CHICAGO -- Stepping back into the cage for the first time since losing in last season's Bellator welterweight tournament final, Dan Hornbuckle put on a good show and beat Brad Blackburn by unanimous decision at Bellator 25.

The fight started explosively, with Hornbuckle slamming Blackburn to the ground, Blackburn attempting to submit Hornbuckle with a guillotine choke, Hornbuckle slipping out and getting back up, and then Blackburn leveling Hornbuckle with a hard punch. That set the tone for a good back-and-forth battle, one that contained 15 minutes of action and not a minute of boredom. As he usually does, Hornbuckle (who improved to 22-3) delivered both a win and an exciting fight.

But Blackburn,who got bounced out of the UFC following back-to-back losses this year, acquitted himself nicely against the heavily favored Hornbuckle. Although Blackburn's record is just 17-12-1, he's like Hornbuckle in that he can usually be counted on to put on a good show.

They both put on a good show Thursday night.