Bellator 130 results: Emanuel Newton survives early trouble, taps Linton Vassell

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Linton Vassell may not have been Emanuel Newton’s toughest test on paper, but he wound up giving him a massive challenge.

Vassell had countless submission attempts in the first two rounds and had Newton in near constant trouble. But Newton survived, and early in the fifth, he was able to tap Vassell with a rear-naked choke to retain his light heavyweight title in the Bellator 130 main event.

Bellator 130 took place at Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane. The main card aired on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

Newton came out swinging right away against the taller Vassell, then threw a spinning kick up high. Two minutes in, Newton unleashed his famed spinning backfist, but Vassell was waiting for it. Moments later, the two scrambled on the ground after Newton tried to drag the fight there. But Newton found himself in trouble seconds later when Vassell got to full mount and then took Newton’s back. He got a body triangle latched on and went for a rear-naked choke. Newton fought out of it, but Vassell swept with a kimura attempt before getting one more try at the choke. But Newton worked out again. He looked for a guillotine and tried to fall back with it, but Vassell slipped it and with 30 seconds left, Newton again found himself having his back taken, and then mounted. Again, Newton escaped, and he looked for his own choke to close the round.

Newton tried for a takedown early in the second, but Vassell used that to his advantage until Newton scrambled out to get on top. But Vassell went to town on Newton’s left arm. Newton raised his hand and appeared ready to tap. But he didn’t, escaped and again tried to get something going on top. Vassell got to mount again after a scramble, then took Newton’s back in a familiar scene. A deep rear-naked choke with 45 seconds left in the round threatened Newton, but again he survived.

Newton came close with a spinning back kick early in the third, but it was clear he had to come from behind in a big way. Newton got a takedown a couple minutes in and looked to land heavy hands as Vassell covered up on the ground. With 90 seconds left, Newton went after an arm triangle, but couldn’t keep the choke on and Vassell swept to side control.

In the fourth, Newton took advantage of a tiring Vassell and continued to wear him down. But he would need to go to the fifth to seal the deal. Newton scrambled around and took Vassell’s back. He got an arm under the chin, and Vassell had just enough energy to tap out to the rear-naked choke.

“I knew I was going to get the choke. I thought it was going to be in the first round, but Linton’s tough,” Newton said. “The man just keeps coming. I knew my cardio would prevail, and I’d get the victory. I’ve just got to get back in the gym, keep training hard and get better. I’ll be ready and even more prepared next time, and I’m going to come out here and get the victory.”

Newton (24-8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) won for the seventh straight time. Vassell (14-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) had a nine-fight winning streak snapped and suffered his first loss under the Bellator banner.

Lashley makes easy work of Etherington

Bobby Lashley had to take a mild bit of low-blow punishment, but once he worked through that, he made easy work of Karl Etherington en route to a first-round stoppage and the first loss of Etherington’s career. Etherington tied Lashley (12-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) up early on the fence, but an Etherington (9-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) low knee got Lashley a brief break. On the restart, though, referee Rob Hinds put them in the middle. That may have been good for Etherington, but it wasn’t long before Lashley made it not matter. Etherington tried to throw Lashley, and his legs slipped out from underneath him. As he covered up on the ground, Lashley hammered away to get the finish with relative ease just about 90 seconds into the fight.

Despite KO hopes, Coenen gets another submission

Marloes Coenen talked in the buildup to her Bellator debut about how she wanted to win by a knockout, for once. In the end, once again, she had to settle for a submission of Annalisa Bucci. Coenen (22-6 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) came out quickly, landing an easy takedown just seconds into the fight. And despite her hope to end a fight with a knockout, a rare occurrence for her, she quickly took full back mount and went after a rear-naked choke. Bucci (7-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) stayed patient, though, and eventually got to top position with Coenen forced to work out of guard two minutes in. Referee John McCarthy ordered a standup with 100 seconds left in the round. With a minute left, Coenen dropped down for a takedown and started to land solid elbows. She threatened with an armbar late, but Bucci saw the second round. That second frame featured a patient Coenen looking for openings, and Bucci looking like a solid test. Quickly into the third, though, Coenen found herself in an awkward position on the ground. But she made it work. Wrapping her arm in, she sank in a rear-naked choke and forced the tap from Bucci.

Jansen returns, dominates Hawn

Dave Jansen can kick, ladies and gentlemen. After a lengthy injury layoff, Jansen (20-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) returned on Friday and used a staggering kickboxing work rate to take a unanimous decision from Rick Hawn (18-4 MMA, 10-4 BMMA) in a crucial lightweight bout. The fight started as a kickboxing match, with both fighters ripping off slapping leg kicks with very little in the way of punching until a little more than a minute in. And that really was the story of the fight for Jansen. A minute in, Hawn connected on a big right hand that put Jansen on his backside. Jansen popped right back up, though, and that would continue throughout the fight – Jansen landing kicks at will, and Hawn trying to land a home-run shot that never came.

Official Bellator 130 results include:

MAIN CARD

Emanuel Newton def. Linton Vassell via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 5, 0:47 – to retain light heavyweight title
Bobby Lashley def, Karl Etherington via submission (strikes) – Round 1, 1:31
Marloes Coenen def. Annalisa Bucci via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 0:57
Dave Jansen def. Rick Hawn via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

PRELIMINARY CARD