Bellator 296: Gegard Mousasi Vs. Fabian Edwards Pre-Fight-Media Questions
On May 12th, 2023, Gegard Mousasi and Fabian Edwards will go head-to-head in Bellator 296 in Paris, France, with the winner taking a step closer to competing for the Bellator middleweight title.
Mousasi, who lost his middleweight title to Johnny Eblen in his last fight, will be looking to bounce back. On the other hand, Edwards is brimming with confidence.
He has won his last two fights, one of which was a knockout against Lyoto Machida, propelling him to the second spot in the Bellator rankings.
In the co-main event, Frenchman Mansour Barnaoui will take on Brent Primus, the former Bellator lightweight champion. The crowd will undoubtedly be rooting for their home fighter.
Both sets of fighters, with a total of 13 altogether, were on hand for some pre-fight-media questions. With that being said, here are the key quotes.
Gegard Mousasi
On his weight cut: “Weight cut is much easier. I’m a lot lighter.. I have 3.5 kilos to go. I don’t think I need a sauna… I came very prepared this time.”
On what it means to headline: “It means a lot. I think fighting in France, in Paris, [was hard] as MMA wasn’t legal here for a long time.
“Every time I get the main event, I see the trust they have in me. Also coming off a loss, a lot of friends are coming, so I am happy to be able to fight in Paris on the main card of course.”
Prediction: “I just have to have the mentality of going into the fight and…just let it go and just fight. That’s the plan.”
Fabian Edwards
On his mindset: “For this camp, I’ve had the same coaches around and everyone’s pulled together and we’ve had a good plan and a good training camp for this.”
On staring during the face off: “I’m just letting [Mousasi] know that I’m here…I don’t fear him one bit.”
On his preparation: “Training camp has been good. I’ve just kept to my teammates. There’s been a lot of focus on what I need to do and developing me, more so. Making sure I’m fit, making sure I’m ready and yeah that’s been the main focus.”
On his opponent’s weaknesses: “I see a lot. I see a lot…There are a lot of holes we can exploit.”
On the possibility of winning a title like his brother: “[It’s] a big motivating factor. It’s huge…I’m trying to make that history…I’m two steps away from it.”
Mansour Barnaoui
On fighting in France: “It’s not the first time, even though it’s the first time in the MMA tournament.”
On getting more credit: “[I’m] a fighter. I’m fighting, then I go back with my team. And I’m not really trying to let the media change my mind, whatever happens on social media.”
On winning a world title: “The motivation is there. I am looking to win more and more.”
Brent Primus
𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 🇫🇷@Mousasi_MMA 🆚 @FabianEdwards24 for a shot at middleweight gold headlines this week's action 𝙋𝙇𝙐𝙎 the #BellatorLWGP opening round continues 👊#Bellator296 | Friday at 4pm ET / 1pm PT 📺 | @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/YVCpUKZAj3
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) May 8, 2023
On his preparation: “The camp went really well. No injuries, I trained really really hard. I had guys who helped me a lot… I feel great.”
On a potential title shot: “I think about it, you know it’s gonna be awesome. But at the same time, I got a challenge ahead of me on Friday and Barnaoui’s no joke.”
What can fans expect: “You’re gonna see a great fight. Explosive, fast and I’m gonna go out there and be methodical and smart. I’m gonna get that hand raised for sure.”