It took longer than most expected, but welterweight Lorenz Larkin has officially picked up his first Bellator victory.
Larkin (19-7) defeated Fernando Gonzalez via unanimous decision at Bellator 193 on Friday night. The catchweight bout took place inside Pechanga Resort in Temecula, California.
All three judges scored it for Larkin: 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. A former UFC veteran, he improves to 2-1 under the Bellator banner. He suffered losses to Douglas Lima and Paul Daley in his first two appearances.
"I came in knowing he's tough," Larkin said. "I trained hard for this fight, and as long as I came out with the 'W,' that was all I wanted."
For Larkin, fighting out of Riverside, California, Friday marked the closest he has fought to home in nearly seven years. It was hard to tell, however, from the crowd. Gonzalez (27-15) is also from the area.
The 15-minute bout was a bit lackluster, as Larkin mostly kept to the outside and scored with kicks and jabs. Gonzalez attempted to press the action later in the fight but struggled to find any offensive consistency.
Larkin picked up the pace significantly in the final minute. He cut Gonzalez with a late flurry and landed a monstrous elbow along the fence that appeared to have his opponent hurt. The bell sounded before Larkin could close out any finish.
ESPN scored the bout for Larkin a convincing 30-27, although the Temecula crowd booed the result as it was read.
"You guys can boo all you want," Larkin said. "This is the first time two local guys have been in a main event. This is what local talent does."
Larkin exited the UFC on a two-fight win streak and was granted a title shot in his Bellator debut. He came up short in that bid against Lima and was then knocked out by Daley in September. Larkin has stated on several occasions he wants a Daley rematch.
