The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced that its Bellator Champions Series Paris event on Friday, May 17 will include Cedric “The Best” Doumbé (5-1) in the co-main event against Derek Anderson (17-4, 1 NC).

Doumbé, a rising star who recently signed a multi-year extension with PFL, returns to Bellator following his appearance at PFL Europe Paris earlier this year. He will compete against Derek Anderson, a seasoned Bellator fighter who has won three of his last four fights.

PFL CEO Peter Murray emphasized the importance of retaining Doumbe, stating, “Re-signing Cedric Doumbe to a multi-year contract extension has been one of our highest priorities since he joined the promotion last year. Cedric is a large part of our continued growth in France, and now he will compete at Bellator Champions Series Paris on a fight card that can be streamed by fans in the U.S. on Max, as he continues his trajectory through our global leagues.”

The Bellator Champions Series Paris will stream live in the U.S. on Max, and exclusively on DAZN in France and the U.K., starting at 5 pm CEST. truTV will broadcast the event the following week for U.S. audiences, with more broadcast details forthcoming.

In the headline fight, Bellator Bantamweight Champion Patchy Mix (19-1) faces off against Magomed Magomedov (16-1), reigniting a rivalry from the 2022 Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix Semi Finals. An earlier scheduled championship fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Alexander Shabliy has been postponed due to an injury to Nurmagomedov, with plans to reschedule soon.

Additionally, France’s Gregory Babene (23-11) will compete against Holland’s Costello Van Steenis (14-3) for a shot at the Middleweight title. Former Olympian and French Heavyweight, Slim Trabelsi (6-0), returns to Paris to fight Scotland’s Louie Sutherland (6-2) at Heavyweight.

Cedric Doumbe will make his Bellator debut at Accor Arena, taking on Derek Anderson in his first match. Patchy Mix will defend his Bellator Bantamweight title against Magomed Magomedov in the main event, while France’s Gregory Babene faces Holland’s Costello van Steenis in a Middleweight contender match. Tickets for the Bellator Champions Series Paris are now on sale at Accorarena.com. The event will be streamed live on Max in the U.S., and on DAZN in France and the U.K.

Completed Bellator Champions Series Paris Main Card:
Max (U.S.) | DAZN (France & U.K.)
Friday, May 17 – 5 pm CEST


Bantamweight World Title Bout: C-Patchy Mix (19-1) vs. Magomed Magomedov (16-1)
Welterweight Co-Main Event Bout: Cédric Doumbé (5-1) vs. Derek Anderson (17-4, 1 NC)
Middleweight Contender’s Bout: Gregory Babene (23-11) vs. Costello van Steenis (14-3)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Yves Landu (20-9) vs. Jonas Bilharinho (11-2-1)
Lightweight Main Card Bout: Archie Colgan (9-0) vs. Thibault Gouti (17-6)

Preliminary Card:
Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Slim Trabelsi (6-0) vs. Louie Sutherland (6-2)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mansour Barnaoui (20-6) vs. Yusuke Yachi (26-13)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Imamshafi Aliev (9-0) vs. Mike Shipman (15-4)
Women’s Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Aspen Ladd (11-5) vs. Ekaterina Shakalova (8-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Asael Adjoudj (7) vs. Bruno Fontes (6-0)

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