It wasn’t pretty, but Fabian Edwards got the job done.
The Bellator middleweight contender was able to edge out Aaron Jeffery in a lackluster unanimous decision win on the main card of Bellator Champions Series: Belfast, which took place on Friday at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Edwards (13-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) officially defeated Jeffery (14-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) by winning 29-28 on all three judges’ scorecards.
The bout between Edwards and Jeffery was labeled as a title eliminator ahead of the event. After the verdict, it was confirmed that Edwards earned a title shot against Johnny Eblen.
“I’m coming,” Edwards said in his post-fight interview when asked about Eblen. “Listen, in September last year, I was winning that fight, and I made the wrong decision and got caught, but I’m coming.”
Edwards, brother of UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, was knocked out by Eblen in the third round of their championship fight back in September at Bellator 299. It was his first professional KO loss. The only two prior defeats for Edwards had come by decision.
The fight against Jeffery was Edwards’ first fight since losing the championship bout. It was a lackluster decision where Jeffery was constantly looking to pressure and control Edwards against the cage. Although Edwards gave up a lot of control time, he was able to do the most damage and land the bigger shots of the fight.
Edwards is now 4-1 in his past five outings – a run that includes notable wins over veterans Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi.
On the other hand, Jeffery now finds himself 1-2 in his past three performances. He has defeated Dalton Rosta in his previous outing in August, which allowed him to bounce back from a decision loss to John Salter.
Up-to-the-minute BCS: Belfast results include:
- Fabian Edwards def. Aaron Jeffery via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28, 29-28)
- Leandro Higo def. James Gallagher via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Manoel Sousa def. Tim Wilde via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:48
- Ciaran Clarke def. Darius Mafi submission (arm-triangle choke)
- Alfie Davis def. Oscar Ownsworth unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Luke Trainer def. Grant Neal unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Nathan Kelly def. Vikas Singh Ruhil knockout (elbow)
- Abraham Bably def. Isaiah Pinson unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.
