Rivalries: Brent Primus

Former Bellator MMA champion Brent Primus hopes some rekindled, late-career magic can carry him to one more win in the Professional Fighters League.

The 39-year-old Team Oyama rep will take his swings at a million-dollar payday when he faces Gadzhi Rabadanov in the lightweight final as part of the PFL 2024 Season Championships on Nov. 29 at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Primus advanced to the final with by besting Bruno Miranda, Solomon Renfro and Clay Collard in succession. He boasts 10 finishes among his 15 professional victories.

As Primus approaches his forthcoming battle with Rabadanov at 155 pounds, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped chart his course to this point:

1. Michael Chandler

Primus laid claim to the undisputed Bellator MMA lightweight crown with a surprising technical knockout of “Iron Mike” in the first round of their Bellator 180 showcase on June 24, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The stoppage was called 2:22 into Round 1. Though the undefeated Primus authored a stunning upset, he did so with an asterisk attached. Chandler suffered an ankle injury while dodging a low kick, his foot folding beneath him as he stepped backward. He did all he could to continue, but it became clear he was compromised, necessitating an anti-climactic finish. The loss snapped Chandler’s four-fight winning streak and resulted in an unexpected change at the top of the lightweight division. Some 18 months later, they met for a second time at Bellator 212. There, Chandler emerged victorious via five-round unanimous decision on Dec. 14, 2018 and walked away as a three-time lightweight champion at 155 pounds.

2. Islam Mamedov

The American Kickboxing Academy product posted perhaps his most significant win to date when he was awarded split scorecards over Primus in their Bellator 263 attraction on July 31, 2021 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. All three members of the cageside judiciary scored it 29-28. Primus could not stay upright long enough to make any headway. Operating in the shadows of the A.J. McKee-Patricio Freire headliner, Mamedov executed takedowns and piled up control time in all three rounds. Primus counteracted those efforts with an active bottom game and a number of attempted submissions, to no avail. Mamedov’s bulletproof defense allowed him to free himself from dangerous positions on more than one occasion and afforded him the opportunity to stay on top while bleeding time off the clock and fuel from his opponent’s reserves.

3. Benson Henderson

Primus stuck a major feather in his cap when he outdueled the former World Extreme Cagefighting and Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder to a unanimous decision in their Bellator 268 lightweight feature on Oct. 16, 2021 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. Scores were 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27. Primus outperformed “Smooth” in the scrambles, advancing to his back more than once. Henderson was effective with kicks and staggered the Oregon native with a sharp left hand in the third round but failed to build on his momentum. Primus capitalized on an ill-advised guillotine attempt from the MMA Lab cornerstone, maneuvered behind him and remained attached to his back for the better part of two minutes. He exacted minimal damage but cut off escape routes and stayed one step ahead of the notoriously crafty Henderson when it mattered most.

4. Usman Nurmagomedov

The well-rounded Russian outstruck Primus to a unanimous decision and retained his 155-pound championship when their lightweight grand prix semifinal headlined Bellator 300 on Oct. 7, 2023 at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego. All three judges turned in 50-45 scorecards. Primus tried to close the distance and turn it into a dogfight, but the approach proved unsuccessful. Nurmagomedov stayed composed and disciplined, answering the former champion with body kicks and straight rights. Even when Primus did manage to draw the Javier Mendez protégé into close-quarters combat, he was met with knee strikes, compact hooks and slashing elbows. By the time the proverbial dust had settled, there was little doubt that Nurmagomedov was the superior fighter. However, the result was later changed to a no contest when it was discovered that a prescription drug he had been taking contained a banned substance. Nurmagomedov received a six-month suspension but was allowed to keep his title due to the circumstances surrounding his positive test.