Bellator live coverage from Charlotte

Live coverage from Charlotte:

DOUG MARSHALL (15-6) VS. ANDREAS SPANG (8-2) IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

First round: Both are our swinging wildly. Marhsall throwing wide hooks. Now they are tied up against the cage. Dan Miragliotta quickly separted them. Marshall thrownig hard shots. Marshall knocked him out with a right hook to the jaw. Marshall has a pleasing style and he’s a good talker. He’s best known as the guy Brian Stann knocked out to win his WEC title many years ago.  3:03

Okay, the new Dave & Buster's commercial with Michael Chandler is funny.

NORMAN PARAISY (10-2-1) VS. BRETT COOPER (17-7) IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

First round: Cooper working for a takedown. He finally got it. He let him up. Now Paraisy was landing knees and Cooper landing punches. Paraisy hurt him with a left and landing a lot of knees. Cooper going for another takedown. Cooper slammed him down and throwing punches but Paraisy back up and throwing punches. Knee by Paraisy. Paraisy with a takedown now. Cooper back up. Cooper with another takedown. Paraisy grabbed the cage to try and get up and the ref yelled at him about that. Cooper’s round 10-9.

Second round: Paraisy moved inwith punches and kicks. Cooper with two good uppercut and Paraisy went down. Paraisy reversed on the ground and back up. Paraisy swinging but doesn’t have his legs under him. Cooper powered him back down. Cooper landing lefts. Another takedown by Cooper. Cooper picked him up and slammed him hard. Paraisy got up and got the takedown late. Cooper’s round 20-18.

Third round: Cooper got another takedown to open the third round. He landed a few on the ground. Paraisy up and Cooper took him right back down. Paraisy up and Cooper took him back down. Paraisy up again. Cooper took him down again. It’s like Cooper is trying to tech fall him. Paraisy up again. Uppercut and a spinebuster by Cooper. Cooper has his back. Paraisy reversed to the top. Cooper stood up and got another takedown. Cooper throwing short punches until the bell sounded. Cooper’s round easily, has to be 30-27 or 30-26.

Scores:  All three judges have it 30-27 for Cooper.

Kurt Angle doing a promo, said wrestling is at its peak the biggest its been in the U.S. since 1980.  Bjorn Rebney talked about all the wrestlers like Ben Askren, King Mo, Michael Chandler and Joe Warren in Bellator and that they were linking to USA Wrestling.

BRIAN ROGERS (10-4) VS. DAN CRAMER (9-3) IN THE MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

First round: Cramer’s nickname is Cosmo. That’s hilarious. Trading big punches and Rogers with a nice belly to belly throw. Cramer then reversed him on the gorund. Rogers up and both trading punches and Cramer powered him down. Cramer landed a right. Cramer landed a left and a right. Cramer landed another one. Cramer landing another right. Rogers landed a ton of punches up close. Body kick by Rogers but he slipped and went down and Cramer behind him standing. Both landing big shots late. Real good round. Cramer 10-9

Second round: Rogers with a belly to belly suplex. Rogers pounding him with punches. Cramer back up. Another belly to belly by Rogers. Cramer with a takedown. Rogers back up landing big punches. Cramer hit a hard right. Rogers has a problem with his left eye from that punch. Cramer powered him down with another takedown. Cramer moved to side control. Cramer got full mount for a second. Rogers escpaed from the bottom and back up. Rogers landed some big punches and Cramer back. Cramer landed a right at the bell. Very close round, could go ether way, I have Rogers so 19-19 going into the third.

Third round: Cramer landed a hard right. Rogers with another throw. Rogers landing a hard punch and a kick to the body. Rogers hurt him with a right but Cramer with knee and took Rogers down. Cramer with more punches on the ground. Cramer moved to side control. Rogers escaped and landed a big knee and now he’s firing punches. Both swinging wildly. Cramer bleeding from left eye. Cramer with a takedown but Rogers landed on top. Cramer up and Rogers went for another takedown,Cramer blocked it and landed on top. Both were swinging as time ran out. Great fight. I’ll go Cramer very close so 29-28 but the last two rounds could have gone either way.

Scores: 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 all going to Cramer

Cramer faces Brett Cooper in the semifinals.

The other semifinal is Sultan Aliev vs. Doug Marshall.  Aliev won a unanimous decision over Mikkel Parlo earlier on the Spike.com portion of the show.

EDUARDO DANTAS (14-3) VS. MARCOS GALVAO (13-5-1) FOR THE BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

First round: Dantes with low kick and moving. He’s staying on the outside and throwing. Body kick by Dantas, lost balane and Galvao got behind him standing. Galvao with a takedown but Dantas right back up. Galvao with knees to the hamstring. Dantes wants a break but he’s not going to separate them when Galvao had back position. At least I hope not. Miragilotta telling Galvao he’s got to work. Dantas out. Left by Dantas. Front kick by Dantas. Dantas landing punches. Galvao landed a right. Dantas 10-9.

Second round: Dantas cut in his right eyelid during the first round. Front kick by Dantas. Galvao landed a right. He landed another and a thrid. Trading low kicks. Another low kick by Galvao. Body shot and front kick by Dantas and another front kick and low kick and jab. Great head kick by Dantas. Galvao stggered but still up, but he’s taking shots. Front kick by Dantas. Spin kick to the body by Dantas. Dantas way too quick for Galvao, decked him with an uppercut and finished him with punches on the ground to retain his title.