2023-05-13 02:30:52
Mansour Barnaoui is about to take a left hook from Brent Primus. FRANCK FIFE / AFP
REPORTAGE – In an Accor Arena where the tricolor public held its boiling reputation, the French fighters of Bellator held their rank. Until the strange defeat of the best of them.
At the Accor Arena – Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Bellator does not regret having returned to Paris and intends to perpetuate its rhythm of an annual event, according to the words of its boss. After a very successful UFC Paris, this third edition of Bellator proves that MMA has reached a certain maturity in France in record time, the discipline having only been legalized barely two years ago.
In the octagon (round) of Bercy, the French fighters have largely justified their presence on the map. In the preliminary card, Fabacary Diatta patiently used his jabs against a Scottish fighter, until he won the decision quite logically. In a first Franco-French fight, Romain Debienne, much smaller than his opponent Bourama Camara, waited, while entering and exiting, to overcome the difference in reach, before placing a masterful sequence of English boxing which put out of action his opponent. A first Bellator fight that will have marked the spirits.
Kevin Petshi disposed of his opponent to submission, just like veteran Yves Landu, who announced at a press conference from the height of his thirty-six years, to consider continuing to fight after the two fights he has left in his contract at Bellator. In a second Franco-French fight, Asaël Adjoudj defeated Georges Sasu in the decision.
In the main card, the public was scared during the fight of the Norman Davy Gallon against an Englishman: the referee believed that he had lost consciousness in a strangulation, and stopped the fight when he did not was nothing. A little later in the evening, the organization announced that it had turned this defeat into a “no contest”. It happens: we prefer a fight where the referee stops too soon, than a fight where the referee stops too late. Hoping that this opposition takes place again. Finally, Thibault Gouti won against an opponent, also English, who nevertheless dominated him very clearly, framing him relentlessly; with a certain composure, Gouti who took a shower of blows, placed an uppercut in the middle of the chin which knocked down his opponent before finishing him on the ground. The exact replica of Israel Adesanya’s famous blow on Alex Pereira. High class.
The Atch academy of Stéphane Chaufourier, the Snake team of Cyrille Diabaté and the Bulgarian Top team of Daniel Woirin, great French stables, can be proud of their fighters.
The public struggled for the entry of its champion Mansour Barnaoui, considered one of the best in his country in all weight categories. We rarely see supporters cracking smoke bombs at Bercy. Alas, the experienced Brent Primus got the better of French hopes. This excellent fighter of more than 38 years, however suffered in the first round, under a clinch work while pressure from Barnaoui. Although he retaliated with elbows, Barnaoui seemed to have too much strength and controlled him. Cunning and intelligent, Primus then brought Barnaoui to the ground and began undermining, using his body weight to wear down Barnaoui who was wearing himself out defending relentlessly with his back to the ground.
As the second round began, Primus seemed exhausted, out of juice. Under the encouragement of the public, and emboldened by the obvious physical weakness of his opponent, Barnaoui offered himself a streak of boxing, but the unthinkable happened. Barnaoui took at least as many blows from Primus, failing to defend, without dodge movements and low guard. His adversary then had good luck bringing him to the ground, keeping him there with an impeccable “side control” which exhausted Barnaoui until the end of the fight. Barnaoui found the will to refuse to surrender, at the end of the pain, chained in a chokehold that clenched his jaw in the last round. Warrior. However, Usman Nurmagomedov, current holder of the lightweight belt, was probably not very afraid tonight of his future opponent. Brent Primus still had his face marked at a press conference. That he was not sorry to be able to leave to go home to rest. This fight was fierce. But leaves the taste of a strange defeat.
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