BELLATOR MMA FIGHTER RANKINGS REMAIN STEADY FOLLOWING BELLATOR 287, WHERE NO. 2 MIDDLEWEIGHT FABIAN EDWARDS AND NO. 8 FEATHERWEIGHT JUSTIN GONZALES PICK UP WINS

LOS ANGELES — This past weekend, BELLATOR MMA touched down in Milan, Italy, for an event fraught with European talent. In the main event, highly-touted BELLATOR newcomer Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui (20-4) dominated mainstay Adam Piccolotti (13-5) in a grappling-heavy affair, notching a second-round submission with a rear-naked choke. The win vaulted Barnaoui to No. 11 in the lightweight division, just outside the star-studded Top 10.
 
The co-main event saw No. 2-ranked middleweight contender Fabian “The Assassin” Edwards (11-2) outclass Ireland’s Charlie Ward (10-5) over three rounds, retaining his spot in the division’s loaded upper echelon and inching closer to an ever-elusive title fight.
 
Elsewhere on the main card, No. 8-ranked Justin “J-Train” Gonzales (14-1) retained his ranking as he put on his most complete performance to date, snapping Andrew Fisher's (19-9) six-fight unbeaten streak. Gonzales demonstrated marked improvements to his striking sure to complete his world-class wrestling acumen.
 
Middleweight contender Costello “The Spaniard” van Steenis (14-2) successfully returned to action after two years away from the cage with a second-round D’Arce choke of Poland’s Kamil Oniszczuk (9-2), warning the division and former rival Fabian Edwards he hasn’t lost a step despite the layoff. With the win, van Steenis jumped to No. 12 in the middleweight rankings. 
 
One-time light heavyweight foes and fellow top prospects Simon “Hemlé” Biyong (9-2) and Luke “The Gent” Trainer (6-1) both added emphatic finishes to their resumes in their first fights since competing against one another in May. Biyong stopped Dragos Zubco (3-2) with strikes in the second round, moving to No. 12 in the division, while Trainer submitted Argentina’s Lucas Alsina (11-5) in the first round to climb to No. 14.
 
BELLATOR MMA will return to action in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, November 18 for BELLATOR 288: Nemkov vs. Anderson 2 / Pitbull vs. Nurmagomedov, a card headlined by the finale rematch of the BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix as well as a lightweight title fight. In the main event, BELLATOR light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov (15-2) will take on top contender Corey Anderson (16-5) in an immediate rematch of their first fight, which ended by No Contest after an accidental clash of heads. In the co-feature, reigning lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull (24-10) will defend his title against undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov (15-0) in a clash between two of MMA’s foremost fighting families.
 
The five-fight main card of BELLATOR 288: Nemkov vs. Anderson 2 / Pitbull vs. Nurmagomedov airs LIVE on SHOWTIME beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
 
The preliminary portion of BELLATOR 288 is stacked with elite prospects, regional talent, and established veterans and can be seen on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube Channel, Showtime Sports YouTube Channel, and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.
 
Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased online at Bellator.com.


Please visit Bellator.com for additional information. 
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Updated schedule of BELLATOR events
Fri. Nov. 18 // BELLATOR 288: Nemkov vs. Anderson 2 / Pitbull vs. Nurmagomedov // Wintrust Arena // Chicago, Il.
Fri. Dec. 9 // BELLATOR 289: Stots vs. Sabatello // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.
Sat. Dec. 31 // BELLATOR VS. RIZIN // Saitama Super Arena // Saitama, Japan
Fri. Feb. 24 // BELLATOR: DUBLIN // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

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About BELLATOR 
BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms. 
 
About SHOWTIME 
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.