Bellator 234 post-event facts: Youngster Aviv Gozali already making waves
Bellator hosted its latest oversees event Thursday with Bellator 234, which aired Friday via tape delay on Paramount from Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel.
An upset occurred in the heavyweight headliner of the card when Linton Vassell (19-8 MMA, 8-5 BMMA) stopped Sergei Kharitonov’s (29-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) unbeaten streak with a second-round TKO for his first win in the weight class since moving up from light heavyweight.
For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 20 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 234.
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General
Betting favorites went 2-1 on the main card. Betting odds weren’t available for two fights.
Betting favorites fell to 12-7 (with two no contests and one draw) in Bellator main events this year.
Total fight time for the six-bout main card was 43:23.
Main card
Vassell improved to 1-1 since he moved up to the heavyweight division in March.
Vassell has earned 15 of his 19 career victories by stoppage.
Vassell earned his first knockout victory since Feb. 27, 2015 – a span of 1,721 days (nearly five years) and eight fights.
Kharitonov has suffered six of his seven career losses by stoppage.
Kharitonov has suffered both of his Bellator losses by knockout.
Roger Huerta (24-12-1 MMA, 1-5 BMMA) fell to 0-3 since he returned to Bellator for a second stint in April 2018. He hasn’t earned a victory with the promotion since April 2010.
Huerta fell to 4-11 in his past 15 fights dating back to August 2008.
Aviv Gozali (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), 18, is the youngest fighter to reach four Bellator wins.
Gozali has earned all four of his career victories by submission.
Haim Gozali (12-6 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) has earned all 12 of his career victories by stoppage.
Gozali has earned all four of his Bellator victories by first-round submission.
Artur Pronin (16-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
Grachik Bozinyan (10-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
Preliminary card
Sinead Kavanagh (6-4 MMA, 3-4 BMMA) improved to 2-3 since she moved up to the Bellator women’s featherweight division.
Kavanagh has earned all of her career stoppage victories by knockout.
Olga Rubin (6-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) has suffered consecutive losses after starting her career 6-0.
Rubin has suffered both of her career losses by knockout.