Ryan Bader is advancing to the second round of Bellator’s Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix after avenging a 2012 loss on Friday night.
Bader, who is the current Bellator heavyweight champion, earned a five-round decision win against 42-year old Lyoto Machida in the main event of Bellator 256, setting up Bader for a semi-final fight this summer.
In August 2012, Machida knocked out Bader when the two were competing in the UFC with most eventually, making the move to the Bellator organization.
Bader had been a dual champion in Bellator at heavyweight and light heavyweight until losing the 205-pound championship to Vadim Nemkov last November with a second-round stoppage. Nemkov is also part of the Grand Prix where he will defend his championship in an opening-round contest next Friday against Phil Davis.
The decision loss is the third consecutive defeat for Machida, who joined Bellator in 2017 and has gone 2-3 in the promotion.
For the 37-year old Bader, it was his first win since January 2019 after a no-contest with Cheick Kongo and the title loss to Nemkov in his previous two outings.
Bader will fight the winner of next week’s opening round match between Corey Anderson and Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov with the promotion targeting the second-round match-up for July.
The other side of the bracket features next week’s fight between champion Vadim Nemkov and Phil Davis, and the final opening round fight is between Anthony Johnson and Yoel Romero set for May 7th.
Friday’s Bellator card also featured Liz Carmouche earn her second win since joining Bellator with a decision victory against veteran Vanessa Porto and thus, inching Carmouche closer towards a Flyweight Championship fight.
Adam Borics improved his win streak to three with a decision victory over Jeremy Kennedy as the featherweight improves to 8-1 in his Bellator campaign.
Cat Zingano earned her second win in Bellator submitting Olivia Parker in the opening round of their featherweight fight.
In a controversial decision, Dan Moret defeated Goiti Yamauchi by split decision as judges Peter Rogers and Douglas Crosby scored the fight for Moret and giving him rounds one and three. The dissenting judge was Bryan Miner, who scored rounds two and three for Yamauchi. There was a lot of dissent over the decision and all media members scored the fight for Yamauchi on MMA Decisions.
Bellator 257 is next Friday headlined by Vadim Nemkov and Phil Davis for the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship in the opening round of the Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix along with the opening round fight between Corey Anderson and Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.
RESULTS
*Light Heavyweight Grand Prix: Ryan Bader def. Lyoto Machida by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-46)
*Liz Carmouche def. Vanessa Porto by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*Adam Borics def. Jeremy Kennedy by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
*Cat Zingano def. Olivia Parker by armbar at 2:56 of Round 1
*Dan Moret def. Goiti Yamauchi by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
