Also announces three exciting match-ups for return to Paris, including Mousasi vs. Edwards and Primus vs. Barnaoui
Bellator has acquired Olympic silver medalist Kadi Magomedov, who will be joining other prominent wrestlers in the company.
The agreement for a multifight, multiyear contract with Magomedov, whose full name is Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau, was made public by Bellator on Thursday. It’s anticipated that he will make his debut later this year in the featherweight category.
One of the best men’s freestyle wrestlers in the world, the Dagestanian athlete competed for Belarus at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and won the silver medal after defeating two-time World Wrestling Championships champion Frank Chamizo, four-time NCAA Division I National Champion Kyle Dake, and Cuba’s Geandry Garzón.
The dynamic 28-year-old has won gold and silver medals at prestigious competitions like the 2020 European Championships, 2017 Russian National Championships, 2017 Yasar Dogu Tournament, and the 2022 Poddubny Wrestling League in the 70kg to 79kg weight classes.
Magomedov will fight in BELLATOR’s featherweight division, which is presently led by the organisation’s pound-for-pound king, Patricio Pitbull (35-5), and includes other top fighters like Adam Borics (18-2), Jeremy Kennedy (19-3) and Aaron Pico. (10-4).
The 28-year-old has trained with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, the current Lightweight king of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but he hasn’t yet participated in an MMA match.
Magomedov stated in comments to MMA Fighting that while he is ready to transition into MMA, he will not give up wrestling and that he intends to participate at the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024.
“A long time ago, I thought about it this but now I think is a great time to join MMA and fight in the best promotion in the world. I’m very thankful for my manager and for Bellator giving me this opportunity. I’m not going to leave wrestling. I’m going to continue competing in wrestling and MMA.” he says.
Magomedov is anticipated to make his debut in 2023, disclosing he will continue to train with Khabib and Company, though no specific date or opponent have been disclosed.
Magomedov said, “I’m going to train with the Nurmagomedov team and in the Nurmagomedov school.I’ve trained with these guys a long time and they give me a lot of benefit.
Jordan Oliver, a former NCAA champion, and Bryce Meredith, a two-time NCAA finalist, are the most recent well-known wrestlers to contract with Bellator, joining Magomedov in that group.
BELLATOR MMA’S RETURN TO PARIS IS SET FOR MAY 12 IN LOS ANGELES, WITH THREE EXCITING MATCH-UPS
As the much-anticipated return of BELLATOR MMA to the City of Lights draws closer, the organisation has revealed three new additions to the preliminary card, which will go on before the star-studded main card.
Former Middleweight World Champion Gegard Mousasi (49-8) will make his return on May 12 in BELLATOR 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards against Birmingham’s soaring No. 2 prospect Fabian Edwards (11-2), while former Lightweight World Champion Brent Primus (11-3) will face French submission specialist Mansour Barnaoui (20-4) in the quarterfinals of the Lightweight World Grand Prix.
Following his recent knockout triumph over Max Rohskopf (7-2) at BELLATOR 290 at the renowned KIA Forum in Inglewood, California, lightweight contender and wrestling prodigy Chris Gonzales (8-2) will compete at BELLATOR 296.
A must-see lightweight fight will pit the heavy-handed lightweight against the perennially thrilling Tim Wilde (15-4).Unbeaten Englishman Steven Hill (7-0) fights “The Monkey King” Nicol Solli in a welterweight contest on the same night he won by rear naked choke at BELLATOR 291 in February. (4-1, 1 NC).
Spanish featherweight Aridane Romero Rodriguez (8-3) will fight French featherweight Fabacary Diatta (8-1) on the preliminary program, rounding out the additions. Diatta, who dominated his first two promotional fights to place the featherweight division on notice in 2020, will attempt to return to winning ways on May 12.
