The first two matchups of the Bellator lightweight grand prix are
set for Bellator 292.
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Shortly after the 155-pound field was revealed by Scott Coker, the
promotion announced that Usman
Nurmagomedov vs. Benson
Henderson will serve as the headliner for the March 10 event in
San Jose, Calif. Tofiq
Musayev will square off against Alexadr Shabliy in another
quarterfinal pairing. All lightweight grand prix bouts will be
contested over five rounds.
Bellator 292 takes place at the SAP Center in San Jose, and the
evening’s main card airs on Showtime beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m.
PT.
Nurmagomedov is unbeaten in 16 professional outings. He claimed the
lightweight throne at Bellator 288, when he took a five-round
unanimous decision against Patricky
Freire on Nov. 18. The American Kickboxing Academy product has
finished 13 of his 16 victories inside the distance.
Henderson, a former UFC lightweight champ, is coming off
back-to-back victories over Islam
Mamedov and Peter
Queally under the Bellator banner. “Smooth” is 7-6 during his
tenure with the California-based promotion, with other notable
victories against the likes of Patricio
Freire, Myles Jury
and Roger
Huerta.
A former Rizin Fighting Federation title holder, Musayev enjoyed a
successful promotional debut this past July, when he knocked out
Sidney
Outlaw in 27 seconds at Bellator 283. The 33-year-old
Azerbaijan native has been victorious in 16 of his last 17
outings.
Shabliy will take a seven-bout winning streak into his showdown
with Musayev. The 29-year-old Russian is 3-0 in Bellator, including
a second-round TKO of Brent
Primus in his most recent appearance at Bellator 282.