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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

Bellator 289 predictions: Are bantamweight grand prix and title fight upsets brewing?

Stots
vs.
Sabatello
Carmouche
vs.
Velasquez
Magomedov
vs.
Mix
Adams
vs.
Rosta
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
192-116

Stots
(77%)

Velasquez
(62%)

Magomedov
(62%)

Rosta
(89%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
204-109
2018 Champion

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
195-118

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
193-120

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
191-122

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
191-122
2014 Champion

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
189-124

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
188-125

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
182-131
2017 Champion

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta
Nolan King
@mma_kings
180-133

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
172-141

Stots

Velasquez

Mix

Rosta
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
154-159

Stots

Carmouche

Mix

Rosta

Bellator is back at its regular East Coast stomping ground with tournament semifinals and two title fights.

Bellator 289 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, interim bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots (18-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) takes on heated rival Danny Sabatello (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in one of two grand prix semifinals. Stots is a slight -160 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Sabatello is +125. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Stots as one of three unanimous picks on the main card.

In the co-feature, women’s flyweight Liz Carmouche (17-7 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) puts her title on the line for the first time in a rematch with Juliana Velasquez (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA), whom she beat by TKO in April. Velasquez protested the stoppage to no avail, but now has a shot at redemption. Even though she’s a -180 favorite over the champ, it’s underdog Carmouche who has a whopping 10-1 lead from our staff pickers.

Also on the main card, Patchy Mix (16-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) meets Magomed Magomedov (19-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) in the second bantamweight tournament semifinal. The odds are the closest on the entire card with Magomedov just a -135 favorite. But our staff members have Mix in an 11-0 shutout.

And to open the main card, Anthony Adams (9-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has a tough task at middleweight against the unbeaten 10-1 favorite Dalton Rosta (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA). Given the odds, it’s not surprising Rosta is our third unanimous pick in four fights.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Stots (77 percent), Velasquez (62 percent), Magomedov (62 percent) and Rosta (89 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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