HONOLULU – The final Bellator 278 prelim ended in bizarre fashion Friday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center when Lyoto Machida protege Weber Almeida kicked opponent Fabricio Franco.
At first glance, Franco’s reaction signaled a low blow. The referee called timeout immediately and Franco dropped to the canvas. As he writhed in pain, however, the replay rolled in the arena. The shot in question appeared to hit the upper inside thigh – not the groin.
Franco continued to scooch around on the ground, as the referee frequently checked in on him. Although he rose to his feet on multiple occasions, the referee eventually deemed him unable to continue and the contest was waved off.
