Patchy Mix edges out Magomed Magomedov in Bellator Champions Series Paris main event
Patchy Mix (20-1) reminded the MMA world that he is one of the best fighters on the planet today as he defeated Magomed Magomedov (16-2) at Bellator Champions Series Paris via split decision (48-47, 46-49, 48-47) to retain his Bellator Bantamweight Championship. The main event was highly competitive and both athletes had moments throughout the 25-minute bout, but in the end, Mix earned the victory in the rematch, his seventh consecutive win and second defense of his Bantamweight title.
In the co-main event, Cédric Doumbé (6-1) sent the crowd into a frenzy for his Bellator debut as he beat Memphis’ Jaleel Willis (16-6) via TKO at 3:33 of round one. After the fight, Anthony Pettis entered the Bellator Cage, making his future intentions clear: “I want to fight him [Doumbe] in Paris, I want to fight him here.” While it remains to be seen when Doumbe and Pettis will compete, “The Best” officially put his last outing behind him with the emphatic victory at Bellator Champions Series Paris, his sixth win via TKO or KO.
Costello Van Steenis (15-3) silenced the Parisian crowd as he picked up the submission win over France’s own Gregory Babene (23-12) on Friday. With the victory, which came via Von Flue Choke at 2:16 of round two, “The Spaniard” secured a future shot at the Bellator Middleweight World Championship, a title currently held by undefeated Johnny Eblen.
In the Featherweight division, 30-fight MMA veteran Yves Landu (21-9) earned his fifth consecutive victory coming out on top against Jonas Bilharinho (11-3-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27). Landu’s MMA skills were not the only thing on display in the Accor Arena, as he showcased his elite breakdancing skills in celebration and put the world on notice by saying, “My name is Yves Landu, if you don’t know, now you know.”
In the main card opener, Colorado’s Archie Colgan (10-0) remained undefeated and gave the French crowd a slow start to the evening as he dominated Thibault Gouti (17-7) with his elite grappling ability, scoring seven takedowns and amassing nearly eight times the amount of ground strikes, en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-26, 30-26).
With the culmination of tonight’s event, fans can look forward to Bellator Champion Series Dublin on June 22 at the 3Arena, headlined by Welterweight Champion Jason Jackson (18-4), currently in the midst of an impressive eight-fight win streak, looking to defend his title against the undefeated Ramazan Kuramagomedov (12-0). The co-main event will also see the debut of Derry sensation Paul Hughes (11-1), the hottest Irish prospect in the world right now, as he takes on six-fight Bellator veteran Bobby King (12-6) in what will be Hughes’ promotional debut.
The complete 2024 Bellator Champions Series schedule is as follows:
– Saturday, June 22 – Bellator Champions Series Dublin – 3Arena
– Saturday, September 7 – Bellator Champions Series San Diego – Pechanga Arena
– Saturday, September 14 – Bellator Champions Series London – OVO Wembley
– Saturday, October 12 – Bellator Champions Series Chicago – Wintrust Arena
– Saturday, November 16 – Bellator Champions Series Paris – ADIDAS Arena
– Tuesday, December 31 – Bellator Champions Series – TBD
Preliminary Card Results:
Slim Trabelsi (7-0) defeated Louie Sutherland (6-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mansour Barnaoui (21-6) defeated Yusuke Yachi (26-14) via submission (D’arce Choke) at 4:08 of round one
Mike Shipman (16-4) defeated Steven Hill (7-1) TKO at 5:00 of round one
Aspen Ladd (12-5) defeated Ekaterina Shakalova (8-2) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Asael Adjoudj (8-1) defeated Bruno Fontes (6-1) via KO (punch) at 1:11 of round two
