Yahoo Sports Bellator 143 Results: Joe Warren Grinds Out Decision Over L.C. Davis
Joe Warren showed his ground game was superior to anything L.C. Davis presented him, earning a unanimous decision in the main event at Bellator 143 in Hidalgo, Texas on Saturday.
Warren worked to get takedowns and keep Davis on the floor, remaining in top position on his way to scores of 30-27 across the judges' panel.
“I had to get that win tonight and Davis was an extremely tough opponent,” Warren said, following the win.
Warren worked early to bring Davis down to the canvas in the first round. Once Warren secured that takedown, Davis remained on his back and his opponent remained on top of him. The advantageous fighter worked in short strikes while controlling the position.
After an inadvertent eye-poke by Warren early in the second, Davis found success in keeping the fight standing for a majority of the frame. He fended off takedown attempts with counterstrikes, but Davis eventually fell victim to the takedown around the three-minute mark. From there, Warren controlled, once again, from top position.
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Warren remained relentless in bringing the fight to the ground in the final stanza. Utilizing the body clinch, Warren dictated Davis' position, bringing the fight down to the cage floor with every attempt to stand up.
After the bout, Warren made it clear he wants his next fight to be for the Bellator bantamweight belt.
“I don’t really care who wins the [Marcos] Galvao vs. [Eduardo] Dantas fight, but I will get another shot at the title,” he said.
With the win, Warren improves to 17-6-1 and will likely face the winner of Galvao and Dantas.
In the co-main event, former “The Utlimate Fighter” winner and current Bellator middleweight Kendall Grove beat fellow UFC alum Joey Beltran by knockout.
Grove was on the receiving end of several strikes against the fence until he managed to find his way to the center of the cage. While there, he landed a right hand that sent Beltran crashing to the canvas. A couple more punches and Grove was pulled off his opponent at 2:27 of Round 3.
In earlier main card action, Emmanuel Sanchez earned a split decision over Henry Corrales, and Vinicius Queiroz scored an arm-triangle choke in the fourth round over Ewerton Teixeira.
(Image courtesy of Bellator MMA)
