Daniel Carey was a considerable underdog at Bellator 226, but came out on top by submitting Gaston Bolanos in the very first round.
Daniel Carey comes into Bellator 226 with a 6-3 record with a 2-2 record in Bellator. He’s also 2-1 in top regional promotion LFA. Carey’s last fight came against promising Moroccan fighter Adil Benjilany, losing by head kick.
Gaston Bolanos is a Muay Thai specialist from Peru, winning championships in both South America and the United States. His transition to mixed martial arts has been smooth, going 5-1 with all of his wins coming by knockout. The one loss is by triangle choke, so the development of his ground game is something to watch.
Daniel Carey started the fight with several leg kicks against the experienced striker Bolanos. Bolanos answered with a solid combination, backing Carey up. Carey got caught with a body kick and a left that rocked him. Bolanos backed him to the cage and flurried with more shots. Carey locked him up and went for a guillotine. Bolanos was standing but couldn’t escape the grip. Carey fell to his back and locked Bolanos down with his legs. Bolanos tried to adjust and escape, but simply could not escape the grip. Bolanos went to sleep and his four-fight win streak came to an end.
Many tabbed Bolanos as a fighter who was snubbed from the 16-man featherweight tournament. Given this result, it seems that a slot in the tourney would have been a bit too early.
Daniel Carey def. Gaston Bolanos by Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) in Round 1 (4:19)
