‘Rampage’ Jackson Wrecks Joey Beltran with Last-Second Left Hook at Bellator 108

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Quinton Jackson put his fists on Joey Beltran, and like so many others before him, “The Mexecutioner” went down.

Jackson victimized Beltran in his Bellator MMA debut, as he took out the rugged Alliance MMA representative with a clean left hook in the first round of their Bellator 108 main event on Friday at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Jackson (33-11, 1-0 Bellator) sealed it with just one second to spare in the opening frame.

Beltran (14-10, 1-1 Bellator) largely neutralized “Rampage” with a series of clinches, as he pinned the former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder against the fence and pecked away at him with punches to the head and body. Undeterred, Jackson moved forward in the closing seconds of round one and let his hands fly. The left hook sank Beltran where he stood, and a follow-up right hand resulted in the stoppage.

“I’m back,” said Jackson, who entered the cage on the first three-fight losing streak of his career. “Everybody in my weight class better be shaking in their boots. I
proved I still got it. If I can train hard, I can deliver hard.”

Undefeated Minakov Dethrones Volkov

Four-time sambo world champion Vitaly Minakov ousted countryman Alexander Volkov with a ringing right uppercut and follow-up standing-to-ground punches to become the third heavyweight titleholder in the brief history of the Bellator organization. Volkov (19-4, 3-1 Bellator) met his end 2:57 into round one, his 10-fight winning streak a thing of the past.

Minakov (13-0, 4-0 Bellator) pressed into the clinch with knees and elbows. He then swept into top position after a failed suplex attempt left him underneath the champion on the canvas.

After a restart, the undefeated 28-year-old uncorked the uppercut that marked the beginning of the end for Volkov. Minakov pounced with lefts and rights as he hovered over the fallen “Drago,” one last left to the head leading referee Dan Miragliotta to intervene.

“It was my strategy for this fight to keep pressure [on Volkov],” Minakov said. “It was a successful tactic.”

Galvao Dominates Overmatched McKenna

Two-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Marcos Galvao dispatched Tom McKenna with first-round ground-and-pound from the mount in a one-sided bantamweight showcase. McKenna (7-4, 0-1 Bellator) succumbed to the blows 4:29 into round one, his promotional debut brought to a merciful conclusion by referee Keith Peterson.

Galvao (15-6-1, 5-3 Bellator) struck for a pair of takedowns and went to work on the mat. He transitioned seamlessly from McKenna’s back to full mount, battering his Louisville-based counterpart as he went.

Late in the first round, the punishment became too much for McKenna to withstand. Buried underneath the Galvao mount, he covered up when confronted by a quick volley of punches, forcing Peterson’s hand.

‘Pitbull’ Blitzes Wilcox in Featherweight Final

Team Nogueira’s Patricio Freire wiped out Strikeforce veteran Justin Wilcox with first-round punches in the Bellator Season 9 featherweight tournament final. Freire (21-2, 9-2 Bellator) sealed the deal 2:32 into round one, as he recorded his fourth consecutive victory.

Wilcox (13-6, 2-1 Bellator) never had a chance. “Pitbull” sprawled out of his takedown attempts and staggered him with more than one multi-punch combination. Midway through the first round, the heavy-handed Brazilian floored Wilcox and swarmed him with unanswered punches for the stoppage.

“When I felt that he was hurt,” Freire said, “I went for the finish.”

The win secures a $100,000 payday for “Pitbull,” along with a crack at the Bellator featherweight crown currently held by Daniel Straus.

“This is my dream,” said Freire, who defeated Straus by unanimous decision at Bellator 45 in May 2011. “I’m ready for another war.”

Prelims: DeBlass Left Hook KOs Lambert

In preliminary action, former two-division Ring of Combat champion Tom DeBlass (9-2, 2-0 Bellator) knocked out Jason Lambert (26-13, 1-1 Bellator) with a left hook 1:45 into the first round of their light heavyweight duel; Sam Oropeza (10-2, 2-1 Bellator) needed less than a minute -- 37 seconds, to be exact -- to put away Chip Moraza-Pollard (7-6, 0-1 Bellator) with a brutal burst of punches in a catchweight tilt; UFC and Strikeforce veteran Nah-Shon Burrell (11-3, 1-0 Bellator) took a unanimous verdict from Jesus Martinez (8-5, 0-3 Bellator) in another catchweight encounter, earning 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 marks from the judges; World Extreme Cagefighting alum Anthony Morrison (18-10, 1-0
Bellator) toppled Kenny Foster by majority decision in a controversial lightweight affair: 30-26, 29-27 and 28-28; undefeated Englishman Liam McGeary (6-0, 3-0 Bellator) kept his perfect professional record intact, as he elicited a tapout from Mojtaba Najim Wali (3-3, 0-1 Bellator) with an armbar 91 seconds into the first round of their battle at 205 pounds; Team Balance representative Will Martinez (8-2-1, 4-0 Bellator) submitted journeyman Kevin Roddy (13-15-1, 1-1 Bellator) with a rear-naked choke 3:50 into round one of their featherweight scrap; Daddis Fight Camps export Dan Matala (1-0, 1-0 Bellator) stopped Ryan Cafaro (0-1, 0-1 Bellator) on punches 3:52 into the second round of their featherweight
clash; and Robert Sullivan (3-1, 1-0 Bellator) captured a unanimous decision over Sergio da Silva (1-5, 0-1 Bellator) at 135 pounds, sweeping the scorecards by 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 counts.