The Best Bets from Bellator Belfast
Under its new Champions Series guise, Bellator is set to enthrall the SSE Arena crowd in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The card is full of great fights – but what about the MMA bettors? Which markets should you seize on for a tidy profit?
Anderson and Moore to Go the Distance
The main event in Belfast will see Corey Anderson and Karl Moore fight for the vacant Light Heavyweight championship. While the fans in attendance and those watching worldwide will want an empathetic finish, the odds would point to the fight going all five rounds. Anderson, while he used to knock out opponents with his ferocious right hooks and overhand rights, has yet to do that since 2021.
Moore, the Irish fighter, is not the type of fighter to coax out the knockout artist in the American – as Moore is a tactician and likes to win fights round by round. He controlled both Alex Polizzi and Maciej Różański in his last two matches, leading to his booking in this title fight, making MMA news sites excited in the process. While the odds might not be incredibly good for this selection, it is hard to see either man finishing the other off.
Kennedy to Upset Pitbull and Take Championship
Patricio Pitbull is a top-rated fighter in Bellator, but betting on him to win this fight is like betting that the sun will appear each morning. There’s very little value in it. The Brazilian is defending his featherweight championship against Jeremy Kennedy.
So why back Jeremy Kennedy to become the champion? The Canadian is in much better form than his opponent, for one. He won his last three fights, two by unanimous decision and another by injuring Aaron Pico’s shoulder so that he couldn’t continue after the first round. This will fill Kennedy with confidence ahead of this title fight.
By comparison, Pitbull won’t be in as good a headspace. He’s been in and out of fight camps as two of his prior fights were canceled, only to have this one put in a month after he should have fought at PFL vs. Bellator. That’s not to mention that he lost his last two fights, dropping his bantamweight championship with a result that made MMA breaking news at the time . While this is a massive intangible, it’s enough for Pitbull to be in his head and potentially lose to a confident challenger.
Edwards to Edge Middleweight Contest
There might not be a better-matched fight on the entire card than Fabian Edwards’ match against Aaron Jeffery. Both men like to trade blows from a standing position in the cage and have similar records in MMA. Bettors could be forgiven for not touching this fight owing to how close it looks on paper.
However, there are reasons why MMA gamblers should opt for Edwards. Firstly, he’s a lot closer to home. While he’s from Birmingham, not Belfast, it’s a lot closer than Jeffery, who has traveled from Ontario for this fight. Another critical point is that across their respective careers, the British brawler has fought at a higher level of quality. His opposition has generally been well-matched fighters, whereas Jeffery hasn’t fought many recognizable names. This is validated by sites like Tapology, ranking Edwards higher than his opponent and he should have the quality to see out this fight.
Sousa to Keep Undefeated Status
Manoel Sousa might be the b-side in his fight against Tim Wilde, but nobody should bet against the Brazilian fighter. He might be one of Bellator’s best-kept secrets, as this man could be a credible contender to the lightweight strap in the future. Ardent MMA fans will recall that Sousa won a fight in the PFL Challenger Series last year but later fell out with the company as they prevented him from attending a Dana White Contender Series event in which he was invited to compete. Legal action followed, but he’s now under the PFL umbrella with Bellator. Simply put, Dana White and company don’t waste their time with fighters who won’t help the UFC grow. White saw something in Sousa – and now he will unleash it on Wilde.
The English fighter from Cannock, Staffordshire, isn’t a pushover, but compared to the 10-0 Brazilian, he’s had an unremarkable career to date. The Karate specialist is 36 years old and will have difficulty stopping his South American opponent from landing strikes.
Kelly to End Singh Early
Nathan Kelly will surely be licking his lips at the prospect of a quick day’s work as he is set for a mismatched fight against Vikas Singh. Nathan Kelly is an accomplished Irish fighter with a 9-2 record, having now ascended to the PFL Challenger Series and PFL Europe ranks. He’s succeeded there, and it’s worth remembering that he lost his first two professional MMA fights, meaning that he’s on a nine-match winning streak where the quality of his opponent has only gotten better and better until…this fight.
With the most tremendous respect for Vikas Singh, he’s not at the same level as Kelly. The Indian fighter has an inferior 12-7 record and has spent the majority of fighting in his homeland and the UAE, two nations that do not have particularly great MMA setups. Singh fought once in the PFL Challenger Series in 2023, where he lost in the first round, showing that he’s not at the same standard as other fighters in the promotion.
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By Dean McHugh.
