Welcome to Fightful.com's live coverage & discussion for Bellator 176. We'll be bringing you full, round by round coverage of every fight on the card. You can also send in your feedback on our Disqus boards below!
(Note: Fighter rankings are from the Fightful MMA Rankings, which are compiled by David Tees.)
You can see the full results below.
Rafael Carvalho def. #1 Melvin Manhoef by KO via head kick (3:15, R4) to retain the Bellator MMA Middleweight Title
#3 (WBW) Anastasia Yankova def. Elina Kallionidou by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Valeriu Mircea def. Djamil Chan by majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Mihail Nica def. Samba Coulibaly by submission via anaconda choke (0:36, R1)
Round By Round Recap
Samba Coulibaly vs. Mihail Nica
Round One: The round begins with Nica attacking Coulibaly with leg kicks, Nica scores a takedown on Coulibaly and he immediately locks him in the anaconda choke to force a tap out.
Official Result: Mihail Nica def. Samba Coulibaly by submission via anaconda choke (0:36, R1)
Djamil Chan vs. Valeriu Mircea
Round One: The round begins with Mircea attacking Chan with some leg kicks, Mircea scores a takedown on Chan and he gets back control. Mircea starts attacking Chan with some ground and pound, Mircea transitions to the half guard on a scrambling Chan. Mircea goes back to attacking Chan with ground and pound. Mircea goes for the guillotine choke and Chan escapes, Mircea remains in top position as the round ends.
Fightful scores the round 10-9 for Mircea
Round Two: The round begins with Chan attacking Mircea with leg kicks, Chan starts swinging wildly at a taunting Mircea. Chan scores a takedown on Mircea and he gets side control, Mircea scrambles to his feet before attacking Chan with a front kick. Mircea accidentally nailed Chan low and the fight is halted, the fight resumes with Chan starts swinging wildly against Mircea again. Mircea goes back to attacking Chan with some leg kicks, Mircea scores a takedown on Chan and he gets the half guard. Mircea starts attacking Chan with some ground and pound, Mircea nails Chan with an illegal headbutt and the fight is halted. The fight resumes with Mircea nailing Chan with more leg kicks, Mircea cracks Chan with a front kick to the midsection. Chan scores a takedown on Mircea as the round ends.
Fightful scores the round 10-9 for Mircea (Overall Score: 20-18 for Mircea)
Round Three: The round begins with the fighters just swinging wildly at each other, Chan starts nailing Mircea with more leg kicks. Chan nails a kicking Mircea with a right to the midsection, Chan also starts attacking Mircea with power punches. Chan scores a takedown on Mircea and he gets side control, Mircea quickly scrambles and he forces Chan into his full guard. Chan starts attacking Mircea with some ground and pound, Mircea scrambles to get the fight standing again. Mircea starts nailing Chan with some leg kicks, Chan scores another takedown on Mircea and he gets side control. Mircea eventually forces Chan back into his full guard while eating a few strikes, Chan attacks Mircea with ground and pound as the round ends.
Fightful scores the round 10-9 for Chan (Final Score: 29-28 for Mircea)
Official Result: Valeriu Mircea def. Djamil Chan by majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Final fights are on Page Two...
#3 (WBW) Anastasia Yankova vs. Elina Kallionidou
Round One: The round begins with the fighters just swinging away at each other, Yankova charges at Kallionidou while throwing a punching combination. Yankova holds Kallionidou against the cage wall for a short time, the fighters start swinging away at each other again. Yankova charges at Kallionidou again while throwing another punching combination, Yankova looks for the takedown on Kallionidou. The fighters separate and Kallionidou starts pot shotting Yankova, Kallionidou puts Yankova against the cage wall for a short time. Yankova grabs Kallionidou and she holds her against the cage wall again, Yankova then catches Kallionidou with a few rights. The fighters separate and Yankova attacks Kallionidou with a series of kicks, Kallionidou attacks Yankova with a spinning back fist. Yankova holds Kallionidou against the cage wall before scoring a takedown, Kallionidou tries to scramble and Yankova gets side control as the round ends.
Fightful scores the round 10-9 for Yankova
Round Two: The round begins with Yankova attacking Kallionidou with a few kicks, Yankova comes forward before putting Kallionidou against the cage wall. Kallionidou spins yankova against the cage wall for a short time, the fighters separate and Kallionidou nails Yankova with a spinning back fist. Kallionidou grabs Yankova and she holds her against the cage wall, the fighters break away and Yankova winds up putting Kallionidou against the cage wall again. Yankova starts attacking Kallionidou with punching combinations, the fighters get away from each other and Kallionidou attacks Yankova with a few kicks. Yankova nails an incoming Kallionidou with a front kick to the face, Kallionidou grabs Yankova and she puts her against the cage wall. The fighters break away from each other and Yankova attacks Kallionidou with kicks, Yankova nails Kallionidou with a combination as the round ends.
Fightful scores the round 10-9 for Yankova (Overall Score: 20-18 for Yankova)
Round Three: The round begins with Yankova attacking Kallionidou with some kicks, Kallionidou nails a kicking Yankova with a counter left. Kallionidou puts Yankova against the cage wall after a striking exchange, the fighters separate and Yankova attacks Kallionidou with leg kicks. Yankova comes forward while attacking Kallionidou with combinations, Yankova again holds Kallionidou against the cage wall. Yankova catches Kallionidou with a front kick to the face, Yankova goes for a standing guillotine choke and Kallionidou eventually gets free. Yankova charges forward while attacking Kallionidou with a combination, Yankova holds Kallionidou against the cage wall again while landing more strikes. The fighters separate and Kallionidou attempts a spinning back fist against Yankova, Yankova holds Kallionidou against the cage wall again. The fighters separate and Yankova throws a wild combination at Kallionidou, Yankova clinches with Kallionidou as the round ends.
Fightful scores the round 10-9 for Yankova (Final Score: 30-27 for Yankova)
Official Result: #3 (WBW) Anastasia Yankova def. Elina Kallionidou by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Title Fight: Rafael Carvalho (Champion) vs. #1 Melvin Manhoef
Round One: The round begins with Carvalho nailing Manhoef with a kick to the midsection, Manhoef starts attacking Carvalho with leg kicks. Carvalho accidentally pokes Manhoef in the eye and the fight is halted, the fight resumes with Manhoef nailing a swinging Carvalho with a counter right hook. Manhoef attacks Carvalho with a variety of kicks, Carvalho catches Manhoef with a knee strike before scoring the takedown. Manhoef scrambles to his feet and Carvalho puts him against the cage wall, Carvalho attacks Manhoef with knee strikes while in the clinch. Manhoef scores a takedown on Carvalho and he gets side control, Manhoef postures up and Carvalho attacks him with up kicks. Manhoef transitions to the half guard on Carvalho as the round ends.
Fightful scores the round 10-9 for Manhoef
Round Two: The round begins with Manhoef attacking Carvalho with leg kicks, Carvalho comes forward while attacking Manhoef with a variety of kicks. Carvalho nails Manhoef with some kicks to the midsection, Manhoef briefly puts a swinging Carvalho on the ground. Carvalho grabs Manhoef and he nails him with some knee strikes, the fighters separate and Carvalho pops Manhoef with a left followed by a knee strike. Manhoef briefly drops a kicking Carvalho with an uppercut, Carvalho recovers and he nails Manhoef with another left. Carvalho grabs Manhoef and he holds him against the cage wall, the referee separates the fighters for inactivity. The action resumes with the fighters swinging away at each other, Carvalho nails Manhoef with more lefts as the round ends.
Fightful scores the round 10-9 for Carvalho (Overall Score: 19-19 for Draw)
Round Three: The round begins with the fighters exchanging some kicks, Manhoef attacks a swinging Carvalho with a two punch combination. Manhoef attacks Carvalho with a high kick that gets blocked, Carvalho nails Manhoef with a few lefts followed by a step in knee strike. Manhoef grabs the fence during a Carvalho takedown and the referee takes a point from him, the action resumes with Manhoef attacking Carvalho with leg kicks. Carvalho nails Manhoef with a knee strike before scoring a takedown, Carvalho transitions to back control on Manhoef while landing a few strikes. Manhoef gets back to his feet with Carvalho holding onto him, the referee separates the fighters for inactivity. The action resumes with the fighters exchanging kicks and the round ends.
Fightful scores the round 10-8 for Carvalho (Overall Score: 29-27 for Carvalho)
Round Four: The round begins with the fighters taking a few swings at each other, Manhoef starts attacking Carvalho with leg kicks. Carvalho starts peppering Manhoef with a bunch of lefts, Manhoef backs up a swinging Carvalho with a right hook. Manhoef starts attacking Carvalho with punching combinations, Carvalho starts using knee strike attempts to keep Manhoef at bay. Manhoef nails an incoming Carvalho with a left hook, Carvalho responds by nailing Manhoef with a kick to the midsection. Manhoef backs up Carvalho with a multiple punch combination, Carvalho nails Manhoef with a head kick and Manhoef goes out cold.
Official Result: Rafael Carvalho def. #1 Melvin Manhoef by KO via head kick (3:15, R4) to retain the Bellator MMA Middleweight Title
