Bellator 'Salute the Troops' results: Michael Chandler starts third title run with whitewash of Brent Primus

HONOLULU – It wasn’t always the most aesthetically pleasing affair, but Michael Chandler (19-4 MMA, 16-4 BMMA) is again Bellator’s lightweight champion after scoring a dominant decision win over a previously undefeated Brent Primus (8-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA).

The contest served as the main event of Friday’s Bellator 212 event,  which took place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.

Chandler pressed forward quickly at the opening bell and had to slide away from a few kicks at various levels. Still, Chandler stayed close and looked for opportunities to let his hands go. Primus continued to favor kicks in the early going, and his volume was high enough to keep Chandler at range until a big left hand landed clean. Primus nearly hit the deck but popped right back to his feet, where Chandler was patient in his attacks. With Primus swinging back, Chandler pushed forward and drove the action to the canvas.

Working from his opponent’s guard, Chandler drove in a few short punches and elbows while also keeping himself out of trouble as Primus looked for options from his back. Primus received a few warnings for latching his toes in the cage, but it was worth it to help keep things tied up underneath. Chandler threw strikes when possible, though it wasn’t massive volume, and he finished the round in top position.

Chandler looked to engage quickly again in the second, though he did have to be wary of Primus’ kicks. As Chandler looked to dart in and out of range, Primus clipped him and sent him toppling to the canvas. He hopped on the back and began looking for the choke. Chandler battles the hands well, but Primus continued to squeeze. The moments were tense, but Chandler finally found space to spin inside, giving him top position.

With the huge switch in momentum, Chandler started to work from the top, posturing and standing before diving back in with punches. Primus did his best to threaten with his legs, working to get his limbs up the back, but Chandler battled through, dropping in short strikes when space allowed. Primus kept the action close but didn’t get much offense in the late stages of the frame.

Chandler pressed quickly again in the third, loading up on big punches, even if he had to walk through his opponent’s strikes to deliver them. Chandler eventually punched his way in close, ducking down and grabbing the legs and pulling Primus to the floor. Primus briefly isolated his opponent’s right arm, but Chandler immediately postured and pulled free.

Chandler continued the grind from top position, dropping punches and elbows to the head and body. Primus tried to control the wrists and set up something from the bottom, but Chandler was too alert. As time continued to wind down, Primus tried to spin for a leg and then roll to his feet, but Chandler was up to the scramble, establishing himself again in the dominant spot, where he finished the round.

Primus was the aggressor to start the fourth, coming out wild with a running advance and big kicks. Chandler tried to strike but quickly decided it was easier to take it to the floor, changing levels and earning the takedown in the opening minute. Primus tried to shift his hips and scramble, but Chandler was dominant on top and kept his opponent punned to the floor.

Chandler was relentless on top, never landing concussive blows but staying busy enough to rack up points and leave nothing to chance. Primus was active from his back but largely ineffective, not really offering much in the way of offense until the final minute, when he nearly got the right arm into jeopardy before Chandler pulled it back to safety.

Chandler seemed the fresher man in the fifth, but as he moved forward to engage, Primus was happy to dig in his heels and fire back. After a few quick exchanges, Chandler again turned to the takedown to get himself in a dominant position. As they hit floor, Chandler started to bleed a bit from a few cuts on the face, but it was minor. More concerning was Primus’s attack on his left arm, which briefly threatened before Chandler was able to extract his limb from danger.

The crowd got a bit restless as Chandler worked from the top, but it was clear he was in control and racking up points. Primus finally scrambled to his feet in the final minute, but Chandler immediately took him back to the floor. Primus again isolated the arm for a moment, but the finish wasn’t there. Chandler pulled free and enjoyed control until the bell, taking home the lightweight title with a decision win, 50-45 on all three judges’ cards.

Ayala batters Mir in clinch

In the night’s co-feature Javy Ayala (11-7 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) survived some early submission threats to battle back for a bloody second-round TKO over Frank Mir (18-13 MMA, 0-2 BMMA).

Mir walked forward in the early going and had to eat a few punches to make his way to the clinch. Once there, Ayala actually pressed him to the cage before pulling away and returning to the center. Mir patiently worked on the feet before dipping for a single and then switching to a bodylock and forcing Ayala to the floor. From there, Mir worked from his opponent’s half-guard, using short punches to work position, briefly isolating the left arm but letting in go in favor of keeping dominant position, which he had advanced to side control.

After teasing the left arm a few times, Mir actually switched first to north-south and then back to side control before Ayala finally bucked enough to create room to scramble back to his feet. However, he didn’t stay there long, with Mir getting the fight to the floor again in the final minute, finishing the round in top position.

In the second, Ayala moved forward quickly with big punches, but Mir was able to slip under and bring the fight to the floor. Ayala crawled quickly back to his feet, and a few short strikes inside sliced Mir open, and blood began to stream down the left side of his face. Mir continued to work from the clinch, hunting the takedown, but Ayala sprawled well and was able to punch the body while Mir held his leg. Mir had to move and eventually worked back to his feet, but it was Ayala who was best in the position, continuing to pound away with short punches and elbows inside.

Mir eventually slipped off the cage and landing a big knee, seizing some momentum before rattling off big punches, but Ayala was able to gather his wits and again take control from the clinch, pounding away with punches and elbows until Mir tapped to the strikes, seemingly having lost a tooth with 30 seconds left in the frame.

McKee stays perfect with slick submission

In a featherweight feature, A.J. McKee (13-0 MMA, 13-0 BMMA) remained perfect through the first 13 fights of his pro career with a first-round submission win over Daniel Crawford (10-3 MMA, 0-2 BMMA).

McKee worked on the outside to start, firing kicks at range as he shifted laterally. Crawford exploded forward with powerful punches that largely missed but certainly caught his opponent’s attention. McKee then drove forward for a takedown, though Crawford sprawled well against the cage. McKee stayed with the effort, though, and eventually drug his foe to the canvas.

With McKee attacking from the top, Crawford turned his attention to the leg. It proved to be his undoing, as McKee spun through the hold and out to side control, then eventually to north-south. From there, he quickly latched on to an anaconda choke, adjusting his angle and stepping over the head with his leg to further increase the pressure. Crawford had no choice but to tap at the 3:19 mark of the first round.

Velasquez stays unbeaten

In women’s flyweight action, Brazilian contender Juliana Velasquez (8-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) kept her perfect record intact with a solid, albeit somewhat unspectacular, decision win over former title challenger Alejandra Lara (7-3 MMA, 1-2 BMMA).

Lara was aggressive to start, flashing out kicks in the early going, though Velasquez showed excellent timing with her counter replies. Lara did her best to stay mobile against what appeared to be a more powerful opponent, sticking and moving and hoping to stay out of the clinch. Velasquez couldn’t match the speed and instead did her best to capitalize in the moments the athletes were in close quarters.

As Lara again looked to stay as mobile as possible in the second, Velasquez began stalking from the center, cutting off the cage. She briefly took the fight to the floor but disengaged when Lara kicked her legs high, and when they returned to the feet, it was Velasquez who continued to get the best of the exchanges. Lara shot inside late in the round, coming up short but happily settling into guard. Unfortunately for her, things didn’t go much better in that position, either.

Lara eventually scrambled back up late in the final minute, but Velasquez tagged here, simply walking through her opponent’s punches to land her own.

Lara came out quickly in the third, looking to turn the tide, but she couldn’t land the big shot she wanted. Instead, it was Velasquez who measured the distance well and patiently picked out her own opportunities to pick apart her foe. Lara eventually changed levels and was able to secure her opponent’s left leg, but she struggled to get a submission attempt in deep. Velasquez worked to a seated position and actually landed a few big right hands while she defended a few heel-hook looks that never did quite get fully locked. Lara finally had to bail on the hold and scrambled up in the final 30 seconds, where she walked forward and punched away. However, it was clearly too little, too late.

Velasquez had to wait out a surprising split read, but took the win 29-28, 28-29 and 30-27.

Sicilia spoils Campos’ featherweight debut

In the night’s first main-card contest, Derek Campos (19-8 MMA, 8-6 BMMA) made his first trip down to 145 pounds but had his debut in the division ruined by a hard-hitting Sam Sicilia (17-9 MMA, 2-1 BMMA)

Campos took the center to start, but it was Sicilia who landed clean, nearly scoring a huge high kick but instead finding a right hand that buckled his foe’s knees. Campos recovered quickly, but Sicilia kept the pressure high with a non-stop barrage of power shots for the opening minute before finally settling into a more patient rhythm.

Campos recovered well and began to return fire, popping out a crisp jab and a few big right hands behind it. Sicilia took some flush shots but also covered well to deflect the majority of the attacks. In the final minute, Sicilia struck again, with a glancing left hand briefly staggering Campos, who again showed impressive recovery in crawling up and lasting until the bell.

Campos looked fresh to start the second, again establishing the center and looking to strike. Sicilia was happy to oblige, winging power hooks and big shots down the middle that found their mark. With Campos clearly staggered, Sicilia teed off and looked for the finish. However, Campos alertly moved to the clinch to slow things down. A takedown failed, and when Sicilia broke free, he started unloading with big punches while showing little regard for anything that might come in reply.

Campos showed an impressive chin in somehow staying on his feet before ultimately scoring the takedown he wanted late in the frame. However, once he was in top position, he wasn’t able to muster much offense. Campos did advance to mount in the final seconds, but Sicilia turned and crawled back to his feet at the bell.

Campos started quickly in the third, chopping at the legs and then punching his way into a takedown. Sicilia briefly exposed his back but was able to spin and keep himself safe before crawling up to his feet.

Sicilia’s pace slowed a bit on the restart, with Campos often finding himself first to the punch. Campos’ jab was true, and he began to add right hands behind it. Sicilia was stuck on defense until the final 90 seconds, when he started swinging back with authority. A left hook landed clean, followed by an overhand right, but Campos wouldn’t go away.

Campos took the fight to the floor in the final 15 seconds, punching away until the bell. In the end, two of three judges saw the fight for Sicilia, who took home a split decision, 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28.

Official Bellator “Salute the Troops” results include:

MAIN CARD (Paramount, DAZN, 10 p.m. ET)

• Michael Chandler def. Brent Primus via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) – to win lightweight title
• Javy Ayala def. Frank Mir via submission (strikes) – Round 2, 4:30
• A.J. McKee def. Daniel Crawford via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 1, 3:19
• Juliana Velasquez def. Alejandra Lara via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
• Sam Sicilia def. Derek Campos via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 8:45 p.m. ET)

• Nick Badis def. Paul Lopes via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:36
• Toby Misech def. Edward Thommes via TKO (knee, punches) – Round 3, 2:25
• Tywan Claxton def. Kaeo Meyer via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:56
• Robson Gracie Jr. def. Brysen Bolohao via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:00
• Chris Avila def. Brandon Pieper via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:44

For more on “Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops,” check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.