It's 2015 -- and Kimbo Slice has still got it.
Slice, a former backyard brawling Internet sensation, knocked out mixed martial arts pioneer Ken Shamrock in the first round of a heavyweight bout at Bellator 138 on Friday inside Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Referee John McCarthy stepped in at 2:22 of the first round, after Slice (5-2) dropped Shamrock with a stinging right hand.
The fight, which was originally supposed to happen in 2008, saw a huge momentum swing midway through the round, as Shamrock (28-16-2) lost position on what appeared to be a tight rear-naked choke. After falling to his back from a single-leg takedown, Slice turned to his stomach where Shamrock flattened him and applied the submission.
Somehow, Slice refused to tap and eventually turned into his 51-year-old opponent and scrambled back to his feet.
"I've been in this position before," Slice said. "At American Top Team, we trained my ground game very well. I went over a lot with Malachy Friedman and Mike Brown. Tapping is not an option."
In the process of scrambling back to his feet, Slice (birth name Kevin Ferguson) found Shamrock's chin with a clubbing right hand. Shamrock fell backward against the cage and, as he tried to circle out, got hit flush with another right cross. He fell, dazed, onto his back and stopped defending himself, which forced McCarthy to stop the fight. The punch left a deep gash over Shamrock's left eye.
"I'm a little frustrated," Shamrock said. "I had the submission and I didn't take my time with it. I lost my position. I tried to scramble up, but I wasn't as fast. I knew I had slowed down in scrambling."
A member of the UFC Hall of Fame whose professional career started in 1993, Shamrock hadn't fought in MMA since November 2010. A former professional wrestler, he didn't attempt to hide his game plan from Slice, shooting in for a takedown less than five seconds into the main event.
Slice defended the first shot and the two jockeyed for position during the opening minute in the clinch. Shamrock got the fight to the ground with an outside trip, but Slice returned immediately to his feet.
After separating, Shamrock shot again on the single leg, this time spilling Slice in center of the cage. Fighting out of San Diego, Shamrock has 23 career wins by submission, but couldn't quite convert on the rear-naked choke, despite holding the submission for an extended amount of time.
Slice signed with the promotion earlier this year, following a near-five-year absence from MMA. He had appeared in seven pro boxing matches during that time, compiling a record of 7-0. He spoke about a desire to finally fight Shamrock. The two were originally scheduled to meet in October 2008, but the bout fell through hours before it was supposed to start, after Shamrock suffered a cut in the locker room.
A Miami native, Slice enjoyed a clear size advantage over Shamrock and weighed 27.5 pounds more at the official weigh-in Thursday.
The victory marks the third knockout of Slice's MMA career. The 41-year-old hadn't won a fight since recording a bizarre unanimous decision against Houston Alexander under the UFC banner in December 2009. Alexander spent the majority of that fight circling around the perimeter of the cage and refusing to engage with Slice.
Shamrock suffers his 10th official knockout loss.
Freire rallies to knock out Weichel
With the Bellator featherweight title slipping through his fingers, defending champion Patricio "Pitbull" Freire delivered a stunning comeback knockout over Daniel Weichel.
Freire (24-2) caught Weichel with a perfect counter left hook as he was trapped along the fence, taking damage from the German challenger. The punch sent Weichel crashing limply to the floor, prompting referee John McCarthy to immediately step in at the 32-second mark of the second round.
The finish came moments after Freire was saved by the bell after eating a hard straight right in the final seconds of the first round. The Brazilian champ staggered back to the cage where Weichel (35-9) hit him with a follow up knee. Weichel initially celebrated when McCarthy stepped in to end the round, thinking the fight was over.
Wanting to take advantage of the final sequence, Weichel came out guns blazing after the break. He backed Freire to the fence and started to unload, until the counter left ended his night.
"My opponent is very tough but I am ready," Freire said. "I can do wars. I'm here. You want my belt? I'm here. Come on."
For Freire, it was his second defense of the 145-pound title he won in a unanimous decision against Pat Curran at Bellator 123 in September. Unlike so many of his previous fights, this one got off to a slow start, as both he and Weichel showed respect for the other's striking ability and worked cautiously into range.
Freire scored a nifty lead uppercut, right cross combination midway through the round. Weichel answered with a takedown shortly after, but Freire rose immediately to his feet. With the crowd booing the lack of action, Weichel landed the straight right hand that nearly ended Freire's title reign.
The win extends Freire's win streak to seven. He is 2-0 this year, including a fourth-round submission win against title contender Daniel Straus in January.
Lashley has his way with Charles
Bobby Lashley hit a few pro wrestling-esque slams en route to an easy TKO win over late-replacement Dan Charles.
Lashley (13-2) took Charles down at will throughout their heavyweight fight, at one point lifting him high over his head and slamming him to the floor to break free from a triangle attempt. Charles was more or less helpless in defending takedowns, and referee John McCarthy stopped the bout at 4:14 of the second round due to strikes.
"No matter what, you go back to your base and wrestling is my base," Lashley said. "I love wrestling. All these heavyweights have to know, I'm going to take you down."
The 38-year-old Lashley never came close to turning Charles' lights out, but his ability to control position and rack up right hands were more than enough to warrant the stoppage. Charles did well working back to his feet in the first round, but he appeared tired by the second and eventually resorted to simply kneeling in the corner and covering up.
According to CompuStrike, Lashley outlanded Charles in total strikes 84 to five.
Charles (9-3), who accepted the fight on short notice when Lashley's original opponent James Thompson withdrew due to injury, connected on one hard knee in the beginning of the second round as Lashley shot in with a double-leg takedown attempt. Beyond that, he did almost nothing offensively. Even when he fought his way back to the feet after a takedown, Charles was typically pinned against the cage in a completely defensive position.
His triangle attempt in the second round was not close to finishing the fight and lasted mere seconds, as Lashley violently slammed him to the mat. All three of the 29-year-old heavyweight's career losses have come via knockout.
Lashley is now 3-0 since signing with Bellator last year.
"The heavyweight division is wide open," Lashley said. "There are some tough fights. I'm going to watch one next week (Cheick Kongo-Alexander Volkov). I have to keep my eyes open on these heavyweights and keep knocking them out -- go for that title."
Straus submits Corrales in Round 2
Daniel Straus required less than two rounds to ruin Henry Corrales' unbeaten record. And he made it look rather easy.
Straus (22-7) dropped Corrales multiple times in their featherweight bout before eventually submitting him via guillotine choke at 3:47 of the second round. It was Straus' first appearance since coming up short in a bid to recapture the Bellator title against Patricio Freire in January.
After the win, Straus, apparently at the encouragement of teammate Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, sent a message to the division.
"My man 'Mo' told me I need to open my mouth more," Straus said. "Whoever [is the champion], I'm about to come beat your a--. Anyone else in the 145-pound division, I'm gonna beat your a--, too."
Fighting out of American Top Team, Straus scored a bodylock takedown less than 15 seconds into the fight. Corrales (12-1) quickly got back to his feet but Straus opened up with a flurry along the fence that, at one point, dropped Corrales to a knee. Near the end of the first round, Straus locked up a guillotine choke that nearly finished the fight.
Corrales appeared to be relatively recovered to start the second, opening up with leg kicks in the center of the cage. A counter left hook by Straus dropped him again, however, and he quickly gave up his back and nearly a rear-naked choke. Straus locked in the guillotine later in the round.
Straus improves to 9-3 all time in the Bellator cage.
Chandler snaps losing skid, submits Campos
Former lightweight champion Michael Chandler put an emphatic end to a three-fight losing streak, submitting Derek Campos via rear-naked choke at 2:17 of the first round.
A former collegiate wrestler at Missouri, Chandler (13-3) ignited the St. Louis crowd by knocking down Campos with a right hand inside the first minute. Campos (15-5) managed to work back to his feet, but Chandler slammed him on his head moments later, eventually taking his back and securing the choke. It is the eighth time in Chandler's career he has finished an opponent in the first round.
"Derek Campos is a tough guy," Chandler said. "He hit me a couple times right in the mouth. I was excited to fight this guy. I'm not in this sport to tiptoe and fight easy fights. He's tough and my hat's off to him."
Prior to the fight, Chandler reunited with his former Las Vegas boxing coach Gil Martinez, who he won the Bellator title with in 2011. The move appeared to pay off, as Chandler's boxing looked terrific in the win -- his first since July 2013.
A stiff right hand dropped Campos in the center of the cage early. Campos had no answer for Chandler's hand speed, eating a barrage of jabs and right hands before being knocked down. Chandler stood over his guard and unloaded several more right hands and elbows before Campos managed to kick him back a step and get to his feet.
Moments later, Chandler caught an attempted leg kick, which he eventually turned into a takedown near the fence. He quickly hopped on Campos' back from there and snuck the left arm under his chin.
"I'm trying to get my black belt under Neil Melanson, the greatest grappling coach in the world," Chandler said.
Chandler, 29, has only lost to former Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez (twice) and current champ Will Brooks. This was the sixth submission finish of his career.