Bellator Season Four - Weekly Recap #1

The Bellator Fighting Championships kicked off its season four welterweight tournament on Friday at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California, but not without controversy.
The first match of the night was between Brent Weedman and Dan Hornbuckle. Much of the fight was a ground affair. Weedman attempted submission after submission, almost catching Hornbuckle in a kimura and a leg lock. None of the rounds produced a clear winner, and Weedman escaped with a controversial unanimous decision. The crowd at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino did not agree with the judges, booing the decision from the moment it was handed down.
After the fight, Hornbuckle said that he was disappointed with the way the fight ended.
“When you leave the fight in the judges hands, and don’t clearly and indecisively win each round, some guys are tough to finish,” he said.
The next fight featured Rick Hawn and Jim Wallhead. The two black belt Judoka chose to keep the fight on their feet and exchange. The undefeated Hawn showed a vast array of strikes, absorbing very few from Wallhead in the process. Hawn won the fight by unanimous decision.
Former IFL Welterweight Champion Jay Hieron earned a very controversial submission victory over Bellator newcomer, Anthony Lapsley. The fight began with both fighters brawling and trading punches, but early in the first round, Hieron scored a takedown after catching Lapsley’s kick. After just three minutes and 39 seconds, Hieron sank in a rear-naked choke to end the fight. Referee Josh Rosenthal stopped the fight, even though Lapsley did not tap out. Rosenthal said he was visibly unconscious, but Lapsley immediately jumped up after the fight was called and protested.
The main event of the night saw former Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman Good battle Chris Lozano. The fight saw both viciously attacking, neither backing down from the standup war. In the second round, after Lozano attempted a push kick, Good landed an overhand right to open a massive cut on Lozano’s eye. Lozano was unable to see for the remainder of the fight and lost by unanimous decision.
The welterweight tournament was whittled down to four on Friday. In the semi-finals, Hawn will take on Good and Weedman will fight Hieron. The winner of these two bouts will then fight for the right to challenge Ben “Funky” Askren for his welterweight title.