Bellator 176 Recap: Carvalho Retains Title with Head Kick KO

Bellator 176 took place on April 8, 2017, at Pala Alpitour in Torino, Italy. Middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho met Melvin Manhoef in a rematch of their close first bout. Carvalho settled the rematch with a fourth-round head-kick knockout and retained his title.

Main Event: Rafael Carvalho vs. Melvin Manhoef II

Carvalho knocked Manhoef out with a left head kick at 3:15 of Round 4 to defend the Bellator middleweight championship. The rematch had been competitive early: Manhoef scored a takedown late in the opening round, while Carvalho pressed forward with jabs and knees to the body in Rounds 2 and 3. When Manhoef increased his pressure in the fourth, Carvalho caught him with the kick. It was Carvalho’s second title defense since winning the vacant belt in 2015, and a decisive finish after his split-decision win over Manhoef at Bellator 155.

Anastasia Yankova vs. Elina Kallionidou

Anastasia Yankova earned a unanimous decision over Elina Kallionidou in a 130-pound catchweight bout. The judges scored it 29–28, 30–27, and 30–27 for Yankova, whose pressure and clinch work helped control the fight despite Kallionidou’s sharper combinations at range.

Other Bellator 176 Results

Mihail Nica submitted late replacement Samba Coulibaly with an anaconda choke at 0:36 of Round 1. Valeriu Mircea defeated Djamil Chan by majority decision, with scores of 28–28, 29–28, and 29–28. Giorgio Belsanti also won a unanimous decision over Vando De Almeida.

Read MMA Fighting’s Bellator 176 results and its report on Carvalho’s title defense, plus Combat Press’s complete card results. Our Bellator 175 recap covers the preceding event.

Selected Bout Results

• Rafael Carvalho defeated Melvin Manhoef by KO (Head Kick); round 4, 3:15.
• Anastasia Yankova defeated Elina Kallionidou by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
• Valeriu Mircea defeated Djamil Chan by Decision (Majority); round 3, 5:00.
• Mihail Nica defeated Samba Coulibaly by Submission (Anaconda Choke); round 1, 0:36.
• Giorgio Belsanti defeated Vando de Almeida by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.

Sources

MMA Fighting’s Bellator 176 results; report on Carvalho’s title defense; Event results record.

Article Tags

Bellator, Bellator 176, Mixed Martial Arts