Bucksport High School graduate Ray “All Business” Wood had his three-fight winning streak snapped Saturday night as he lost by first-round submission to undefeated Adam Piccolotti on the main card of the Bellator 154 mixed martial arts show at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
The fight was broadcast live by Spike TV.
Wood took on the fight on less than two weeks notice after Piccolotti’s original opponent, Jordan Parsons, was injured in a hit-and-run automobile accident in Delray Beach, Florida, and subsequently died at age 25.
Because of the short notice, the fight was contested in the lightweight (155-pound) division, Piccolotti’s normal weight class, up from Wood’s regular featherweight (145-pound) competition.
The 5-foot-9-inch Wood, who now lives in Amarillo, Texas, weighed in for the bout on Friday at 154.6 pounds. The 5-foot-11-inch Piccolotti, a local favorite from Half Moon Bay, California, weighed in at 155.8.
Wood used a series of kicks to the body and head to keep his distance from Piccolotti during the opening minute of their match, but Piccolotti was able to grab Wood’s left leg after absorbing a kick to the head and take the former New England Fights featherweight champion to the mat.
Piccolotti used his national-level wrestling background and size advantage to take top mount, and as Wood tried to escape he gave up his back, enabling Piccolotti to attempt first a rear naked choke from behind and later an arm triangle after he reassumed top mount.
Wood eventually worked his way back to a standing position against the cage, but Piccolotti remained on Wood’s back and applied a rear naked choke that took his opponent back to the ground and seconds later forced the tapout at 3:17 of the five-minute opening round.
Piccolotti is now 8-0 as a professional, 3-0 in Bellator bouts, while Wood falls to 8-2, 1-1 in Bellator competition.
