'Best comeback ever?' MMA star Tokov claims barely believable win at Bellator 218 (VIDEO)
Russian middleweight contender Anatoly Tokov showed once again why he is considered one of the most dangerous rising stars in Bellator MMA with a superb comeback victory over American Gerald 'Hurricane' Harris at Bellator 218.
Twenty-nine-year-old Tokov made his name with a prodigious winning streak during his time competing on the European scene, and his 28-2 overall record represents one of the very best in the Bellator MMA roster.
And the hard-nosed Russian star proved that he has plenty of fighting spirit to go along with his dominant MMA skillset as he fought through considerable adversity to defeat former UFC veteran Harris via second-round guillotine choke submission.
But things could have turned out very differently for Tokov, who was badly rocked - and dropped - by Harris in the opening round of their middleweight contest in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
A huge overhand left from Harris connected flush on the end of Tokov's chin, sending him crashing to the canvas. But, as Harris moved in and unloaded a barrage of ground strikes in an attempt to end the fight, Tokov did enough to convince referee Kerry Hatley that he was still in the fight.
😳@GHurricane just dropped a 💣!Did you see that??Our Main Card is live now on The Paramount Network & simulcast on 📲 @DAZN_USA!Tune in with @SkySports in the 🇬🇧. pic.twitter.com/DulgsaIuKg
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 23, 2019
Indeed, Tokov's incredible powers of recovery not only saw him survive the round, they saw him head back to his corner after dominating the final moments.
After some words of wisdom from his corner, Tokov came out in the second round looking for the win.
And, when the opportunity presented itself, Tokov locked up a guillotine choke and put on the squeeze to claim the 28th win of his MMA career and his fourth straight victory in four Bellator MMA outings.
Anatoly Tokov now has a 4-0 Bellator record after his 2nd round submission win tonight at #Bellator218.Main Card is live now on 📺 The Paramount Network & simulcast on 📲 @DAZN_USA!Tune in with @SkySports in the 🇬🇧. pic.twitter.com/BVZmlI0A12
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 23, 2019
Tokov's comeback win was so impressive it prompted Bellator to tweet a highlight clip from their official Twitter account asking: "Best comeback ever?"
Best comeback ever? #Bellator218pic.twitter.com/KWeAAHnAUf
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 23, 2019
Following the win, Tokov said he'd be keen to face current Bellator middleweight world champion Gegard Mousasi.
And after showing the sort of grit, determination and fight-finishing abilities you'd expect to see from a top contender, the Russian powerhouse might just get his wish later this year.
