Bellator London post-event facts: Rafael Lovato Jr. is an undefeated champion
Bellator made its latest overseas stop on Saturday with Bellator London, which took place at The SSE Wembley.
A new champion was crowned in the main event of the card. Rafael Lovato Jr. (10-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) upset Gegard Mousasi (45-7-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) in a hard-fought majority decision to claim the middleweight belt to put alongside his undefeated record.
Lovato Jr.’s victory wasn’t the only notable outcome from Bellator London, though. For more, check below for 30 post-event facts.
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General
Betting favorites went 6-2 on the main card.
Betting favorites fell to 4-4 (with one no-contest and one draw) in Bellator main events this year.
Total fight time for the eight-bout main card was 1:49:02.
Main card
Lovato Jr. became the sixth middleweight champion in Bellator history.
Lovato Jr.’s four-fight Bellator winning streak in middleweight competition is tied for the longest active streak in the division.
Mousasi had his eight-fight winning streak snapped for his first defeat since September 2015.
Mousasi suffered his first decision loss since Feb. 15, 2014 – a span of 1,953 days (more than five years) and 14 fights.
Melvin Manhoef (31-14-1 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) was successful in his first light heavyweight fight since September 2012.
Manhoef earned just the third decision victory of his career and first since Sept. 15, 2012 – a span of 2,471 days (nearly seven years) and 12 fights.
Kent Kauppinen (11-5 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) suffered his first decision loss since July 23, 2010 – a span of 3,256 days (nearly nine years) and 12 fights.
Aaron Chalmers (5-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) has earned all five of his career victories by stoppage.
Chalmers has earned both of his Bellator victories by submission.
Fred Freeman (2-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) suffered the first submission loss of his career.
Paul Daley (41-17-2 MMA, 7-4 BMMA) avoided a three-fight losing skid for the third time in his career.
Erick Silva (20-11 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) fell to 1-2 since his UFC stint ended in December 2017.
Silva fell to 2-6 in his past eight fights dating back to August 2015.
Silva has suffered both of his Bellator losses by decision.
Jeremiah Labiano (12-7 MMA, 1-3 BMMA) has suffered all three of his Bellator losses by decision.
Mike Shipman (13-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) had his 13-fight winning streak snapped for his first defeat since June 2013.
Shipman has suffered both of his career losses by knockout.
Costello van Steenis’ (12-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) four-fight Bellator winning streak in middleweight competition is tied for the longest active streak in the division.
Charlie Ward (7-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) improved to 4-0 since he returned to the middleweight division in November 2017. He’s 6-0 overall in his career at the weight class.
Ward has earned all four of his Bellator victories by knockout.
Ward’s four-fight knockout streak in Bellator competition is the longest active streak in the company.
Justin Moore (7-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
Preliminary card
Denise Kielholtz (3-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) earned the first knockout victory of her career.
Kate Jackson (11-3-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) has earned both of her Bellator stoppage victories by TKO.
Lena Ovchynnikova (12-6 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) fell to 4-6 (with one no-contest) in her past 11 fights.
Ovchynnikova suffered her first knockout loss since Dec. 14, 2013 – a span of 2,016 days (more than five years) and seven fights.
For complete coverage of Bellator 223, check out the MMA Events section of the site.