MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down Bellator’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main card for Bellator 289.
Bellator 289 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Welcome to MMAJunkie’s Quick Picks and Prognostications, where I’ll be giving brief, fight-day breakdowns for select main cards.
With that in mind, I hope these write-ups don’t come off as curt or dismissive, as my goal here is to offer quick picks and analysis in a digestible format. All odds listed are provided by Tipico Sportsbook.
If you’d like more detailed analysis from me, then feel free to check out my weekly show, The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.
So, without further ado…
Dalton Rosta (-900) vs. Anthony Adams (+625)
Kicking off the main card for Bellator 289 is a fun middleweight matchup between Dalton Rosa and Anthony Adams.
Although Adams is a fun fighter to watch, I suspect he’ll have to land something big if he means to derail Rosta.
Coming in as one of my dark horses to watch for in 2021, Rosta demonstrates excellent phase changes and a preternatural feel for the fight, seamlessly mixing in leg and bodywork into his vicious assaults.
Add in the wrestling acumen that Rosta keeps in his back pocket, and I’ll take the Seton Hall alum to earn an emphatic win on the scorecards, with a strong chance at finding a late stoppage as Adams fatigues.
Magomed Magomedov (-120) vs. Patrick Mix (+100)
The bantamweight grand prix rolls on with arguably the most exciting offering of the evening, as Moagmed Magomedov meets the dangerous Patrick Mix.
Although I’ve been a big fan of Magomedov since his first fight with Petr Yan, I suspect that his propensities to spin on the feet and turtle on the floor will be problematic opposite a back-taker like Mix.
Perhaps it’s my stated Xtreme Couture bias (as Mix has done this training camp there), but I believe that Magomedov’s cage positioning and previously-mentioned habits will play right into the human backpack that is Mix.
I’ll take the American to edge out another competitive decision on the scorecards.
Liz Carmouche (+145) vs. Juliana Velazquez (-170)
The co-main event at the Mohegan Sun Arena features a rematch for the promotion’s flyweight title between Liz Carmouche and Juliana Velsquez.
As stated in my breakdown of their first fight, this matchup has all the intangibles for a tedious affair due to each fighter’s propensity to counter.
Add in the fact that rematches seldom ever play out the same way in MMA, and this may be the hardest fight to forecast on the card. I’ll stick with my original prediction, picking Carmouche to edge out competitive rounds en route to another upset.
Raufeon Stots (-165) vs. Danny Sabatello (+140)
The main event for Bellator 289 features an interim title bout that will take place amidst the promotion’s bantamweight grand prix.
Danny Sabatello, who is a former Divison-1 wrestler for Purdue, could make things very interesting if his relentless pace and pressure can drag this into later rounds. That said, Sabatello will be facing someone who can match him in the wrestling realm when he meets two-time Division 2 national champion, Raufeon Stots.
Not only has Stots shown his defensive chops and scrambles in recent outings, but the 33-year-old is a solid southpaw who can crack coming forward or off the counter. The pick is for Stots to replicate his own version of Irwin Rivera’s win over Sabatello, eventually finding a finish by the third round.
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