Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00You also had Francesca Nuzzi versus Mando Gutierrez.
00:03Berserker Nuzzi was 28-year-old's Italian fight.
00:05Most of his fights were in the Italian leagues before coming.
00:08One fight in PFL, one fight in PFL Europe.
00:10Gutierrez, a 28-year-old American, coming in on a two-fight win streak,
00:14but hadn't had much experience in the upper levels.
00:16We've seen him in Lights Out.
00:17We've seen him in other promotions.
00:19Hadn't been here like Nuzzi had, that taste of experience in the PFL.
00:24But it didn't matter.
00:25Gutierrez wins by first-round rear naked choke.
00:27He was coming in right away trying to push the pace.
00:29He was being aggressive, putting the Italian on the back foot,
00:31letting some good combos, some leg kicks during the first few rounds,
00:35the first few minutes of the round.
00:37Nuzzi has some good answers here and there, some good counters,
00:40but wasn't the same as his opponent in Gutierrez.
00:42Just over two minutes left, Nuzzi slipped.
00:45Gutierrez jumps on him, gets the back, gets the hooks in.
00:48Eventually the body triangle, and later in the round,
00:51sinks in the choke to get the finish.
00:53Said in his post-fight interview that he was told the Italian,
00:56when talking with his pre-fight interview, told the cameraman and told the interviewers
01:00that he didn't really see much from his opponent that impressed him,
01:03that he'd hope he's impressed now because he just lost to him.
01:06He also said that him and Wetzel are friends.
01:08Justin Wetzel, who he will go on to fight in the semis,
01:10but that friendship is suspended until they are done fighting.
01:14They faced off.
01:15They had still some love for each other, a lot of respect,
01:18but that's going to be thrown out the window
01:20when these two guys got to face each other in the semis.
01:22And Justin Wetzel is in the semis because he beats Kasim Kosomov right before that.
01:26The 30-year-old Russian was 16-1.
01:28Only two fights in Bellator, but both those by decision.
01:31He was supposed to fight Ciaran Clark, who got his MCL injured.
01:34Then Wetzel steps in.
01:35The 33-year-old American was on a three-fight winning streak.
01:37He makes that four.
01:38Missed weight, but unlike the main event,
01:41and unlike the fight last week that got pulled because of the weight miss,
01:44he was still able to fight.
01:45Wasn't as egregious, so the fight went on.
01:48Kosomov was a huge favorite betting, but that didn't matter.
01:50Wetzel gets the unanimous decision win.
01:52Just worked him over and over, trying to get him down to the ground.
01:55Just going for the takedown.
01:57Eventually, he was getting it.
01:58Round one went to Wetzel, in my opinion.
02:00The AI and the fans picked it for Kosomov.
02:03I didn't see it that way.
02:04I thought Kosomov was throwing some knees in the clinch against the cage,
02:07but really weren't landing.
02:08I thought Wetzel did better.
02:09Round two, you had, for me, I thought that went to Kosomov.
02:13AI and the fans gave it to Wetzel,
02:14so we're definitely disagreeing on this fight throughout the first two rounds,
02:17but Wetzel's doing a good job in the third round,
02:19getting some combos, landing a takedown,
02:21getting some good strikes on the ground.
02:22I think that was what's since it for him,
02:25doing a good job on the ground in that third round.
02:27He gets the fight 29-28.
02:28In my book, all the judges have it unanimous.
02:31Ford Wetzel, 30-27 on two cards, 29-28 on one card.
02:34So I don't know.
02:35How do you get 30-27?
02:36You got to give some to Kosomov at the end of the second round,
02:39but still, Wetzel gets the decision victory,
02:41and he moves on to face his friend,
02:43and now foe, in Gutierrez.
02:46On the premium card, you had Juliana Velasquez making her fight there
02:51against Ekaterina Shalakova.
02:55Shakalova, the Ukrainian, stepping in there late notice,
02:57a 27-year-old, not as experienced,
02:59not a champion like her opponent, Velasquez.
03:01Did it matter?
03:02She comes right out putting the pressure on her,
03:04gets her down early in the fight,
03:06eventually getting the first-round submission two minutes and five seconds in
03:09after working to find what she needed to to get the hooks in,
03:13sinking it in and getting the finish.
03:15She'll face Jenna Bishop in the semis, who won earlier on the card.
03:18Jake Hadley also moves on.
03:20The English fighter fighting Matias Matos was supposed to fight Kamidov,
03:23but Matos replaces him,
03:25and Hadley does a good job with a third-round submission.
03:28Both guys doing some great stuff.
03:29Matos, you know, doing some good leg kicks in the fight,
03:31but Hadley eventually taking over late and getting the Scottish twister,
03:35not one you normally see.
03:37Earlier, as we said, Bishop winning over Kana Watanabe,
03:41the Japanese fighter, Bishop, I thought, did a great job.
03:44In the first round, put the pressure on.
03:46Watanabe did good in the second.
03:47Bishop found her footing in the third.
03:49She gets the victory there by judges,
03:51and also you had a win there by Laura Donna,
03:54who moves on by first-round submission, neck crank.
03:56So a great job by all those fighters.
03:58They move on to the semifinals of their tournaments.