Regardless of who wins on Saturday, MMA will have a new Russian billionaire.
On September 7th in San Diego, Usman Nurmagomedov (17-0, 1 NC) will face Alexander Chabry (24-3) for the lightweight belt at Bellator Championship Series: Nurmagomedov vs Chabry. The winner will not only take home the Bellator MMA 155-pound crown, but also a $1 million prize. On their way to glory, both Russians defeated former champion Patrick Freire, who commented to Sherdog about the matchup.
Freire surrendered the belt to Nurmagomedov before the tournament began at Bellator 288 in November 2022. A year later, “The Pit Bull” clashed with Chabry at Bellator 301, losing again on the scorecards. The former champion, who has faced both men in 25-minute bouts, thinks the bout will be a long one, but suggests that Chabry, who is a significant underdog in the betting, should be favored at +325.
“Usman will avoid the stand-up fight,” Freire explained, “and Chabri has great footwork and uses his long range with a powerful jab, which will be a real problem for Usman.”
Nurmagomedov is known for his exceptional wrestling skills, but Freire is not convinced the reigning champion will be able to impose his will on the grappling front.
“Chablis has very good wrestling skills, so I don’t think Nurmagomedov will knock him down. Even if Usman knocks him down, Chablis will get up quickly and land better strikes. I think he’ll win by decision in a five-round fight,” the Brazilian analyzed.
Coach Marcos “Paloompa” Da Matta, one of Chabry’s main cornerbacks, also favors his protégé in this high-stakes match. Da Matta agrees with “Pitbull” that hitting will be key to the ATT squad’s chances of victory.
“Better [striker] Without good takedown defense, Usman has the advantage,” Da Matta suggested. “Chabri is the better striker, but [some] He is one of the best defensive wrestlers in the sport, as recognized by Islam Makhachev, who recently said, “After me there will be Usman, Armand,
[Tsarukyan] Shively is the best wrestler in this weight class.”
Citing another mutual foe, the beloved American Top Team coach pointed to Nurmagomedov and Chabry’s fight against Brent Primus as a potential precursor.
“Chabley knocked Primus out in the second round,” “Paloompa” points out. “It wasn’t even close, but Usman had a hard time beating Primus in a close five-round fight. Of course, every fight is different and you never know what’s going to happen, but I truly believe Chabley has more tools to win. [grand prix].”
