mild strikes, but nothing to trouble “Dudu.” Referee McCarthy isn’t seeing enough action and separates the fighters with half the round remaining. Dantas scores with a right high kick but doesn’t land it flush, and Galvao eats the shot without much trouble. Dantas is just stalking his wounded opponent now, slowly closing the gap on the outside. Galvao is taking some tremendous punishment, but he refuses to go down, even as Dantas batters his legs and body with vicious kicks. Dantas’ offensive output drops off in the last minute, but Galvao is doing even less as he tries to ride out the round. 10-9 Dantas.

Round 5

Galvao rushes at Dantas with arms wide, hugging him against the wall in the first 30 seconds of the round. Dantas quickly spins him around and nearly trips Galvao to the mat, but “Louro” keeps his footing with his back on the fence. Ninety seconds in, Galvao tries to jump guard; Dantas wants none of it and asks referee McCarthy to bring Galvao back to his feet. Dantas stomps at Galvao’s breadbasket with a front kick and switches stances in front of the wounded champ. Neither man is looking to engage here at the midway point, both waiting to counter. Galvao is pawing more and more at his bloody nose as they hit the last 90 seconds. Galvao tries to mount some last-ditch offense, but his punches are coming in slow and they’re easily slipped by Dantas. The bantamweights tie up on the fence, Dantas on the outside, but they soon stall out. Referee McCarthy splits them up once more, just in time for the final bell to sound. 10-9 Dantas (50-44 Dantas).

The Official Result

Eduardo Dantas def. Marcos Galvao via Unanimous Decision (50-43, 50-44, 50-45) R5 5:00