Pat Curran's size was simply too much for Joe Warren.
Shrugging off takedown after takedown, Curran notched a third-round knockout win over Warren to win the Bellator featherweight title.
The title fight headlined Bellator 60, which took place Friday at The Venue at Horseshoe Hammond in Hammond, Ind., and aired live on MTV2.
Warren wasted no time trying to get Curran to the mat. But while he was able to get his bigger foe down, he could do nothing to keep him there.
Curran, meanwhile, patiently waited for an opportunity to put his bulk to good use, and late in the first, he severely wobbled the champ with a head kick. Warren, who going into the fight had plenty of experience getting his bell rung early, managed to survive, though he took an impossibly hard knee to the head to end the round.
Warren righted the ship somewhat in the second frame with several takedowns. But another big right hand reminded him he was not yet out of the woods.
The end came in the third when Warren dove for a takedown and ran flush into Curran's knee. A flurry of punches followed, though after the first salvo, Warren was out on his feet, and the fight was over.
Only it wasn't. The second salvo caused Warren to fully turn away, in a daze, and a third flurry of punches brought an uppercut that fully removed him from consciousness. The egregiously late stoppage came at the 1:25 mark of the third frame.
"That was the first mistake I made against Luis Palomino; I just rushed in right at it," Curran said afterward of his fight-ending swarm. "I wanted to wait, take my time and look for my openings."
Curran (17-4 MMA, 7-1 BFC) now adds the undisputed featherweight title to his collection of Bellator belts, which includes the season-two lightweight and Summer Series featherweight straps.
"It's a dream come true, and it's only beginning."
Warren (7-3 MMA, 5-2 BFC) has now suffered back-to-back knockout losses. Prior to his meeting with Curran, he was laid out in the opening round of Bellator's season-five bantamweight tourney by Alexis Villa.
Although dominant, another decision for Daniel Straus
Daniel Straus didn't get a finish as he wanted, but he did advance in his second Bellator tourney.
After three rounds, Straus outpointed a durable Jeremy Spoon by scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28.
"Uh, well, you know," he said at the conclusion of his 11th decision victory. "Jeremy Spoon is a really tough dude."
Tough though he was to survive, Spoon suffered the results of noticeable disadvantage in reach and size. Straus nearly dragged him to the mat from the opening bell with a standing arm-triangle, and he was rebuffed when he responded with a trip of his own.
Straus would continue to press with takedowns and score from top position late in the round, and his southpaw stance gave him free access to the orthodox Spoon's lead leg. A big left hand put the first frame in his corner.
Spoon pressed to get his own takedown in the second, but Straus' raw power kept him from that goal. Meanwhile, Straus continued to land powerful leg kicks, turning his leg red as the fight wore on. He would get a single takedown near the end of the round but was quickly reversed and lost points on the bottom.
Straus' pace slowed a bit in the third frame, but not enough to provide Spoon the opening needed to finish or gain ground on the scorecards.
After falling short in the season-four featherweight tournament against Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, Straus (18-4 MMA, 4-1 BFC) now has back-to-back wins under his belt including a decision over UFC vet Jason Dent.
Spoon (12-1 MMA, 2-1 BFC) suffers the first loss of his professional career after putting a dozen wins under his belt.
Corey dominates Mann on the mat to advance
Faced again with a more seasoned striker, Mike Corey utilized his wrestling to turn the tables.
An injury replacement for Wagnney Fabiano, Corey rebounded from early trouble to dominate Ronnie Mann on the mat and took home unanimous decision win.
It was nevertheless a come-from-behind win. Mann dropped Corey twice in a matter of seconds with a pair of right hands and nearly earned a stoppage win. Corey, however, recovered from the shot and eventually righted himself. After getting back to his feet, he nearly stole the round with a takedown and flurry of ground and pound in the final 30 seconds of the first frame.
Corey would continue to pursue Mann in the second and take a few punches on the way. But he would get another takedown and punish Mann from top position, avoiding a few submission attempts en route to winning the round.
That sequence of action would largely repeat itself in the third and final frame, though Corey would not only fare better on his feet but also hold top position for the bulk of the round. Again, Mann found himself eating punches from the bottom, and his hopes at advancing to the semifinals faded.
Judges agreed, giving Corey unanimous scores of 29-28.
"When he hit me, I was like, 'No he didn't,'" Corey said afterward. "But yeah, I see it, and then I'm on the ground. You've got to hustle. It's just reflexes to get back up.
"[The tournament is] just going to get harder, but this is what I'm here to do, so I'm happy."
Corey (12-2 MMA, 1-0-1 BFC) earns his first Bellator win after fighting striker Chris Horodecki to a draw in his promotional debut at Bellator 57. He hasn't fallen short since a split-decision loss to Shad Lierly five years go.
Mann (21-5 MMA, 3-2) suffers his second setback in Bellator since his bid to win the promotion's Summer Series ended in the semifinals against eventual champ Pat Curran.
Sandro cruises against Roberto Vargas
A day after his 35th birthday, Marlon Sandro gave himself a present.
Summer Series featherweight tournament finalist made mincemeat out of first-time tourney participant Roberto Vargas before cinching a first-round submission win.
The official end came at the 3:35 mark of the opening frame, but it was set in motion a minute earlier. After a few fits and starts, Sandro, a former champ in the now-defunct Sengoku, landed a combination that brought Vargas to his knees.
Scrambling for survival, Vargas righted himself only to eat a flying knee. He dove on instinct for a takedown, but Sandro popped up.
Another combination punctuated by a stiff uppercut sent Vargas to the mat, and Sandro pounded away before securing a rear-naked choke.
"Thank you everybody," Sandro told the crowd afterward. "I want to finish a fight or get a submission or a knockout."
Sandro (21-3 MMA, 4-1 BFC) has now won back-to-back fights since falling short to Summer Series champ Pat Curran at Bellator 48.
Vargas (12-2 MMA, 1-2 BFC), meanwhile, sees a six-fight win streak snapped.
Bezerra impresses against short-notice replacement
In the first opening-round fight in Bellator's season-six featherweight tournament, Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra submitted last-minute replacement Kenny Foster in the final seconds of the second round.
From the opening bell, Foster was ill-prepared to match Bezerra's pressure. Despite fending off early pressure against the fence, he provided a relatively stationary target for the Brazilian's stinging kicks. An uppercut-hook combo also landed flush for Bezerra, giving him the first frame.
Foster's cornerman implored him to pull the trigger between rounds, and the fighter obliged early in the second frame, probing forward with more punches. But Bezerra would catch him on the way out and continue to press forward.
Although he seemed at moments to be balance-challenged, flipping in midair as he countered a hip toss and whirling to the mat on a haymaker, Bezerra was undoubtedly in control of the fight.
When Foster managed to duck under the Brazilian's guard for a takedown, he was reversed in a subsequent scramble and took a flurry of punches before tapping to a barely-sunk rear-naked choke. The official time of the stoppage came three seconds shy of the second-round bell at the 4:57 mark.
With the submission win, Bezzera (13-1 MMA, 5-0 BFC) moves to the semifinals and improves to five consecutive wins under the Bellator banner. His sole professional setback came three years ago against UFC standout Charles Oliveira.
Foster (9-6 MMA, 2-4 BFC), meanwhile, is 2-4 in his stint with the promotion and is winless in his most recent four outings.
MAIN CARD
Pat Curran def. Joe Warren via KO (punches) - Round 3, 1:25
Daniel Straus def. Jeremy Spoon via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) - featherweight-tourney opening round
Mike Corey def. Ronnie Mann via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) - featherweight-tourney opening round
Marlon Sandro def. Roberto Vargas via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:35 - featherweight-tourney opening round
PRELIMINARY CARD
Jake Nauracy def. Cory Galloway via submission (rear naked choke) - Round 2, 4:22
Travis Wiuff def. Anthony Gomez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Sean McCorkle defeats Richard White via submission (neck crank) - Round 1, 1:02
Alexandre Bezerra def. Kenny Foster via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 4:57 - featherweight-tourney opening round
Josh Shockley def. Shamar Bailey via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27
Genair da Silva def. Bobby Reardanz via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 0:51
