Bellator 182 Results: Andrey Koreshkov Beats Anthony Njokuani in Main Event

Andrey Koreshkov defeated Anthony Njokuani via first-round TKO Friday night in Bellator 182's main event at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, to further bolster his case as one of the promotion's top welterweight fighters. 

Bellator's official Twitter account relayed a GIF of Koreshkov finishing off Njokuani after he took him to the mat and started landing vicious punches and elbows: 

The win was a welcome relief for Koreshkov, who was trying to avoid back-to-back losses after he fell to Douglas Lima via third-round KO last November at Bellator 164. 

On the flip side, the loss represented the first for Njokuani since he joined Bellator and his first in any setting dating back to March 2013. 

Main Card Results

Dave Mandel-USA TODAY Sports

Men's Welterweight: Andrey Koreshkov def. Anthony Njokuani via first-round TKO (ground-and-pound)

Men's Welterweight: Fernando Gonzalez def. Brennan Ward via third-round submission (guillotine choke)

Men's Featherweight: A.J. McKee def. Blair Tugman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) 

Women's Flyweight: Bruna Ellen def. Veta Arteaga via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

The evening's co-main event was also a welterweight showdown featuring Brennan Ward and Fernando Gonzalez. 

The matchup was particularly big for Ward, who was looking to avoid a third loss in his last four outings and a second straight defeat after he was knocked out in the first round at Bellator 170 against Paul Daley. 

Although Ward looked like the more polished competitor over the first two rounds, he fell victim to miscalculations in the third and couldn't recover. 

Bloody Elbow on Twitter broke down the match's decisive moment: 

Gonzalez has now won two fights in a row following a loss to Michael Page in November 2016. 

Elsewhere, A.J. McKee continued to prove why he's one of the sport's rising stars in the featherweight division as he handled Blair Tugman in a unanimous-decision victory that showcased his precision and power. 

Thanks to Friday's triumph, McKee improved to 9-0 in Bellator fights and owns the longest active winning streak in the promotion, according to MMAjunkie. The streak is also tied for the longest in Bellator history. 

McKee has also won three of his last four fights by unanimous decision, with the lone exception coming at Bellator 178 when he knocked out Dominic Mazzotta in the first round. 

Now aiming for a 10th consecutive win, McKee appears to have his sights set on James Gallagher for his next bout.