Bellator MMA, now run by parent company PFL under the “Bellator Champions Series” banner, will return to Paris this May.
In a press release distributed on Wednesday, promotion officials announced a return to the Accor Arena on May 17, 2024, where Usman Nurmagomedov will face off against Alexander Shabliy for the promotion’s lightweight title.
Joining that main event fight will be 135lb champ Patchy Mix, who puts his belt on the line against Magomed Magomedov.
The inclusion of Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexander Shabliy is likely to raise some eyebrows. That pairing would have been the Lightweight Grand Prix final, had Nurmagomedov (17-0, 1NC) not seen a win over Brent Primus in the tournament semifinals overturned after failing a drug test for prescription medication.
Despite the result of the bout being overturned, Nurmagomedov was not stripped of his title.
Shabliy (24-3) defeated Patricky Pitbull in his own Grand Prix semifinal fight, and hasn’t been beat in eight years. Despite that, there has been no mention of the Bellator Paris headliner officially closing out the Lightweight Grand Prix. Nor has there been any mention as to whether the million dollar purse offered to Grand Prix winners under Bellator’s previous ownership would remain intact.
As for Mix (17-3), he defeated Sergio Pettis to claim undisputed bantamweight gold in November. Patchy is also a grand prix winner, running the gauntlet from 2022 to 2023 in a streak that saw him pick up a submission win over opponent Magomed Magomedov in the semifinals.
Magomedov (20-3) bounced back with a victory against Danny Sabatello last July.
Also featured on the Bellator Paris, card, Mansour Barnaoui (20-6) will face off against Japanese Bellator and RIZIN vet Yusuke Yachi (26-13) in prelim action. On the main card, Gregory Babene (23-11) goes up against Dutch star Costello van Steenis (14-3) in a number one contender’s bout, and heavyweight Slim Trabelsi (6-0) gets Louie Sutherland (6-2).
