Bellator MMA put on a show in Paris, France on May 12th with a card stacked with talent and excitement. The event, also known as Bellator Paris, featured some of the best fighters in the world, and the fans were treated to a night of thrilling fights.
In the main event, Fabian Edwards pulled off an upset victory over Gegard Mousasi in a five-round war that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Edwards dominated the first three rounds with his striking, but Mousasi came back in the fourth and fifth rounds with his grappling. Despite Mousasi’s late surge, the judges awarded Edwards a unanimous decision victory, with scores of 49–46, 49–46, and 49–46.
The co-main event featured another closely contested battle, as Brent Primus defeated Mansour Barnaoui by unanimous decision in a lightweight bout. Primus used his wrestling to control the fight, but Barnaoui showed great heart and skill in defending the takedowns and landing strikes. In the end, it was Primus who emerged victorious, with scores of 48–47, 48–47, and 48–47.
In the middleweight division, Douglas Lima defeated Costello Van Steenis by unanimous decision in a three-round fight that saw both fighters land significant strikes. Lima, a former Bellator Welterweight champion, looked comfortable at his new weight class and showed why he is one of the best middleweights in the world.
The highlight of the preliminary card was Thibault Gouti’s stunning second-round knockout of Kane Mousah in a lightweight bout. Gouti caught Mousah with a perfect punch that sent him crashing to the canvas, and the referee quickly called a stop to the fight.
Denise Kielholtz also impressed on the prelims, earning a unanimous decision victory over Paula Cristina in a women’s flyweight bout. Kielholtz used her superior striking to keep Cristina at bay, and despite a late rally from her opponent, she was able to secure the victory.
In other preliminary card action, Luca Poclit defeated Oliver Enkamp by unanimous decision in a welterweight bout, Sarvarjon Khamidov submitted Kevin Petshi with a rear-naked choke in a catchweight fight, and Tim Wilde earned a unanimous decision victory over Chris Gonzalez in a lightweight bout.
The event was not without controversy, however, as Saul Rogers’ first-round submission victory over Davy Gallon was overturned due to a referee error on the stoppage. The fight was ruled a no-contest, much to the disappointment of Rogers and his fans.
Romain Debienne also made headlines for the wrong reasons, as he missed weight for his welterweight bout against Bourama Camara. Despite the weight miss, Debienne was able to score a spectacular second-round knockout victory over his opponent.
Overall, Bellator 296 was a fantastic event that delivered on all fronts. The fighters put on a great show for the fans in attendance, and the card featured several memorable moments and exciting fights. The event showed that Bellator MMA continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of mixed martial arts.
Main Card:
- Middleweight: Fabian Edwards def. Gegard Mousasi via unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 49–46) after 5 rounds.
- Lightweight: Brent Primus def. Mansour Barnaoui via unanimous decision (48–47, 48–47, 48–47) after 5 rounds.
- Middleweight: Douglas Lima def. Costello Van Steenis via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) after 3 rounds.
- Lightweight: Thibault Gouti def. Kane Mousah via KO (punch) in round 2.
Preliminary Card:
- Women’s Flyweight: Denise Kielholtz def. Paula Cristina via unanimous decision (29–28, 30–27, 30–27) after 3 rounds.
- Welterweight: Luca Poclit def. Oliver Enkamp via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) after 3 rounds.
- Lightweight: Saul Rogers vs. Davy Gallon ruled No Contest (overturned) after 1 round due to referee error on stoppage.
- Featherweight: Yves Landu def. Piotr Niedzielski via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) after 3 rounds.
- Catchweight (141 lb): Sarvarjon Khamidov def. Kevin Petshi via submission (rear-naked choke) in round 3.
- Lightweight: Tim Wilde def. Chris Gonzalez via unanimous decision (29–28, 30–27, 30–27) after 3 rounds.
- Featherweight: Fabacary Diatta def. Keir Harvie via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–26) after 3 rounds.
- Catchweight (150 lb): Asaël Adjoudj def. Georges Sasu via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–27) after 3 rounds.
- Welterweight: Romain Debienne def. Bourama Camara via KO (punches) in round 2, but missed weight (172.4 lb).
- Light Heavyweight: José Augusto def. Simon Biyong via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 30–27) after 3 rounds. This was a Bellator Middleweight title eliminator and a Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarter-Final bout.
Note: Saul Rogers vs. Davy Gallon was originally a submission (D’Arce choke) victory for Rogers, but it was overturned due to referee error on stoppage.
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