First Bellator on Spike TV, Chandler defends belt

Michael Chandler vs Rick Hawnby By | source: MMAFighting.com

IRVINE, Calif. — Bellator MMA’s first live event on Spike TV was more than a year in the making. But Michael Chandler needed barely eight minutes to take care of business in the main event of the company’s first Spike card.

The undefeated Alliance MMA fighter improved to 11-0 on Thursday night with a successful defense of his Bellator lightweight title. Chandler submitted Rick Hawn with a rear-naked choke at 3:07 of the second round of their fight at the Bren Events Center on the campus of Cal-Irvine.

Chandler set the tone in the first round by taking down the 2004 Olympic judoka from Dracut, Mass., and controlling most of the round from that position. Hawn looked to avoid a knee to the head while getting back to his feet late in the round by keep a hand on the mat, but he ate a dozen knees to the thigh and torso instead.

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