Bellator 281 Recap: Event Highlights and Fighter Profiles

Bellator 281 took place on May 13, 2022, at the SSE Arena, Wembley, in London, England. Logan Storley defeated Michael “Venom” Page to win the interim welterweight championship. Fabian Edwards knocked out Lyoto Machida, while Paul Daley ended his announced retirement fight with a second-round knockout.

Main Event: Page vs. Storley

Storley won a split decision after five rounds. The three scorecards read 48–47 for Storley, 48–47 for Page, and 49–46 for Storley. The result awarded Storley the interim welterweight title.

The contest centered on the contrast between Storley’s wrestling and Page’s striking. Its divided scorecards reflected the difficulty of evaluating periods of control against the more visible offense of a standing exchange. The official winner was Storley despite the debate surrounding the decision.

Edwards Knocks Out Machida

Edwards defeated Machida by knockout from punches at 3:18 of round one. The middleweight co-main event gave Edwards a major win over a former UFC light heavyweight champion.

The early finish supplied a decisive outcome beneath the much closer main event. It also made the matchup a significant part of the night in its own right, rather than merely a supporting contest.

Daley’s Farewell Fight

Daley knocked out Wendell Giacomo with a punch at 4:09 of round two. After a difficult opening, the veteran found the finish in the bout presented as his retirement appearance.

The conclusion suited a fighter long associated with knockout power. It gave the London audience a memorable farewell moment alongside the championship contest at the top of the card.

Other Results

Kana Watanabe submitted Denise Kielholtz with a triangle choke in round two, and Simon Biyong defeated Luke Trainer by unanimous decision.

Bellator 281 combined an interim title decision with two important knockout wins. Its contrasting results explain why both the main-event scoring debate and Daley’s farewell remained central to coverage of the night.

Sources

MMA Fighting: Bellator 281 results; MMA Fighting: main-card recap; Event results record.

Article Tags

Bellator, Bellator 281, Mixed Martial Arts