At the Accor Arena (Bercy)
The Afro-Samurai, recruited with great fanfare by Bellator in 2022, ends his series of defeats. Mansour Barnaoui wins by strangulation against the Japanese Yusuke Yachi.
The Franco-Tunisian put in place, from the first moments of the fight, his strategic plan: to take the Japanese into the fighting phases, where the Frenchman is an expert. The Frenchman knew how to remain perfectly alert in the face of attacks from the Japanese, who is renowned for winning fights over the length by accumulating damage points.
With less than a minute remaining in the first round, Mansour Barnaoui remained patient until the opportunity to grab his opponent’s neck presented itself.
“Fighting was part of the plan,” explained Mansour Barnaoui after his fight, adding that he wanted to have the opportunity to fight for a title. A snub to Bellator, which slowly downgraded the French fighter as his defeats progressed.
Frenchman Mansour Barnaoui now has a record of 21 victories, including 20 finishes (6 KOs, 14 submissions) for 6 defeats.
For his part, the Japanese Yusuke Yachi remains on 26 victories and loses for the 14th time.
