Bellator 106 may not have been the greatest card of all time, but it was saved by one of the best fights of the year in the main event.
Top-tier lightweight competitors Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez managed to capture lightning in a bottle a second time, putting on an incredible 25-minute classic that saw Alvarez recapture the Bellator gold.
Additionally, a new interim light heavyweight, as well as a new featherweight, champions were crowned, albeit neither fighter put together a particularly exciting performance.
Let’s evaluate who the biggest winners and losers were from the Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California.
BIGGEST WINNER
Eddie Alvarez – The stressful legal battle, missing out on an extremely lucrative UFC contract, it was arguably worth it for “The Silent Assassin” to take out Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney’s boy, Michael Chandler.
Some fans are calling this one a robbery, but let’s not be ridiculous: Alvarez soundly won rounds 3 and 5, while Chandler definitely earned rounds 1 and 4.
Round 2 could have gone either way, and as it turns out, two of the three judges saw it for Alvarez. By the way, Rebney shaking his head right before he put the belt on Alvarez was priceless.
WINNER
Emanuel Newton – “The Hardcore Kid” proved decisively that his February knockout of Lawal wasn’t a fluke by any stretch of the imagination.
He let his unorthodox striking and underrated takedown defense do the talking for him Saturday night, refusing Lawal to work his hands inside or control the fight on the ground. Newton is making a case as being one of the best light heavyweights in the sport.
WINNER
Daniel Strauss – Straus told anyone that would listen that his rematch with Pat Curran was going to go a lot differently than their April 2009 encounter.
As it turns out, he was right. Curran had no answers for the challenger’s constant pressure and takedowns and simply looked like a fish out of water off his back. Don’t look now, but Strauss has now won six in a row and has breathed some life into Bellator’s featherweight division.
WINNER
Mike Guymon – Joe Riggs was supposed to easily grind out a win over Mike Bronzoulis this weekend, so let’s give a fighter on the undercard some credit.
The 39-year-old “Joker” has been fighting since 1999, and with his masterful submission victory over Aaron Miller, he is 3-1 since dropping down to lightweight. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.
BIGGEST LOSER
Muhammed Lawal – The former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ is now just 2-2 under the Bellator banner, having now lost twice to Emanuel Newton.
After all the trash talk leading up to this rematch, calling Newton a “black skinhead” and saying the spinning backfist that knocked him out cold was “feminine,” he didn’t come close to putting his money where his mouth is.
Lawal refused to throw more than two-hit combos, and despite his wrestling pedigree, could not control Newton on the ground. “King Mo” really needs to root for Attila Vegh when he has his unification bout Newton next year.
LOSER
Pat Curran – One of the top three faces of the company, Curran looked completely lifeless after six straight wins since dropping down to featherweight.
Even when he was clearly behind going into the fifth round, Curran refused to be the aggressor on his feet and had nothing to offer off his back, either. Luckily, for the now former champ, it seems unlikely anyone outside of Strauss will beat him en route to another title shot.
LOSER
Michael Chandler – A lot of people will tell you Chandler should’ve retained his belt on Saturday and was robbed by the judges.
That really isn’t a fair synopsis of the fight, as Chandler and Alvarez won two rounds a piece for sure, with the second frame being up in the air. Alvarez also did way more damage, so Chandler needs to learn how to striker without holding his hands at his waist.
LOSER
Mike Bronzoulis – We all knew that, on paper, Joe Riggs could beat Mike Bronzoulis with his eyes closed. Still, we held out hope we could see a Rocky Balboa-type scenario developing.
No such luck, as Riggs outgrappled “The Greek” for 15 minutes with little to no problem. Bronzoulis is now just 3-4 in his past seven fights and is questionable to remain on the Bellator roster.