When Emanuel Newton was still Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion, Linton Vassell gave him a pretty good scare in his last successful title defense.
The two men squared off at Bellator 130, and Vassell took charge in the early going, moving to full mount several times and repeatedly threatening with submissions. A second-round kimura appeared to be particularly dire, but Newton was able to escape and eventually won the bout by tapping his foe with a rear-naked choke in the fifth stanza.
Newton and Vassell will meet again at Bellator 149 on Feb.