Mansour Barnaoui

Mansour Barnaoui (born September 20, 1992) is a Tunisian-French mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of Bellator MMA.

Mansour Barnaoui
Bornمنصور برناوي
(1992-09-20) September 20, 1992
Tunis, Tunisia
Other namesThe Afro-Samurai /Tarzan
NationalityTunisian
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
DivisionLightweight
Fighting out ofParis, France
TeamTeam Magnum
Years active2011–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total26
Wins20
By knockout6
By submission13
By decision1
Losses6
By decision6
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Residing nowadays in Malakoff, Hauts-de-Seine, Mansour was born in Tunis, Tunisia, immigrating to France as an infant, where he lived in difficult circumstances and sharing a small apartment with his three brothers and his mother. Faradji, friend and manager of Mansour, met Barnaoui when he lived in the same building as him and saw him squatting in the hall with friends, after they were unable to afford to register at the nearby wrestling room in Vanves. Faradji went to the town hall of Malakoff to ask for slots in a municipal hall, and after he was granted access, a few weeks later, the small band of Malakoff could finally train at the municipal gymnasium and the Magnum club was born. Aziz Mahi, Barnaoui's trainer in France, welcomed him to his gymnasium in the suburbs of Paris when he was only 14 years old. He quickly understood that he had the makings of a champion and went from grappling, to boxing, to pankration and then to train MMA[1][2][3][4][5][6]

When he was younger, Barnaoui would skateboard and emulate Yamakasi parkour, earning the nickname Tarzan from the neighborhood grown-ups. Likewise, due to his immigration status, Mansour is not a French citizen due to the nature of his arrival to France. This means that all of his MMA contracts need to be signed outside of the country.[7][3]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

A longtime product of Team Magnum MMA in Paris, France, the ‘Afro-Samurai’ got his start in the hybrid-MMA promotion 100% Fight, back before full-rules mixed martial arts had been legalized in the country. A 6-0 run early in his pro career was halted by a loss to future UFC top contender Kevin Lee during Instinct MMA 4 in Canada. After rebounding with a first round TKO stoppage at SHC 7, Cage Warriors approached Barnaoui and offered him a fight against Conor McGregor. The organizers were offering the fight between the two on the condition that Mansour signed a two-year contract with them. However, Mansour chose to instead sign with M-1 Global as the promotion was offering 10,000 and 15,000 euros per fight compared to the 2000 to 3000 euros at the Cage Warriors.[8]

A few days before his first fight for M-1 on April 9, 2013 at M-1 Challenge 38, against future UFC champion Islam Makhachev, Mansour's father died. However, he decided to still fight and lost a hard fought bout via unanimous decision.[8]

Rebounding against Zulfikar Usmanov at M-1 Challenge 41, he submitted Usmanov via rear-naked choke in the third round. The Tunisian continued his momentum by winning a belt in another European organization, BAMMA, winning the BAMMA World Lightweight Championship and defending it against UFC vets Curt Warburton and Colin Fletcher.[8]

Returning to M-1, Barnaoui won the M-1 Lightweight Championship against Maxim Divnich at M-1 Challenge 57, defeating Divnich via TKO stoppage after dropping him with a knee at the end of the first round and finishing him with ground and pound. Dropping down to Featherweight for the first and only time in his career for a chance for the M-1 Featherweight Championship against Ivan Buchinger at M-1 Challenge 62, Mansour lost the bout via unanimous decision.[8]

Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki

On May 27, 2016, at KSW 35, he fought for the vacant KSW Lightweight Championship belt against future UFC fighter Mateusz Gamrot.[9] He lost the bout via unanimous decision.[10]

In his next bout for the promotion, Barnaoui faced Łukasz Chlewicki on December 3, 2016, at KSW 37. He won the bout via doctor stoppage in the first round.[11]

Road FC

In the International Trials, he defeated Won Bin Ki at Road FC 038 by the way of first-round rear-naked choke, earning a spot in the Road Fighting Championship's 16-man Road FC $1 Million Dollar Lightweight Tournament.

In the opening round, Barnaoui faced Chang Hyun Kim at Road FC 040 on July 15, 2017, winning by the way of first round rear-naked choke. In the quarterfinals, he faced Nandin-Erdene Munguntsooj at Road FC 044 on November 11, 2017, where earned another submission victory via rear-naked choke, this time in the second round. In the semifinals, Barnanoui faced Kota Shimoishi at Road FC 046 on March 10, 2018, where he submitted Shimoishi with a rear-naked choke in the third round to earn his way into the tournament final.[12] In the final at Road FC 052 on February 23, 2019, Barnaoui faced Khabib's cousin, Shamil Zavurov, knocking him out with a highlight flying knee in the third round.[13][14]

On May 18, 2019, at Road FC 053. Barnaoui won the $1 million dollar prize and the Road FC Lightweight Championship against A Sol Kwon, submitting Kwon in the first round via rear-naked choke.[15][16]

During the next three years in the pandemic, the snowboarding enthusiast escaped to the mountains whenever he could and due to the pandemic restrictions shutting down his base camp at the Jacques-Duclos gymnasium in Malakoff, he went to train in Dubai, one of the few accessible places with open rooms. He also trained in Thailand and spent six months in Las Vegas, at the 10th Planet and Xtreme Couture, where he was able to train against many talented fighters from the top promotions.[17]

Bellator MMA

In June 2022, Barnaoui signed an exclusive multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA.[2][18]

Barnaoui made his promotional debut headlining Bellator 287 on October 29, 2022, against Adam Piccolotti.[19][20] He won the bout in a very dominant fashion, finishing Piccolotti in the second round via rear-naked choke.[21]

Lightweight Grand Prix

On January 11, 2023, Barnaoui was announced as one of the 8 participants in the $1 million Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix.[22] Barnaoui was scheduled to face Sidney Outlaw on May 12, 2023, at Bellator 296.[23] However at the end of February, Outlaw tested positive for banned substances and was suspended, resulting in him being replaced by the alternate, Brent Primus.[24] Barnaoui lost the back-and-forth bout by unanimous decision.[25]

Barnaoui faced Jay-Jay Wilson on September 23, 2023, at Bellator 299.[26] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[27]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
26 matches 20 wins 6 losses
By knockout 6 0
By submission 13 0
By decision 1 6
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 20–6 Jay Jay Wilson Decision (unanimous) Bellator 299 September 23, 2023 3 5:00 Dublin, Ireland
Loss 20–5 Brent Primus Decision (unanimous) Bellator 296 May 12, 2023 5 5:00 Paris, France Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarter-Final.
Win 20–4 Adam Piccolotti Submission (rear-naked choke) Bellator 287 October 29, 2022 2 2:51 Milan, Italy
Win 19–4 A Sol Kwon Submission (rear-naked choke) Road FC 053 May 18, 2019 1 3:44 Jeju, South Korea Won the Road FC $1 Million Lightweight Championship.
Win 18–4 Shamil Zavurov KO (flying knee) Road FC 052 February 23, 2019 3 0:30 Seoul, South Korea Road FC Lightweight Tournament Final.
Win 17–4 Kota Shimoishi Submission (rear-naked choke) Road FC 046 March 10, 2018 3 1:47 Seoul, South Korea Road FC Lightweight Tournament Semi-Finals.
Win 16–4 Nandin-Erdene Munguntsooj Submission (rear-naked choke) Road FC 044 November 11, 2017 2 2:02 Shijiazhuang, China Road FC Lightweight Tournament Quarter-Finals.
Win 15–4 Chang Hyun Kim Submission (rear-naked choke) Road FC 040 July 15, 2017 1 4:28 Seoul, South Korea Road FC Lightweight Tournament Round of 16.
Win 14–4 Won Bin Ki Submission (rear-naked choke) Road FC 038 April 15, 2017 1 4:46 Seoul, South Korea
Win 13–4 Łukasz Chlewicki TKO (doctor stoppage) KSW 37 December 3, 2016 1 3:09 Kraków, Poland
Loss 12–4 Mateusz Gamrot Decision (unanimous) KSW 35 May 27, 2016 3 5:00 Gdańsk/Sopot, Poland For the vacant KSW Lightweight Championship. Fight of the Night.
Loss 12–3 Ivan Buchinger Decision (unanimous) M-1 Challenge 62 October 10, 2015 5 5:00 Sochi, Russia For the M-1 Featherweight Championship.
Win 12–2 Maxim Divnich TKO (knee and punches) M-1 Challenge 57 May 2, 2015 1 4:47 Orenburg, Russia Won the M-1 Lightweight Championship.
Win 11–2 Colin Fletcher Submission (rear-naked choke) BAMMA 14 December 14, 2013 1 4:00 Birmingham, England Defended the BAMMA World Lightweight Championship.
Win 10–2 Curt Warburton TKO (punches) BAMMA 13 September 14, 2013 1 4:08 Birmingham, England Won the vacant BAMMA World Lightweight Championship.
Win 9–2 Zulfikar Usmanov Submission (rear-naked choke) M-1 Challenge 41 August 21, 2013 3 4:19 Saint Petersburg, Russia
Loss 8–2 Islam Makhachev Decision (unanimous) M-1 Challenge 38 April 9, 2013 3 5:00 Saint Petersburg, Russia
Win 8–1 Ivan Musardo TKO (punches) SHC 7 March 9, 2013 1 2:03 Geneva, Switzerland
Loss 7–1 Kevin Lee Decision (unanimous) Instinct MMA: Instinct Fighting 4 June 29, 2012 3 5:00 Montreal, Canada
Win 7–0 Brad Wheeler Submission (rear-naked choke) Cage Warriors: Fight Night 4 March 16, 2012 3 4:26 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Win 6–0 Araik Margarian Submission (rear-naked choke) 100% Fight 7 November 12, 2011 2 4:03 Aubervilliers, France
Win 5–0 Yves Landu Decision (split) 100% Fight 5 May 28, 2011 3 5:00 Paris, France
Win 4–0 Julien Boussuge TKO (knees) 2 3:51
Win 3–0 Chabane Chaibeddra Submission (north-south choke) 100% Fight: Contenders 10 February 19, 2011 2 2:07 Paris, France
Win 2–0 Gregoire Lambert Submission (north-south choke) 1 3:25
Win 1–0 Gaetan Hurtel Submission (rear-naked choke) 2 4:00

[28]

See also

References
  1. "التونسي منصور البرناوي بطلا للعالم في آم آم آي.. ويحصل على مليون دولار (صور)". 28 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-01-28. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  2. Angelini, Olivier (2022-10-27). "Mansour Barnaoui explique pourquoi il a signé avec le Bellator". Boxemag.com (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  3. Corby, Stéphane (2019-05-17). "MMA : le gamin de Malakoff dispute un combat à 1 million de dollars". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  4. Sports, T. V. A. "Mansour Barnaoui: retenez ce nom!". Le Journal de Montréal. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  5. "Mansour Barnaoui: retenez ce nom!". TVA Sports (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  6. Mouv', Team (2019-01-23). "Mansour Barnaoui : le prodige du MMA en route vers le million de dollar". Mouv' (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  7. "MMA : Mansour Barnaoui, le combat à un million de dollars". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  8. Yakhlef, Tarek Ben (2014-01-29). "Mansour Barnaoui champion du monde du BAMMA". Paris Tonkar magazine (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  9. Tristen Critchfield (April 20, 2016). "Mansour Barnaoui, Mateusz Gamrot to Vie for Vacant Lightweight Title at KSW 35". Sherdog.
  10. "Wyniki KSW 35 – na żywo w MMAnews od godziny 20:00". MMANews (in Polish). 2016-05-27. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  11. "KSW 37 Circus of Pain Results: Rodrigues Jr. Unseats Bedorf, Pudzianowski Smashes Rak". Combat Press. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  12. Tabuena, Anton (2018-03-11). "Road FC 46 videos: Barnaoui and Zavurov advance to $1 million lightweight tournament finals". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  13. "ROAD FC 52 results". combatpress.com. February 23, 2019.
  14. "Mansour Barnaoui wins at Road FC 52". Asian MMA. 2019-02-23. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  15. "I AM A LEGEND - Quand Mansour BARNAOUI devenait Millionnaire - VIDEO". Boxemag.com (in French). 2020-05-18. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  16. Lee, Alexander K. (2019-05-18). "Video: Mansour Barnaoui claims $1M prize, lightweight title at Road FC 53, Aorigele wins slugfest". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  17. "Bellator 287: pourquoi le retour de Mansour Barnaoui, le combattant à un million de dollars, est un événement". RMC SPORT (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  18. Simon, Zane (2022-06-02). "Bellator signs former M-1, BAMMA, & ROAD FC champ Mansour Barnaoui". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  19. Angelini, Olivier (2022-08-10). "Mansour Barnaoui fera ses débuts au Bellator à Milan face à Adam Piccolotti". Boxemag.com (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  20. "Adam Piccolotti vs. Mansour Barnaoui headlines Bellator 287 in Milan, Italy". MMA Junkie. 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  21. Dewar, Val (2022-10-29). "Bellator 287: Mansour Barnaoui Dominates Adam Piccolotti, Warns Lightweights of his Arrival". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  22. "Bellator announces 8 participants for lightweight grand prix; tournament starts March 10 in San Jose". MMA Junkie. 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  23. Farah Hannoun (2023-01-12). "Gegard Mousasi vs. Fabian Edwards, lightweight grand prix quarterfinal headline Bellator Paris in May". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  24. Marrocco, Steven (2023-02-21). "Sidney Outlaw flunks drug test, Brent Primus enters lightweight grand prix at Bellator Paris". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  25. Anderson, Jay (2023-05-12). "Bellator 296: Mansour Barnaoui Starts Hot, But Brent Primus Wins Decision, Advances in Grand Prix". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  26. Sherdog.com. "Mansour Barnaoui vs. Jay-Jay Wilson, Five Other Bouts Added to Bellator 299 Card". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  27. "MMA (Bellator): nouvelle défaite pour le Français Mansour Barnaoui, battu par Jay Jay Wilson". RMC SPORT (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  28. Sherdog.com. "Mansour Barnaoui". Sherdog.
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