HONOLULU – Yancy Medeiros’ Bellator debut was a success – and it couldn’t have come at a location and venue more meaningful to him.
In front of his home island crowd, Medeiros (16-8 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) defeated Emmanuel Sanchez (20-8 MMA, 12-7 BMMA) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) and sent the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, including pal Nate Diaz, into a frenzy.
From the opening bell, Medeiros and Sanchez slugged it out. When Sanchez tried to take Medeiros down, he defended successfully – a theme for the rest of the bout. Sanchez had his moments in the striking department, as he rocked Medeiros on multiple occasions with his punches. Sanchez’s leg kicks were on point.
