Bryce Meredith spoiled Jon Macalolooy’s return to MMA competition for the first time in over a decade, and did so in the first round in brutal fashion.
Meredith entered Saturday’s Bellator San Diego event as one of the biggest favorites on the card, and looked every bit of that en route to a first-round submission victory, putting Macalolooy unconscious with a tight rear-naked choke.
Check out the finish of the fight below.
Bryce Meredith chokes Jon Macalolooy unconscious at #BellatorSanDiego! pic.twitter.com/Wxn2VOpvrV
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) September 8, 2024
The matchup was essentially a glorified showcase fight for Meredith, who improved his record to 7-0 with the victory. The University of Wyoming wrestling standout is now 4-0 under the PFL-Bellator promotional banner, and is now 2-0 in 2024 inside the cage.
It was the fifth stoppage win for Meredith in the 29-year-old’s pro career.
Macalolooy competed in his first MMA fight since April 2012, a 12-plus year layoff from in-cage competition. He did, however, enter his Bellator debut on a three-fight win streak.