Sherdog’s Top 10: Greatest Bellator Fights

6. Derek Campos vs. Brandon Girtz 3 | Bellator 181 (July 24, 2017)

Unlike most fighters on this list, Campos and Girtz were not Bellator champions or even top contenders. They were merely good fighters. Solid grapplers with good offensive striking and porous defense, who loved to trade heavy leather. Together, they made for one of Bellator’s most exciting trilogies. Campos had won their first meeting by unanimous decision all the way back in 2013. Two and a half years later, Girtz needed just 37 seconds to get his revenge via knockout. However, their rubber match in 2017 was their very best. There was no feeling out process or caution, as Girtz hit Campos with a two-punch combination and added a stinging body kick for good measure. Early on, it was Girtz coming after Campos hard, putting almost everything he had into huge power punches. Campos was content to defend, though the blows were partially getting through, and landed the occasional hard leg kick in turn. After eating another big body kick, Campos came forward with a Superman punch, missed and got caught with a clean right hook. He marched on like the Terminator, completely unconcerned. Still, it was all Girtz early on, as he kept finding a home for his left cross, right hook and body kick, while Campos couldn’t quite connect clean with his punches. This changed halfway through the round, as Campos landed a series of right crosses that wobbled Girtz, who retreated. They soon began trading big shots. Girtz came back with his biggest body kick yet and soon after, Campos tagged him with another teeth-rattling straight right. They then engaged in a truly crazy striking exchange featuring kicks, punches and knees, ending with Girtz smashing Campos with a right hook that finally hurt him badly. Girtz then made the interesting choice to take Campos down. They didn't stay down for long, and as they resumed striking, both men were utterly covered in blood. The culprit was a huge cut on Girtz’s forehead. He landed a few more nice straight lefts and body kicks to end the round, but all eyes were transfixed by his cut, among the deepest and most ghastly that the blood gods of MMA have witnessed. Appropriately, the commentators brought up Marvin Eastman vs. Vitor Belfort. Incredibly, the doctor allowed the fight to continue.

Knowing he likely had little time, Girtz came out for Round 2 swinging like a madman and needed all of 10 seconds to catch Campos with a nice right hook that stumbled him. Campos soon retaliated with a nice right cross. Girtz continued landing big kicks to the body, but being a Terminator, Campos had abs of steel, simply eating them. Two minutes into the round, Girtz wobbled Campos across the cage with a right hook, with the hurt fighter simply waving him on. Girtz immediately obliged, slamming a straight left right into his chin. Girtz unloaded on Campos, treating him like a glorified heavy bag. Suddenly, Campos unleashed a monster right hook, turning Girtz around and causing him to travel around the cage in a daze. Campos tried to finish him with punches and a big knee against the cage, but Girtz somehow pushed him off and gained separation, surviving for the time being. Girtz landed some big kicks to the body and then a big knee to the breadbasket, but this was just a respite before another huge toe-to-toe punch exchange between the two against the cage, with Campos getting the better of it. Undaunted, the two continued taking turns delivering big bombs for the final 90 seconds of the round. Girtz was better overall, but Campos exploded the last dynamite, a hard right cross to the chin as the round ended. Between rounds, the doctor made the smart decision to stop the contest, as one could easily see Girtz’s brain matter thanks to the cut, giving Campos the victory in the fight and their trilogy. However, in those 10 minutes, both men had thrilled the audience more than almost any three- or five-round affair. When it comes to Rock ‘em Sock ‘em MMA, few fights are anywhere near as good as Girtz vs. Campos 3. I far prefer it to Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar 1. Not only is the technique and quality of the strikes much better, but it is far more exciting and dramatic to boot.

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