Bellator 251 video: Replay gives Derek Anderson KO win over Killys Mota

It wouldn’t be a Bellator event if there wasn’t a crazy sequence due to an apparent illegal blow, would it?

But at Bellator 251, there was a twist on the usual routine. In the main-card opener between Derek Anderson and Killys Mota on Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Anderson (76-3 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) hit Mota (12-2 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) with what at first appeared to be an illegal kick to a downed Mota.

And when Mota was unable to respond after the kick, which landed flush on the jaw, that made it appear the fight would be yet another in a preponderance of no contests due to illegal strikes during recent Bellator cards.

But the Mogehan Tribal Commission allows for the usage of instant replay in such situation. Upon viewing the replay, referee Mike Beltran ruled the strike legal.

It was actually a magnificently timed, perfectly placed kick, which landed flush a split second after Mota, who was attempting to get back to his feet, lifted his knee off that mat, making him no longer a grounded fighter.

The bout goes into the books as a head-kick KO victory for Anderson at 4:27 of the second round.

You can catch the fantastic finish in the video below:

LEGAL shot by Derek Anderson (@DerekBarbaric) #Bellator251 | Full results: https://t.co/84d5RQYPrc pic.twitter.com/YH5q0dziC3

— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) November 6, 2020