A cousin of legendary Khabib, Usman Nurmagomedov is the reigning champion of the lightweight division in Bellator MMA. He won it against Patricky Pitbull in November 2022 and defended it for the first time in March 2023 against Benson Henderson. Now, he’ll try to defend it against Brent Primus, with whom he’ll lock horns at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena on October 7 in the Bellator 300 headliner.
Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Brent Primus Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Usman Nurmagomedov | -2300 |
| Brent Primus | +1100 |
*Odds taken from BetOnline on Wednesday, October 4.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California
- Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: Paramount+
Everyone’s Hyping Usman Nurmagomedov
The Dagestani fighter is 17-0 in his professional career with eight wins by knockout/technical knockout, six by submission, and three by decision. He’s 6-0 since joining Bellator MMA, with wins against a couple of big-name fighters, most notably, Patricky Pitbull.
Nurmagomedov is a jack of all trades, who lands plenty of powerful strikes and is great when it comes to wrestling. This shouldn’t surprise you given that he’s a cousin of legendary Khabib, who’s one of the best wrestlers in the history of MMA.
Not only has he trained with his cousin, but he’s also seen practicing with another Dagestani champ, Islam Makhachev. On top of everything, Usman will have former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez in his corner. This will be the first time the 41-year-old will be in the role of the cornerman after getting arrested for attempted murder.
Does Brent Primus Stand Any Chance at Bellator 300?
Brent Primus was the Bellator Lightweight champ in 2017 after beating Michael Chandler by technical knockout (doctor stoppage). His reign did not last long – Chandler beat him by unanimous decision in Primus’s first title defense.
Since then, he’s had decent success in Bellator, going 4-2. As a result, he’s now 12-3 in his professional MMA career. Considering that he’s now a 38-year-old, you might be wondering why he hasn’t fought more than 15 bouts. It’s because, in the early days of his career, he used to fight once a year most of the time.
This year, however, he’s going to fight twice. Primus has already fought Mansour Barnaoui earlier this year and won by unanimous decision after five intense rounds, showing the world that he still has a fantastic engine in him.
Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Brent Primus Prediction
The fact that Usman Nurmagomedov is a -2300 favorite means that if Brent Primus wins the Bellator 300 main event, it would be the biggest upset in the history of MMA. We don’t think that’s going to happen. Khabib’s cousin is coming to California to defend his title, and he’s probably going to do it with a finish.
Pick: Usman Nurmagomedov to win