Tag: Bellator Champions Series: Paris

Bellator Champions Series: Archie Colgan wants return to finishing ways against Thibault Gouti in France

That Archie Colgan still is unbeaten reasonably early in his career is not that rare. But lately, the heat has been turned up a bit.

That [autotag]Archie Colgan[/autotag] still is unbeaten reasonably early in his career is not that rare.

But lately, the heat has been turned up a bit, and the results have been mostly the same. Well, the part that’s been the same – the most important part – has been the wins at the end. But the most recent two have taken a little more work.

Colgan (9-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) had six finishes in his first seven fights, including stoppages in his first four Bellator wins. But this past year, the level of opponent was stepped up for him big time and he took a pair of decisions from former featherweight title challenger Emmanuel Sanchez and Pieter Buist.

Instead of opponents with his similar level of pro experience, he was fighting two guys with four times his experience. The finishes were traded for 15-minute decisions.

“My past two fights have been a big step up in competition,” Colgan told MMA Junkie Radio. “These guys had 25 (fights), and I’ve come away with dominant decisions. But I want to get back to that finishing way.”

Next week, Colgan will be in Paris for a Bellator Champions Series fight against French foe Thibault Gouti (17-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), who has gotten back on track of late after a tough 1-5 run in the UFC six or so years ago.

He knows to get a win, he’ll have to take some verbal punishment from Gouti’s home fans, but it’ll be worth it.

“(The goal is) coming out there, facing some adversity with the crowd, going through that pretty easily, dominating my way to a finish, and proving to everybody that I can do to this level as I believe I could – to the level that was maybe a step behind (before).”

Colgan said he’s never really felt the pressure that goes with being unbeaten, and he doesn’t plan on starting now, even if the level of competition stays high like with Gouti. But it no doubt will be increasingly difficult to keep that 0 at the end of his record.

“It wasn’t like I was like, ‘Hey man, I just want to get to 10-0 one day’ or 5-0 or 15 or any of that,” Colgan said. “It was really just like, ‘I just want to not lose. I just don’t want to lose. I just want to win.’ Every single fight was not about trying to hold on to an undefeated record. It was just like, ‘Man, I just don’t want to lose.’ That’s it. I just more than wanting to win.

“I just didn’t want to lose. I just had to go out there and perform my best and the next thing you know, it’s like, ‘Dang, I’m 5-0 – that’s pretty cool.’ And then, ‘Oh, I’m 9-0, going for 10 now.’ Perfect scenario to me is that I go out there, I want the adversity of being booed in (his) home crowd. … Then I go out there and impose my will and I go back to my finishing ways.”

Cedric Doumbe gets new opponent for Bellator Champions Series in Paris

Kickboxing star Cedric Doumbe takes on a 4-3 Bellator veteran in the co-main event of the promotion’s upcoming Paris show.

In a week that included both a fight booking announcement and cancellation news in a two-day stretch, [autotag]Cedric Doumbe[/autotag] is officially back on the schedule on Day 3.

With Derek Anderson out, Doumbe (5-1) now faces former LFA champion [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (16-5) at Bellator Champions Series: Paris, the promotion announced Wednesday. The event takes place May 17 at Accor Arena in Paris.

Willis, 32, has a 4-3 record in Bellator. A proud representative of Memphis, Tenn., Willis worked his way into the promotion in 2020 after 15 fights on the regional scene. After back-to-back wins over Mark Lemminger and Maycon Mendonca, Willis lost consecutive fights by submission to Mukhamed Berkhamov and Sabah Homasi. He bounced back with a win over Kyle Crutchmer before he was knocked out by Ramazan Kuramagomedov in June.

Doumbe, 31, looks to get back in the win column after a controversial loss to Baysangur Chamsoudinov in March. The defeat came when Doumbe allegedly stepped on a splinter in the cage and tried to signal referee Marc Goddard that something was wrong. The sequence lead to confusion and Goddard waved off the fight. The loss was Doumbe’s first and came after a massive nine-second knockout win in his PFL debut against Jordan Zebo in September.

With the change, the Bellator Champion Series: Paris lineup includes:

  • Patchy Mix vs. Magomed Magomedov – for bantamweight title
  • Cedric Doumbe vs. Jaleel Willis
  • Gregory Babene vs. Costello van Steenis
  • Jonas Bilharinho vs. Yves Landu
  • Archie Colgan vs. Thibault Gouti

PRELIMINARY CARD:

  • Louis Sutherland vs. Slim Trabelsi
  • Mansour Barnaoui vs. Yusuke Yachi
  • Imamshafi Aliev vs. Mike Shipman
  • Aspen Ladd vs. Katerina Shakalova
  • Asael Adjoudj vs. Bruno Fonte

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator Champions Series: Paris.

PFL’s Derek Anderson shares graphic injury photo after alleged hit-and-run, out of Cedric Doumbe fight

One moment, Derek Anderson is set to fight Cedric Doumbe. The next, he’s the victim of an alleged hit-and-run.

One moment, [autotag]Derek Anderson[/autotag] is set to fight Cedric Doumbe. The next, he’s the victim of an alleged hit-and-run.

Hours after the Doumbe fight booking was officially announced for Bellator Champions Series: Paris, Anderson on Tuesday posted a graphic image of a foot injury on Instagram, indicating he was involved in a hit-and-run. The photo of Anderson’s mangled foot appears to have been taken on the side of the road shortly after the alleged incident.

With BCS: Paris less than a month away May 17, Anderson (17-4-1) said he won’t be able to compete. Doumbe vs. Anderson was slated to co-headline the event at Accor Arena.

It’s unclear if Doumbe (5-1) will remain on the card to fight a replacement opponent.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6GLqRjO01N/

News of the lost Doumbe-Anderson co-headliner comes on the heels of BCS: Paris losing its original main event after lightweight champion [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s title defense against [autotag]Alexander Shabliy[/autotag] was scrapped due to an injury to Nurmagomedov. The fight is expected to be rebooked in the near future.

With the change, the Bellator Champions Series: Paris lineup includes:

MAIN CARD:

  • Patchy Mix vs. Magomed Magomedov – for bantamweight title
  • Cedric Doumbe vs. TBA
  • Gregory Babene vs. Costello van Steenis
  • Jonas Bilharinho vs. Yves Landu
  • Archie Colgan vs. Thibault Gouti

PRELIMINARY CARD:

  • Louis Sutherland vs. Slim Trabelsi
  • Mansour Barnaoui vs. Yusuke Yachi
  • Imamshafi Aliev vs. Mike Shipman
  • Aspen Ladd vs. Katerina Shakalova
  • Asael Adjoudj vs. Bruno Fontes

Bellator’s Cedric Doumbe returns vs. Derek Anderson in Paris, but Nurmagomedov-Shabliy title fight scrapped

Cedric Doumbe will get to electrify his home fans once again.

[autotag]Cedric Doumbe[/autotag] will get to electrify his home fans once again.

Doumbe (5-1) meets [autotag]Derek Anderson[/autotag] (17-4-1) in the Bellator Champions Series: Paris co-headliner, which takes place May 17 at Accor Arena in Paris, the promotion announced Monday.

Lightweight champion [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s title defense against [autotag]Alexander Shabliy[/autotag], the card’s original main event, has been scrapped due to an injury to Nurmagomedov. The fight is expected to be rebooked in the near future.

Doumbe has signed a multi-year contract extension with PFL. After scoring a 9-second knockout of Jordan Zebo in his promotional debut, the French superstar suffered an odd TKO loss to Baysangur Chamsoudinov in the 2024 PFL Europe 1 headliner in March.

After splitting the first two rounds with Chamsoudinov, Doumbe looked at referee Marc Goddard and pointed to his left toe twice in the span of 10 seconds, signaling that he’s hurt. That prompted Goddard to wave the fight off which baffled a frustrated Doumbe, who just wanted a splint removed from his toe. John McCarthy explained that you cannot call a timeout in the middle of the fight.

Anderson has won three out of his past four. The 34-year-old Bellator veteran hasn’t competed since shattering his nose in a doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Michael Page in May 2021.

With the addition, the Bellator Champions Series: Paris lineup includes:

MAIN CARD:

  • Patchy Mix vs. Magomed Magomedov – for bantamweight title
  • Derek Anderson vs. Cedric Doumbe
  • Gregory Babene vs. Costello van Steenis
  • Jonas Bilharinho vs. Yves Landu
  • Archie Colgan vs. Thibault Gouti

PRELIMINARY CARD:

  • Louis Sutherland vs. Slim Trabelsi
  • Mansour Barnaoui vs. Yusuke Yachi
  • Imamshafi Aliev vs. Mike Shipman
  • Aspen Ladd vs. Katerina Shakalova
  • Asael Adjoudj vs. Bruno Fontes

Alexander Shabliy says Bellator not honoring $1 million grand prix prize vs. Usman Nurmagomedov

Alexander Shabliy is feeling short-changed heading into his Bellator title fight headliner vs. lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

[autotag]Alexander Shabliy[/autotag] is feeling short-changed heading into his Bellator Champions Series: Paris headliner vs. lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

Prior to PFL’s buyout of the Bellator brand, the matchup between Shabliy (24-3 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) and Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) was slated to serve as the $1 million final for the Bellator grand prix, which began with eight fights.

There was uncertainty about the bout’s status following the merger of the two companies, but a degree of resolution happened when it followed through with the original final matchup for May 17 at Accor Arena in Paris. There’s a huge difference now, however, because Shabliy claims he has been given no assurances that the winner of his clash with Nurmagomedov will still be rewarded with the seven-figure prize.

“There was a lot of uncertainty with the whole situation going on with the merger,” Shabliy told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “We were sure that, since I was participating in the grand prix and going strong, that I deserved the title shot. I should have an opportunity to finish the business regardless of the merger, the way it was gonna go. I didn’t care which way it was gonna go – whether it was gonna be Usman or possibly Brent Primus or AJ McKee – but I definitely knew we should finish up the grand prix, go all the way where I can have a shot at the title and get the champion belt possibly. Now, about a month ago, we learned it’s gonna be Usman, and I’m excited. I’m looking forward to it because, as I said, I put hard work in, and I definitely want to finish this grand prix and possibly get the belt and the title.”

“As of now, I don’t like the situation, the way it’s going, because after the merger, I believe the PFL, since they are the main company, they should honor all the conditions. As of now, it looks like we’re just fighting for the belt and the title. I’m not confident in the prize money guarantee, and I think the PFL should follow through with the obligations that they acquired from the Bellator league. They try to compete with UFC and be a responsible league; I think they should follow through on that. Again, I put my work in. We worked hard in a lot of camps, and I think they should honor the money prize, as well.”

Shabliy, 30, understands that it’s a moment of change as PFL tries to figure out its plans for integrating Bellator and its large roster of athletes, but he believes that any previous promises should be fulfilled.

“Right now, the way it looks, I’m not quite happy,” Shabliy said. “If (PFL is) trying to look serious as the UFC, as a good competitor out in the market, they have to honor this. Right now, it looks like they’re letting us down on that. I’m sticking with Bellator for now, but I hope they honor their side of the deal.”

PFL officials did not immediately respond to MMA Junkie’s request for comment on Shabliy’s claim. For now, the fighter will keep focused on the task at hand, and that’s derailing the undefeated and highly-touted Nurmagomedov.

“I think I have something to offer him,” Shabliy said. “When I fight my fights, I don’t leave it to the judges. I try to finish every round of every fight dominating. In that sense, I think I’m a little more decisive, if you will. So I will go in there and fight until the end. Just analyze that, the way we finished our previous (common) opponents.”