Joe Warren takes a licking and keeps on ticking at Bellator 27
Bellator 27 was host for the featherweight championship fight between the champ Joe Soto (8-0) and the Challenger Joe Warren (5-1). Soto won the belt at Bellator 10 by securing a second round submission victory over Yahir Reyes, becoming the promotions first ever featherweight champ. Warren earned his title shot by defeating Patricio Freire at Bellator 23 winning the season two featherweight tournament.
Soto opened the fight displaying slick and accurate striking to which Warren had no answer for. For the entire round Soto was able to land upper cuts and left hooks on Warren, but the hard-nosed fighter continued to show he can take a beating. Soto’s domination brought on a high level of confidence that in between the beating, Soto decided to taunt Warren.
That over confidence would come back to haunt the champ.
Warren and his granite chin survived the round and lived to see a second round. Just seconds into the round, Warren clips Soto with a right hand that drops the champ. Warren quickly pounces on Soto with a flurry of hammer fists causing Soto to turtle up and give his back. Soto tries to get back to his feet, but Warren makes him pay with a big right knee to the chin, knocking Soto out just 33 seconds into the round. Joe Warren becomes the second ever Bellator featherweight champion.
Soto’s showboating clearly aided in his inability to finish off the challenger in the first round. Those actions will haunt him for a long time and with the Bellator format, he’ll have to earn a rematch with the new champ.
Missed the fight or what to see it again, check out the highlights from Bellator’s Youtube channel.
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Well that kinda speaks for itself…… JOE WARREN IS ONE TOUGH KIDD… as soon as he learns how to fight he will be unstoppable….amazing!!! I saw in in Dream and he came pretty close there and had what 0 zero fights then….. like I said AMAZING!!!!!