TEMECULA, Calif. – Goiti Yamauchi went into his Bellator 229 co-feature bout against Saad Awad tied with Ilima Lei-Macfarlane, Michael Chandler, and Neiman Gracie for most submission victories in Bellator history with six.
Friday night, Yamauchi (24-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) wasted little time claiming the record all for himself. Yamauchi needs just 1:40 to make Awad (23-12 MMA, 11-9 BMMA) tap to an expertly applied armbar for his 17th career submission win and seventh in the company.
Awad clipped Yamauchi good in the first exchange of the fight, and that was all the motivation Yamauchi needed to shoot a double and go to work. Once he got Awad to the mat, he put on a clinic as he improved his position while in Awad’s guard, clasped the arm, then turned and straightened the arm out. A Awad is a tough competitor, but he was caught and had no choice but to tap.
With the victory, Yamauchi now has two straight wins and has taken five out of his past six. Awad’s third career submission loss puts him on a three-fight losing streak.
Bellator 229 takes place Friday at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. The main card lightweight bout aired on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 229 results:
- Goiti Yamauchi def. Saad Awad via submission (armbar) — R1, 1:40
- Keri Melendez def. Mandy Polk via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Tony Johnson def. Joe Schilling via KO (punch) — Round 3, 2:07
- Salim Mukhidinov def. Adel Altamimi via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-27)
- Anatoly Tokov def. Hracho Darpinyan via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 4:38
