Phil Davis' second event in Bellator didn't go as smoothly as the first, but he was still able to get his arm raised by defeating Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal via unanimous decision on Saturday. The victory earns Davis a title shot against light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary down the road.
The crowd at SAP Center in San Jose, California, was less than impressed by the first two rounds of Bellator 154's main event, booing several times, but "Mr. Wonderful" was able to stun Lawal midway through the third round with a strong right hand. This led to Davis (16-3) getting a takedown on Lawal (19-5), the only time in the 15-minute fight the two wrestlers met the canvas. Davis was cautious on the feet, staying on the outer edge of Lawal's range for most of the fight out of respect for his opponent's power.
"You've got to be careful with a guy like Mo. He's so powerful and he's very explosive," Davis said. "So even though he may be tired, he's never too tired for an overhand right."
After getting the fight to the mat, Davis nearly locked in a Kimura, but Lawal was able to step over and escape the position. Lawal still has never been submitted in his career, but he saw his seven-fight win streak end.
"Once I got to it, I was like, 'For sure you got this. Relax and take your time.' I should've had a little more urgency," Davis said.
The fight ended with both fighters having their hands near their waists but still throwing heavy leather. Two of the judges scored the bout 30-27 for Davis while the third saw it 29-28. This goes against the opinion of Bellator's Jimmy Smith, who gave the first two rounds to Lawal.
Davis, 31, is now set to face McGeary (11-0) sometime in the future. McGeary last fought in September, defeating Tito Ortiz via second-round submission at Bellator's Dynamite event, but he has been on the mend recovering from a knee injury. The champ was on hand for Saturday's event and had a few choice words for the former UFC contender.
"I hope you stand up like that with me because I'm knocking you out, definitely," said McGeary.
Davis responded by saying, "To that I say, 'Good luck.'"
Awad dominates ground, TKO's Santos
Saad Awad made a guest appearance at welterweight against Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, and his power definitely transferred over. Awad (19-7) defeated Santos (21-17) via TKO 4:31 into the first round. Santos took the fight to the mat and was close to locking in a heel hook, similar to how he submitted Brennan Ward at Bellator 153. Awad was able to persevere and roll out, which opened him up to deliver a series of seemingly never-ending punches.
"I knew I had to throw everything from here to Palestine. I had to throw everything I had to get him out of here," said Awad.
"Assassin" enjoyed a 62-0 margin in ground strikes landed, and he has now won four out of five. The stay at 170 pounds appears to be short-lived, and Awad called out Josh Thomson as his next opponent.
"I want a name, Thomson's hurt. When he comes back, I want Thomson. I want a top-3 guy."
Piccolotti submits Wood in Round 1
In a battle of lightweight prospects, an emotional Adam Piccolotti made quick work of Ray Wood, winning by first-round submission. Piccolotti was originally scheduled to fight Jordan Parsons, who passed away May 4 after being involved in a hit-and-run accident three days earlier.
"Moving forward and taking this fight, it was tough," Piccolotti said. "It was hard, it was definitely emotional, but we pushed through it."
Piccolotti (8-0) grabbed the back of Wood (7-2) and was able to lock in a body triangle before sinking in a tight rear-naked choke. Piccolotti then fell onto his back to clinch the choke even tighter, forcing Wood to tap.
"I just need to keep getting back in here. I don't want to wait six months to fight," Piccolotti said. "I want to fight as soon as possible. Put me on Team USA, send me to London. Let's do it."
Fialho puts away Reger
Portuguese prospect Andre Fialho (7-0) kicked off the night with a bang, dominating Rick Reger (7-2) with a one-sided victory that ended 2:11 into the first round. Fialho, who trains out of San Jose's American Kickboxing Academy, put on a striking clinic in the fight.
He landed a barrage of punches and dropped Reger to the mat before hammering down one final shot for good measure. The 22-year-old has now won his past six bouts by knockout in the first round, with his last three fights lasting 3:33 combined.