Bellator MMA Championship Tournaments presented Bellator 88: Shlemenko vs Falcao on Thursday, February 7, 2013, at The Arena at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia. The main card aired live on Spike TV as Episode 4 of Season 8.
As the US Northeast braces itself for the oncoming, potentially historic Winter Storm Nemo, Alexander "Storm" Shlemenko made history in the South with a knockout of fellow Bellator tournament winner Maiquel Falcao to capture the vacant Bellator Middleweight Championship. Bellator's 185-pound title was held up after former champion Hector Lombard signed with the UFC. Now Alexander Shlemenko, who was the best uncrowned middleweight in Bellator after Lombard left, rightfully takes his place upon the throne as the undisputed king of the Bellator 185-pounders.
Marlon Sandro, Mike Richman, Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra and Magomedrasul "Frodo" Khasbulaev advanced to the semifinals of the Bellator Season 8 Featherweight Tournament. Here are the 145-pound semifinal brackets:
- Marlon Sandro vs. Frodo Khasbulaev
- Popo Bezerra vs. Mike Richman
BELLATOR 88: SHLEMENKO VS FALCAO
{Middleweight Championship}
Alexander Shlemenko (47-7) won by KO over Maiquel Falcao (31-5)
[7:18] - 2:18 Round 2 - punches
[Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal]
Marlon Sandro (24-4) won by MD over Akop Stepanyan (12-5)
[15:00] - 3 Rounds - (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)
[Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal]
Mike Richman (14-2) won by TKO over Mitch Jackson (19-3)
[4:57] - Round 1 - headkick and punches
[Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal]
Alexandre Bezerra (15-2) won by SUB over Genair Da Silva (13-5)
[1:40] - Round 1 - armbar
[Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal]
Frodo Khasbulaev (19-5) won by SUB over Fabricio Guerreiro (17-2)
[6:15] - 1:15 Round 2 - arm-triangle choke
Joe Elmore (7-5) won by KO over Jerrid Burke (5-3)
[9:11] - 4:11 Round 2 - punch
Ronnie Rogers (14-10) won by UD over Shane Crenshaw (5-2)
[15:00] - 3 Rounds - (29-28 all)
Clay Harvison (10-5) won by TKO over Ururahy Rodrigues (5-5)
[13:34] - 3:34 Round 3 - knee
George Hickman (4-1) won by SUB over Stephen Upchurch (2-2)
[2:19] - Round 1 - RNC
Alexander Shlemenko (47-7) won by KO over Maiquel Falcao (31-5)
[7:18] - 2:18 Round 2 - punches
[Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal]
Marlon Sandro (24-4) won by MD over Akop Stepanyan (12-5)
[15:00] - 3 Rounds - (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)
[Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal]
Mike Richman (14-2) won by TKO over Mitch Jackson (19-3)
[4:57] - Round 1 - headkick and punches
[Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal]
Alexandre Bezerra (15-2) won by SUB over Genair Da Silva (13-5)
[1:40] - Round 1 - armbar
[Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal]
Frodo Khasbulaev (19-5) won by SUB over Fabricio Guerreiro (17-2)
[6:15] - 1:15 Round 2 - arm-triangle choke
Joe Elmore (7-5) won by KO over Jerrid Burke (5-3)
[9:11] - 4:11 Round 2 - punch
Ronnie Rogers (14-10) won by UD over Shane Crenshaw (5-2)
[15:00] - 3 Rounds - (29-28 all)
Clay Harvison (10-5) won by TKO over Ururahy Rodrigues (5-5)
[13:34] - 3:34 Round 3 - knee
George Hickman (4-1) won by SUB over Stephen Upchurch (2-2)
[2:19] - Round 1 - RNC
Updated MMA win-loss records with total fight time in brackets.
UD = Unanimous | MD = Majority Decision | SUB = Submission
MADMAN AWARDS
FIGHTER OF THE NIGHT: Alexander Shlemenko
BEST FIGHT: Frodo Khasbulaev vs. Fabricio Guerreiro
BEST KNOCKOUT: Mike Richman over Mitch Jackson (GIF)
BEST SUBMISSION: Popo Bezerra over Genair Da Silva (GIF)
BIGGEST UPSET: Frodo Khasbulaev (+200) over Fabricio Guerreiro
QUICKEST WIN: Popo Bezerra over Genair Da Silva in 100 seconds
WORST FIGHT: Ronnie Rogers vs. Shane Crenshaw
FAIL OF THE NIGHT: Shane Crenshaw
ODDS AND THEIR ENDS
VEGAS ODDSMAKERS: 4-1
Final betting odds with payouts listed for winning fighters.
Alexander Shlemenko (-420) = 1 unit won 0.24 units
Maiquel Falcao (+335)
Marlon Sandro (-335) = 1 unit won 0.3 units
Akop Stepanyan (+305)
Mike Richman (-330) = 1 unit won 0.3 units
Mitch Jackson (+300)
Alexandre Bezerra (-210) = 1 unit won 0.48 units
Genair Da Silva (+190)
Fabricio Guerreiro (-220)
Magomedrasul Khasbulaev (+200) = 1 unit won 2 units
Maiquel Falcao (+335)
Marlon Sandro (-335) = 1 unit won 0.3 units
Akop Stepanyan (+305)
Mike Richman (-330) = 1 unit won 0.3 units
Mitch Jackson (+300)
Alexandre Bezerra (-210) = 1 unit won 0.48 units
Genair Da Silva (+190)
Fabricio Guerreiro (-220)
Magomedrasul Khasbulaev (+200) = 1 unit won 2 units
UPDATED BELLATOR RECORDS AND MMA STREAKS
[Plus/minus] = consecutive fights currently won/lost (in ANY MMA promotion)
Alexander "Storm" Shlemenko (8-1 Bellator) [+10]
Alexander "Popo" Bezerra (7-1 Bellator) [+2]
Marlon "The Gladiator" Sandro (7-2 Bellator) [+2]
Magomedrasul "Frodo" Khasbulaev (3-0 Bellator) [+7]
Maiquel "Big Rig" Falcao (3-1 Bellator) [-1]
Mike "The Marine" Richman (3-1 Bellator) [+1]
Genair "Junior PQD" Da Silva (2-2 Bellator) [-1]
Joe "The Hitman" Elmore (1-0 Bellator) [+1]
Ronnie "Bam Bam" Rogers (1-0 Bellator) [+3]
Clay "Heavy Metal" Harvison (1-0 Bellator) [+1]
George Hickman (1-0 Bellator) [+1]
Mitch Jackson (0-1 Bellator) [-1]
Fabricio "Guerreiro" De Assis Costa Da Silva (0-1 Bellator) [-1]
Jerrid Burke (0-1 Bellator) [-2]
Shane "The Rabid Wolverine" Crenshaw (0-1 Bellator) [-1]
Ururahy "The Brazilian Samurai" Rodrigues (0-1 Bellator) [-1]
Stephen "The Advantage" Upchurch (0-1 Bellator) [-1]
Akop "Sniper" Stepanyan (0-2 Bellator) [-2]
HT: GIFs by Zombie Prophet for Bloody Elbow
