With his fourth straight win in Bellator, middleweight Charlie Ward has become a threat, with his latest victim being Justin Moore.
Charlie Ward might have been best known as a teammate of Conor McGregor when he arrived in Bellator MMA. However, he has made something of a name for himself thus far. Time is not on his side, as Ward was 38 and he was taking on a younger fighter in Justin Moore at Bellator 223 in London on Saturday. Still, he got the job done.
The fight was part of a tape-delayed card that aired on Paramount and DAZN in North America.
Moore went right after a takedown to open this one, and while Ward managed to free himself, a second takedown followed. Moore moved to mount, and managed to land some heavy blows before Ward tied him up, locking his hands. Moore broke that grip, and tried to move to a higher mount. Not a pretty spot for Ward to be in, but he slowly inched his to the cage. Ward finally transitioned to his side and powered up, reversing position and driving Moore into the fence.
With a little effort, Ward finished the double-leg takedown, landing in half-guard. He’d work there for a bit, before Moore escaped back up, and took a big swing to end the round.
The second had Ward likely down a round. It also saw Moore get Ward down early, and transition to the back. Ward, however, transitioned to the top and began dropping some heavy punches. Moore tried to escape to his feet, but was tired. Instead, he tried for a kimura from bottom. Ward pulled free, and added a few punches. Then more, really opening up, raining blow after blow while controlling the back. Moore was just covering up, and the ref waved it off.
Charlie Ward def. Justin Moore by TKO, Round 2, 3:23
