A teenage Bellator kickboxer destroyed her veteran opponent on her debut…
Bellator is the second-biggest MMA promotion in the US right now. However, Scott Coker’s company are determined to make inroads in the European market. They’ve signed up a whole host of UK and Ireland based fighters and now they’ve just had their first card in Milan, Italy.
For some reason, kickboxing isn’t that popular in the US. We don’t really understand why, not because if you like striking, then that’s what you should be watching. However, Bellator is trying to change that. With finishers like Jade Jorand on their roster, then they could have a good chance of doing so.
The young Frenchwoman made her professional debut against Silvia La Notte on Saturday night. She’s going to remember it forever because she managed to win by brutal KO. Check out the devastating finish below. There were a lot of combat sports this weekend, but this was exceptional.
What a finish by Jade Jorand! pic.twitter.com/1bGQjL1ocY
— Bellator Kickboxing (@BellatorKB) October 12, 2019
Debut
As debuts go, this one was near perfect for Jade Jorand. The 19-year-old was making her professional debut against seasoned veteran Silvia La Notte. However, it was Jorand who showed nous and cunning beyond her years to win this fight. It was honours even until the second round when the two women entered the clinch. That’s when the carnage was unleashed.
La Notte bizarrely dropped her guard, clearly assuming the referee was going to separate them. Jorand saw the opportunity and blasted her with a perfectly placed kick to the chin. La Notte was knocked out cold before she hit the floor. Consequently, it was a stunning and terrifying finish by the young Frenchwoman.
You know what the referees say: protect yourself at all times. Somebody should have told the Italian fighter because that’s the basics of fighting. However, Jorand won’t mind though. There’s nothing like a highlight reel finish on your debut to generate some hype.
WOW! @team_manhoef gets the job done in the very first round, stopping @yannick_bahati with some nasty ground and pound!
What a finish here at #BellatorMilan.
Watch live now on Channel 5 🇬🇧 and the Bellator App. pic.twitter.com/7Og7SqkTYT
— Bellator Europe (@Bellator_Europe) October 12, 2019
MMA Result
Meanwhile, Bellator technically had three separate cards on the same day in Milan. First of all, their kickboxing event was down earlier in the day. Then Bellator 230 was aired on Paramount and DAZN, before Bellator: Milan aired online and through their European partners.
In the main event, Melvin Manhoef got a savage win by hammerfist. The Dutchman showed that at the age of 43, he’s still as tough as they come, with a brutal finish. His opponent Yannick Bahati had all the physical advantages, but he wasn’t able to use any of them. Manhoef got him down and finished him off with horrific ground-and-pound.
🔁@BellatorMMA
So, you want to be a fighter..? Be prepared for knee to meet face like it did when Luca Cecchetti met Alex Avogdro in the Bellator Kickboxing ring. pic.twitter.com/FOtxvckick— Bellator Kickboxing (@BellatorKB) October 13, 2019
Results
For full kickboxing results from a night of action in Milan, see below:
Gabriel Varga def. Cristian Faustino by unanimous decision.
Chingiz Allazov def. Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee by unanimous decision.
Yuri Bessmertny def. Giuseppe de Domenico by unanimous decision.
Luca Cecchetti def. Alex Avogadro by TKO.
Jade Jorand def. Silvia La Notte by KO.
Shan Cangelosi def. Kevin Ross by unanimous decision.
Endy Bonat vs. Kebrom Neguse ends in a majority draw.
Taras Hnatchuk def. Giacomo Licheri — by unanimous decision.
Luca Memeli def. Pawel Szymanski by unanimous decision.
