Magomed Magomedov and Raufeon Stots talk Bellator 264 bout

Magomed Magomedov and Raufeon Stots test skills against one another at Bellator 264. This battle of top-ranked bantamweights goes down on Friday, August 13th.

This contest takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, and broadcasts on Showtime.

Magomed Magomedov and Raufeon Stots

I spoke with both bantamweights ahead of this prizefight and the excerpts from those interactions can be found below.

Raufeon Stots excerpt

You’ve gotten great work at Roufusport. The reigning 135-pound champ there. But also I was noticing you were working in Colorado with guys like Cory Sandhagen at Elevation (Fight Team).

Is this the most comprehensive, optimized training camp you’ve ever had you’d say?

“Yeah, I’d say it is. Just because of the kind of traveling I’ve done for my personal life. Then also the Cory Sandhagen thing and training in Nebraska kind of came about. Kind of on social media and stuff. So yeah, it’s definitely been the most comprehensive training with other people. I gotta say, I like it. Because it’s like, I get to try my skills. It’s kind of like cross-training. I don’t do a lot of cross-training. But when I do cross-train, I feel like it’s a benefit for me.”

Magomed Magomedov excerpt

I noticed the other day on the Instagram page there that the brown belt was awarded from Ricardo Almeida.

I’m kind of just wondering Magomed’s thoughts on receiving that belt.

“It’s been a big jump from white belt to brown belt right away. But I’ve been training for about 10 years now and Ricardo thought it’s time for me to be promoted. I also don’t think my black belt’s that far away.”

A lot of the rhetoric leading into this fight is centered on both of you guys being the best grapplers at bantamweight.

Is there a compounded sense of wanting to show that grappling skill set just with the belt ranking going up recently?

“I’m not worried about the grappling aspect. I’m a striker first, but my grappling has been great as well. Wherever the fight goes, I’m ready for it.”

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.

See Full Bio