On paper, Bellator 250’s co-main event looked to be a banger. No question. Brandon Girtz is known for hitting hard and swinging for the fences. Henry Corrales is as tough as they come and never backs down. The two coming together, in Girtz’s featherweight debut? That had to be fireworks, right?
It certainly felt like the cage was a powder keg in the opening round. Corrales pressed the action early, with Girtz on the outside. Not surprisingly, he had a bit of an edge in speed, but Girtz wasn’t far behind in his featherweight debut. And he was no less explosive than at lightweight. Corrales employed a few kicks, Girtz had to be careful off a slip, and it felt as if either man could find the finish at any given moment.
Round two saw Corrales go body-head as Girtz moved in. Girtz managed to kick an elbow, potentially hurting his opponent’s arm. The pair seemed to have loosened up, and things were picking up. Corrales kicked a leg, the pair exchanged, and again, it felt like either man remained capable of finding a finish. Girtz, however, seemed to be having some issues with his lead leg, and Corrales chopped away at it again. The cumulative effect of those attacks was likely going to impede Girtz’s ability to execute his own game plan, if he continued to eat them.
The leg kicks continued to land for Corrales in the third. Girtz remained on the outside, trying to close the distance in explosive fashion, taking big swings. But Corrales was able to slip out of range, work the leg over, and being the more mobile fighter at that point, land his own attacks. With the edge in volume swinging in his favor, it was Corrales walking away with the decision win. The only surprise, really, was an opposing 30-27 score for Girtz from one judge.
Official Result: Henry Corrales def. Brandon Girtz by split decision (30-27, 27-30, 30-27)
