Bellator 294: Liz Carmouche submits Bennett in comeback win to retain flyweight title
- Published
Liz Carmouche was losing the fight before a big fourth round
Liz Carmouche retained her flyweight title after submitting DeAnna Bennett in the fourth round at Bellator 294 in Hawaii.
Only Carmouche could win the title after Bennett missed weight.
After two jittery rounds, Carmouche was able to make her first sequence of dominance count and submitted Bennett with an arm triangle.
Carmouche's win - in er second title defence - extends her record to 18 victories, with seven losses.
"It feels good," Carmouche said of the comeback.
"Definitely in those first few rounds, not having to cut that extra weight and be at a champion level helped her.
"But I knew no matter what that she didn't have the gas tankm so even if I wasn't winning those ones, I was going to get it back."
Bellator 294 was the first of a weekend Hawaii double-header - 295 takes place on Saturday night (early Sunday UK time) - and was dedicated to military and first responders on the island.
Carmouche was the clear favourite among the crowd, having had a spell in the military before dedicating herself to MMA full-time.
But it was Bennett who started strongly as she took advantage of some questionable decision-making from her opponent in the opening round.
Bennett was able to control exchanges on the ground, but Carmouche appeared a step off the pace, often inadvertently steering the fight to the mat with her striking.
The champion showed a glimpse of her pedigree in the second round with a low calf kick, quickly followed up by a Superman-style flying punch, which momentarily rattled Bennett.
But Carmouche could not build on that sequence and dropped the third round as Bennett took down her opponent down and controlled the exchanges.
"You cannot be on the ground," was the order from Carmouche's corner between rounds and the veteran tried to respond in the fourth.
DeAnna Bennett was in front on the scorecards after three rounds
Another ill-judged leg kick, though, gave Bennett an opportunity to shoot for Carmouche's legs.
Carmouche tried a standing guillotine choke but Bennett was able to ride out the pressure.
The fight was on the ground again - but this time Carmouche was able to anticipate Bennett's positions and slowly worked herself into a submission attempt in side control.
Carmouche locked in an arm triangle and squeezed, and with just 31 seconds left in the round, Bennett tapped.
Her next opponent may be decided on Saturday night at Bellator 295 as former champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane prepares to take on Kana Watanabe.
But the reigning champion opted against calling anyone out, saying her main goal was to return to her wife and son after back-to-back camps and a long spell away from family.
Sabatello shines on comeback
Danny Sabatello now has 14 wins and two losses in his pro career
Danny Sabatello got back in the win column by submitting Brazil's Marcos Breno in the second round of their bantamweight contest.
The American, 30, was knocked out of the bantamweight tournament by interim champion Raufeon Stots last December.
Sabatello was back in top form, standing out on a card that produced just three finishes, all submissions, in nine fights.
Sporting his peroxide blond hair and usual bravado, Sabatello put his loss to Stots behind him with an assured display.
After attempting several submission attempts in the first round, Sabatello was in a precarious position when 25-year-old Breno saw an opening for a heel lock in the second.
Sabatello was able to stay calm and transition out of danger. The American then expertly forced Breno to gradually give up his back with some hard, well-placed strikes.
It allowed Sabatello to sink in the rear-naked choke and the Brazilian quickly tapped.
Sabatello, who trains with UFC star Jorge Masvidal at American Top Team, declared himself the best bantamweight in the world after his victory, the 14th of his career.
"I know once I get to my attacks and fight my style, nobody can beat me - and I mean nobody in MMA in the bantamweight division," he said.
Sabatello also challenged Russian Magomed Magomedov to a bout in his native Chicago on 16 June.
And he aimed a passing swipe at interim champion Stots after losing their bitterly contested fight last year via split decision.
"I know that Stots sucks, I won that fight. My eyes are already forward," he added.