Having taken the sport by storm in America since joining the Bellator franchise in 2012, the Islander went into his first, five round, world title bout with an unbeaten professional record, and his dominance continued.
| McGeary | Newton | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Wins | 25 |
| 0 | Losses | 8 |
| 0 | Draws | 1 |
The win – McGeary’s first by way of decision after claiming all nine previous victories in the first round – completed a clean sweep for British fighters at Bellator 134, which had been dubbed ‘The British Invasion’.
Given his first-round dominance on a meteoric rise to stardom (his fastest win was secured in just 22 seconds last May), it was perhaps no surprise that McGeary controlled the opening round and did indeed come close to ending the fight there and then.
A ‘triangle choke’ and an ‘armbar’ had Newton in trouble early on, but the champion showed enough resilience to avoid tapping out and survived long enough to hear the bell.
All three judges gave McGeary the nod after the first five minutes, and the fight continued in a similar fashion in the rounds that followed, with the Brit claiming a clean sweep again in the third.
Going into the fourth McGeary was firmly control, but the American then fought back and the scores began to turn.
A headlock against the fence got the champ back on track, and after being handed the fourth by two of the three judges he claimed the fifth with a trio of 10-9’s.
It was too little too late, though. McGeary had done enough in the opening stages to warrant the victory and he was crowned the new light-heavyweight champion of the world with scores of 48-46, 48-47, 48-47.
McGeary’s Bellator road to Connecticut was fast and furious . . . only ten minutes 35 seconds required in the arena
Apr 2013: Anton Talamantes – 1st round TKO (1 min 18 sec)
Sept 2013: Beau Tribolt – 1st round KO (27 sec)
Nov 2013: Najim Wali – 1st round Submission (1 min 31 sec)
May 2014: Mike Mucitelli – 1st round KO (22 sec)
July 2014: Edigius Valavicius – 1st round KO (2 min 10 sec)
Sept 2014: Kelly Anundson – 1st round Submission (4 min 47 sec)
Feb 2015: Emmanuel Newton – Unanimous decision
‘I knew it was close,’ said McGeary.
‘I am chuffed to be world champion but it’s still sinking in. I catch myself realising every now and then just what I’ve achieved and a big smile spreads across my face … I can’t help it.
‘I want to thank all the people that helped make this happen; my coaches, my sponsors, my family and everyone who supported me. A special thanks to all the people who crossed the Atlantic in England and Jersey– it really means a lot. You guys will see the belt very soon when I bring it back.’
McGeary’s Jersey-based promoter, Mike Cañas, said: ‘He has made history and it was an awesome thing to experience. It was nerve-racking waiting for the decision as you never know what the judges think, but they were spot on. Even though Newton was on top for more of the fight he was constantly on the defensive from Liam’s attacks.’
Round 1: McGeary 3-0 – 10-9, 10-9, 10-8
Round 2: McGeary 2-1 – 10-9, 9-10, 10-9
Round 3: McGeary 3-0 – 10-9, 10-9, 10-9
Round 4: Newton 2-1 – 9-10, 10-9, 9-10
Round 5: Newton 3-0 – 9-10, 9-10, 9-10
Official result: McGeary – unanimous decision (48-46, 48-47, 48-47)
Cañas continued: ‘It was great to see Liam’s father in his corner alongside his coaches, it was a really close knit group and they were all right there with him.
‘Liam was surrounded by television cameras at the post fight press conference and he has already appeared all over national newspapers, on ITV and on Channel 5 in the UK. He is now without doubt Jersey’s most successful and widely recognised athlete.’
