An American fighter destroyed her opponent with pinpoint striking and a rear-naked choke finish in a dominant 182-second win
- Keri Taylor-Melendez finished her current Bellator MMA deal with a dominant win Thursday.
- It was mere target practice for Melendez as the strawweight landed shot after shot on Emilee King on the preliminary card of the behind-closed-doors Bellator 252 event at the Mohegan Sun Casino.
- Melendez kneed King to the floor midway through the opening round, then submitted her with a rear-naked choke.
- She said after the fight that she'd like to re-sign with Bellator and perhaps move to the more competitive flyweight division.
An American fighter destroyed her opponent with pinpoint striking and a rear-naked choke finish in a dominant 182-second win.
It was mere target practice for much of the opening round as Keri Taylor-Melendez landed shot after shot on Emilee King at the behind-closed-doors Bellator 252 event inside the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
She landed strikes to the face, body, and midway through the first, swatted King's pawing southpaw jab away to extend a face-bound right hand before following up with a knee strike which sent her opponent to the mat.
With King vulnerable on the floor, Melendez could seek a multitude of finishes and quickly tied the strawweight up with a rear-naked choke.
The tap came shortly after.
Watch the finish here:
Victory preserved her unbeaten record, extending it to five wins in five (one knockout, two submissions, and two decisions).
Melendez has come to the end of her current Bellator MMA deal, but said post-fight that she'd like to re-sign with the Santa Monica-based fight firm.
She said she'd like to take part in a strawweight tournament or move into the more competitive flyweight division.
Read more: