The so-called co-main event of the busy weekend of mixed martial action went to Bellator MMA which held the main event of Stephen Bonnar (15-9) and Tito Ortiz (18-11-1). Those invested in the next generation of mma fighters were more looking forward to the rematch of Michael Chandler (12-3) and Will Brooks (15-1) to solidify the champion of the lightweight division.

The WWE-esque presentation of the fighters may not have been enjoyed by the hardcore fans but this writer feels like it was a refreshing visual to stand out on a weekend of oversaturation. Ortiz lived up to his word in defeating Bonner in a match that showed both guys can still duke it out.

Will Brooks really showed the world that he is a great fighter to carry the Bellator flag much like his foe Chandler who he defeated with a strange stoppage in their second match. It was a busy night for the world of combat sports and Bellator did its duty on adding to the excitement that swept through the night.

If there was ever a fighter who was perfect to enter the cage in a pro wrestling looking entrance it would be King Mo (14-4). Continuing to carve off more of his newly signed contract he went heads up with Joe Vedepo (17-9) in a pretty dominant fight. Mo controlled the cage with his wrestling and match Joe on the feet in the first two rounds. The takedowns would have secured the victory for Mo but he finished Vedepo with a ground and pound to pull off the victory. It seems as if Mo has designs of facing the Huntington Beach Bad Boy so we will have to see if Cocker makes that happen.

Nam Pham (20-14) was looking at kickstarting his career back in motion as one of the newly signed fighters from the UFC. Unfortunately for him, he ran into a beast of a man in the Marine Mike Richman (18-5) who took no time in dispelling Pham. Richman charged in and never looked back as he stopped Pham with a quick combination that sent him to the canvas. After the fight, he and Joe Warren had an exchanging of words that teased a nice little rivalry brewing in the bantamweight division. Richman continues to impress and it’s back to the drawing board for Pham.

Looked upon as the fun fight of the evening, kickboxing standouts Joe Schilling (2-3) and Melvin Manhoef (29-12) went toe-to-toe in an explosive fight that did not disappoint. The minute this fight was booked, it created a buzz that reminded us of the matchups we can look forward to in the new regime. Fun fights with no real implications but exciting enough to draw in the viewer.

It seemed as if this fight wouldn’t last more than a round as Melvin came out looking polished landing shot after shot on Schilling who continued to press forward. One overhead dropped Joe and the match looked as if it was coming to an end with Manhoef raining down hammer fist. Joe was able to survive and turn the tide in the second round.

All it takes is one shot and a counter by Schilling who was still at that point being dominated by Manhoef found the chin and that was all she wrote. It was everything we expected and a fight we could look over and over.

Will Brooks wasn’t given the respect that he and his team are due for what they have accomplished so far in Bellator MMA. Many didn’t feel he truly won that last match with Michael Chandler so a dominant victory would be enough to silence the critics. This would prove to be no easy task as both fighters went toe to toe in a very balanced striking affair.

What made the difference early on was the repeated take down attempts by Michael Chandler that were stuffed by Brooks. This frustrated Chandler and gave Will more chances to land effective shots. In the championship rounds, you have to wonder how the judges scoring was up until then but this writer had Brooks ahead all three rounds.

In the fourth, both fighters found themselves on the ground after a judo toss by Brooks and while standing back on their feet Will landed a shot to the temple of Chandler that left him lost. It looked as if he truly didn’t know where he was at in the match and even raised his hands as to tell Brooks not to hit him. Will capitalized and landed a few more shots before referee Jason Herzog called the match.

You can see Chandler asking the referee what happen which proved he was clearly stunned by the blow from Brooks. This won’t warrant a third fight but as long as these two guys are around this is a match we could in the future see again. Chandler is still the number one contender but will have to face a few more opponents before he gets another chance at the title.

The headlining grudge match between Stephan Bonnar and Tito Ortiz may have not been the biggest match of the weekend but it was one that had many eyes on packed house in San Diego. Both fighters showed their age early with sloppy exchanges. Soon, Bonnar found his jab and Tito was able to connect with a left hook.

That pretty much became the norm for the stand up the entire fight but as expected Tito was able to land some takedowns. That proved to be the true difference in the match and what was able to win the fight for Ortiz by a split decision. You have to give them both credit for making it as exciting as they could and it looks as is the bad blood will continue even after the match.

Bellator may just win the weekend in regards to actual fights that were enjoyed but not having the controversy of the other cards could overshadow it. Scott Coker did the justice of previewing some of the upcoming cards for Bellator as they look at 2015 which should be more promising than ever.

Main Card results

Tito Ortiz def. Stephan Bonnar split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Will Brooks def. Michael Chandler via TKO (Strikes, Round 4, 3:48)

Joe Schilling def. Melvin Manhoef via KO (Strikes, Round 2, 0:32)

Mike Richman def. Nam Phan via KO (Strikes, Round 1, 0:46)

Muhammed Lawal def. Joe Vedepo TKO (Strikes, Round 3, 0:39)