Patricky Pitbull to defend lightweight title vs. Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 288

Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull has his first assignment as champion. He will face Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 288 in November.

The Brazilian captured the Bellator lightweight strap with a knockout win over Peter Queally in November 2021. The win avenged a previous defeat to the Irishman from that May. With that, Pitbull joined his brother, Patricio, as a Bellator titleholder.

The victory was an important one for his legacy. After spending a decade in the promotion, Pitbull finally became world champion. However, he quickly had a challenger set for his return.

Last month, the 36-year-old was set to make his first title defense against Sidney Outlaw. However, weeks before the contest, the champion suffered an injury and withdrew. Pitbull was replaced by Tofiq Musayev, who defeated Outlaw by knockout at Bellator 283.

While many figured that Patricky Pitbull would face the aforementioned Musayev next, that won’t be the case. As first reported by MMA Fight Universe, the champion will face Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 288 in November. The fight is expected to headline the event.

The Russian is a cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Like his brother, Usman also holds an undefeated record. He’s currently 15-0 in his professional career thus far and has won his last four fights inside the Bellator cage.

Image via @khabib_nurmagomedov on Instagram

The 24-year-old was last seen in action at Bellator 283 in July, defeating Chris Gonzalez. The win must’ve impressed the Bellator brass, hence the Russian getting the title shot already. He will now look to follow in the footsteps of his cousin and become a world champion.

As of now, Bellator 288 doesn’t have a set location or venue for the card. The event also doesn’t have any other fights set. However, fans can expect the card to be filled out in the coming weeks.

What do you think About Patricky Pitbull vs. Usman Nurmagomedov? Who do you think will win? Sound off in the comment section below!