Marcus “Lelo” Aurelio knows his way around a moat fight.
The Ganryujima veteran represented the promotion in fine fashion as he scored the most impressive win of Wednesday’s Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye x Ganryujima event in Tokyo. Aurelio, not to be mistaken with Marcus Maximus Aurelio (ex-fighter for PRIDE and UFC), picked up Hidenori Ebata from the fight pit and drove him away in the mist.
Watch the celebration and pro-wrestling style finish here.
This was absolutely insane pic.twitter.com/mgPmHNlJPy
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 28, 2022
Aurelio’s capoeira is #Zhu Mu #Yan Liu Dao #MMA #INOKIBOMBAYE pic.twitter.com/vj2xVaRNCk
— Mark Pickering (@_MarkPickering) December 28, 2022
The surface underneath the mist seems to be slightly padded but Ebata couldn’t continue following the strong slam.
This incredible win marked a successful return to action for Aurelio, who hasn’t fought since a loss to Katsunori Kikuno at a 2017 Ganryukima event.
MMA Veteran Josh Barnett competed at the cross-promotional fight. He defeated RIZIN’s Shoma Schibisai via TKO, after landing a stiff leg to the body.
Josh Barnett drops Shouma Shibisai with a knee to the gut and finishes on the ground pic.twitter.com/t6D8vq2kNO
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 28, 2022
Barnett spent the majority of his time in professional wrestling for most of the last two years. He scores his first competitive sports victory since a bare-knuckle boxing win over Marcin Rozalski in 2020.
The event featured mostly mixed rules bouts and saw the return of Rafael Lovato Jr., a former Bellator middleweight champion, as well as Melvin Manhoef.
Lovato retired from MMA in 2019 and vacated his title after winning it off of Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 223. Brazilian jiujitsu specialist continued competing in grappling competitions but Wednesday marked his official return to MMA. He defeated Taiga Iwasaki in round one with a kimura.
Manhoef, a veteran of over 50 MMA fights, announced his retirement just months ago, but returned for one last sendoff in Japan, a country where he created numerous memorable moments including knockouts of Kazushi Sakuraba and Mark Hunt. He won’t go out with a win because he lost a first round heel hook submission to Igor Tanabe.
Visit Inoki Ba-Ye’s x Ganryujima for more bizarre stories, such as the unexpected return of Jimmy Ambriz, a veteran heavyweight under the name of Mr. X.”
THE MOAT MONSTERS LURK IN THE SMOKE, HUNGRY FOR THE FLESH OF THE VANQUISHED pic.twitter.com/WEJ9emajqN
— Chungus Supreme (@FightsCameraPod) December 28, 2022
– – xYan Liu Dao
Wu Tai haZheng tsuta!/
Qian Ban haYan Liu Dao rurunoYuan Xing Dou Ji Chang#UNEXT 14Shi Kai Shi Yu Ding
https://t.co/sXxOQcwSWr pic.twitter.com/QcTWkzuOMl— U-NEXT Ge Dou Ji Gong Shi (@UNEXT_fight) December 28, 2022
misutaX !!!!
Shui daoQian wwwwww#Yan Liu Dao #INOKIBOMBAYE pic.twitter.com/mjRpLLUZc3— tatsuyakay (@tatsuyakay) December 28, 2022
Yan Liu Dao niyusudesu
misutaXnoZheng Ti haanburitsutsu!#Zhu Mu bonbaiex#Yan Liu Dao pic.twitter.com/ASz0Gy9CQS
— Ji Lu Yuan (@ykkymma) December 28, 2022
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/12/28/23529294/inoki-bom-ba-ye-x-ganryujima-video-marcus-lelo-aurelio-drives-hidenori-ebata-into-moat?rand=96749
