Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Nolan King

Bellator 301 results: Alexander Shabliy pieces up Patricky Pitbull, advances to grand prix final

Alexander Shabliy put on quite the clinic Friday at Bellator 301 when he defeated former lightweight champion Patricky Freire in the semifinal of the promotion’s ongoing grand prix.

The bout served as the main card opener at Wintrust Arena in Chicago and saw Shabliy (24-3 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) win a lopsided (and bloody) unanimous decision over Freire (25-12 MMA, 16-10 BMMA). All three judges scored the fight a clean sweep, at 50-45.

Shabliy was a man on a mission from the opening bell. He landed punches with surgical precision and mixed up his strikes to keep Freire guessing.

Despite his success, Shabliy continued to seek the finish. In Round 3, he landed a barrage that tested Freire’s chin and will. “Pitbull” hung tough, as always, though.

As the fight continued, Freire’s face deteriorated. Blood streamed from below his left eye and from his left ear. Shabliy landed a hard sequence in Round 5, including a wheel kick to the head but Freire did enough to make it to the final bell.

Bellator’s future beyond Friday’s event is uncertain. Should new life be breathed into the promotion and the grand prix continue, the next match for Shabliy is a bit clouded.

With lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov recently testing positive for a prohibited substance, Bellator executive Mike Kogan recently hinted the titleholder will rematch Brent Primus.

Regardless of tournament status, Shabliy extends his winning streak to nine. Other notable wins include Tofiq Musayev and Brent Primus, both of whom Shabliy finished with strikes.

Freire moves to 2-4 in his most recent six outings.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 301 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.