Squirrelly judging allowed Rafael Carvalho to keep the Bellator MMA middleweight championship after one of the more bizarre big-fight performances in recent memory.
Carvalho was awarded a five-round split decision over Melvin Manhoef and retained control of the 185-pound title in the Bellator 155 headliner on Friday at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. Scores were 48-47 (Michael Bell) for Manhoef, 48-47 (Randy Anderson) and 48-47 (Rob Hinds) for Carvalho. The champion did virtually nothing noteworthy from an offensive standpoint, aside from meaningless takedowns in the third and fourth rounds.