Bellator MMA Lightweight World Grand Prix started two months ago. This week, the tournament continues with the Bellator 296 co-main event in Paris, where Brent Primus (11-3 MMA, 9-3 Bellator) and Mansour Barnaoui (8-0 MMA, 1-0 Bellator) will face off in a quarterfinal.
The original Grand Prix field of eight competitors will be trimmed to five in Paris. The card in the Bellator MMA Lightweight World Grand Prix will be an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round.
Mansour Barnaoui is a French professional mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. He holds a record of 20-4 in MMA, with one of those victories coming under the Bellator MMA promotion. Barnaoui is known for his grappling skills and has won 13 of his bouts by submission, including six by knockout.
Barnaoui previously competed in KSW and Road FC. Ahead oh his clash with Primus, he expressed a peculiar desire. When asked how he would spend the $1,000,000 prize, he told media:
“I don’t know yet. I’ll start with the skateboard.. A diamond. A diamond made Skateboard.”
It’s unclear if he meant a literal skateboard but it wouldn’t surprise us.
Elsewhere on the card
Brent Primus said that he was distraught over being excluded from the Grand Prix, but after Sidney Outlaw’s suspension, he was given his place. He revealed that he wants the $1 million prize that comes with winning the tournament, stating that it would be life-changing for him and his family. Primus is a man who wasn’t even supposed to be in this Grand Prix, but due to a disqualification, he’s now just three wins away from $1 million.
Also featuring:
Middleweight Gegard Mousasi vs. Fabian Edwards
Lightweight Brent Primus vs. Mansour Barnaoui
Middleweight Douglas Lima vs. Costello Van Steenis
Lightweight Thibault Gouti vs. Kane Mousah
On the undercard:
Lightweight Chris Gonzalez vs. Tim Wilde
Women’s Flyweight Denise Kielholtz vs. Paula Cristina
Lightweight Saul Rogers vs. Davy Gallon
Middleweight Gregory Babene vs. Kyle Stewart
Bantamweight Brett Johns vs. Marcirley Alves
Catchweight (141 lb) Sarvarjon Khamidov vs. Kevin Petshi
Featherweight Yves Landu vs. Piotr Niedzielski
Welterweight Oliver Enkamp vs. Luca Poclit
Light Heavyweight José Augusto vs. Simon Biyong
Welterweight Steven Hill vs. Nicolò Solli
Featherweight Fabacary Diatta vs. Keir Harvie
Welterweight Bourama Camara vs. Romain Debienne
Catchweight (150 lb) Georges Sasu vs. Asaël Adjoudj