UNCASVILLE, Connecticut -- Benson Henderson's first foray inside the Bellator MMA cage was not a pleasant one, getting shut out by welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Koreshkov (19-1) won every round on all three judges' scorecards, defending his welterweight title for the first time, in the main event of Bellator 153.
"I knew it from the beginning," Koreshkov, a native of Russia, said via an interpreter.
Koreshkov took advantage of his four-inch height and three-inch reach advantages from the start of Round 1 as Henderson (23-6) struggled to land punches or get comfortable in the pocket, often finding himself with his back against the cage. "Spartan" landed the signature strike of the fight -- a flying knee -- with less than 10 seconds of go in the opening frame.
Henderson found a little more success on his feet in Round 2, but the former UFC lightweight champion still wasn't able to consistently mount much of an offense.
In the later rounds, the size advantage proved to be too much, as the larger Koreshkov was able to stalk Henderson, back him up to the cage, and land strikes from a comfortable distance. "Smooth" was unsuccessful on multiple takedown attempts throughout, while Koreshkov found a home for a series of leg kicks that caused a welt to the right leg of Henderson.
With Koreshkov up comfortably on the cards, the final round came to a close with the champion in control of his sixth consecutive victory.
Henderson, a 14-fight veteran with the UFC, signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator in February. Other former UFC fighters, like Phil Davis and Matt Mitrione, have made similar jumps over the past year, but none of them held UFC gold, which made Henderson's signing so intriguing.
After the fight, Henderson, who was later taken to a local hospital for precautionary reasons, motioned to the crowd that supported him and talked about his future.
"I don't know. I'm going to listen to the bosses and see what they say and see where we go from here," Henderson said. "I do know one thing -- I don't like losing and will be back in there right away."
Freire submits Corrales, calls out Straus
Patricio "Pitbull" Freire had the bitter taste of defeat in his mouth for over five months that only a victory could remove.
Freire (25-3), a former Bellator champion, submitted Henry Corrales via guillotine choke at 4:09 of Round 2 in their featherweight bout. After the fight, Freire addressed the last man to defeat him -- current featherweight titlist Daniel Straus.
"I am prepared for everything," Freire said. "I am a complete fighter and I need to be more complete than all of the division. Straus, I am ready for you bro."
In a fight that drew boos from the crowd in spots for inactivity, Freire was able to successfully take matters to the ground in both rounds. In the first round, "Pitbull" attempted a head-and-arm choke but Corrales (12-3) was able to slide out.
In Round 2, Freire set up the finish by landing a clean right hook before advancing for a single-leg takedown and ending up in full guard. Corrales got back to his feet, but Freire locked his legs in and put his arm around Corrales' head. The action then continued back to the ground, allowing Freire to sink in the guillotine choke even deeper.
Freire aims for a fourth fight against Straus, who won their third meeting last November by unanimous decision to win the title. Freire won their first two fights, by unanimous decision and fourth-round submission, respectively.
Corrales has now lost three in a row since joining Bellator, but took the fight on less than two weeks' notice after John Teixeira pulled out due to an undisclosed injury.
'Cyborg' wins Bellator debut
Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos made a successful promotional debut by submitting "Irish" Brennan Ward with a heel hook 30 seconds into the opening round. Santos (21-16), 38, a veteran of Strikeforce and Pride, threw a body kick that was caught by Ward (13-4), resulting in Santos going to the mat. Santos, the former husband of women's MMA star Cris Justino, was able to silence the hometown crowd of New London, Connecticut's Ward by grabbing for Ward's leg until he tapped verbally.
Primus edges past Santos
In a back-and-forth battle, Brent Primus bested Gleristone Santos by split decision in a 157-pound catchweight fight. Primus (7-0) threw a diverse attack of spinning punches, but was unable to land many of them crisp. He was forced to showcase his chin, however, as Santos (27-6) connected with harder punches. In the third round, Primus took Santos to the mat and landed a strong right hand by charging through his guard. The win marked Primus' fifth victory under the Bellator MMA banner.
Page submits Holloway in Round 1
With three wins by stoppage in three fights, welterweight Michael Page likes fighting at Mohegan Sun Arena. "MVP" improved to 10-0 after defeating Jeremie Holloway by submission (via toehold) at 2:15 into the opening frame. The bout opened up with Holloway (7-2) rushing his British opponent, but Page was able to connect with a strong right hand. The end came when Page landed another heavy right, causing Holloway to go to his back. Page was able to grab hold of Holloway's right foot and torqued it until the tap came.
"This is the kind of stuff I'm trying to say to people," Page said, about the submission. "I'm in the gym working my all-around game so when things like this happen, I'm ready."
