After earning a season-low 132,000 viewers on April 16, Bellator Fighting Championships rebounded on Saturday, capturing 199,000 viewers for the live broadcast of Bellator 42 on MTV2.
The event, which emanated from the Lucky Star Casino in Concho, Okla., featured the Bellator debut of regarded British featherweight Ronnie Mann, as well as the two light heavyweight tournament semifinals, which saw Christian M’Pumbu knock out Tim Carpenter and Richard Hale decision D.J. Linderman. M’Pumbu will meet Hale in the tournament final at Bellator 45 on May 21.
Mann impressed in his inaugural trip inside Bellator’s circular cage, as the Brit repeatedly ended up in top position and proceeded to mangle Josh Arocho’s face with punches and elbows. Though Arocho showed heart in surviving to the final bell, Mann dominated from start to finish and walked away with a clear-cut unanimous decision.