After a bit of a slow start, Tyrell Fortune exploded in the second round of his heavyweight fight with Rudy Schaffroth at Bellator 225, finishing via submission.
Rudy Schaffroth asked for the fight, and Tyrell Fortune answered the call. That’s all the background you really need to know about how Fortune vs. Schaffroth came together. But if you’re not familiar with the pair, both were undefeated 6-0 heavyweights heading into Bellator 225.
That was obviously not going to be the case coming out of the event. Fortune said heading into the fight that he’d been looking for an opponent with more experience. Time would tell if he was ready for that sort of challenge or not. In the meantime, his scrap with Schaffroth opened up the Bellator 225 card.
With the fight underway, Schaffroth held center while Fortune circled on the outside. It was a right hand landing for Fortune that got things going, however, followed by a takedown attempt. That at least was stuffed by Schaffroth. Fortune would connect with a solid leg kick, but neither man was in too much trouble through the opening round, which was very much a feeling out period, punctuated by a couple more nasty leg kicks by Fortune.
Round two opened with a slightly more frenetic pace. Fortune would land a big right hand right on the forehead of Rudy Schaffroth. Another leg kick would take Schaffroth off his feet, and that set up the finish. Schaffroth got back up, but Fortune went on the attack, swarming him. He went down again, covering up, but moving; Fortune moved to mount, dropping bombs. Schaffroth turned, giving up his back, and Tyrell jumped on the opportunity, locking in a rear-naked choke to force the tap.
Improving to 7-0, it might just be time to give Tyrell Fortune the step up in competition he’s been looking for. Following the fight, Fortune gave a tip of his hat to heavyweight and light heavyweight champ Ryan Bader, who he’d been training the rear-naked choke with.
Tyrell Fortune def. Rudy Schaffroth by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:08
