Bellator 27: A Retrospective on a Pivotal MMA Event
Bellator 27 took place on September 2, 2010, at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas. The card included a featherweight championship bout between defending champion Joe Soto and Season 2 tournament winner Joe Warren.
Featherweight title fight
Warren knocked out Soto with a knee and punches at 0:33 of the second round to win the Bellator featherweight championship. The event also featured bantamweight tournament quarterfinals, with the winners advancing to the next stage of the 135-pound competition.
Warren turns the fight around
Soto controlled much of the opening round, landing repeatedly while Warren struggled to establish his own offense. The second round brought an abrupt reversal. Warren hurt the champion, followed with a knee and punches, and finished the contest just thirty-three seconds after the restart. Sherdog’s event report documents the comeback.
The matchup connected two stages of Bellator’s early tournament system. Soto had won the first-season featherweight tournament and held the championship. Warren reached the title opportunity by winning the second-season tournament. Their meeting therefore turned a tournament victory into a direct challenge for an existing belt.
Bantamweight tournament progress
Zach Makovsky defeated Nick Mamalis by unanimous decision, while Ed West won a unanimous decision against Bryan Goldsby. Ulysses Gomez also advanced, defeating Travis Reddinger by split decision. MMA Fighting’s tournament coverage records the three results.
Those bouts gave Bellator 27 significance beyond the championship change. Alongside Warren’s new featherweight title, the card established three advancing contenders in a separate weight class. It combined the conclusion of one title pursuit with the continuing rounds of another tournament.
Selected Bout Results
- Joe Warren defeated Joe Soto by KO (Knee and Punches); round 2, 0:33.
- Zach Makovsky defeated Nick Mamalis by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
- Ed West defeated Bryan Goldsby by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
- Ulysses Gomez defeated Travis Reddinger by Decision (Split); round 3, 5:00.
- Gilbert Jimenez defeated Aaron Barringer by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
- Richard Odoms defeated Dale Mitchell by Decision (Split); round 3, 5:00.
- Andrew Craig defeated Rodrigo Pinheiro by TKO (Doctor Stoppage); round 3, 2:53.
- Andrew Chappelle defeated Joe Christopher by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
Sources
Article Tags
Bellator 27, Bellator, Mixed Martial Arts, Event Results
