Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexander Shabliy headlines Bellator Paris in May
A pair of title fights will headline Bellator’s next event in Paris with the card taking place at the Accor Arena on May 17.
In the main event, Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will return to action to clash with Alexander Shabliy. In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Patchy Mix makes his first official title defense in a rematch against Magomed Magomedov.
A new No. 1 contender will be determined in the middleweight division when Gregory Babene takes on Costello Van Steenis and Slim Trabelsi returns to his old stomping grounds in France when he faces Louie Sutherland in a heavyweight fight.
The preliminary card will include a lightweight matchup pitting Mansour Barnaoui against Yusuke Yachi.
As of now, the card is set to air on DAZN in Europe with a broadcast partner in the United States still to be determined.
Nurmagomedov will be making his first appearance since he faced a six-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance following his fight with Brent Primus this past October. Nurmagomedov’s unanimous decision win was overturned to a no contest but Bellator didn’t strip him of the title after it was revealed that his positive drug test came from a prescribed medication that contained the banned substance.
As for Shabliy, he will get his first shot at Bellator gold following an undefeated 5-0 run with the promotion, which includes a win over ex-champion Patricky Pitbull.
Meanwhile, Mix competes in the co-main event after he solidified his place as bantamweight champion with a submission win over Sergio Pettis this past November. Mix actually holds a submission win over Magomedov from their previous encounter during the Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix but now the’ll meet a second time with the title on the line.
In addition to the Bellator card in Paris, the promotion also laid out the rest of the lineup for the remainder of 2024 including dates and locations for most of the events.
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 – To be determined.