April 17, 2011 – Houston-resident and recent Bellator signee Chad “Robo” Robichaux lost his first professional fight yesterday evening in Yuma, Arizona while debuting at Bellator 41 against current bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky.
The Houston-based fighter tried mightily to best his opponent with a gritty three round performance but alas, it was not to be for the Gracie Barra black belt as Zach Makovsky instead proved his worth as the current king of the promotion’s bantamweight class with a convincing three round performance en route to the TKO finish.
“Fun Size” used his vaunted all-around skills honed at the Philadephia Fight Factory to control every facet of the fight – taking down Robichaux, attempting submissions, and passing his guard at will in controlling the first two rounds of the fight before finally ending things in the third with a back-mounted array of right hands, forcing the referee stoppage.
To his credit, the debuting “Robo” survived what looked to be several deep choke attempts as Makovsky tried to finish the fight in the second round with both a rear-naked-choke and a head-and-arm choke that looked quite fatal for the fight.
Overall, I would describe this bout as a ‘spirited’ performance for Robichaux, who attempted a dizzying array of spinning back fists and other maneuvers only to be stifled by the current champion, who put on a true showcase performance for the win.
For now, it’s back to the drawing board for “Robo” as he will look to bounce back from his first loss by participating in next season’s of Bellator’s bantamweight tournament. Winning that series could earn him another crack at Makovsky, who will be waiting to defend against next tournament season’s winner.
“It stings to loose, especially after 11 fights, but I felt I fought hard and against a great opponent,” says Robichaux. “That was what I was seeking, a tremendous battle of skill, and I am not let down by my performance. Those are the fights you dream to be a part of in this sport; that is the ones we remember.”
Continuing, Robichaux adds, “This is the top of the world level, and its not supposed to be easy. I felt 100% and left it all out there. Zach is a beast and one of the world’s best Bantamweights. Congrats to him, and thanks to Bellator for the opportunity. In moving forward I have no regrets, just get back to improving myself like I have every other day of my life. I’m looking forward to the next challenge and will be ready.”
In Other Action…
Current Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren squeezed by with a decision some would call a controversial one as Marcos Galvao delivered a strong performance to counter Warren’s wrestling prowess.
In tournament action, Daniel Straus submitted Kenny Foster by guillotine choke in the third to earn a birth in this season’s featherweight tournament finals where he will be taking another of Saturday’s winners in Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, who delivered a devastating “Wand-in-Pride” style knockout against the unfortunate Wilson Reis.
Knockout of the Night
BELLATOR 41 – Full Results from Yuma, Arizona
Main Card
- Joe Warren def. Marcos Galvao by Unanimous Decision [30-27, 29-28, 29-28]
- Zack Makovsky def. Chad Robichaux by TKO (Unanswered Strikes, Round 3)
- Patricio Pitbull def. Wilson Reis by KO (3:29, Round 3)
- Daniel Straus def. Kenny Foster by Submission (Guillotine, Round 3)
Undercard
- Carlos Flores def. Rudy Aguilar via TKO (Punches)
- Anthony Birchak def. Tyler Bialecki by Submission (Choke 4:06, Round 1)
- Piedmont def. Michael Parker by Split Decision [ 30-27, 29-28 Piedmont, 29-28 Parker]
- Brendan Tierney def. Dano Moore by Submission (Arm bar 0:49, Round 1)