Under the biggest spotlight of his career, Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov made it look easy.
Nurmagomedov defeated former champ Brent Primus via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) to retain his title in the headliner of the Bellator 300 tentpole event Saturday night in San Diego.
Nurmagomedov advances to the final of the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix with the victory. He'll defend his belt against the winner of the Nov. 17 bout between Patricky Freire and Alexander Shabliy.
Nurmagomedov, the cousin of UFC legend Khabib, has now defended the lightweight title twice.
The 25-year-old dominated the fight from start to finish. He opened with a high volume of leg kicks and continued to pick Primus apart with a variety of strikes in all five stanzas. Nurmagomedov stayed busier than his opponent, was sharper on the feet, and controlled the distance. He also secured multiple takedowns and spent a significant amount of time in top control, including much of Round 4.
Nurmagomedov is one of the best young fighters on the planet and arguably one of MMA's best lightweights, rivaling the likes of UFC lightweight champion and teammate Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira, and Justin Gaethje.
The Russian captured Bellator gold in November 2022 with a lopsided decision victory over Freire, and he defended the title for the first time by submitting former UFC champion Benson Henderson in a March quarterfinal bout.
Nurmagomedov, who trains out of American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, boasts an undefeated 18-0 pro record. He's now 6-0 in Bellator.
Primus, who was the Bellator lightweight champ from 2017-18, earned a title shot against Nurmagomedov in the semifinals by beating Mansour Barnaoui in May. The 38-year-old is now 2-4 in his last six appearances.
