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Bellator MMA

Bellator 300 is set to go down on Saturday, a remarkable accomplishment when you consider that other "major promotions" such as Pride FC and Strikeforce did not even make it to 70 events before folding. In an attempt to add weight to such a milestone, Bellator has scheduled a trio of championship bouts for the card.

There were originally four title bouts set for the event but Linton Vassell was forced out of his challenge for Ryan Bader's heavyweight title. Still, three title fights on one card is plenty to get excited about during this landmark event.

"We've taken this brand from small casino shows to a big stadium show," Bellator MMA president Scott Coker said this week. "From something that was traveling across the United States to something that went worldwide. We've done a lot of great work, and we have a great team. I'm proud of my team and proud of the fighters we have onboard."

Lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his title against Brent Primus in a bout that is also a semifinal fight in the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix. Primus won his opening round fight against Mansour Barnaoui, giving him a chance to become lightweight champ for the second time in his career. Primus first won the title in 2017 when Michael Chandler suffered an ankle injury in the first round of their bout, resulting in a doctor's stoppage.

Nurmagomedov has yet to lose as a professional, sporting a spotless 17-0 record. He defeated Patricky Pitbull this past December to capture the title and successfully defended the title against Benson Henderson in the Grand Prix quarterfinals.

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"When he said all the time he will beat me, he will beat me, I don't understand," Nurmagomedov said at the final press conference this week. "He really believe in this? OK, but if you believe this, this is good. We're going to show you guys a good fight. Saturday night, I respect this guy. He's a former champion. But Saturday night, I'm going to make him feel he's like slow and old. This is all what I have to say, guys. Sorry."

Cris Cyborg is set to defend her women's featherweight title against Cat Zingano in the next of the night's title fights. Cyborg has won all five of her trips to the Bellator cage, all of which were title bouts. She is the only fighter in the history of the sport to have won world championships in four major organizations and has dominated nearly every woman she has ever shared the cage with.

Zingano challenged Ronda Rousey for the UFC women's bantamweight title in 2015. That fight kicked off a 1-4 stretch that saw Zingano's UFC come to an end. Since coming to Bellator, however, Zingano has gotten her career back on track, rattling off four consecutive victories to land her second shot at a world title.

"My life was completely different," Zingano said during a recent pre-fight press conference. "There was really a lot more survival going on at that time. Time is really the benefit to things, finding my rhythm again, just figuring out coaches, figuring out the new normal for me, and getting it dialed in."

The final title fight sees the rare clash between best friends when Liz Carmouche defends her women's flyweight title against former champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.

For a full rundown of the story of Carmouche vs. Macfarlane, check out CBS Sports' feature on the fight featuring interviews with both women.

However, this fight took a bit of a hit on Friday when Macfarlane failed to make championship weight for the bout. Because of her failure to come in under the 125-pound limit, only Carmouche is eligible to win the title on Saturday night. If Macfarlane was to win, the title would be left vacant.

Bellator 300 fight card, odds

FavoriteUnderdogWeight class

Usman Nurmagomedov (c) -2200

Brent Primus +1100

Lightweight title

Cris Cyborg (c) -650

Cat Zingano +460

Women's featherweight title

Liz Carmouche (c) -270

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane +220

Women's flyweight title

Predictions

Nurmagomedov vs. Primus: Primus has always been an interesting trivia answer guy for Bellator. His lightweight title win against Chandler was a fluke, but he'll always be a man who held a major MMA world title, if only for one fight. Nurmagomedov is a force that Primus won't be able to control, however. Primus' veteran saavy won't help when Nurmagomedov is blending his improved striking game with takedowns and a fierce ground attack. Primus needs to pray to the chaos gods for another title run. Pick: Usman Nurmagomedov via TKO2 -- Brent Brookhouse

Nurmagomedov is arguably the brightest star that Bellator has. A young, well-rounded fighter who is standing on his own legs in the shadow of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov bucks the stereotypes with more of a Muay Thai base but his world title wins highlighted how good his offensive grappling has gotten. Primus is a bull and that physical strenght should be respect, but Nurmagomedov is the more skilled fighter in just about every department. Primus is a difficult person to finish so I'll take Nurmagomedov by decision. Pick: Nurmagomedov via decision -- Shakiel Mahjouri

Cyborg vs. Zingano: One only needs to look at Zingano's opponents during her bad run that saw her booted from the UFC and compare them to the opponents she has beaten in her 4-0 Bellator run and decide which group Cyborg fits into. Cyborg is an all-time great and is worlds better than Zingano's recent opponents. You can only beat the opponents you're given, but this winning streak -- three of which came by decision -- doesn't suggest Zingano is going to be able to overcome Cyborg on Saturday night. Pick: Cris Cyborg via TKO3 -- Brookhouse

Power is the last thing to go and Cyborg can still crack. The uptick in decision and submission wins is likely a result of her more tactical approach and the overall improvement in women's MMA. Zingano has been perfect in her Bellator run, but her inability to reliably threaten a finish is going to make Saturday a long night for her. Zingano has scored just one finish in the last eight years. She generally relies on her takedowns to win rounds, but I doubt she'll make much of a dent against a champion who has spent her entire career fending them off. Cyborg should get this done inside of the distance, particularly if Zingano gets desperate for the win. Pick: Cyborg via TKO -- Mahjouri

Carmouche vs. Macfarlane: Carmouche is undefeated in six Bellator fights. More impressively, she has won five of those fights by stoppage and done so against some of the best talent in the Bellator division. This run is the best Carmouche has ever looked in her career and Macfarlane is in for a very tough night. Macfarlane is 2-2 in her four most recent bouts, with one of those wins coming by split decision. It's hard to not favor the woman who has been blitzing opponents over the one who has struggled to make clear statements of victory. Pick: Liz Carmouche via UD -- Brookhouse

Carmouche has bullied the Bellator women's flyweight division since joining the promotion in 2020. She has six consecutive wins and five by stoppage, including two against Juliana Velasquez, the fighter who beat Macfarlane for the title. Macfarlane had a lot of hype behind her at the height of her success but that star has diminished. She is 2-2 in her last four including a loss to Justine Kish and a split decision win over Kana Watanabe, who Carmouche steamrolled in 35-seconds. Macfarlane has spent years getting bombed on by Carmouche in the gym and Saturday should be no different. Pick: Carmouche via finish -- Mahjouri