Tag: Mansour Barnaoui

MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month for May: Anthony Smith’s first career guillotine halts unbeaten run

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from May 2024.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from May 2024: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month award for May.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

* * * *

Nominees

[autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] (31-11 MMA, 9-2 UFC) put away Ihor Pereira (21-6 MMA, 2-4 UFC) just 54 seconds into their middleweight bout for his eighth win in a row inside the octagon.

Pereira came out and quickly dropped Potieria with a one-two combination. At that moment, in true Pereira fashion, he decided to backflip onto his stunned opponent. Potieria tried to quickly get back to his feet but left himself open for a standing guillotine choke that Pereira locked in tight, forcing the tap just before Potieria fell to sleep.

[autotag]Mansour Barnaoui[/autotag] (21-6) thrilled the French crowd with a slick finish of Yusuke Yachi (26-13) in the opening round of their lightweight bout.

On a two-fight losing skid, Barnaoui bounced back when he needed it most by locking in a D’Arce choke on Yachi that led to the tap.

Add [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] (15-3) to the list of fighters to successfully pull off a Von Flue choke in a major promotion, this time at the expense of Gregory Babane (23-12).

In a middleweight bout, van Steenis put Babene to sleep with the rare submission to punch his ticket to a shot at a Bellator title.

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (17-13 MMA, 12-13 UFC) finally has a submission victory on her professional record, but that wasn’t all against Luana Pinheiro (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC).

Hill, a UFC strawweight veteran, put a nice feather in her cap at while also securing the most wins in the division’s history by tapping Pinheiro with a mounted guillotine choke at the midway point of the third round.

Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] (38-19 MMA, 13-9 UFC) proved he isn’t done yet when he took the undefeated record of Vitor Petrino (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in their light heavyweight bout.

After a feeling out process on the feet at distance, the two light heavyweights engaged in the clinch. Smith grabbed a hold of Petrino’s neck with a guillotine attempt. Petrino elevated Smith and they crashed to the canvas. Smith’s grip seemed to deepen. Petrino strained before the panic tap came.

Smith, 35, rebounds from a knockout loss to Khalil Rountree and moves to 2-1 in his most recent three bouts. Petrino, 26, loses for the first time as a professional.

[opinary poll=”who-had-the-best-submission-of-may-2024_” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Bellator Champions Series video: Mansour Barnaoui makes Yusuke Yachi tap out with slick D’arce choke

Just a textbook D’Arce choke from Mansour Barnaoui at Bellator Champions Series: Paris.

[autotag]Mansour Barnaoui[/autotag] is back in the win column.

At Bellator Champions Series: Paris on Friday, Barnaoui (21-6) thrilled the French crowd with a slick D’arce choke submission of [autotag]Yusuke Yachi[/autotag] (26-13). The stoppage during the lightweight prelim came 4:08 into Round 1 at Accor Arena.

Barnaoui ends a two-fight skid of unanimous decision defeats. Friday’s victory was his second in Bellator. Yachi loses for the first time in Bellator. He competed nine times in RIZIN since his Bellator debut, a December 2019 victory over Hiroto Uesako.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator Champions Series: Paris results include:

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

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Aug. 28-Sept. 3)

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 or officially announced by the promotions from Aug. 28-Sept. 3.

MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month for May: Short-notice newcomer thrills in defeat

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from May 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from May 2023. Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for May.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

Scott Coker discusses Gegard Mousasi’s future after Bellator 296, Cris Cyborg re-signing, Kayla Harrison, more

Check out Scott Coker’s comments on the results of Bellator 296 and other various topics.

[autotag]Scott Coker[/autotag] spoke to the media present at Accor Arena in Paris following the completion of Bellator 296 on Friday.

The Bellator president spoke about[autotag] Gegard Mousasi[/autotag]’s loss to Fabian Edwards in the main event of the card, the wild war between [autotag]Mansour Barnaoui[/autotag] and [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag], and other results from the card.

Coker also discussed the re-signing of their women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] and the company’s interest in two-time PFL champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag].

Below, you can check out Coker’s thoughts on the carious topics following Bellator’s event in France.

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.

Sidney Outlaw out of Bellator lightweight grand prix after positive test for three banned substances

Sidney Outlaw’s time in the Bellator lightweight grand prix ended before it even started thanks to a positive drug test conducted by the ABC.

[autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] won’t partake in the Bellator lightweight grand prix after he tested positive for three prohibited substances in an out-of-competition drug test.

Associate of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports president Mike Mazzulli – who heads random, out-of-competition drug testing for Bellator – informed MMA Junkie on Tuesday that Outlaw submitted a urine sample during Bellator 290 fight week in California, which has been flagged for ostarine, cardarine, and anastrozole. All three substances are prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which is the standard held by the ABC.

As a result of his positive test, Outlaw has been suspended a minimum of six months. MMA Junkie confirmed with Bellator officials that Outlaw is out of his scheduled May 12 bout at Bellator 296 vs. [autotag]Mansour Barnaoui[/autotag] and out of the tournament completely. Brent Primus will replace Outlaw at Bellator 296 in Paris.

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Outlaw has not publicly commented on his test or removal as of this writing. As to what is public knowledge, he does not have past history of positive drug tests.

Outlaw, 30, has won three of his past four bouts, with his defeat coming in his most recent fight against Tofiq Musayev, a 27-second knockout last July at Bellator 283.

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