Tag: Brent Primus

Bellator 296 results: Brent Primus outlasts Mansour Barnaoui in entertaining grand prix scrap

Mansour Barnaoui forced Brent Primus to dig deep in enemy territory, and the former Bellator lightweight champion rose to the occasion.

[autotag]Mansour Barnaoui[/autotag] gave [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] no choice but to dig deep in enemy territory, and the former Bellator lightweight champion rose to the occasion.

Primus and Paris’ own Barnaoui engaged in a fast-paced, back-and-forth affair in which the American ultimately came out victorious by unanimous decision in the Bellator 296 co-main event Friday at Accor Arena. After 25 minutes, the judges scored the fight 48-47 across the board for Primus, who advanced to the lightweight grand prix semifinals, where he’ll get a shot at champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

It’s a remarkable moment for Primus, who wasn’t originally part of the tournament field. He only received this opportunity after Sydney Outlaw was forced to withdraw following a positive drug test.

Right from the start Saturday, Barnaoui (20-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) pushed the pace, which had Primus (12-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) thinking one thing.

“Gosh damn, settle down, man,” Primus told “Big” John McCarthy during his in-cage interview. “That guy just went at me.”

Indeed, Barnaoui was relentless as he suffocated Primus with pressure, constantly in his face with the clinch. While Primus landed a few solid punches in the the first round, Barnaoui’s knees and elbows from inside the clinch landed nonstop. Primus turned the tide in Round 2, though, after he took Barnaoui down in the opening moments and proceeded to control on the mat for the majority of the time. Primus continuously worked for an arm-triangle choke until Barnaoui finally reversed the position in the closing 30 seconds.

Round 3 resembled the first round, with Barnaoui’s pressure getting the best of Primus, but Round 4 seemed to be the turning point for Primus. With both men slowing, it was Primus who resorted back to an early takedown and seriously threatened an arm-triangle choke submission. Barnaoui spent nearly 3 full minutes locked in and didn’t sneak out until 40 seconds remaining.

Clearly exhausted, both men came out firing in the fifth round, but Primus changed the course with another takedown and worked another choke again, including one final rear-naked attempt in he final minute. It was a dominant way for Primus to close out the fight, even though he didn’t get the finish.

“I think he has gills in his neck or something like that,” Primus said. “I don’t know what it is, but man, he is one tough son of a gun. Hats off to you, Mansour. You are so tough, bro. Usually I would’ve submitted those guys, but hats off to him.”

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Updated Bellator 296 results include:

  • Brent Primus def. Mansour Barnaoui via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – to advance to lightweight grand prix semifinals
  • Douglas Lima def. Costello van Steenis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Thibault Gouti def. Kane Mousah via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 3:58
  • Denise Kielholtz def. Paula Cristina via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Luca Poclit def. Oliver Enkamp via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Saul Rogers vs. Davy Gallon declared no contest (reply review/referee error)
  • Yves Landu def. Piotr Niedzielski via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Sarvarjon Hamidov def. Kevin Petshi via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:33
  • Tim Wilde def. Chris Gonzalez via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Fabacary Diatta def. Keir Harvie via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
  • Asael Adjoudj def. Georges Sasu via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
  • Romain Debienne def. Bourama Camara via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:04
  • Jose Augusto def. Simon Biyong via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 296.

Bellator 296 predictions: Mousasi or Edwards, Barnaoui or Primus in Paris?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 296 main card in Paris.

Mousasi
vs.
Edwards		 Barnaoui
vs.
Primus		 Lima
vs.
Van Steenis		 Gouti
vs.
Mousah
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
66-49		 mousasi2023
Mousasi
(77%)		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui
(56%)		 lima2023
Lima
(60%)		 gouti2023
Gouti
(67%)
Matt Erickson
@MattE
75-40		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui		 lima2023
Lima		 mousah2023
Mousah
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
73-42		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui		 vansteenis2023
Van Steenis		 mousah2023
Mousah
Nolan King
@mma_kings
71-44		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui		 vansteenis2023
Van Steenis		 mousah2023
Mousah
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
70-45		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 primus2023
Primus		 lima2023
Lima		 mousah2023
Mousah
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
70-45		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 primus2023
Primus		 vansteenis2023
Van Steenis		 mousah2023
Mousah
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
68-47
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui		 lima2023
Lima		 mousah2023
Mousah
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
-65-50
trophy copy 2018, 2022 Champion		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui		 lima2023
Lima		 gouti2023
Gouti
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
65-50		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui		 vansteenis2023
Van Steenis		 mousah2023
Mousah
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
63-52		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui		 vansteenis2023
Van Steenis		 gouti2023
Gouti
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
62-53		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui		 lima2023
Lima		 mousah2023
Mousah
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
62-53
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 mousasi2023
Mousasi		 barnaoui2023
Barnaoui		 lima2023
Lima		 mousah2023
Mousah

Bellator is back in the “City of Light” for the third time with a key tournament fight and an ex-champ at the top of the bill.

Bellator 296 takes place Friday at Accor Arena in Paris. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former middleweight champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (49-8-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) will fight for the first time since he lost his title when he takes on [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA), the brother of UFC welterweight champ Leon Edwards.

Mousasi is a -260 favorite in the fight, and he’s a near-unanimous pick from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers. They have it as a blowout for the former champ, Mousasi, at 10-1.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Mansour Barnaoui[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) takes on former lightweight champ [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) in a quarterfinal fight in Bellator’s lightweight grand prix. Barnaoui is a moderate favorite at -360 and has a big 9-2 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, former welterweight champion [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (32-11 MMA, 14-7 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) in a middleweight bout. Van Steenis is a slight favorite at -160, but it’s Lima with a narrow 6-5 edge in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Thibault Gouti[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) meets [autotag]Kane Mousah[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) at lightweight. Gouti is a slight favorite at -140, but it’s Mousah in a blowout at 9-2.

In the MMA Junkie consensus picks, Mousasi (77 percent), Barnaoui (56 percent), Lima (60 percent) and Gouti (67 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 296.

Photos: Bellator 296 press conference and faceoffs from Paris

Check out these photos from the Bellator 296 pre-event news conference held at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. 

Check out these photos from the Bellator 296 pre-event news conference with promotion president Scott Coker, [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag], [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag], [autotag]Mansour Barnaoui[/autotag], and [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] held at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA/Lucas Noonan)

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 20-26)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Feb. 20-26.

Bellator 282 post-event facts: Johnny Eblen the newest undefeated champion

Johnny Eblen joined the short list of fighters to win a Bellator title with an undefeated record at Bellator 282.

The Bellator event schedule resumed Friday with Bellator 282, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and saw a new champion crowned in the main event.

[autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) captured the middleweight title with a dominant sweep over [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (49-8-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) by unanimous decision, becoming the eighth 185-pound champion in company history.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-fight facts from Bellator 282.

Bellator 282 video: Alexander Shabliy crushes ex-champ Brent Primus with violent knockout

Violence was in the air at Mohegan Sun Arena.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Alexander Shabliy[/autotag] hasn’t been in Bellator long, but he continues skyrocketing toward the top.

At Bellator 282 on Friday, Shabliy (21-3 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) melted former lightweight champion [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) to score a TKO at 1:22 of Round 2. The event took place at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The two fighters threw heat and Primus dropped to the canvas after a big punch. Shabliy went in for the kill and snatched consciousness with a series of follow-up shots.

With the win, Shabliy extends his winning streak to seven. Meanwhile, Primus has lost two fights in a row.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 282 results include:

  • Alexander Shabliy def. Brent Primus via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:22
  • Cat Zingano def. Pam Sorenson via unanimous decision (29-26, 29-27, 29-27)
  • Anatoly Tokov def. Muhammad Abdullah via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:28
  • Sabah Homasi def. Maycon Mendonca via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 0:58
  • Ilara Joanne def. Alejandra Lara via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27)
  • James Gonzalez def. Cody Law via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-26)
  • Aaron Jeffery def. Fabio Aguiar via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:32
  • Mandel Nallo def. Bryce Logan via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:07

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Bellator 268 salaries: Vadim Nemkov, Corey Anderson among five six-figure paydays

Five fighters pocketed more than $100,000 at Bellator 268 in Phoenix, according to documents obtained by MMA Junkie.

Bellator 268 featured two light heavyweight grand prix matchups, and the fighters involved were four of the five highest-paid athletes on the card.

Light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] and fellow grand prix finalist [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] led all paydays, as they pocketed six figures as a result of their wins Oct. 16 at Footprint Center in Phoenix.

Grand prix participants [autotag]Julius Anglickas[/autotag] and [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag], who lost in the semfinals, and former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag], also took home six figures.

On Monday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of Bellator 268 salaries from the Arizona Department of Gaming, which oversaw the event.

Check out a full list below.

Bellator 268 results: Brent Primus spoils Benson Henderson homecoming, calls for title opportunity

Formeer Bellator lightweight champion Brent Primus defeated former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in Arizona.

PHOENIX – [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] played the role of spoiler Saturday when he defeated beloved Arizonian fighter [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] at Bellator 268.

A former Bellator champion, Primus (11-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) defeated a former UFC champion in Henderson (28-11 MMA, 5-6 BMMA) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27).

Bellator 268 took place Saturday at Footprint Center. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the opening round, both fighters had their moments on the feet. When the fight hit the canvas, Primus worked for a kimura submission off his back. He was able to roll Henderson over. As he cranked, however, “Smooth” proved his nickname accurate as he slickly utilized the momentum to break the grip. The two duked it out until the round ended.

In Round 2, the two fighters traded leg kick for leg kick. There were massive windups from Henderson on his strikes, which smacked Primus in the body, head, and legs. For the final minute of the round, Primus climbed the back of Henderson in a rear-naked choke attempt. With the local crowd cheering him on, Henderson survived until the buzzer.

For the vast majority of Round 3, Henderson fended off Primus submission attempts. From a guillotine choke to a rear-naked choke, Henderson survived but was dominated on the canvas bell-to-bell. The decision was not well received by the crowd, but Primus lobbied for a title opportunity through the boos and jeers.

The Bellator lightweight title is currently vacant, though the Bellator 270 bout between Patricky Freire and Peter Queally will crown a new champion.

With the win, Primus rebounds from a July loss to Islam Mamedov. The Oregonian lightweight has now won three of his most recent four outings. as for Henderson, the former UFC lightweight champion has lost three straight fights for the first time in his career.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 268 results include:

  • Brent Primus def. Benson Henderson via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Henry Corrales def. Vladyslav Parubchenko via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Karl Albrektsson def. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Mukhamed Berkhamov def. Jaleel Willis via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 4:05
  • Nick Browne def. Bobby Lee via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 1:38
  • Javier Torres def. Gregory Milliard via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Sumiko Inaba def. Randi Field via submission (arm triangle choke) – Round 2, 2:02
  • Lance Gibson Jr. def. Raymond Pina via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:44
  • Jaylon Bates def. Raphael Montini via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:49
  • Sullivan Cauley def. Deon Clash via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
  • Maria Henderson def. Collette Santiago via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 0:40

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‘It’s a damn joke’: Brent Primus rips Bellator’s booking of ‘Pitbull’ vs. Queally for vacant lightweight title

Brent Primus isn’t happy with Bellator’s decision to book ‘Pitbull’ vs. Queally for the vacant lightweight title.

PHOENIX – [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] is looking forward to the challenge of facing Benson Henderson, but that isn’t the only thing on his mind this week.

Primus (10-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) will be looking to rebound from a tough split decision loss to Islam Mamedov at Bellator 263. Ahead of their upcoming fight, he had a lot of praise for the former welterweight and lightweight title challenger Henderson (28-10 MMA, 5-5 BMMA). The fight takes place on the main card of Bellator 268 at the Footprint Center in Phoneix.

“I love the guy, he’s cool,” Primus told MMA Junkie. “It’s going to be fun fighting him, but at the same time, no respect when I get in that cage, I’m gonna try to knock his head off – not going to try, I’m going to.”

While Henderson is Primus’ main focus this week to get back into the win column, another booking decision within the lightweight division has him fired up, providing a source of extra motivation to get a win on Saturday.

Recently, Bellator president Scott Coker announced Patricio Freire vacated his lightweight title. As a result, the promotion decided to elevate the upcoming rematch between Patricio’s older brother, Patricky Freire, and Peter Queally to a bout for the vacant title at Bellator 270.

“It’s a damn joke, man,” Primus said. “Come on you guys, how is Patricky fighting for the world title when he’s coming off two losses? And then how is Queally fighting – he hasn’t fought anybody, you know? He’s fought twice in the last 3, 3 1/2 years or something like that? I just do not see how that fight makes sense.

“It’s crazy to me and it motivates me a little bit more, so I’m gonna go out there and smash Benson, and I’m gonna go out there and beat the crap out of whoever wins that fight.”

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Primus’ disagreement with the matchup itself doesn’t stop there. Still sour from a booking with Queally that fell apart, Primus was set to face him in February 2020, but an injury caused the bout to be scrapped.

“The guy is known for getting injured or backing out of fights,” Primus said. “I was supposed to fight Queally in his hometown in Ireland and he supposedly got injured a few weeks, a month before. Bottom line, it’s a damn joke. Those guys should not be fighting for a world title.”

According to Primus, the decision to put the fight together comes down to politics with the promotion and the Freire brothers. He believes that Patricio vacated the title because he knew Patricky would get the opportunity to fight for it next.

“I think that’s stupid,” Primus stated. “I could be fighting at a gym, I could have the world title, and I could retire, and be like, ‘Who should I give this belt to? Hmm, this guy’s my good training partner, I’m gonna give the belt to him.’ That’s not how it should be, you know? They should earn their fights, especially if they’re coming off two losses. I don’t see how that’s possible.”

Check out the full interview with Primus in the video above.

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Benson Henderson and Brent Primus set to face off at Bellator 268

Bellator 268 adds an exciting lightweight matchup between two former champions to the main card.

Bellator’s light heavyweight grand prix semifinals card just got even better.

On Thursday, the promotion announced via press release the addition of [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] to Bellator 268 on Oct. 16, which features the light heavyweight grand prix semifinals matchup. The co-main event will be [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] and the main event semifinal matchup is also a title fight as [autotag]Anthony Johnson[/autotag] takes on champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag].

The event takes place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ on Oct. 16. The main card airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET following prelims on MMA Junkie starting at 7 p.m. ET.

In his first fight of the calendar year, Henderson (28-10 MMA, 5-5 BMMA) will be looking to snap a two-fight losing skid, having lost to Jason Jackson and Michael Chandler in his two previous outings. Prior to his recent challenges, Henderson was riding high on a four-fight win streak.

The event will be a family outing for Henderson, as his wife, Maria Henderson, will compete in an amateur strawweight bout on the prelims of the card. She successfully competed in her first amateur bout in February at LFA 100, winning via unanimous decision.

Former Bellator lightweight champion Primus (10-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) will step inside the Bellator cage for the second time in 2021, looking to rebound from a split decision loss to Islam Mamedov at Bellator 263. The loss snapped a two-fight win streak with victories over Tim Wilde and Chris Bungard, both of which were first-round submission wins.

With the addition of Henderson vs. Primus, the Bellator 263 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD

  • Vadim Nemkov vs. Anthony Johnson – for light heavyweight title, grand prix semifinal
  • Ryan Bader vs. Corey Anderson – grand prix semifinal
  • Benson Henderson vs. Brent Primus
  • Henry Corrales vs. Vladyslav Parubchenko

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • Julius Anglickas vs. Karl Albrektsson
  • Erik Perez vs. Brett Johns
  • Sullivan Cauley vs. Deon Clash
  • Nick Browne vs. Bobby Lee
  • Javier Torres vs. Gregory Milliard
  • Sumiko Inaba vs. Randi Field
  • Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Raymond Pina

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