Ilias Bulaid on his growth as a grappler after Bellator 270 win

Ilias Bulaid bested Georges Sasu via split decision at Bellator 270. The November 5th bout broadcasted on Showtime and emanated from 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.

A victory that maintained the spotless pro-MMA record of the Moroccan warrior by way of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Ilias Bulaid gets the decision!#Bellator270 pic.twitter.com/uHODFsj54e

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 5, 2021

This Bulaid versus Sasu affair served as the main card opener for what was a raucous evening of combat. An event that featured the cementing of a new champion at lightweight amid several electric highlights.

The featherweight fighter improved to 3-0 as a mixed martial artist. The seasoned K1 competitor has showcased a diversified game so far in his transition towards MMA competition within Bellator.

Bulaid garnered many accolades throughout his tenure in the standup arts. He is a former Enfusion world champion at 67 kg and a K-1 World GP 2016 65kg Tournament Finalist.

As part of his shift between combat disciplines, Bulaid has concurrently been getting in work at SB Gym in the Netherlands as well as SBG Ireland.

I spoke with Bulaid in the Bellator 270 post-fight virtual media day conducted via Zoom. The excerpt from our interaction can be found below.

Ilias Bulaid

Bulaid’s Instagram post saying ‘Don’t worry I’m just a striker’ as well as the pros and cons of his grappling performance in this wrestling heavy fight at Bellator 270

Ilias Bulaid stated, “I think I did a good job on my takedown defense. Especially in the first two rounds. In the third round, I think I gave too many takedowns away but still, I was able to get some. So again, it was the first time that I had to showcase it inside the cage. Yeah, I think I had some good takedown defense. Good get-ups again. But still, I want to have takedown defense of 100%. That’s it.”

What were your thoughts on Ilias Bulaid going 3-0 in MMA and the overall Bellator 270 performance?

Dylan Bowker

I've been enamored with combat sports for as long as I can remember. I've hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, Mark Coleman, and more. I've been an MMA broadcaster for XFFC as well as BTC and have done play by play commentary on live pay per view on GFL as well as FITE TV. I've provided written, audio, and video content covering some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage. I've worked as a sports entertainment personality for over five years and given play-by-play or featured promotions of KSW, ONE Championship, TKO, and Invicta FC. My work can be found in the USA Today Sports affiliate MMA Torch, Cageside Press, MMA Sucka, and Liberty Multimedia.

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