Matches to Make After Bellator 180

Matt Mitrione kicked more dirt on a proud but war-torn legend.

Mitrione moved to 3-0 in the Bellator MMA heavyweight division, as he disposed of former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Fedor Emelianenko with first-round punches in the Bellator 180 co-main event on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Emelianenko bowed out 74 seconds into Round 1, closing the book on his five-fight winning streak.

After an uneventful start, the two heavyweights connected with dueling right hands. Both men hit the deck in a dazed state, but Mitrione was quick to recover. He pounced on the fallen Emelianenko, blasted him with right hands and ultimately pounded him unconscious. It marked the first defeat for “The Last Emperor” since he was knocked out by Dan Henderson in Strikeforce a little less than six years ago. Emelianenko turns 41 in September, leaving many in the MMA world to wonder if the sport has seen the last of an all-time great.

In the aftermath of Bellator 180, here are five matches that ought to be made:

Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo: Since parting ways with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and joining the Bellator roster in 2016, Mitrione has carved through Emelianenko, Oli Thompson and Carl Seumanutafa in less than 14 combined minutes. In the process, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 quarterfinalist has emerged as a clear contender for the vacant Bellator heavyweight championship. Kongo finds himself on a five-fight winning streak after his split decision over Augusto Sakai at Bellator 179 on May 19. The Frenchman handed Mitrione his first professional loss in October 2011, when he was awarded a unanimous verdict at UFC 137.

Brent Primus vs. Michael Chandler: Though the undefeated Primus laid claim to the lightweight championship in a stunning upset, he did so with an asterisk attached. Chandler while dodging a low kick suffered an ankle injury -- he stepped backward, his foot folding underneath him -- that rendered him physically incapable of competing. He did all he could to continue, but it became clear he was compromised, necessitating an anti-climactic stoppage 2:22 into the first round. The loss snapped Chandler’s four-fight winning streak and resulted in an unexpected change at the top of the lightweight division. Primus has won all eight of his professional bouts, including a 6-0 run in Bellator.

Douglas Lima vs. Rory MacDonald: Lima withstood a stern challenge and retained the Bellator welterweight title with a five-round unanimous decision over Lorenz Larkin. The Atlanta-based Brazilian was slightly busier and landed the more decisive strikes, nearly finishing it in the second round with a clean left hook and follow-up ground-and-pound. Larkin held his own in his promotional debut and struck well in spurts but could not forge the finish he needed. MacDonald made his first appearance under the Bellator MMA flag on May 19, when he submitted Paul Daley with a second-round rear-naked choke at Bellator 179.

Ryan Bader vs. Muhammed Lawal: In his first appearance since flying the UFC coop, Bader captured the Bellator light heavyweight crown with a split decision over Phil Davis. Scores were 49-46 and 49-46 for Bader, 48-47 for Davis. The rematch covered five forgettable rounds that saw neither man seize the moment. They were met with boos from those an attendance, the lack of meaningful action prompting referee Dan Miragliotta to admonish both champion and challenger at one point. Bader has rattled off three straight victories since his ill-fated encounter with Anthony Johnson in January 2016. Lawal, 38, has won nine of his past 11 bouts and owns a 10-4 mark in Bellator.

James Gallagher vs. A.J. McKee: Gallagher, 20, was flawless in dispatching Chinzo Machida with a first-round rear-naked choke in their undercard pairing at 145 pounds. The undefeated SBG Ireland prospect executed a takedown inside the first minute, climbed to full mount and transitioned to the back, securing his position with a body triangle. Punches followed, forced Machida to expose his neck and opened the door for the submission. The victory moved Gallagher to 7-0 with six finishes, five of them by rear-naked choke. McKee last appeared at Bellator 178 on April 21, when he cut down Dominic Mazzotta with a head kick in just 75 seconds.