Daniel Straus finally solved the Patricio Freire riddle.
The American Top Team standout took a five-round unanimous decision from Freire in the Bellator 145 main event, as he recaptured the Bellator MMA featherweight championship on Friday at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. All three judges saw it for Straus, awarding him 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 marks on the scorecards.
Freire absorbed an inordinate amount of damage, starting in the second round. It was there that the direction of the fight changed, as Straus floored the Brazilian with a straight left and nearly finished him with a follow-up salvo.