Bellator 89 Results: Live Play-by-Play & Updates

Bellator 89 Fight Card

• Eduardo Dantas vs. Marcos Galvao
• Dan Cramer vs. Brian Rogers
• Brett Cooper vs. Norman Paraisy
• Doug Marshall vs. Andreas Spang
• Mont McMullens vs. David Mejia
• Aaron Johnson vs. Brennan Ward
• Sultan Aliev vs. Mikkel Parlo
• Kyle Bolt vs. Joe Pacheco
• Johnny Buck vs. Chris Mierzwiak
• Mike Maldonado vs. Tim Goodwin

Sherdog.com will report from Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C., at approximately 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with play-by-play and live results of Bellator 89, which is headlined by four middleweight tournament quarterfinal fights and a bantamweight title fight pitting champion Eduardo Dantas against challenger Marcos Galvao.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Mike Maldonado vs. Tim Goodwin

Round 1
Goodwin immediately dives for a single-leg, but Maldonado sprawls out and digs right hands to the ribs as he grabs a front headlock and pivots to take Goodwin’s back. Maldonado sinks one hook in and follows suit with the other before Goodwin momentarily frees himself. Despite losing his hooks, the Oklahoman fighter is still riding tight on Goodwin’s back and touching his opponent with punches and hammerfists. After Maldonado creates space to strike, Goodwin tries another shot, but his foe meets him with another sprawl and a guillotine attempt. After the failed attempt, Maldonado stands and backs away, landing a body kick and a nice knee before Goodwin finally hits the takedown he had been looking for. Maldonado uses butterfly hooks to shuck him off and stands to end the frame.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Maldonado
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Maldonado
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Maldonado

Round 2
Maldonado stuffs another try at a takedown, but Goodwin won’t stop driving. Maldonado uses it against him, stepping over the top and again taking Goodwin’s back. Maldonado fishes for a rear-naked choke, but Goodwin pulls down on his opponent’s off hand to escape the hold. “The Terror” makes it to his feet, but Maldonado plants him on the mat again, only to see Goodwin regain his base once more. Maldonado then clips his foe with a counter left hand, but Goodwin retaliates with a sharp right of his own, followed by a stiff jab. After showing little offense in the bout’s first eight minutes, Goodwin now appears much looser, hitting a nice double-leg takedown to end the round, but not landing much offense.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Maldonado
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Maldonado
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Maldonado

Round 3
Goodwin lands a snapping body kick to open the third stanza and puts Maldonado on the canvas with an outside trip. Maldonado wall-walks and quickly escapes. Both men are now trading in the center of the cage, but neither can land cleanly. The Columbia, S.C., native scores on a single-leg takedown, but Maldonado reverses the position, retaking Goodwin’s back with one hook in. Goodwin explodes to escape, but his foe rolls him over and lands in side control. Maldonado again takes Goodwin’s back but again gives up his hooks, allowing Goodwin to stand as the bout comes to a close.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Maldonado (30-27 Maldonado)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Maldonado (30-27 Maldonado)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Maldonado (30-27 Maldonado)

Official result: T.Y. Evans sees it 30-27 while Steven Elliot and Andrew Hopper Jr. score it 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Mike Maldonado.

Johnny Buck vs. Chris Mierzwiak

Round 1
Buck comes out southpaw and eats two body kicks, catching the second shot and scoring with a takedown. Mierzwiak hits a sweet half-guard sweep and grabs a kneebar, but Buck twice spins out of the hold. Mierzwiak switches to an inverted heel hook, and the North Carolina fighter appears to fall awkwardly on his knee. Though Buck cries out in pain, the bout is allowed to continue, and Mierzwiak stays on the heel hook before using the hold to take his opponent’s back. Mierzwiak has both hooks in, peppering ground-and-pound and then going for an armbar. Buck slides his arm out, shakes Mierzwiak off and lands in top position, firing down punches and elbows to end round one.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mierzwiak
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Mierzwiak
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Mierzwiak

Round 2
Buck appears to be moving well and fluidly to start the round. Both men gauge distance in the center of the cage with jabs and kicks. Buck eats a body kick but scores another takedown, landing in half guard before stepping right into full mount. Mierzwiak recovers half guard but cannot escape to his feet, eating an elbow that opens up a cut on the crown of his head. Buck suddenly grabs an arm-triangle choke and passes to side but can’t find the finish, as Mierzwiak squirms out of the hold when Buck gets too high. The Sylvania, Ohio, native gets back to his feet at the end of the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Buck
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Buck
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Buck

Round 3
Mierzwiak connects with a left hook and tries to finish his combination with a body kick. The kick lands low, but Buck recovers quickly after a brief pause from referee Donnie Jessup. On the restart, Buck wades forward with a one-two that does not quite land. Buck times another double-leg attempt as Mierzwiak lunges forward with a straight right hand. Buck once again works from half guard and then hops into mount, only to see Mierzwiak throw him off and escape to his feet. Buck uses a front headlock to power Mierzwiak to the mat and resumes working from half guard. He keeps muscling Mierzwiak and trying to lock up another arm-triangle choke, but can't sink it before the bout's conclusion.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Buck (29-28 Buck)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Buck (29-28 Buck)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Buck (29-28 Buck)

Official result: All three judges -- Steven Elliot, T.Y. Evans and Andrew Hopper Jr. -- score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Johnny Buck.

Kyle Bolt vs. Joseph Pacheco

Round 1
Bolt goes to work with a jab immediately, but Pacheco slips under a right hand scores with a body lock takedown. Pacheco peppers from top position, while Bolt stalls with a body triangle from guard. Bolt then start to work from rubber guard, but Pacheco pulls out of the position before diving back into guard. Pacheco misses with two right hands but quickly passes to side control and then into full mount. Bolt uses his long legs to recover half guard. Bolt then goes in search of a leglock, but Pacheco rains down ground-and-pound in response until the bell.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Pacheco
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Pacheco
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pacheco

Round 2
Pacheco closes the distance and dumps Bolt against the cage, momentarily securing a topside crucifix and dropping elbows from side control. Bolt tries to buck his foe off, but Pacheco’s base is stout. Pacheco hops into mount once again, but Bolt responds with another escape, fishing for a leglock. Pacheco opts to simply hammer the California-based fighter in the face. Further widening his base, Pacheco drops a volley of decisive elbows to Bolt’s temple that forces referee Al Coley to save Bolt from further punishment. The finish officially comes at 4:02 of round two.

Bellator Season 8 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Sultan Aliev vs. Mikkel Parlo

Round 1
Aliev drops Parlo quickly with a stiff jab, but Parlo pops right back to his feet. Parlo tries to retaliate but looks tentative early. Aliev connects with a nice right hand, and Parlo closes the gap to try for a takedown. Aliev uses double overhooks to stuff the takedown and then hits an outside trip of his own. Parlo stands almost immediately and starts winging punches at the Russian. The Dane presses to close the frame but cannot find his mark with his wild punches.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Aliev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Aliev
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Aliev

Round 2
Parlo moves forward to start round two and connects with an inside leg kick. Both men try takedowns but neither score. The relentless Russian then hits a trip to plant the 22-year-old on the canvas, but Parlo stands quickly once again. The man from Copenhagen continues to move forward but absorbs a pair of right straights to the gut for his efforts. Parlo's jab stays true but his power punches are all over the place, mostly missing. Aliev is continually landing single shots as Parlo stalks him, notably popping Parlo with two sharp jabs. Parlo lands a body kick to finish the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Aliev
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Aliev
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Aliev

Round 3
Parlo rifles off a clubbing low kick to begin the third round, and Aliev responds in kind. The Rumble Sports rep digs a kick into Aliev’s liver, but the Russian returns fire with another right straight to the belly. Parlo score with a left hook and then a right low kick before blocking a spinning back fist. Parlo lands another crisp switch-kick to the liver that appears to hurt the Dagestani fighter. Aliev sits down and shoots feebly to avoid taking a big shot. Parlo pushes him back and forces him to defend from half guard as the Dane fires with ground-and-pound. Parlo stands and wings more hard punches to end the final frame.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Parlo (29-28 Aliev)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Parlo (29-28 Aliev)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Parlo (29-28 Aliev)

Official result: All three judges -- Steven Elliot, T.Y. Evans and Andrew Hopper Jr. -- score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Sultan Aliev. Aliev advances to the semifinals of Bellator's Season 8 middleweight tournament.

Aaron Johnson vs. Brennan Ward

Round 1
Johnson throws a low kick to start proceedings, but it goes wide. He throws another kick, this time to the body, but Ward catches his body kick and puts Johnson on his back. The Georgian takes a moment to lock up Ward's right arm and then locks up a lightning-fast armbar. Johnson has it deep immediately and forces “The Irish Bad Boy” to tap out instantly. The sudden submission end comes in just 15 short seconds for Johnson.

Mont McMullens vs. David Mejia

Round 1
Mejia immediately moves forward, but McMullens catches him with a leg kick. “The Freight Train” lands a jab, but his fellow North Carolinian continues to land with kicks. Mejia takes the fight to the floor and works from half-guard against the cage. McMullens stands, but his opponent again trips him to the floor, this time landing in side control. The 39-year-old turns away from strikes uses the cage to perform a back somersault. Unimpressed, Mejia continues to pop the his foe with punches on the ear, and a turtled McMullens can do nothing to escape.

McMullens remains on all fours while Mejia smacks him with rights and lefts until finally referee Al Coley waves the contest off, giving Mejia the stoppage victory at 4:15 of the first round.

Bellator Season 8 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Doug Marshall vs. Andreas Spang

Round 1
Spang connects with a smooth straight right, but Marshall fires back with a left hook. “The Rhino” lands a left hook and then whiffs on a second attempt. Marshall appears to hurt “The Sweet Swede” briefly, but Spang covers up nicely and returns fire with a body kick. Fight fighters stall against the cage, and Miragliotta restarts them. Marshall cracks Spang with a nice right, but the 34-year-old recovers quickly. The former WEC light heavyweight champion then suddenly smashes Spang with a big right hand that spins Spang completely around on his way to the canvas.

Marshall nearly pounces as Spang rolls to face him, but then breaks into celebration as referee Dan Miragliotta grab him to stop the bout. The official end comes at 3:03 of the first round. Doug Marshall advances to the semifinals of Bellator's Season 8 middleweight tournament.

Bellator Season 8 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Brett Cooper vs. Norman Paraisy

Round 1
Paraisy lands with a stiff jab to start the middleweight contest. Cooper closes the distance with a short right and sees a takedown stuffed against the cage. The Long Beach, Calif., resident scores with a double-leg on his second attempt, but Paraisy pops right back up. Relentless, “Fudoshin” grabs a single-leg and runs the pipe, but the Frenchman returns to his feet and lands a series of knees to the body, finishing with a solid left hook to Cooper’s cheek. Cooper again hits a double-leg takedown, dumping Paraisy on his shoulder. The Parisian again stands and scores a takedown of his own, only to watch Cooper quickly regain his vertical base. Another takedown for Cooper lands him in half guard against the cage. Paraisy recovers guard as the round expires.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cooper
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Cooper
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cooper

Round 2
Cooper drops Paraisy early in round two with a pair of gorgeous uppercuts, but the French fighter somehow recovers to his feet. The American then puts him back on the canvas, this time with an outside trip. Paraisy uses an underhook from the half-guard to stand, and Cooper bulls him against the cage, connecting his hands and dumping Paraisy on his face with another takedown. The Frenchman again works to his feet, and Cooper again dumps him to the floor with a power double. Cooper fishes for an arm-triangle choke but can’t find it, and Paraisy stands and hits a single-leg takedown of his own to finish the frame.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Cooper
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-8 Cooper
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cooper

Round 3
Cooper steps inside and scores another quick takedown. Paraisy stands and “Fudoshin” dumps him to the mat once more. That sequence is repeated once more and Cooper separates, firing off an uppercut before hitting another powerful double-leg slam. Paraisy tries to stand once again, but this time Cooper takes his back. Paraisy shucks him off and lands in top position, but the 25-year-old American escapes to his feet and scores with another double-leg. Cooper’s pounds away from guard and should have a clear-cut decision locked up as the final bell sounds.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cooper (30-26 Cooper)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Cooper (30-26 Cooper)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cooper (30-27 Cooper)

Official result: All three judges -- Steven Elliot, T.Y. Evans and Andrew Hopper Jr. -- score the bout 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Brett Cooper. Cooper advances to the semifinals of Bellator's Season 8 middleweight tournament.

Bellator Season 8 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Dan Cramer vs. Brian Rogers

Round 1
Both middleweights come out swinging. Cramer grabs a Thai plum and lands a beautiful knee before switching to a single-collar and connecting with an uppercut. Rogers responds by scoring with a slick lateral drop, but “Cosmo” reverses him and lands in half guard. Rogers kicks the American Top Team rep off and stands, only to eat an uppercut on his way up. Cramer trips “The Professional Predator” to the canvas, but Rogers regains his base. Cramer lands a nice lead right hand but absorbs and sharp inside low kick on the counter. Rogers again counters a looping right with a one-two of his own, but Cramer is undeterred. Rogers then charges forward and unloads with a flurry of shots to the body and chin. Cramer complains of what appears to be an eye poke, but the referee Al Coley allows the action to continue. Rogers throws a body kick but slips and Cramer works on a rear waistlock until the bell sounds.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cramer
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Cramer
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cramer

Round 2
Rogers wades forward and connects with a nice left hook before hitting another powerful lateral drop. The Ohioan pounds away briefly but elects to stand up and back off. Cramer then pops the two-time tournament vet, but Rogers again throws him to the mat. Rogers allows “Cosmo” to stand, and Cramer hits a double-leg of his own. “The Professional Predator” works to his feet but eats a nice right hand from the Connecticut native, who then scores with a trip and passes to side control. Cramer nearly mounts his man, but Rogers recovers half guard and then slickly escapes to his feet. Rogers rushes Cramer and both men wing punches to close out a competitive second frame, with Rogers landing the better shots.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Rogers
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Rogers
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rogers

Round 3
Cramer connects with that same straight right hand to start the third, and the men clinch against the cage. Rogers tries his throw once again, but Cramer this time fends off the attempt. Both men appear arm weary now but Cramer lands a clean right straight. Rogers responds in kind, but Cramer catches a Thai plum and drops the 14-fight pro with a knee to the jaw. Cramer follows him down to the ground, but Rogers fends off his ground-and-pound from half guard. “Cosmo” passes to side control and mounts once again with great shoulder pressure, but Rogers bucks him off and tries a heel hook. Cramer slips out and the middleweights take their feet again.

Rogers lands a flying knee and follows up with several wicked shots with both hands.Cramer wobbles but stays vertical, clinching with Rogers to prevent more offense. Rogers tries another throw, but Cramer lands in top position and punches away to the head and body to end the wildly entertaining fight.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cramer (29-28 Cramer)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Cramer (29-28 Cramer)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cramer (29-28 Cramer)

Official result: Judge T.Y. Evans sees it 30-27, while judges Steven Elliot and Andrew Hooper Jr. have it 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Dan Cramer. Dan Cramer is the final semifinalist in the Bellator Season 8 middleweight tournament.

For the Bellator Bantamweight Championship
Eduardo Dantas vs. Marcos Galvao

Round 1
Dantas scores with two low kicks and jab, while Galvao scores with a low kick of his own. Two more stiff jabs come from “Dudu,” and the challenger responds with another leg kick. Still on his bicycle, the champion uses his speed advantage to connect with a leg kick but stumbles as a result. “Loro” gives chase and grabs and standing waistlock against the cage. Galvao tries to elevate him with the rear waistlock, but the 24-year-old adequately defends with a wide base. Galvao unclasps his hands, and “Dudu” connects with a stinging left hook and then a push kick to the jaw. The champion's jab looks fantastic so far. Dantas whiffs on a one-two and then eats a knee followed by a glancing right hand that appears to open a cut over Dantas’ right eye. Both men connect cleanly as the round comes to a close.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Dantas
Tristen Critchfield scores the round 10-9 Dantas
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Dantas

Round 2
Dantas rifles a low kick to start the second, and Galvao retorts with the same technique. Dantas fires another jab, and the men again trade low kicks and then glancing right crosses. Dantas rattles off five or six unanswered strikes from the outside, touching his teammate with several clean blows before cracking Galvao with a head kick. The 31-year-old buckles but somehow recovers to trade haymakers with the aggressive champion. Dantas lands a sharp spinning-back kick and then drops his teammate with a beautiful right uppercut. Galvao falls flat as a board, and “Dudu” finishes the job with a series of hammerfists to retain his bantamweight belt. Brutal knockout. The official end comes at 3:01 of the second frame.