CHICAGO – Bellator’s lightweight champion will put his title on the line for the first time Friday.
Patricky Freire (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) is set to take on the unbeaten Usman Nurmagomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), who is a heavy favorite in the fight even though he’s the challenger. The two meet in the Bellator 288 co-main event at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Check out their faceoff from the ceremonial weigh-ins in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 288.