Dario Bellandi made a triumphant return to action with a second-round TKO victory in the main event of Cage Warriors Rome at the PalaPellicone on Saturday night.
The former champion was competing for the first time since losing his title at CW 200 in February, but wasted little time reminding everyone of his championship pedigree, stopping his opponent in the second round.
Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo stole the show in the co-main event, delivering a thunderous liver shot that sent the Ostia crowd into raptures.
The 24-year-old added another highlight-reel finish to his growing résumé, further strengthening his case for a Dana White’s Contender Series appearance or a potential UFC call-up in 2027.
Enrico Di Gangi made the most of his short-notice opportunity, submitting Tommy Brunning in the second round of their bantamweight clash on the main card.
Meanwhile, Federico Rotoni’s highly anticipated debut lived up to the hype as he dispatched his opponent in the dying seconds of the opening round.
The amateur standout marked his professional debut in emphatic fashion, announcing himself as one to watch as Italian MMA continues to produce talent with ambitions of reaching the UFC.
There was further disappointment for Simone Patrizi, whose fight was cancelled on the day of the event after his opponent fell ill in the early hours of fight day.
In his absence, Simone Ali rose to the occasion on the main card after being elevated, delivering a violent and impressive performance that electrified the crowd and helped set the tone for the rest of the evening.
The prelims also produced several milestones, with Diego Giangirolami, Jurgen Koci, Elez Guri and Christian Tosco each securing their first victories in the famous Yellow Gloves.
Niko Ceraglia, meanwhile, returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion, marking the occasion with a significant milestone of his own as he claimed his first victory in the lightweight division.
FIGHT RESULTS
MAIN CARD
Dario Bellandi defeated Aldo Pereira via TKO (punches) after 0:13 of round 2
Giuseppe’ Mastrogiacomo defeated Alexis Tsarmantidis via KO (knee to the body) after 3:37 of round 1
Enrico di Gangi defeated Tommy Brunning via Submission (arm-triangle choke) after 2:43 of round 2
Federico Rotoni defeated Andrei Gabura via Submission (D’arce choke) after 4:52 of round 1
Simone Ali defeated Alessandro Ortolani via TKO (ground and pound from rear mount – punches) after 4:05 of round 1
PRELIMS
Christian Tosco defeated Salvatore Bellotta via TKO (punches) after 2:29 of round 3
Angelo Coppola and Jonathan Rivera* fought to a split-draw (29-27, 27-29, 28-28) after 3 rounds
*Rivera was deducted a point in round 3 for an illegal knee
Elez Guri defeated Gabriele Lionetti via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after 3 rounds
Niko Ceraglia defeated Valentino Greco via TKO (ground and pound – punches) after 4:26 of round 1
Jurgen Koci defeated Ruben Vinci via TKO (punches) after 1:48 of round 1
Diego Giangirolami defeated Kevin Caperna via TKO (elbow) after 2:41 of round 1