It was supposed to be a night where former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler and top bantamweight prospect Darrion Caldwell assumed the no. 1 contender spot for a shot at Eduardo Dantas' title. Instead, Bellator 159 ended up being a reminder of the unpredictability of mixed martial arts as Caldwell succumbed to a sudden and surprising submission at the hands of Joe Taimanglo despite being dominated for almost the entirety of their bout.
Caldwell kicked things off by attempting a low single, but the Guam native read it and was able to easily walk out of it.