Age apparently is just a number, as Norbert Novenyi Jr. submitted the much older William Lavine to open the main card at Bellator 218 on Friday Night.
Bumped to the main card due to injuries to both Mike Shipman and Jeremy Hardy, Norbert Novenyi vs. William Lavine featured a pair of middleweights at vastly different points in their lives. William Lavine entered the night at 1-1, at 36 years old. 3-0 Norbert Novenyi Jr., meanwhile, was just 19 years old, the son of an Olympian, and much hyped in part due to his young age.
Novenyi looked light early, employed a sideways stance, and quickly secured a body lock on the feet as the action got underway Friday night in Thackerville, OK. That allowed Novenyi to drag his opponent to the ground, easily controlling from the back with both hooks in. Moving into half-guard, he’d throw in a bit of ground and pound. Lavine would get him back in guard, only to wind up eating more blows. That said, Lavine made it back to his feet, only to have Novenyi stick to him.
That sequence led to a standing guillotine choke, which was tight, but Lavine managed to survive. Novenyi, however, held onto the neck and muscled his opponent back down. Novenyi would eventually land a suplex and again control from the back, only for Lavine to briefly reverse, but nearly get caught in a heel hook. A late takedown by the younger fighter took them to the second.
Round two saw Novenyi on the outside, connecting with a spinning elbow early. This time it was Lavine pushing the fight, driving Novenyi into the fence, and looking to land foot stomps. However as they went to the ground, Novenyi again took the back, getting one hook in, then trying to flatten Lavine out while landing a number of ground strikes. From there, Novenyi sank in an arm-triangle choke, and after a couple of punches to the ribs, Lavine tapped out.
Norbert Novenyi def. William Lavine by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 4:05
