Years worth of blood, sweat and tears have pointed Alexandr Shabliy to this exact time and place.
The 31-year-old Persevet Fight Team standout will challenge the undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator MMA lightweight championship in the Bellator Champions Series headliner on Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. Shabliy steps into the spotlight with the wind of a career-best nine-fight winning streak in his sails. He last suited up at Bellator 301, where he laid claim to a five-round unanimous decision over former champion Patricky Freire on Nov.