The SAP Center in San Jose, California is the site for Bellator 183. The event is headlined by former UFC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson. The event will also feature UFC veterans Roy Nelson, Paul Daley, Lorenz Larkin, and Adam Picolotti. Other notable fighters on the card include Goiti Yamauchi and Aaron Pico.
Henderson vs. Freire
Patricky “Pitbull” Freire defeated Benson Henderson on Bellator 183 in a split-decision match-up. Freire took home $110,000 in prize money for his victory, while Henderson was awarded $50,000. The bout also saw the debut of Roy Nelson, who earned $60,000 for his promotional debut.
In the opening round, the fight is a back-and-forth affair. The fight starts slow and then picks up. The fight starts slowly, and after a short break, Henderson looks for a takedown. Freire blocks a takedown attempt and tries to dig in, but the Brazilian tries to defend himself. Both fighters land kicks to the body, but both are unable to capitalize on the takedown attempt.
Freire has been knocked out once, but has won three of his last four fights. He defeated Josh Thomson at Bellator 172 in February, and then beat Matt Chandler in June. He was originally scheduled to fight Derek Campos in Bellator 181’s headliner, but withdrew.
The main event of Bellator 183 featured two former UFC champions. Benson Henderson and Patricio Freire have a history of winning, but this is Henderson’s first Bellator fight against Freire. Both men won their first fights in Bellator and are in contention for titles.
The two fighters have good striking ability and plenty of experience in MMA. However, Henderson has a difficult time with distance. His jab won a decision over Eddie Alvarez, and his leg kicks were ill-distanced. Patrick Henderson is a very hittable fighter, but he doesn’t cut the cage the way he needs to.
Nelson vs. Ayala
Nelson landed a nice body kick early on, but Ayala quickly connected with a right hand. Nelson followed up with a knee to the body and an uppercut, but Ayala got out of position and scored a takedown. Nelson then worked from half guard and scored with ground-and-pound. Ayala eventually managed to escape a takedown attempt from Nelson, ending the round in full mount.
Nelson’s Heavyweight title has been on a vacancy since May last year, and it’s been more than a year since he’s defended it. While the wait has been long, Nelson only has one regret. He has only fought in one promotion, Bellator. However, that doesn’t make him unhappy, and he’s not concerned about getting title fights or non-title fights in the meantime.
Javy Ayala and Roy Nelson will square off in the heavyweight division. Javy Ayala won Bellator 163 with a knockout, but Nelson likely wouldn’t have faced him in his Bellator debut. The fight is scheduled for Sept. 23 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California and will air live on Spike.
Nelson’s record stands at 4-1-1. He has three consecutive victories. His two losses came in MMA and one UFC fight. He’s a tough opponent, but he can fight. He has a strong submission defense and can put together a devastating combination.
Nelson will make his Bellator debut against Ayala in the co-main event of Bellator 183. He recently signed with the company and last fought in Bellator 165. Freire, meanwhile, has two losses in Bellator but one of them came via knockout.
Larkin vs. Daley
Larkin enters this bout with a powerful arsenal and a 61 percent knockout percentage, but it remains to be seen how that affects him on fight night. The Brazilian made his promotional debut with a title fight against Douglas Lima last June. He also has marquee wins over Robbie Lawler, Jorge Masvidal, and Neil Magny. In his upcoming fight against Paul Daley, he’ll look to add another notch to his impressive resume.
In the co-main event of Bellator 183, welterweight Lorenz Larkin will face Paul Daley. In his Bellator debut, Larkin lost to Douglas Lima, but he’s hoping to rebound against Daley. The co-main event also features former UFC welterweight contender Benson Henderson, and Patricky Freire.
The fight starts with high kicks from both fighters, and both men trade hooks and leg kicks. After a few exchanges, Larkin catches Daley with a straight right. Daley attempts to counter with a head kick, but is caught by a powerful left hand. Daley is then caught in a triangle, which Larkin is able to shrug off.
The Bellator promotion has signed Larkin from the UFC earlier this year. He was granted a shot at the 170-pound title against Douglas Lima in his promotional debut, but lost via unanimous decision. Larkin is now 18-6 in his professional career.
Lorenz Larkin has been a standout welterweight for a while, but he’s now making his first professional fight in Bellator. Daley, meanwhile, has been waging a war with Michael Page for quite some time. In this upcoming Bellator 183 event, Larkin is looking to get revenge on Daley.
Page vs. Daley
Michael Page and Michael Daley are both undefeated and looking to improve their record. Michael Page has a record of 11 knockouts and eight TKOs. Daley is 40-16-2, with one loss coming to Jon Fitch in May. He won his last Bellator fight by starching Lorenz Larkin, and he has a reputation as one of the top lightweights.
Daley has 30 knockouts. Daley is a former UFC fighter who recently fought in a comeback bout, where he defeated Lorenz Larkin. Before that, he lost to Jon Fitch at Bellator 199. Daley and Page have been trash talking since 2016. In 2016, Bellator tried to get them to fight, but Daley felt Page had not earned the bout.
In Bellator 183, Page and Daley will face a few familiar faces. Semtex has been critical of the Bellator organization for giving him wrestlers he cannot beat. However, Semtex is not as weak as Daley, who has eight knockouts and no losses. Daley is a four-time veteran and a two-time World Series of Fighting veteran.
After a heated first round, Larkin scored a body kick and went on the offensive. Larkin fought back with body kicks, but Daley’s jab did not work and his takedown attempts proved unsuccessful. Larkin managed to tie up Daley against the fence, but was knocked out by a hammer fist from Paul Daley.
