It was a big night for Luke Trainer at Friday night’s Bellator 293 in Temecula, California.
The British light heavyweight improved his professional record to 7-1 by becoming the first man to defeat fellow 205 pound prospect Sullivan Cauley. The turning point came as the pair went to the ground, with Trainer able to take control of the back.
From there, he got his hooks and and locked up a rear-naked choke tight under the chin. While Cauley, a protege of Ryan Bader out of Arizona, initially fought the hands, it wasn’t long before he looked lost, arms flailing.
The tap came next, and Trainer had served up the American’s first loss. The finish came at 2:58 of the opening round.
Trainer himself is now 4-1 in the promotion, but the biggest news came after the fight. Bringing his girlfriend into the cage with him, Trainer got down on one knee and proposed, adding “I can’t wait to put babies inside you.” Despite the awkward execution, he landed the proposal— she said yes.
Trainer has become a mainstay in Bellator’s light heavyweight division, starting out as part of their Euro Series in 2020. Opponent Cauley was ranked #9 in the weight class prior to Friday night, so Trainer is likely to land in the top 10 sometime next week.
