Photo via Mansour Barnaoui's Tapology
Mansour Barnaoui – “Want to be Bellator champion as soon as possible”
Mansour Barnaoui tests skills with Adam Piccolotti in his Bellator debut at Bellator 287 on October 29th.
Barnaoui appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts, through the aid of an interpreter, and touched on multiple topics before this matchup. Excerpts from our chat are below.
Mansour Barnaoui
Making his promotional debut in a main event bout versus a tenured 155-pounder in the company
“He said he’s happy because Milan anyway is not so far from Paris where he live. So it’s happy because many friends can come, his family will be there. So he’s very happy that this happen in Milan (Italy).”
Returning after close to three and a half years out of action
“It’s true that he never fought for the last three years and a half. But he’s always training almost every day. It was as you said in Dubai (at Team Nogueira Dubai) few days. Then he also was in Thailand and in US… training, waiting this opportunity. So even if he didn’t fight, he never stopped.”
Bellator 287
Thoughts on opponent Adam Piccolotti heading into this matchup
“He’s saying that he’s very feared and very good on the ground… He knows that he’s experienced but he honestly don’t care against who, he want to fight. Exactly whatever is in the cage with him. So he don’t care about who his opponent, he want to fight and he do his best to win.”
Previously being a multi-promotion champion and his path toward a Bellator belt
“What he said is that I’m here to be a champion and I don’t care which is in the category. I know there is some very good fighters like (Usman) Nurmagomedov. We think he’s in the same category. But he want to be Bellator champion as soon as possible.”
Facing Islam Makhachev previously and Barnaoui’s thoughts on the UFC 280 title fight with Makhachev vs Charles Oliveira
“On fight like this, nobody can say if we are not. The chance are 50-50 but he’s (Makhachev’s) ready to do it.”
