The seventh season of the Bellator Fighting Championships continues tonight with Bellator 77 from The Reading Eagle Theater in the Sovereign Center Reading, Pennsylvania.
The main card on MTV2 and in commercial free high definition on EPIX2 will start at 8 p.m. ET and live results and play by play will be available on TheMMAReport.com.
To discuss the fights, use the comments section below and follow Jason Floyd (@jason_floyd) and on Twitter for more details on this Bellator fight card.
Eric Albright vs. Brett Martinez
Round 1 – Martinez opened the action with a right hand and then looked for a takedown, which was unsuccessful. Albright would end up getting a takedown and be in top position. Martinez was able to get off his back and the fighters grappled against the cage, with Albright’s back to the cage. Alright would end up throwing Martinez to the ground and looked for a guillotine choke. Martinez was able to get out of the choke and the action went to the center of the cage. The fighters would continue to grapple each other and Albright would use an inside trip to get the takedown. While on his back, Martinez looked for an armbar but Albright escaped. While in the clinch, Albright landed several knees before Martinez escaped. Once again, Albright would get a takedown and was in side control. He looked for a shoulder lock, and landed several strikes as the round ended.
Round 2 – Alright looked for a takedown at the beginning of the round, but Martinez was able to stop the takedown. Martinez would end up catching Albright in a guillotine choke and he was able to escape the submission. The action would move to the ground after the fighters grappled against the cage with Albright in the better position. The fighters would move away from each other for a moment and Albright went for a takedown, which Martinez timed the takedown and went for the guillotine choke. Once again, Albright would escape and end up in top position. He would transition to his opponents back and began to work a rear-naked choke. Martinez would escape the hold and would get back to his feet. Albright would look for the takedown, but was caught once again in a guillotine choke and the fight would end with the submission.
Result: Brett Martinez def. Eric Albright via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 3:28
Duane Bastress vs. Ariel Sepulveda
Round 1 – Bastress opened the fight by using a strike to set up the takedown, but Sepulveda was able to stop it and landed it top position. While on the ground, Bastress looked for a heel hook submission, but Sepulveda was able to escape. The two would sprawl on the ground and Bastress was able to transition to get in top position. Bastress looked to lock in a guillotine choke and would end up getting the full mount. He would only be in the position for a split second and Sepulveda would get into the better position on the ground. The fighters would make it back to their feet and Sepulveda landed two high kicks. After landing a third high kick, Bastress looked to take the fight to the ground and Sepulveda looked for a choke. Bastress would end up in top position and into side control. He would land knees to the body of Sepulveda and the round would end in this position.
Round 2 – Bastress would be able to get a takedown in the first 30 seconds of the round and have top position. Sepulveda would be able to get off his back and the action went back to the center of the cage. With the action against the cage and Sepulveda’s back against the cage, referee Mario Yamasaki warns Bastress about holding the fence. After a lack of action, the fighters were separated. Once separated, Bastress would once again look for a takedown, which was successful. While on his back, Sepulveda looked for a kimura submission. Bastress escaped the potential submission and the fighters continued to grapple on the ground. With Bastress in top position, Sepulveda looked for a guillotine choke. After being stood up, the round ended in a striking position.
Round 3 – In the opening moments of the round, Sepulveda landed a low kick to the groin of Bastress. Yamasaki gives Sepulveda a warning and tells him to be careful on where he throws his kick. Bastress would be able to continue after taking around two minutes to recover. With the action continuing, the fighters exchange strikes before Bastress took the fight to the ground. Bastress would end up locking in a guillotine choke, but Sepulveda escaped and was in a dominate position. Sepulveda would attempt to land strikes and Bastress was able to transition and get in half guard. After not liking the ground action, Yamasaki stood the fighters up. Bastress looked for a single leg takedown and Sepulveda landed several strikes with Bastress hanging on to his legs and the round would end and the judges will decide this fight.
Result: Duane Bastress def. Ariel Sepulveda via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Cosmo Alexander vs. Mike Bannon
Round 1 – Alexander came out of his corner looking to take the center of the cage and went for a jump knee. Bannon would capitalize on the miss kick and take the fight to the ground. Alexander would get back to his feet and the fighters would exchange strikes. The fighters would grapple against the cage with Bannon looking for a double leg takedown. Alexander was able to stop the attempt and Bannon attempted to pull guard as Alexander threw kicks while Bannon was on the ground. After a lack of action, the referee had Bannon stand up. Bannon would look for another takedown and this time attempting a single leg. Alexander escaped the attempt and landed a right hand on the exit. The round would end with Bannon on the mat and Alexander throwing strikes.
Round 2 – Bannon looked for a single leg takedown 30 seconds into the round and used a leg trip to take the fight to the ground. He would be in top position and looked to transition into a better position. Alexander would escape and the fight was back to the feet. Bannon once again looked for a single leg takedown and Alexander once again stopped the attempt. Alexander looked to land a front kick which was caught and during an exchange, Bannon complained he was poked in the eye, which the referee did not believe. Bannon went for a takedown, which was stopped by Alexander and the round ended with the fighters grappling.
At the end of the round, the cage side doctor called the fight because Bannon could not see out of his left eye.
Result: Cosmo Alexander def. Mike Bannon via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00
EJ Brooks vs. Darrell Horcher
Round 1 – The fighters moved to the center of the cage and Horcher landed a counter left hand, which dropped Brooks and the end of the fight came at the 21 second mark of the fight. This fight was the lightweight tournament reserve fight and if someone get injured in the tournament, Horcher will be the replacement fighter.
Result: Darrell Horcher def. EJ Brooks via KO (strikes) – Round 1, :21
Carmelo Marrero vs. Lew Polley
Round 1 – Polley opened up the fight with a left hand and the fighters continued to exchange strikes. Marrero landed a combination with Polley backpedaling towards the cage. Marrero is getting the better part of the striking in the opening round with his best strikes as he is coming towards his opponent. Marrero looked to land a head kick, but Polley saw it coming and landed a strike that stunned him. Marrero would end up getting a takedown and looked to get the back of Polley. With the action back to the feet, Polley looked for a takedown before the end of the first round, which he was unable to finish.
Round 2 – The second round opened just as the first round went with the fighters exchanging strikes and neither fighter looking for a takedown. Polley continued to land body shots and Marrero countered that with a leg kick. The fighters exchanged strikes with Marrero being the aggressor. With one minute left in the round, Polley looked to push the action, but was unable to mount much offense.
Round 3 – The pace of the fight picked up at the beginning of the third round. The fighter exchange 2 punch combinations for several minutes, but never had their opponent in danger. Both fighters caused nearly no damage in the round and both seemed to be coasting to a decision win.
Result: Lew Polley def. Carmello Marrero via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Rene Nazare vs. Ricardo Tirloni
Round 1 – The action started with the fighters feeling each other out and Nazare went for a takedown, which he had for a moment. Tirloni would immediately get up and looked for a guillotine choke. He would escape the choke hold and the fighters separated. Nazare would look for a single leg takedown, but once again he could not keep him down. The fighters would grapple from the cage and Tirloni landed knees from the clinch before Nazare was able to escape. Once again, the fighters would grapple against the cage and this time Nazare had his back to the cage. At the end of the round, Nazare landed a two punch combination, which was his best strikes of the round.
Round 2 – The fighters exchange strikes and Nazare had Tirloni on his heels. Then, Tirloni was able to turn things around with several strikes and cause Nazare to look for a takedown. The fight went to the ground and Tirloni went for a D’Arce choke and Nazare tapped out and Tirloni wins by technical submission.
Result: Ricardo Tirloni def. Rene Nazare via submission (d’arce choke) – Round 2, 1:14
Marcin Held vs. Murad Machaev
Round 1 – Held opened the fight with a jumping knee and the fighters grappled against the cage for a moment. The fighters would separate and they both landed a right hand. Held continued to come forward with kicks and strikes. After a minute of stand up action, Held took the fight to the ground and controlled the action. Machaev would get back to his feet, but Held continue to push the pace. He finished the round looking for a submission, but ran out of time.
Round 2 – Held was able to take the fight to the ground, but once again he could not keep Machaev down. Machaev landed a left hand and appears to becoming more comfortable in the fight. The fight would go to the ground and Held looked for a submission. While Held was looking for a submission, Machaev was holding the shorts of Held and received a warning from the referee. The fighters would get back to the feet and Machaev continued to control the stand up portion of the fight.
Round 3 – Machaev came out swinging wild off balance punches, but none of the connected. Machaev would connect with a right and Held went to the ground. Held wanted Machaev to come to the ground and that did not happen and the referee told Held to stand up. The fighters exchange strikes and Held was having issues trying to get the fight to the ground. Held continued to land his jab where Machaev threw off balance punches that were not landing. The fight would come to an end and the judges will decide the winner.
Result: Marcin Held def. Murad Machaev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Dave Jansen vs. Magomed Saadulaev
Round 1 – Both fighters looked to establish their striking to set up their takedown and Saadulaev was the first one to look for a takedown. The fight would go to the ground and Jansen looked for two separate submission. Jansen would transition from his back to top position and Saadulaev looked for is own submissions. Saadulaev had a standing guillotine locked in and attempted to slam his opponent. The fight would go back to the ground and Saadulaev got the back of his opponent. He looked for a rear-naked choked and Jansen attempted to roll out of the position. He would eventually be able to transition and the fight went back to the feet. Saadulaev went for a takedown and Jansen went for a guillotine near the end of the round, but Saadulaev escaped.
Round 2 – After Jansen had him in the clinch, Saadulaev looked to take the fight to the ground, but was unsuccessful. Saadulaev continued to come forward with his hands down and appears to not be worried about the striking of Jansen. Jansen would end up taking the fight to the ground, and Saadulaev looked for a submission from his back. Jansen looked for an arm triangle choke, but Jansen gave up the hold when he realized he would not be able to finish the fight. From top position, Jansen landed several strikes and the round would end with the fighters in this position.
Round 3 – Saadulaev looked for the takedown at the beginning of the round, but Jansen was able to stop the attempt and went for a guillotine choke and finished the fight at the 41 second mark of the round.
Result: Dave Jansen def. Magomed Saadulaev via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, :41
Rich Clementi vs. Alexander Sarnavskiy
Round 1 – Sarnavskiy came out confident and landed several strikes, but Clement went for the takedown and jumped on the back of his opponent. Clementi looked to lock in a rear-naked choke. While looking for the choke, Clementi threw strikes in attempt to soften up Sarnavskiy for the choke hold. Clementi would end up locking in the rear-naked choke, but Sarnavskiy would some how survive the submission and make it to the end of the round.
Round 2 – Sarnavskiy opened the second round with several unanswered strikes and Clementi took the fight to the ground. He would be in top position and would once again get the back of Sarnavskiy. He looked for the rear-naked choke once again and Sarnavskiy would be able to defend the takedown and transition to top position. From his back, Clementi looked for an armbar, but was not back to lock the hold in. After being stood up, Sarnavskiy landed strikes that appeared to rock Clementi and he took the fight to the ground as the round ended.
Round 3 – At the start of the round, Sarnavskiy landed several big shots and dropped Clementi. While on the ground, Clementi looked for a toe hold, but that was unsuccessful. Sarnavskiy would end up in top position and Clementi looked for a kimura submission from his back. After the failed submission attempt, Sarnavskiy landed strikes on the ground. After a lack of action, the fighters were stood up and Clementi immediately took the fight to the ground. Sarnavskiy would end the round having Clementi in a triangle, but the round would end before he was in danger.
Result: Rich Clementi def. Alexander Sarnavskiy via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)