#BellatorParis result: @TeamMixMMA
no doubt. Magomed Magomedov by split decision (46-49, 48-47, 48-47).#BellatorParis
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May 17, 2024
The Bellator MMA bantamweight champion stands as the best bantamweight in the world after suffering five rounds of hell against former foe Magomed Magomedov in the main event of the Bellator Champions Series Paris at Accor Arena on Friday. Patrick “Patchy” Mix’s claims were put to the test.
Despite knocking down Magomedov in two rounds in his first fight, the Russian challenger adapted to the length of the mix and repeatedly hurt the champion with overhand shots. Mix showed the heart of a champion and, despite his unsteady legs, did not let Magomedov back down and kept the fight moving towards the scorecards. After a long deliberation, Mix won by split decision (46-49, 48-47, 48-47), angering the Paris crowd.
Magomedov made great adjustments from the first fight, consistently catching mixed attacks. Unfortunately for the challenger, his lack of pace allowed Mix to control the action and keep him at bay.
Each round had the potential to be a toss-up as both fighters asserted themselves through technique. Mix almost got a guillotine in the third round, but Magomedov survived and helped Mix to his feet. Mix (20-1) has options moving forward after seven straight wins, but he will be looking ahead to his engagement to UFC fighter Tatiana Suarez, which was revealed on Friday’s broadcast.
It will take more than a shrapnel to stop Cedric Doumb on Friday. The French kickboxing phenom bounced back hard, stopping Jahlil Willis in the first round (3 minutes, 33 seconds). With buckets of bad blood supporting the fight, Doumbu gave the Parisian crowd exactly what they wanted: a quick destruction of the Memphis native.
Doumbe (6-1) proved he was more than a striker with several takedown attempts from the Kill Cliff FC prospect. Doumbe dropped Willis with an overhand right (16-6) and made Willis look foolish with fluid head movements. Doumbe ended the co-main event of Bellator Paris with his right hand behind Willis’ ear, earning him the loss. Doumbe delivered the finishing blow to Willis until referee Mike Beltran was forced to intervene.
After the fight, former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis entered the cage and returned to Paris to challenge Doumbe to a match.
Costello van Steens picked up one of the biggest wins of his career, putting local hero Gregory Baben to sleep with a von Flew (shoulder) choke in the second round (2 minutes 16 seconds).
Van Steenis (15-3) put Babane on the mat in the first round and ended Babane’s win streak at eight in convincing fashion. Babene tried to get revenge on Van Steenis with a triangle choke, but the Spaniard’s ground-and-pound broke his grip. Van Steenis didn’t give Baven a chance to threaten in the second round either. With his head stuck between Van Steenis’ shoulder and the cage during a reckless guillotine attempt from side control, there was nothing Bavaine could do but tap or lie down.
Featherweight contestant Yves Landau did not disappoint his fans with his fourth straight win in his homecoming match against Brazil’s Jonas Viharinho.
Landu dropped Vilharinho with a nasty knee to the body in the first frame, which nearly ended the match. Vilharinho did not take a step back and was completely defeated in the remaining two rounds. Landu went for the finish, nearly completing an armbar and kimura attempt, but Vilharinho continued to escape. After three back-and-forth rounds, Landu won by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
Former Big 12 wrestling champion Archie Colgan defeated Thibaut Goouty on his way to a lopsided unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) in a 158-pound catchweight bout. Ta. Colgan channeled his frustrations with the hostile crowd and Guti’s lack of weight into a first round blitzkrieg that nearly forced Guti into elimination.
Colgan nearly defeated Gootie by TKO, but the Frenchman’s toughness extended the loss. Colgan’s win over the 24-fight veteran improves the Genesis Training Academy prospect’s record to 10-0.
Slim Trabelsi (7-0) remained undefeated in his heavyweight campaign after scoring a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) over Louis Sutherland. Sutherland entered the fight with a 25-pound weight advantage, but was useless on the ground against the burly Tunisian.
Mansour Barnaoui ended a two-fight skid with an impressive first-round submission in front of his hometown fans. Barnaoui turned former RIZIN Fighting Federation veteran Yusuke Yaji around the head with a right hand and slammed him to the mat near the end of the first round. While Yasuke was stunned, Barnaoui grabbed a bravo choke and ended the fight 4 minutes and 8 seconds into the round. The win gave Barnaoui (21-6) his 14th career submission and his first win since 2022.
Mike Shipman pummeled and bullied Stephen Hill into a middleweight brawl that cost him the first loss of his career, and it wasn’t pretty. Shipman (16-4) clipped Hill with a low blow and then landed a foul grounding knee to lose the point. Hill was visibly upset, but he told Mike Beltran that he wanted to continue. Shipman hurt Hill again with a legal knee and almost finished him off before the bell. Hill (7-1) wisely elected to stay on the chair before the second round, with Shipman the winner via TKO.
Aspen Ladd bounced back from her loss to Kayla Harrison with an emotional slugfest victory over Katerina Shakalova. Shakalova’s youth and energy showed in the first round, but she quickly resisted Rudd’s pressure.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran slashed Shakalova with an elbow in the second round and knocked her down with a shot in the third. Shakalova didn’t wilt, but her punches didn’t have enough power to keep Rudd away from her chest. With the win, Ladd improved to 12-5, but Shakalova (8-2) suffered her first loss since 2019.
Marseille’s Asahel Adjudge opened the Bellator Paris card with a dominant second-round TKO (1 minute, 11 seconds) over undefeated featherweight Bruno Fontes (7-1). Unlike Fontes, Adjudgi (8-1) lost his undefeated streak in his first fight, but has since won eight straight. After ragdolling Fontes in the first round, Adjudge rolled Fontes out with a right hook early in the second round.
