Bellator 144 was going pretty much according to plan from the beginning of the main card up until round 1 of the main event between Rafael Carvalho and Brandon Halsey. If you recall, Halsey lost his middleweight title because he failed to make weight against Kendall Grove, so he got the chance to win it back against the Brazilian. Halsey, who came into the fight undefeated at 9-0, dominated round 1 and nearly finished Carvalho with an arm-triangle choke, but Carvalho managed to escape.
Then came round 2, and out of nowhere Carvalho landed a body kick that had Halsey reeling.