Bellator 183 Results: Henderson vs. Freire

Bellator 183 took place on September 23, 2017, at SAP Center in San Jose, California. The main event paired former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson with Bellator contender Patricky “Pitbull” Freire.

Freire Edges Henderson by Split Decision

Freire won a close three-round fight by split decision, with two judges scoring it 29–28 for “Pitbull” and one giving Henderson a 29–28 edge. Henderson spent much of the second round pursuing a takedown and controlling position, but Freire landed the more telling strikes in the final round, including a right hand that briefly appeared to wobble his opponent. It was a competitive fight, and the scorecards reflected how little separated the two lightweights.

Nelson and Daley Score Main-Card Wins

Roy Nelson made his Bellator debut against Javy Ayala and won by unanimous decision (30–26, 29–28, 29–28). Nelson’s takedowns and top control helped him grind through a hard-fought heavyweight bout. Paul Daley stopped Lorenz Larkin with punches at 2:40 of Round 2, while Goiti Yamauchi submitted Adam Piccolotti with a rear-naked choke at 3:19 of Round 1.

Pico Gets His First Win

Aaron Pico rebounded from his professional debut loss by knocking out Justin Linn with a left hook at 3:45 of Round 1. On the undercard, Tony Johnson stopped Mike Ortega with punches in Round 2, and Brandon Laroco submitted Gaston Bolanos by triangle at 2:16 of Round 2. J.J. Okanovich, Ricardo Vasquez and Daniel Gonzalez also scored first-round finishes.

See MMA Fighting’s full Bellator 183 results and MMA Mania’s event recap. Continue with our Bellator 184 recap.

Selected Bout Results

• Patricky Freire defeated Benson Henderson by Decision (Split); round 3, 5:00.
• Paul Daley defeated Lorenz Larkin by KO (Punches); round 2, 2:40.
• Roy Nelson defeated Javy Ayala by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
• Aaron Pico defeated Justin Linn by KO (Punch); round 1, 3:45.
• Goiti Yamauchi defeated Adam Piccolotti by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke); round 1, 3:19.
• Tony Johnson defeated Mike Ortega by KO (Punch); round 2, 1:49.

Sources

MMA Fighting’s full Bellator 183 results; MMA Mania’s event recap; Event results record.

Article Tags

Bellator, Bellator 183, Mixed Martial Arts