Eternal MMA’s return to action saw Jack Della put on the best performance of his career yet.
Headlining Eternal MMA 53, held Saturday, October 10 at HBF Stadium in Perth, the reigning welterweight champion defeated Aldin Bates with a picture perfect knockout in just 1:12.
It looked a promising start for Bates, who immediately claimed the centre of the cage and pressured the champion with heavy punches and kicks. However, using superb footwork, Della managed to evade the bulk of Bates’ attack and ultimately answer with a short right hand to close the night. It was a terrifying image; Bates’ stiff body falling to the canvas where he remained for a few minutes.
Della not only secured his ninth consecutive win, but avenged the loss he suffered in the pair’s first meeting in 2016; that appeared to have been a big motivator for the Scrappy MMA standout.
“It’s feels perfect — damn good,” he said in his post-fight interview.
A “UFC” chant erupted in the crowd following the knockout and it’s clear that Della himself is looking for a step up in his next fight.
“What’s next is what’s next, but it’s criminal giving me the local people,” he said. “I need to fight some international people. Give me some of the best in the world. I’m ready to go so let’s see how good I am.”
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With the win, Della extends his record to 9-2 and is now tied for most Eternal title defences. Bates suffers his second loss in a row and drops to 6-3.
The main card, which aired on UFC Fight Pass, saw three other first-round finishes with Cody Haddon, Rodrigo Costa and Quillan Salkilld each picking up wins. Haddon, who made his professional debut, dominated 18-fight veteran Shantaram Maharaj and earned a TKO, while Costa and Salkilld out grappled their opponents to victory.
Results (Main Card):
- Jack Della def. Aldin Bates via KO (Punch), Rd 1, 1:12 – Eternal MMA welterweight title
- Cody Haddon def. Shantaram Maharaj via TKO (Strikes), Rd 1, 1:08
- Rodrigo Costa def. David Kriel via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Rd 1, 2:47
- Quillan Salkilld def. Abdallah Eltigani via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Rd 1, 3:38
Results (Preliminary Card):
- Kevin Kophamel def. Wade McConnell via TKO (Strikes), Rd 3, 2:02
- Jamie Hunt def. Jack Hooper via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Rd 1, 0:56
- Cameron Armstrong def. Bevan Chia via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Rd 2, 1:54
- Joshua Thomas def. Kane Rickus via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 28-29)
- Logan Murray def. Liam Gerrans via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Kaleb Steinnokel def. Rohan Gray via Submission (Guillotine), Rd 1, 2:10
- Daniel Molyneux def. Jordan Zyla via TKO (Strikes), Rd 2, 2:46
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