Bellator 126 saw a new middleweight champion crowned after Brandon Halsey finished title holder Alexander Shlemenko in just 35 seconds.
Halsey took the striker to the mat almost straight away, got his back and sunk in the fight-ending rear-naked choke which put Shlemenko to sleep.
Halsey certainly put himself on the MMA map with this victory and is now a perfect 8-0 in his career to date, while Shlemenko’s own 13 fight winning streak is now a distant memory after two submission losses in a row.
Elsewhere on the card Marcin Held was able to outwrestle Patricky Freire to a unanimous decision win (29-28, 30-27, 30-26), while Bubba Jenkins had to escape a few submission attempts as he ground out a unanimous decision win over Thiago Meller on the mat (29-28, 30-27 x2).
Opening up the main card, Mike Richman made short work of Ed West, knocking him out with a two-piece combination mid-way through the first round.
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Main card:
Brandon Halsey defeats Alexander Shlemenko via submission (rear-naked choke) (R1, 0:35)
Marcin Held defeats Patricky Freire via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-26)
Bubba Jenkins defeats Thiago Meller via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Mike Richman defeats Ed West via first-round KO (2:44)
Undercard
Larue Burley defeats Raymond Pina via submission (guillotine) (R2, 0:22)
Clifford Starks defeats Jacob Ortiz via submission (guillotine) (R2, 0:52)
Nick Rossborough defeats Ryan Martinez via first-round TKO (injury, torn biceps)
Joe Taimanglo defeats Michael Parker via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 x2)
Dan Charles defeats Stuart Austin via KO (punch) at :18 of round 3
Derek Campos defeats Estevan Payan via KO (punch) at :31 of round 1
Brandon Girtz defeats Benny Madrid via TKO (strikes) at :57 of round 1
