Bellator 263 results: Islam Mamedov grinds out split decision over Brent Primus to win debut

On the main card of Bellator 263, Islam Mamedov won his promotional debut in a close contest against Brent Primus.

[autotag]Islam Mamedov[/autotag] has arrived in the Bellator lightweight division.

With former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, Mamedov (20-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) had a wealth of knowledge at his disposal should he need it.

The bout took place on the main card of Bellator 263 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and aired on Showtime.

After a touch of gloves, the pair felt each other out in the center of the cage, with each fighter offering range-finding strikes. The striking volume began to increase as they put together combinations, but Mamedov initiated a clinch and brought the fight to the canvas. Primus (10-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) however, was more active on the ground, where the two would remain until the round ended.

A majority of the second round was spent in the clinch, as both fighters jockeyed for position while standing. Mamedov brought the fight to the canvas again, but Primus remained active, offering submission attempts from his back while Mamedov tried to improve positioning. Primus’ activity prevented Mamedov from causing any damage on the canvas.

The final round started with a Mamedov landing a kick that swept Primus off his feet. As he closed in to take top position, Primus immediately offered a submission attempt in response, halting Mamedov’s advances.

While fans grew restless at the lack of action as the two remained on the mat, both fighters were actively looking to improve their positions. Mamedov eventually transitioned to half-guard, but Primus continued to search for an omoplata that never materialized.

The fight concluded with Mamedov on top, leaving it up to the scorecards to determine the winner of the contest.

The judges were split in their decision, with two of the judges favoring Mamedov with scores of 29-28, while the dissenting judge saw the bout for Primus with a score of 29-28.

Mamedov walks away from his Bellator debut with his hand raised, keeping his lengthy streak of 19 wins without a loss going, while Primus’ two-fight win streak was snapped.

Up-to-the-minute results of Bellator 263 include:

  • Islam Mamedov def. Brent Primus via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Goiti Yamauchi def. Chris Gonzalez via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:03
  • Vanessa Porto def. Ilara Joanne via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Daniel Carey via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:57
  • Khasan Magomedsharipov def. Jonathan Quiroz via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 4:21
  • Joshua Jones def. Johnny Cisneros via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 4:15
  • Georgi Karakhanyan def. Kiefer Crosbie via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:25
  • Brian Moore def. Jordan Winski via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

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